The words from Nara's message still lingering in her mind:
[Nara: I want to talk to you. Are you free?]
It had been the simplicity of the message that caught her off guard. No emojis. No long explanations. Just an invitation—a request for her presence.
The uncertainty of it all had driven her out the door almost immediately, her heart pounding in her chest as she rushed across campus, not entirely sure what she was walking into.
But now she was standing at the entrance of Nara's dorm room, her breath shallow, her pulse racing in ways she hadn't expected.
Nara had opened the door so easily. No hesitation. No questions.
Just an invitation.
"Come in."
The words echoed in her mind as she stepped over the threshold, crossing the line between mere classmates and something more.
Fah had no idea what to expect, but she knew one thing for sure—this moment would change everything.
-Nara's Room-
Now, she was here.
The air felt thicker once the door clicked shut behind her. Fah had expected the room to feel more... familiar, like the rest of the campus dorms. But instead, it felt so intimate, like it was both a part of Nara and something entirely her own.
The room was neat, sparse—a desk with books neatly stacked, a small bed with a blanket pulled tight, and the faint smell of something soft and calming.
Fah stood by the door, unsure what to do next.
Nara, meanwhile, was already sitting on the bed, looking up at her with a steady gaze. There was no urgency in her posture, no awkwardness—just a calmness that seemed to seep into the very air.
"Sit down," Nara said simply, patting the bed beside her. "You don't have to stand."
Fah hesitated, but only for a moment. She crossed the room, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. Her mind was racing, but Nara's calm presence seemed to ease her—just a little.
For a long time, the two of them sat in silence, neither speaking. The weight of unspoken words hung between them, and Fah could feel the tension stretching thin.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Fah broke the silence. "Why did you text me?"
The question was simple, direct. But beneath it lay the chaos of all the emotions Fah had been trying to avoid. The confusion. The frustration. The need to understand why Nara had such an effect on her.
Nara didn't seem surprised. Her gaze softened just slightly. "I wanted to talk. You've been acting... distant lately."
Fah swallowed hard, the words striking a chord deep within her. Had she been that obvious? Had Nara noticed the way she had been avoiding her?
"I—I don't know what you mean," Fah muttered, her voice quiet.
Nara's lips curved up slightly. "You don't have to hide it. I can see it in your face. You're scared."
Fah's heart dropped. Scared?
"I'm not scared of you," she said quickly, her voice sounding defensive even to her own ears.
Nara didn't flinch. "Are you sure?"
Fah's thoughts raced, but she had no response. She was scared, though she hadn't known how to admit it—scared of what this was, scared of what she was feeling, scared of Nara's quiet power over her.
Before she could answer, Nara leaned in, just barely, brushing her fingers against the side of Fah's hand. A small, fleeting contact, but enough to make Fah's breath catch in her chest.
"I'm not going anywhere, Fah," Nara said gently. "When you're ready, we can talk."
Fah nodded, even though she wasn't sure she was ready.
-Flashback: Ton's Request-
Fah blinked, her thoughts drifting back to a moment from a few weeks ago. She had been walking with Ton in the campus courtyard, heading to meet the rest of their group for lunch. As they passed by the tall, overgrown trees, Ton slowed his pace and turned to her.
"Hey, Fah," he said, his voice a little hesitant.
Fah turned to him, curious. "Yeah?"
Ton shuffled his feet awkwardly, clearly nervous about something. "Uh... I was wondering if I could join you guys for study sessions sometime? You know, with you and Nara? I—uh—just think it might be better if I joined in... if that's okay."
Fah blinked in surprise, unsure of where this was coming from. "Study sessions?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing.
"Yeah, you know..." Ton scratched the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed. "I think Nara's pretty smart, and I want to, uh, get to know her better. So, I figured... if I join the study sessions with you two, I could, you know, work on my grades and... maybe talk to her more."
Fah stood still for a moment, processing. Ton was interested in Nara. The thought hadn't occurred to her before, but now it felt so obvious.
Ton had always been the friendly type, a little more forward than the others. But this... this was different.
"I... uh, I don't see why not," Fah said, her voice hesitant. "We could use all the help we can get. I'll talk to Nara about it."
Ton's face lit up, relieved. "Thanks, Fah. I appreciate it."
Fah managed a small smile. She felt good helping him out, but deep down, something felt off. She wasn't sure what it was, but the growing interest from Ton toward Nara felt a little too close for comfort.
-Flashback: The Study Session-
That afternoon, the library was even quieter than normal; aside from the gentle whir of the air conditioning and the occasional rustle of pages turning, silence reigned. Fah occupied her regular table with a spread of books before her, yet her focus was clearly elsewhere.
Directly across, Nara and Ton were bent over a textbook, their heads nearly touching as Nara softly explained something. Fah couldn't help but notice how Nara's behavior had shifted ever so slightly—her shoulders appeared a little stiffer and her tone a bit cooler than usual.
It was a minute, almost unnoticeable change. But Fah saw it. She tried to concentrate on her own work, yet her eyes kept drifting back to Nara and Ton. She observed how Nara's delicate fingers traced a line on the page, her voice low and even as she broke down a complex concept. Ton leaned in eagerly, his focus entirely on Nara's face instead of the text in front of him.
The whole scenario felt... off. It wasn't Ton's clear interest that unnerved Fah—that was expected. It was Nara.
Outwardly, everything seemed unchanged. Nara maintained her perfect posture, her voice remained calm and in control, and she answered Ton's questions with the same clear, measured responses as before. To an outsider, she appeared completely composed.
Yet Fah picked up on the smallest details. She noticed how Nara's shoulders tensed ever so slightly when Ton leaned too near, the nearly unnoticeable pause before she answered a question, as though she painstakingly weighed her words. Even her eyes, usually so sharp and engaged, wandered off more often than before, fixed on some distant point outside the library.
It was in those gaps between words.
Fah recalled their earlier study sessions when it was just the two of them—how Nara would lean in with a warm, patient tone as she explained challenging ideas, and how her eyes would brighten up when Fah finally grasped a difficult concept. There had been a natural, comfortable silence that was only interrupted by a well-timed question or shared insight.
Now, watching Nara with Ton, Fah felt an unfamiliar tightness in her chest. While Nara's explanations remained clear and precise, they now carried a sense of distance. Her usual serene demeanour had morphed into what felt like a carefully built wall.
Fah's pen tapped nervously against her notebook. She longed to say something to ease the tension around their table, yet the words eluded her.
Instead, she kept studying Nara's face, hoping to spot a glimpse of the person she remembered from their one-on-one sessions—a break in the mask, perhaps. But Nara's face stayed neutral, her dark eyes locked solely on the textbook. Even when Ton edged closer, his shoulder brushing hers, Nara made no outward sign of discomfort. She merely shifted slightly, maintaining that calculated distance.
"Nara," Fah finally said, her voice louder than she intended in the hush of the library. "Are you okay?"
Nara looked up, meeting Fah's gaze. For a fleeting moment, Fah thought she saw something like uncertainty—or maybe discomfort—in those eyes, but it vanished almost instantly.
"I'm fine," Nara replied, her tone as cool and steady as ever, showing no emotion. "Why do you ask?"
Fah hesitated, suddenly aware of Ton's inquisitive glance. "Oh, no reason," she mumbled, returning her eyes to her notes. "It's just... you seemed different."
For a moment, Nara's pen hovered over her page without moving. Then, without lifting her eyes, she said softly, "Everything's fine, Fah. Don't worry."
Yet Fah did worry. In that moment, she realized just how much she missed the Nara she knew when they were alone—the Nara who was open and warm, who freely expressed her thoughts and feelings. The Nara now felt distant.
As the study session continued, Fah couldn't shake the uneasy feeling settling over her. Her mind wandered back to those earlier sessions, when it was just the two of them, and she longed for that easy camaraderie.
Glancing at Nara in hope of shared sentiment, Fah found only a steady, composed expression, her attention entirely on the work at hand.
"Are we going to finish this chapter today?" Ton suddenly asked, breaking Fah's reverie.
Nara briefly looked up from her notes; a flicker of irritation crossed her features before she quickly masked it. "We should be able to," she replied curtly.
Ton simply nodded and went back to his book, unaware of the underlying tension.
Not wanting the awkward silence to persist, Fah cleared her throat nervously and blurted out, "Hey, have you guys heard about that new café down the street?"
Both Nara and Ton looked up in surprise, then slowly nodded in acknowledgement.
"I've been there," Ton said casually. "It was pretty good."
Fah's eyes searched Nara's face for any sign of enthusiasm or interest, but she received only a slight nod before Nara returned her focus to the textbook.
Refusing to be discouraged, Fah continued, "We should all go together sometime. It'd be a nice break from all this studying."
Ton's face brightened, his grin widening. "Yeah, that sounds great! A little break from studying would be perfect."
Fah felt a spark of hope as she glanced toward Nara, yet her classmate's expression remained impassive. "That's a good idea," Nara said simply. "We could also go over our study plans for the upcoming exams."
Fah's heart sank a little at Nara's flat reply, disappointed that her attempt to reconnect had fallen short.
Meanwhile, Ton eagerly began planning the outing, pulling out his phone to check the café's opening hours. "How about this Saturday?" he suggested. "We can head there in the afternoon after we finish studying."
Nara paused briefly before nodding in agreement. Fah couldn't help but wonder if Nara was just being polite or if she truly wanted to join.
As the study session wound down, Fah's sense of unease lingered. She'd hoped that a group outing might restore their former dynamic, but it seemed nothing had really changed.
When they finally wrapped up for the day, Ton said goodbye and headed back to his dorm. Fah lingered, hoping for a moment alone with Nara.
Walking out of the library together, Fah took a deep breath and turned toward Nara. Before she could speak, Nara broke the silence.
"Thanks for suggesting the café," Nara said quietly.
Fah managed a weak smile. "I thought it'd be nice to hang out outside of school for a change."
Nara nodded in agreement but remained silent afterwards. Determined not to let the awkwardness linger, Fah pressed on. "Are you sure?"
Nara's face remained unreadable as she responded, "I'm fine."
Fah frowned, sensing there was more beneath the surface. She asked, "You've been acting different lately."
For a split second, Nara's composed facade faltered before she quickly recovered. "I don't know what you mean," she replied coolly.
Fah didn't want to push too hard, knowing how much Nara valued her privacy and independence.
-Back to Nara's Room-
Fah blinked, coming back to the present. She found herself sitting in the same spot, her hand resting next to Nara's. The feeling of Nara's touch still lingered, a reminder that things were shifting.
Fah didn't know how to navigate this new dynamic. She felt a pull, a force drawing her closer to Nara, but she was terrified of what it meant.
Nara leaned back, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "It's okay to be confused. It's okay not to have all the answers right now."
Fah smiled faintly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm just... trying to understand what's happening."
Nara nodded, her gaze steady. "You're not alone in this, Fah. You don't have to figure it out by yourself."
For a moment, the tension in the room seemed to ease, and Fah finally allowed herself to relax—just a little.
But then, just as the quiet settled in, Fah realised something.
She wasn't the only one pulling away.
Ton had made his feelings clear, but Nara didn't seem to notice. Or maybe she did. She had always been so perceptive, so aware of everything, and Fah couldn't shake the feeling that Nara had a deeper understanding of what was happening between the three of them.
"I need to ask you something," Fah blurted, her voice tight.
Nara turned her gaze toward her, her expression softening. "Go ahead."
Fah hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Ton... he asked to join the study sessions with us. He's interested in you, I think. And..." She paused, her heart racing.
The words felt heavy as they left her mouth. She wanted to understand. She needed to understand.
"I don't know what I feel, Nara. I just need to know... what do you think of Ton?"
Nara's eyes widened slightly. She paused, her gaze becoming more intense as she watched Fah, waiting for her to continue.
Fah held her breath, waiting for Nara to speak, waiting for an answer.
But Nara didn't answer immediately. Instead, she smiled softly, a small, knowing smile that made Fah's heart skip.
And for a moment, Fah wasn't sure if that was an answer in itself.
Nara leaned in just slightly, her voice soft. "What do you think of Phat, Fah? How do you feel about him?"
Fah's heart pounded in her chest. She couldn't deny it anymore.
"Before I came here, Phat asked me how I felt about him." She said, the words coming out more easily than she expected. "I think of him as a really good guy, and I really feel comfortable around him. But I don't... feel anything special for Phat."
Nara's gaze softened, but there was something more intense behind her eyes now. She didn't push further, but the weight of Fah's words lingered in the air.
Fah sat back, her heart still racing as she tried to process everything. She had admitted it—but the confusion remained.
And in that silence, Fah felt more lost than ever.
Nara said, "I see."
With those two words, Nara sent Fah into a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. "What does she mean by 'I see'?" "What am I supposed to say or do now?"
Without realising it, Fah began to frown, confusion clearly etched on her face. Nara noticed.
Slowly, Nara reached out and took Fah's hand in hers. "I love you."