Joya didn't expect it to happen so soon.
That afternoon, she was arranging books in the classroom when she felt a presence beside her. She didn't need to look up to know who it was. Her heart reacted before her eyes did.
"Joya."
Her name.
She turned slowly.
Sudom stood there, holding his notebook, looking a little unsure. Not nervous exactly, just… thoughtful. Like someone deciding whether to cross a small but important line.
"You dropped this yesterday," he said.
Joya blinked. She knew she hadn't. But she took it anyway.
"Oh… thank you," she replied softly.
There was a pause.
A small, awkward silence that neither of them seemed to know how to fill.
Sudom shifted his weight. "You live near the road, right? I see you there often."
Joya's breath caught.
"Yes," she said. "I do."
He nodded, as if that confirmed something in his mind. "I thought so."
That was all.
No long conversation. No dramatic moment.
But for Joya, it felt like her quiet world had tilted slightly.
After he left, she sat down slowly, her hands still trembling. He noticed me. He remembered where I stand. He said my name.
Outside, the sky began to change color once again, drifting toward that familiar hour between day and night. Joya looked out the window and smiled to herself, a small smile she didn't try to hide.
Maybe this love was still hidden.
But it was no longer completely alone.