Kelly's POV
Festivals are supposed to feel beautiful.
The loud music, colorful lights hanging across the streets, people laughing together, children running around excitedly with balloons in their hands…
Everything around me looked alive.
But somehow, I still felt empty.
Maybe because no matter how hard I tried to enjoy things, the past always found a way to crawl back into my mind.
Last year during this same festival…
My ex proposed to me.
And then?
He disappeared from my life like I never mattered.
Ghosted.
Just like that.
At first, I cried every night wondering what was wrong with me. Then slowly, sadness turned into embarrassment. I started feeling stupid for trusting someone so easily.
Three relationships.
Three disappointments.
And honestly?
I was done.
I already knew what people thought about girls like me.
If I ever got into another relationship, they would probably call me a player. A girl who falls too easily. A girl who can't stay alone.
But the truth was far from that.
I was just someone who wanted to be loved properly for once.
I sighed softly and unlocked my phone, opening Instagram to distract myself from my thoughts.
A notification popped up instantly.
Max started following you.
My eyes widened.
Wait.
Max?
Why would he suddenly follow me?
Before I could stop myself, a smile slowly appeared on my face.
And the moment I realized I was smiling…
I immediately frowned.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" I muttered under my breath.
Was I seriously smiling just because a boy followed me?
No way.
Absolutely not.
I already regretted trusting people before. I wasn't about to become that girl again.
Still…
I couldn't deny that Max had always been different.
He was my classmate. Loud, annoying sometimes, rude most of the time—but somehow impossible to ignore.
I first started noticing him because of another boy.
A stupid long-distance situationship I once had.
Max knew him in real life. Maybe they were close friends before… or maybe they still were.
That was probably the only reason I ever started talking to him.
At least that's what I told myself.
I clicked on his profile absentmindedly.
And that's when I noticed his story.
Without wasting even a second, I opened it.
The song.
The dark background.
The sad caption.
It looked like he broke up.
A strange feeling settled inside my chest.
Honestly?
I never liked his girlfriend.
Kate.
She always acted like she was the prettiest girl in the entire school. Like every boy was secretly obsessed with her.
Maybe she really was pretty.
But something about her attitude irritated me.
She looked at people like they were beneath her. And somehow, every time she spoke to me, I felt small.
Like I was invisible beside her.
I hated that feeling.
I hated her for making me compare myself to her.
And maybe…
Maybe I also hated the fact that she had the attention of the boy I once thought I liked.
I was still lost in my thoughts when another notification suddenly appeared.
My heart almost stopped.
Max liked your story.
"What the fuck?!"
I stared at my screen in shock.
Why was he suddenly acting like this?
A smile appeared on my face again before I immediately slapped my forehead dramatically.
"No. Nope. Absolutely not."
I locked my phone quickly and threw it beside me.
It was already midnight anyway.
I forced myself to sleep.
But for some reason…
I kept thinking about him.
The next morning, I woke up and grabbed my phone almost instantly.
And there it was.
A message from Max.
I opened it quickly.
It was a reply to my Instagram note.
"I'm a girl but I can't talk sweetly."
His reply:
"Who said?"
I rolled my eyes immediately.
Annoying.
I typed back quickly.
"When did you ever see me talking sweetly with someone? I always talk rudely."
An hour later, he replied.
"I don't know about sweetly… but you've always talked normally with me."
My lips curved into another smile before I could stop them.
Why was this happening?
Why did his messages affect me so easily?
Trying to hide my embarrassment, I replied teasingly:
"Okay then. I'll start talking rudely with you from now on."
He replied almost instantly.
"Why???"
I laughed softly.
"Relax. I was joking."
After a few seconds, another message appeared.
"When you don't know anything about someone, you shouldn't take their words casually."
My fingers froze above the keyboard.
What did he mean by that?
Something about that message felt strangely personal.
Like there was something hidden behind it.
And for some reason…
It hurt.
I didn't even know why.
Maybe because I suddenly realized that I didn't actually know him at all.
Not really.
Still, I ignored the weird feeling and continued talking normally before eventually going offline.
The whole day passed somehow.
But at night…
Another message from him appeared.
"Do you like someone?"
I blinked.
What kind of question was that?
Trying to sound casual, I replied:
"No way. Single life is the best."
A few seconds later:
"I used to think that too… until I fell in love with the right person."
My chest tightened unexpectedly.
Oh.
So he already likes someone.
Why did that bother me?
I stared at the screen for a few moments before typing:
"Who is she?"
His reply came immediately.
"I don't know how to confess because she thinks single life is the best."
Wait.
My heartbeat stopped for a second.
No.
There's no way.
Was he talking about me?
Impossible.
I laughed nervously to myself before replying:
"Just confess anyway."
"Okay. I'm going to."
And then—
He went offline.
I sat up straight immediately.
What the hell?
Was he confessing right now?
My hands suddenly felt cold.
Without thinking, I texted again.
"Heyyy. Did she accept?"
A few seconds passed.
Then his reply came.
"You're the one who knows the answer."
Confusion filled my mind instantly.
"How am I supposed to know?"
No reply.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Five minutes.
My heartbeat grew louder with every second.
Somehow…
Deep down…
I already knew what was coming.
And then finally—
His message appeared.
"I love you."
My breath got stuck in my throat.
I stared at the screen in complete shock.
No.
No way.
This couldn't be real.
My mind instantly filled with memories from my past relationships.
The lies.
The disrespect.
The humiliation.
The pain.
And suddenly fear crawled back into my chest.
What if this was another joke?
What if he got bored someday too?
What if I trusted someone again just to end up broken again?
But the worst part?
A small part of me was happy.
Because maybe…
Just maybe…
I liked him too.
And that scared me more than anything else.
Because I promised myself I would never become weak for someone again.
Not after everything.
Not after him.
And definitely not after Max.