The next morning, Suzein was preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Paul walked in, and they started kissing. Sameer and Tom, now awake, entered the kitchen and saw the couple.
Sameer winced. "Jeez! Such a cringe couple. Can you two stop doing that in front of us?"
Paul playfully replied, "You wouldn't understand these things."
"Yeah yeah. Is breakfast ready or not?"
Suzein smiled. "Yes, it's ready. Take your seats."
They all sat down to eat.
Paul looked at the two. "So… how did you guys sleep?"
Tom stretched. "Pretty well."
Paul looked at Sameer.
"Don't ask me. I slept on a mattress, you know," Sameer complained.
Paul smirked. "As expected. So, you two are in your third year, right?"
"Yeah, and I think you two are as well," Tom replied.
"Yep, we are. So, how's studying going?"
Sameer frowned. "Why do you sound like an old man?"
They laughed.
Tom shrugged. "It's going… just the usual."
"Yeah, same here. Exams suck," Sameer added.
"For real," Suzein chimed in. "Exams really do suck."
After finishing breakfast, they all got ready to go out.
They arrived at their destination—a large departmental store. Sameer, Tom, and Suzein were amazed by the sight of it.
"Damn!" Sameer exclaimed.
"Nice," Tom added, nodding in approval.
"Wow! So beautiful," Suzein said, her eyes sparkling.
Paul grinned smugly. "I'm amazing, right?"
They headed inside, marveling at the vast space.
Tom's eyes widened. "Oh man, this place is massive."
"Hey, look at that!" Sameer said, pointing excitedly.
The store featured more than just household items—it had a trampoline park, a video game arcade, and much more.
"Hey, guys," Suzein said. "Can we check that out later? I need to buy a necklace first."
They agreed and headed to the ornament section.
In the ornament section, Suzein spotted a beautiful gold necklace.
"Babe, look at this… isn't it pretty?" she asked Paul.
"Yeah, it is," Paul replied.
Suzein tried the necklace on and twirled. "How do I look?"
Paul smiled warmly. "Beautiful. But I think you should try this one."
Seeing them, Sameer started imagining himself and Alya in their place.
Inside Sameer's mind: Man, that girl… If she were my girlfriend, I'd do the same—help her try on necklaces. What a dream.
Tom noticed Sameer's soft smile and shook him. "Bro, why are you smiling?"
Sameer was startled. "Oh, nothing! Just cringing at those two."
Paul and Suzein walked toward them.
"What are you guys whispering about?" Paul asked.
"Forget it. So, are you done with the necklace?" Sameer quickly changed the subject.
"Yes!" Suzein replied, excitedly. "Now let's go to the trampoline park!"
In the trampoline section, the group enjoyed bouncing around. Tom suddenly challenged Sameer.
"Hey, bro, let's see who can do the best parkour tricks!"
Sameer grinned. "Sounds good. Let's do it."
They competed with various tricks, but Tom won.
Sameer groaned. "Man, this sucks! How did I lose?"
"Come on, don't be upset. Let's check out the game section!" Tom said.
They all headed to the video game arcade. Sameer and Tom lit up with excitement, rushing to their favorite games.
"Babe, I don't know how to play these," Suzein said hesitantly.
"Don't worry, I'll teach you," Paul assured her.
"Am I doing it right?" Suzein asked as she tried the controls.
"You're doing great!" Paul encouraged.
After having loads of fun, they left the store and waited for a cab.
"Oh man, that was so much fun!" Sameer said happily. "I'd love to come back here."
Paul checked his watch. "Yeah, but look—it's already evening. Time flies when you're having fun."
"Definitely," Suzein agreed.
Tom yawned. "Guys, I'm totally exhausted… and hungry." His stomach growled, and everyone burst into laughter, except Tom.
They returned home after dinner. Suzein went to bed, tired. Paul sat in the living room, scrolling through his phone. Tom and Sameer walked in. Suddenly, Tom jumped on Paul, and Sameer jumped on Tom, creating a pile.
Paul gasped. "OMG! Are you two trying to kill me?"
They ignored him.
"What are you watching on your phone?" Tom asked.
"First, get off me!" Paul exclaimed.
They sat properly, and Tom peeked at the screen. "Oh, you're on Instagram. Let me show you something."
Tom snatched the phone from him.
"So, Paul, did you watch the reels I sent you?" Sameer asked.
"Um… yeah."
"But you never reacted. Why?"
"I might've forgotten to react… hehe."
"Is that even an excuse? Just admit you didn't watch them! Should I stop?"
"No, no! Just keep sending them, okay?" Paul pleaded.
That's when Tom found a reel and showed it to Paul.
"Paul, check this out," Tom said.
The reel depicted humorous scenarios like "The girls in my school/college," "The girls in my locality," and "That one girl I lock eyes with at the airport and never see again."
After watching it, Paul sighed. "Damn! I've been to the airport twice and never had that experience. People who do must be so lucky."
Tom grinned. "We've experienced that, right, bro?"
Sameer looked confused. "Huh? What do you mean?"
"I mean Aly—" Tom began, but Sameer quickly covered his mouth.
"Don't mention Alya," Sameer whispered.
"Why not?" Tom whispered back.
"If they find out, they'll mock me. Just don't," Sameer insisted.
Paul narrowed his eyes. "Wait, for real? Did you guys experience something like that?"
Sameer laughed nervously. "No! Bro's just talking nonsense. Things like that are so rare."
"True," Paul said. "Those are really rare. Anyway, I saw a nightclub at the marketplace. What do you guys think about going tomorrow?"
"Sounds good to me!" Tom replied enthusiastically.
Sameer muttered under his breath, "Oh no… a crowded place…"
"What's wrong, Sameer?" Paul asked.
Forcing a smile, Sameer replied, "Nothing! Sounds fun."
Paul yawned. "Alright. See you tomorrow!"
In the room where Tom and Sameer stayed, Sameer lay awake, lost in thought.
Inside Sameer's mind: Today was so fun. But it could've been better if… Oh, what am I thinking? Alya? She's out of my league. She probably doesn't even remember my name. She might already have a boyfriend. Ugh, give it a rest, brain!
He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to sleep.