Two days passed.
Two whole days.
The advertisement had gone far better than I'd expected—honestly, Zorvath's idea worked like magic. Mumbai was talking about our cafe "Where is the Vibe corner?"
But me?
I was stuck with my own question:
Where is he?
I hadn't seen Zorvath in forty-eight hours. Not in class. Not in the windows side. Not in the rooftop. Not even in any corner stareing at me.
And the worst part?
My stupid pride wouldn't let me ask anyone.
I kept my mouth shut, but my eyes… my eyes were searching every squad, every batch that was running around distributing papers. Each time a group passed, I scanned them so quickly I probably looked like a CCTV camera.
But no matter where I looked—
Zorvath wasn't there.
Not even his shadow.
And I knew very well that if I asked Sona or Danvy or anyone about him, I'd get a whole ocean of teasing poured on my head.
They'd never let me live peacefully after that.
So I kept quiet.
I pretended I didn't care.
I acted normal.
But inside?
I was going mad without seeing him.
I didn't even understand why, but my hands kept betraying me. I'd grab my phone, open his Instagram for the hundredth time, stare at his posts, zoom into his stupid face, and only then… only then… my chest would feel a little less heavy.
But even there—
nothing.
No new stories.
No posts.
No tags.
No trace of him anywhere.
Not online.
Not in school.
Not in the world, it felt like.
Where did he go?
And why did it feel like he left me behind?
Days passed, and after the final round of distributing the papers, everyone finally settled down in the cafe corner.
People were chatting loudly, laughing, sipping the hot coffee, and biting into the brownies made by the Cafe Cooking Squad.
They were delicious—soft, warm, perfect.
Everyone praised them, left tips, took photos…
But for me?
Even the sweetest brownie tasted sour without him sitting next to me, teasing me, stealing half from my hand.
What the heck are you even saying, Aria?
I scolded myself silently.
You sound like some drama wife waiting for her husband to return from war.
I expected my inner voice to shut up.
But my face… my face betrayed me.
Because Rithul noticed.
He walked toward me slowly, holding his coffee in one hand and a tiny brownie in the other. He sat beside me, trying so hard not to laugh that I could practically hear the teasing through his smile.
I tried to hide my embarrassment, but obviously I failed, because his first words were:
"So… do you miss him this badly?"
I whipped my head toward him.
"huh?"
He just shrugged and repeated, louder this time,
"Do you miss Zorvath this badly?"
I didn't answer immediately.
Because lying to Rithul was pointless.
He's the most mature one among us—the observer—the big-brother type who notices everything even when we're silent.
And honestly, who would dare lie to someone like that?
He'd catch me red-handed in a second.
So I just looked down, heat rising in my cheeks, knowing very well that my silence was already the answer he wanted.
Rithul smiled, sipping his coffee, and said quietly,
"He'll return the day after tomorrow."
My head snapped up.
"Where is he?"
Rithul hesitated for a moment before replying,
"Handling some… personal matters."
Personal matters?
My brain exploded instantly.
Personal matters? What personal matters?
Did he go to meet someone?
A new girlfriend?
Did I misunderstand everything?
No, he wouldn't—
Or maybe he would—
What if—
A thousand thoughts sprinted through my mind, crashing into each other, but none of it showed on my face. I stayed still. Blank. Pretending nothing was happening inside.
Before I could spiral further, Rithul said softly,
"Don't overthink,"
and gave me a warm smile before walking away.
That one sentence—just those two words—felt like a promise.
But still… my doubts didn't disappear.
It felt like Sona has told me only half the truth.
And the other half?
I had to dig it out myself.
And the only person who could give me answers…
…was Rithul.
My thoughts spun faster.
Before I could stop myself, I called out,
"Rithul!"
A little louder than I intended.
Everyone who was sipping their coffee turned and stared at me.
He turned too.
In one second, I became the center of attention.
My cheeks burned, but I ignored it. I couldn't stand there another moment.
"I need to talk to you. Outside," I said—my voice sharper, more commanding than I expected.
Without waiting for his reply, I turned around and almost ran out of the café corner, my heart racing faster than my legs.
I stepped outside the café, the air colder than I expected.
My heartbeat hadn't slowed even a little.
A few seconds later, Rithul followed me out, closing the door behind him.
Before I could even open my mouth, he said calmly,
"Looks like what I told you earlier wasn't enough to calm you down, Aria."
My breath hitched.
He continued,
"He asked me to check on you. And… don't overthink.
He just left to meet one of our sisters."
I blinked.
One of our sisters?
"What do you mean by that?" I asked immediately.
Rithul's eyes shifted away.
That one small movement was enough.
I felt it.
He was hiding something.
"Rithul," I said, my voice cracking a bit.
"I know there are still so many things in KHSS that I don't understand.
And I can't keep walking around like a child—pretending I belong here—when I don't even know the truth of this place."
He turned and looked at me then, really looked at me.
His gaze felt heavy, like he was searching deeper than the surface.
"Did you forget sinas?" he asked quietly.
My throat tightened.
I didn't answer.
Because we both knew the truth.
He sighed.
"I know you can't forget. But… it would be better if you did.
It would be safer.
For you."
I laughed bitterly under my breath.
"Yes. All ninety-four students here told me the same thing.
'Forget him.'
'Stay away.'
They all know something ... That I don't know..."
I swallowed hard.
The words came out trembling.
"The truth is… sinas influenced me a lot in my past.
He was like—like a moon, shining in front of a little star....
Maybe as you guys are telling , in front of the cameras he would be a tiny star,
but outside… he may be a little devil"
My voice cracked.
"But I can't erase it.
I'm trying.
I truly am.... But you know what?
These days I don't even remember him unless someone mentions his name.
But in the past… I was not like this.
Something changed me.
And I don't know what."
Rithul stayed silent for a long moment… then said something that froze me.
"You love Zorvath, right?"
My head snapped up.
Even if I denied it a thousand times, deep inside, I knew it was true.
I had fallen for that idiot.
That idiot who made me angry, nervous, warm, confused, awake.
But my mind still refused to accept it.
And then Rithul said the words that stabbed deeper than anything before:
"Aria… being Zorvath's girlfriend is not normal.
He's suffering alone.
And I don't think you're suitable for him."
My breath left my chest.
"Everyone here will try their best to push you two together," he continued softly.
"To make you the pair.
But the reason behind that…
If you hear it, you will break.
I don't think you can handle the pressure of being with someone like him.
Especially if we win back our… glory."
His voice darkened on the last word.
Almost like a warning.
A reminder that KHSS wasn't a normal school.
That nothing here was normal.
A chill crept down my spine.
Something was off.
Very off.
Something huge that I didn't know.
Something they were all hiding.
Rithul turned as if to leave.
But I grabbed his hand hard.
Tears were already sliding down my cheeks before I even realized.
Rithul turned around.
"Explain," I said. "Please… I can't wait anymore. I need a proper answer now."
My voice came out sharper than I expected.
he simply smiled, gently took my hand, lifted it, and let his fingers slip away as he freed his hold.
Then he asked, quietly but directly,
"You said you can't forget sinas… and you admitted you love Zorvath.
So tell me—who do you really have feelings for?"
I froze.
That was the one question I'd been running from for days.
The question that kept echoing inside me.
And now he had put it right in front of me.
I had no answer.
Not because I didn't want to answer—
but because I genuinely didn't know.
I was still searching inside myself, still untangling the mess in my heart.
Seeing my silence, Rithul smiled softly.
"First find the answer to that," he said. "Then I'll explain everything to you—clearly and fairly."
He stepped back.
"Go home. You're tired."
And with that… he turned and walked away.