Lily still didn't know what to call it.
Friendship.
The word felt too big.Too fragile.
She trusted Mira.She really did.
But asking "Are we friends?" felt terrifying.
Because once you name something precious…
you also give it the chance to disappear.
So Lily never asked.She just watched.
From a little distance.
She watched how Mira talked easily with everyone.How boys turned their heads when she laughed.How girls smiled at first — then slowly grew quiet.
Lily noticed the looks.
Jealousy.Comparison and the kind that didn't need words.
Mira was that kind of girl.
Tall.
Bright.
Effortlessly beautiful.
Someone people stared at without meaning to.
Lily sometimes wondered why someone like Mira stayed beside someone like her.
She lowered her gaze whenever that thought came.
Because Mira didn't look at Lily like everyone else did.
She looked at her… warmly.
Like she had found something rare.
One afternoon, Mira flopped down beside Lily on the bench, dramatic as always.
"Okay," she said, stretching her arms.
"I need a break before my brain melts."
Lily smiled faintly.
Mira leaned closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret.
"Can I tell you something funny?"
Lily nodded.
"I have two childhood friends," Mira said, rolling her eyes fondly.
"Two boys. Absolute opposites."
Lily listened quietly, her fingers stilling on her sketchbook.
"One of them," Mira continued, counting on her fingers,
"is too gentle. Like—opens doors for everyone, helps old ladies cross roads, but still somehow scary when he gets serious."
She made a straight face.
"He has this line," Mira said, drawing an invisible boundary in the air.
"Kind to everyone, but don't cross it."
Lily imagined it.Calm strength.Quiet presence.
Mira smiled softly, then grinned.
"And the other one?" she said, lowering her voice even more.
"Oh, he flirts with everyone."
Lily's eyes widened slightly.
"Everyone?" she asked before she could stop herself.
Mira laughed.
"Yes. Everyone. Cashiers. Seniors. Girls who breathe."
Lily let out a small laugh, surprised by herself.
"But," Mira added, tapping Lily's arm gently,
"he's not bad. He never hurts anyone. He knows when to stop."
She shrugged.
"They're both popular. Everyone knows them. They're older than us — seniors."
Mira glanced at Lily.
"I'm just a junior, like you."
Lily nodded, absorbing every word.
Mira noticed her quiet focus and smiled.
"You're a really good listener," she said suddenly.
"Did you know that?"
Lily froze.
"I—I just don't talk much," she replied softly.
Mira shook her head.
"No," she said gently.
"You try to understand people."
Lily looked up, surprised.
"Not many people do that," Mira continued quietly.
"And no one ever really did that for you, right Lily ?"
Lily didn't answer.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of her sketchbook.
Mira smiled — not teasing, not loud.Just soft.
"That's why I like being around you," she added.
"You don't look at people to judge them.You look at them like you're trying to understand their hearts."
Lily felt something ache — warm and painful at the same time.
She looked down again, afraid her eyes might say too much.
Mira didn't know this, but Lily admired her.
Not the beauty.
Not the popularity.
But the way she laughed without fear.The way she stayed without being asked.
And Mira — without realizing it — felt something too.
She felt how Lily watched her without envy.How her eyes never judged.How her admiration was quiet and sincere.
Mira had people around her all the time.
But Lily was different.
Lily looked lonely in a way Mira understood.
A soft loneliness.
The kind that didn't complain.
And somehow… that made Mira want to stay even more.
Lily still didn't ask if they were friends.She was too afraid of losing something she had just begun to feel.
So she stayed silent.
And Mira, She stayed anyway.
And that — without either of them saying it —meant more than words.
After the class ended, Mira leaned over Lily's desk, her smile bright and easy.
"Lily," she said casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Do you want to eat together?"
Lily blinked.Together…?
Before she could answer, Mira added, "I want to introduce you to my friends—the two boys, childhood friends I told you about."
Lily stiffened.
Boys.
Eating lunch was usually her quiet time—a corner seat, her thoughts.Eating with more people sounded… overwhelming.
Mira noticed the hesitation immediately.She tilted her head. "Lily… is that okay with you? Really."
"If not, we can eat alone. No boys."
Lily looked up and met her eyes.
There was no pressure there.No teasing.Just honest concern.
Something warm settled in Lily's chest.She swallowed, then gave a small, careful smile.
"Y-yes," she said softly.
"Let's… eat together."Mira's face lit up instantly.
As they stood and started walking, Mira swung her bag onto her shoulder and laughed lightly.
"You know," she said, "I don't really have any girl friends."
Lily looked at her in surprise.
"I don't even know why," Mira continued, then flipped her hair dramatically with one hand and grinned.
"Maybe they're jealous of how beautiful I am."
Lily almost smiled.
How could someone like her not have friends? She was kind. Bright. Warm in a way that made people feel seen.
Without thinking, Lily spoke.
"I'm… I'm happy to be your friend, Mira." The words left her mouth before she even realized what she was saying.
Mira stopped walking.
"…What?"
Lily's heart raced. Too late to take it back now.Mira's eyes softened—and then, suddenly, she pulled Lily into a tight hug.
"Then it's decided!" she said happily.
"You're my friend now."
She leaned back, still holding Lily's shoulders, smiling widely.
"Best friends, okay?"
Lily felt her face grow warm—but this time, she didn't want to disappear.
She smiled back.
"Okay…"
---
They sat at a table near the side.
Mira pulled out her phone immediately.
"Aiden Hawthorne! " she said into the phone, sounding annoyed.
"When are you two coming? I'm starving."
A pause.
She rolled her eyes.
"Hurry up."
The call ended.
Lily's fingers tightened around her bottle.
Aiden…
The name echoed quietly in her head.
That's one of them, she thought.
Her heart began to beat faster for no reason.
"Um…Mira what are they like?"Lily asked softly.
"Tall, loud, and very annoying," she said.
"Don't worry—I'll protect you."
Mira waved her hand.
"You'll see. They're coming."
Lily looked around without realizing it.a sudden thought crossed her mind.
What if that boy from the bus is here?
Her eyes moved around the hall for a brief moment, unconsciously searching for a familiar face.
Tall boys.Laughing groups.Familiar silhouettes.
Don't be silly, she told herself.He's not here, she thought sadly.
Mira suddenly stood up, waving excitedly.
"HEY! OVER HERE!"
Lily turned.
Two boys were walking toward them through the crowd.
At first, Lily couldn't see their faces.
One boy had his arm casually resting on the other's shoulder.
They moved easily, confidently.
People around them glanced their way.
The first boy smiled and waved back.He had dark brown hair and blue eyes, just as tall as the boy beside him.
Then Lily saw the second one.
The same tall figure she remembered.
The same fair skin, glowing gently under the lights, just as it had that day.
He's real and close, an annoyingly beautiful smile playing on his lips as he talked with the boy beside him.
Seeing him like this made her heart slow…
Her breath stopped.
No.
No, no, no.
She closed her eyes for a second.When she opened them again—
He was still there.
The boy from the bus. It's him…
The one with the calm presence.The familiar height.The same quiet way of walking.
He looked exactly the same.
Cold expression.His gentle gray eyes were right in front of me, so clear
that I knew—this wasn't a dream.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Is this… destiny?
Or am I imagining things again?
They reached the table.
Mira greeted them loudly, joking, already talking too fast.
Lily couldn't hear anything.
Her ears rang.
Then—
He looked at her, Their eyes met and in that quiet glance, she felt everything and nothing at the same time.
Just for a second.
Her heart dropped straight into her stomach.
She didn't know.What's happening now.
All she knew was—
The boy from the bus was standing right in front of her now.
And this time…
There was no bus to pull them apart.
End of chapter 6