Chereads / Apocalypse After Secret Cold Love / Chapter 7 - Ch-7. The Flashback

Chapter 7 - Ch-7. The Flashback

[Yo! Yo! Yo! I'm back! Sorry for taking a hiatus, I forgot about it.]

(Yeah, just stop man. Start the story. They've been waiting for two weeks straight!)

[I Am! Now Let's start!]

(Yeah.)

[.....Ok...]

(WTF! Start the chapter, Mr.Fcking Author!)

[Hey I'm not fcking any author.]

(Yeah. I know that. U don't have the guts to even talk to a girl in real life.)

[.....You didn't have to say that. ]

(Ok. Sorry. Start please.)

[.....Hmm.....]

The night was eerily quiet except for the sound of the van's engine humming along the empty road. In the front seats, Narendra was driving, his hands gripping the wheel firmly, though his mind was far away. Dhruv sat beside him, occasionally glancing at the map, while Rajesh and Chandraprakash—or "Chintu," as they called him—were in the middle seats. The girls, Yogita and Shivani, slept peacefully in the back, their faces illuminated by the dim glow of the van's dashboard light.

Narendra cleared his throat. "Guys, I have to tell you something," he said, his voice tinged with both nervousness and excitement.

Chintu rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. It's about Yogita."

Rajesh snorted. "Called it. Spill, lover boy."

Narendra sighed and began, "It's about when it had only been seven months since I moved to Dehradun with my family. And six months since I started school there. I didn't have many friends because, well, you know how I am. But I made one—Akhil Sherawat. You know him, you guys used to bully him. And I almost ended up fighting you guys over it. It was about when we were not friends. He was a bit blunt and stuttered, so the class made fun of him. But he was my only friend at that time, and we got along really well. And you guys were nowhere near me then, even though we were in the same class. The same class."

Chintu sighed, " You didn't need to say that twice. Come on, continue start it. The flashback."

"Alright!" As Narendra narrated, his mind drifted into a vivid flashback:

[Whoa, A flashback. It's a first for this series.]

(No. It's a first among each and every series.)

[Let's continue.]

It was a typical day at the school hallway. Narendra leaned against the wall outside his classroom, looking stoic but secretly amused by a joke Akhil had made earlier. Akhil had stepped away to the restroom, leaving Narendra lost in thought. Suddenly, a girl walked past him, her laughter soft but melodious. Narendra's eyes followed her, and he froze.

It was Yogita.

For the first time, he felt a spark, a sudden racing in his chest. Yogita looked back at him, her lips curving into a small, knowing smile. Narendra felt caught.

Before he could process what had just happened, Akhil returned, snapping him out of his trance. As they turned to enter the classroom, Yogita appeared in front of them, blocking their way.

"Narendra," she said confidently, puffing her chest slightly. "I'm cute, right?"

Narendra blinked, utterly flustered. "What? Umm… I don't know. Maybe… yes?"

Akhil frowned. "O-oi man! W-w-what are you s-ay-ying?"

Yogita's smile grew brighter. "So, that's why you were chuckling when you saw me?"

Narendra, stammering and trying to save face, replied, "Nah… I wasn't laughing at you. I was thinking about… um… Akhil's joke! Yeah!"

Akhil turned to him, affronted. "What?! You thought I was joking about Bruce Lee?!"

Narendra, overwhelmed, spun around and bolted to the restroom, leaving Yogita giggling and Akhil glaring after him.

[ End of Flashback. ]

( And Kids, That's how I met your mother. )

[ Whoa whoa whoa! You ain't gonna have any kids. You're gonna die a virgin, just like me. I mean I'll not die as a virgin but you will.]

(Mr. Author. Don't fucking spoil the story. And I ain't gonna die a virgin.)

Back in the present, Narendra grinned as he finished his story. "And that's how I fell for her, guys."

Dhruv facepalmed. "Sooo idiotic."

Rajesh chuckled. "Nice try, fool."

Chintu, however, leaned back with a wise expression. "No, he's telling the truth. I've known this guy for years. He's completely gone for her."

Rajesh raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious right now?"

Before Chintu could answer, Shivani leaned over from the back seat. "He's not lying. He's in love with her. It's obvious."

Dhruv sighed. "Bro, forget her. She's popular, sure, but you've heard the rumors. Although I agree she might not be that bad but....She's not worth it."

Narendra slammed on the brakes, causing the van to lurch forward. Everyone scrambled to steady themselves.

Rajesh yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you, man?!"

Dhruv looking stoic angry, " I knew it! This guy definitely wants us dead!"

Narendra turned to Dhruv, his voice firm. "No. She's not like that. Those are just rumors. I know her. She's kind, funny, and… she's not what people say. She's a good person....."

Narendra continued rambling about her, non-stop continuously. As he rambled on and on, the boys looked bored and looked at each other, ignoring Narendra.

The boys exchanged glances, their expressions somewhere between concern and amusement.

And then they heard it as Narendra ended his speech with, "And I really Love Yogita!!"

Chintu shook his head. "He's a goner. Totally and utterly smitten."

Rajesh doing a facepalm, "Yeah. He's really Badly & Madly in love with her!"

Dhruv standing up from his seat says, "Yup! He's a lost cause now!"

Shivani interrupted, her voice calm but firm. "Enough, guys. Let's get some sleep. We've got a long way to go tomorrow."

Grumbling, the boys settled down for the night, spreading out in the cramped van. Shivani returned to the back seat, lying down next to Yogita, who appeared to be fast asleep.

After a few minutes of silence, Shivani whispered, chuckling softly, "You heard all that, didn't you?"

Yogita, her face red and her ears burning, peeked one eye open. She turned toward Shivani, her voice barely audible. "You didn't have to ask him…"

Shivani smiled knowingly, patting Yogita's hand. "Goodnight, Yogita."

As the van settled into the stillness of the night, Yogita buried her face into her hands, her heart racing at the memory of Narendra's earnest confession.

(Hehehehehe...)

[That's creepy Mr.Hehehehe Protagonist]

(But it's so happy momento.)

[Yeah. He's a goner. He's forgotten about something called vocabulary.]