The next morning, Hirvan stood at the entrance of his house, his bag by his side, waiting for Fu Yan to arrive. He had woken up early, his mind too restless to allow him any extra sleep. As he waited, Mrs. Smith came down the stairs, her footsteps soft on the carpeted steps.
"So, are you two official now?" she asked, her voice warm but curious.
Hirvan nodded, a shy small smile playing on his lips.
"Yep. I know I once said I wouldn't consider dating until after I was accepted to university, but when it came to him, it felt different."
He paused, looking straight at Mrs Smith.
"It was as if turning him down would be a mistake I'd regret for the rest of my life, something I couldn't just walk away from without wondering what might have been."
Mrs. Smith smiled gently at him, a knowing look in her eyes. "That's okay. I know you like him. I can see it in your eyes when look at him, in the way you treat him tenderly. It's different from before."
