I buried my nose in the book I was reading, doing my best to ignore the sound of footsteps approaching my secluded little corner.
"This is nice," she said softly, her voice gentle yet impossible to tune out. I could feel her eyes on me, and before I could even glance up, she slid into the seat across from me with graceful ease.
"You've got your own little area here," she added with a quiet chuckle, gesturing toward the cosy setup Mrs. Sun had arranged for me. The small table, tucked away in this quiet corner, was practically my second home.
God, her voice. It was like music to my ears.
Why was she even here? Didn't she realise I didn't want to talk to her? Not because I disliked her or whatever, but because every time she spoke to me, I felt myself melting—embarrassingly and uncontrollably.
"I hope you don't mind me being here," she said with a nervous laugh, her fingers fidgeting slightly on the table.
I do, actually. The words hovered at the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't bring myself to say them.
Instead, I muttered, "Well, you're already seated, so—"
"Oh." Her expression shifted, conflicted, as though she was misinterpreting my words. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll just—"
Before she could bolt, I blurted out, "I don't mind you here, Ari."
The relief that washed over her face at my words made my heart do an unexpected leap, catching me entirely off guard. Embarrassed, I quickly looked elsewhere, hoping she wouldn't notice the flush creeping up my cheeks.
"What I was going to say," I began slowly, my voice barely steady under her gaze, "is that since you're already seated, you might as well grab your stuff and study here." I paused, trying to keep my composure as her gorgeous eyes stayed fixed on me. "I mean, we wouldn't want another damsel in distress situation, would we?"
Ari let out a hearty laugh, the sound light and genuine. For a second, I froze, completely captivated.
I realised it was the first time I'd seen her laugh like that. Not that I was paying extra attention to her or anything—it's just that she usually wore this polite, practised smile when she was with Gigi or Shu.
But this? This laugh? It suited her so much better.
"Well," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief, "even if that happens again, my knight in shining armour will be there to save me."
She flashed me a teasing smile, and I swear my brain short-circuited. My conscience was practically screaming at me to stay composed because, wow, she was beautiful when she smiled like that. Well, not that she wasn't beautiful before—it's like… whatever you get what I mean.
"Huh," I managed to reply, trying to sound unaffected. "Must be tough being a knight in shining armour." I said and ignored those gorgeous amused smiles directed at me.
Ari and I settled into a quiet rhythm of studying after that. She mentioned that Gigi had told her why I wasn't at lunch yesterday or earlier—apparently, my cursed assignment was the topic of conversation.
She even offered to help me with it, but I quickly declined. Let's be real. Having Ari in close proximity while I tried to work? That's a level of distraction I absolutely couldn't afford.
Now, you might be wondering why I'm not rude to Ari. If I'm so certain I don't want to get involved with her, why not just be mean enough to scare her off for good? Simple. Here are my very reasonable reasons:
1. I'm absolutely terrible at being mean to pretty girls I fancy. It's a skill I never developed, okay?
2. Gigi would kill me if I was rude to Ari without a valid reason. And trust me, while Gigi may be cheeky and friendly, an angry Gigi is a force of nature you do not want to mess with.
3. This isn't that kind of story where the protagonist is some angsty teen with a chronic case of being unnecessarily rude for no reason.
That would be a disaster, if I do say so.
Of course, just because I'm being civil with her doesn't mean we're destined to be friends. But that thought is getting harder to ignore when all Ari seems to want is to be... near me.
After we finished studying in the library, we headed to our next class—English Literature. Normally, I sit at the far end of the classroom, alone, specifically to avoid being bothered.
But apparently, Ari had other plans. She casually took the seat right next to mine, flashing me one of those breathtaking smiles without saying a single word.
Charming as ever.
After class, I packed up my stuff, slung my bag over my shoulder, and was ready to head home when Ari stopped me.
"Wait! Can you hold on a second? I forgot a book in my locker," she said.
I don't know why I waited—but I did.
A minute later, she came sprinting toward me, slightly out of breath. "Yuu!" she called, her voice cheerful despite the fact that she was panting.
Without hesitation, she shamelessly hooked her arm through mine. "Let's go home," she said, her voice soft and accompanied by a gentle smile that made her eyes sparkle.
I stood there, nodding numbly, completely thrown off by the sudden closeness—and the way that smile of hers could definitely light up an entire room.
Fudge.
I really should have chosen to be mean, but…