The afternoon classroom glowed gold in the sunlight.
Outside, the shouts of students from club activities echoed with energy.
MK rested his arms on his desk, unmoving.
His heartbeat felt faster than usual.
Every breath made his chest feel heavier.
"…It's hot," he muttered.
No one heard him.
When he finally looked up, Sandeep was peeking through the classroom door.
"Hey! Come to the rooftop with me. The breeze is amazing today!"
MK gave a faint smile and slowly stood up.
Rooftop Lunch
The rooftop was empty.
The sky stretched wide, and the distant mountains looked close enough to touch.
They leaned against the fence and opened their lunches.
Sandeep glanced at MK, frowning.
"You never smoke. Why are you doing it today?"
MK looked down at the cigarette in his hand and let out a short laugh.
"…I'm going to die soon anyway.
Whether I do this or not, nothing will change."
Sandeep froze.
Even the wind seemed to stop for a second.
"…You idiot," he said softly.
He tried to laugh, but his voice trembled.
MK exhaled smoke and looked up at the sky.
The blue felt unbearably distant.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to say something like that."
Sandeep didn't reply — he just stood beside MK, silent.
Their shadows stretched long across the empty rooftop.