Over the holiday, Iris had spent a long time thinking. In the end, she came to a painful conclusion: the right thing to do was to give up on Noah. If he still had feelings for Isla, then who was she to come between them? The thought of being an intruder weighed heavily on her. So she chose to bury her emotions the only way she could - by working more than usual, exhausting herself so she wouldn't have the time or energy to think about him.
She confided in Hazel, who had been checking in on her daily since the beginning of the break. Concerned and growing increasingly worried, Hazel decided to visit her. When she saw Iris's tired expression and distant gaze, she didn't hesitate to wrap her in a tight, warm hug.
"Iris," Hazel said softly, "do you really think you're doing the right thing? I mean, I understand why you feel this way... but are you sure this isn't just a misunderstanding? What if Noah doesn't like Isla at all? What if he never did? Maybe we should try to find out, once we're back at school. And then... you can decide what to do. But at least it'll be the truth. It's your heart, Iris. You get to choose what to do with it."
Iris trembled in her arms, tears slipping down her cheeks.
"But what if the truth hurts even more?" she whispered. "What if knowing just breaks me? Am I supposed to endure that kind of pain... all on my own?"
The first day back at school came far too quickly.
As Iris made her way up the stairs, she suddenly came face to face with Noah and Theodore. Her breath caught in her throat. For a moment, she locked eyes with Noah - and then quickly looked away, hurrying down the steps without a word.
Theodore turned to Noah, raising an eyebrow.
"That girl," he muttered. "I think she might have a thing for you. I didn't believe it before, but then... remember when she ran out of class that day after she saw Isla sitting next to you? Her mood shifted completely."
He glanced sideways at his friend. "Hey, Noah? You listening?"
Noah let out a small sigh, his gaze still following the space where Iris had just been.
"You might be right," he said quietly. "Or maybe not. I just don't get it. Why would she react like that if it didn't mean something? And it's not like I asked Isla to sit beside me. The class started, and I couldn't exactly move."
Theodore smirked, but said nothing more as they continued to the classroom.
Meanwhile, Iris had already arrived and then left again to fetch Hazel. When she returned and noticed Noah seated directly in front of her, she instinctively changed direction and took another stairwell, trying to avoid yet another awkward encounter.
But just outside the classroom, she bumped into Lucas, who had arrived late.
"It's been a while, Lucas," she said with a small smile. "Put your bag inside, then come back here. I need to talk to you."
Lucas glanced inside the classroom and froze when he spotted Noah and Theodore sitting right in front of Iris's usual seat. He dropped his bag and stepped back out.
"Iris... Noah's sitting in front of you."
Iris gave him a blank look. "So what?" she replied flatly. "Should I be excited? Or should I move my seat so it's obvious I'm avoiding him?"
Then, quietly, she told him what had happened on the stairs earlier that morning.
Lucas listened carefully, concern in his eyes. "Iris... it's already obvious. Before the break, you would've made up any excuse to start talking to him. I'm pretty sure he's noticed something's off."
Just then, the English teacher arrived, and both Iris and Lucas followed him back into the classroom. Iris sat beside Hazel, who took one glance at Noah and then smirked at Iris knowingly. But Iris only lowered her head onto the table, trying to steady her racing heart. Two weeks without seeing him, and now that he was in front of her again, everything inside her felt like it was falling apart.
"Iris," the teacher called sternly, "this is not the time to be sleeping. You've just returned from holiday. You shouldn't be this tired already."
Startled, Iris sat up. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.
Noah glanced over his shoulder at her.
The lesson continued, and the teacher began dictating corrections for the last exam. Once the paragraphs were complete, he instructed the students to compare their answers with their seatmates.
Iris and Hazel had made the same mistake. Not sure of the right answer, Iris leaned forward and asked Theodore for help.
There was a pause.
Before Theodore could reply, Noah spoke up instead.
"If you want to check my copybook," he said, holding it out to her, "here."
Hazel, meanwhile, looked across the room, noticing Lucas's eyes on the interaction, studying every detail.
Iris took the notebook, her voice low. "Thank you."
As she flipped through the pages, her head lowered, a single tear slipped down her cheek. It felt like a quiet victory... and yet, it hurt. It hurt because she had already decided to let him go.
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The morning classes had finally ended, and the bell announcing the lunch break echoed through the hallways. Iris and Hazel, walking side by side toward the cafeteria, were met halfway by a breathless Lucas. His face was flushed, and sweat glistened on his forehead-he had clearly been running.
Iris stopped immediately, concern tightening her chest. She could tell something was wrong.
"Lucas?" she asked, her voice cautious. "What happened?"
Lucas caught his breath, then spoke urgently. "Iris... what I'm about to say is really bad. And it's going to hurt you."
Hazel's expression darkened, and Iris stood still, bracing herself for the worst.
"There's a rumor going around," Lucas continued, his tone grim. "They're saying... they're saying that you've been bullying Isla. And that you stole her boyfriend. Noah."
For a second, Iris didn't react. Then, unexpectedly, she let out a long sigh of relief.
Lucas blinked, stunned. "Wait-why are you so calm? I mean... they're accusing you of something awful, something you didn't even-"
Iris let out a short laugh, her smile tinged with disbelief. "Thanks, Lucas... Honestly, it's been really hard for me to laugh after what happened this morning. But I thought you were going to tell me Noah found out I had a crush on him."
She exhaled again, as if releasing a weight from her chest.
"Although," she added, her tone sobering, "if he does hear about this rumor, I might be in serious trouble. Still... don't you think it's better not to give it attention? Whoever started it probably wanted me to panic. Well, I won't. I'll crush their little hopes, no matter how pathetic they are."
Lucas stared at her, somewhere between admiration and confusion. "You're really weird, Iris."
She grinned. "I know."
The lunch break ended before they knew it, and the three of them headed back to class. Their next subject was Information Technology, and students were asked to work in groups. As usual, James, Noah and Iris shared the same table.
As they settled in, James leaned closer to Iris.
"You didn't really grab Isla by the hair, did you?" he asked, half-joking but clearly unsure.
Iris stared at him in disbelief. "What? Of course not. I have no reason to fight with her, James. You actually believe that?" Her voice cracked just slightly. "Do you really not trust me?"
Noah, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, his voice quiet but clear.
"Is that why you've been avoiding me?"
Iris ignored the question and turned back to James. "Where did you even hear something so-"
"Iris," Noah interrupted, "do you really think I'd be into her? Isla was the one chasing me last year. I never liked her like that. Not even once. Look at me-what reason would I have to lie to you?"
She looked up at him then, her eyes glassy.
"Then why am I caught up in all of this?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Why am I being dragged into your drama? I've never bullied anyone in my life."
Noah's jaw tightened. "Because you were always around our classroom last year. And you were one of the first people who knew about Isla's feelings for me. You probably knew before I even figured it out myself."
James, glancing between the two of them with furrowed brows, leaned toward Iris. "Are you okay?"
But Iris was already rising from her seat.
"I need to go," she muttered, and left the room in a hurry.
She didn't know what hurt more-being accused of something so vile, or having Noah hear about it in the worst possible way. And the way he was defending himself... as if she'd accused him of cheating. As if this was all somehow her fault.
Can things really ever go back to how they were? she wondered.
By the time she returned, her expression was unreadable. Noah looked up and gave her a soft, hopeful smile-but she avoided his eyes and walked straight past him, back to her seat. Not long after, the bell rang again, and students began to pour out of the classroom.
Down the staircase, Iris found herself beside Lucas, mid-conversation. She was telling him everything Noah said during class... but when she turned her head, she froze in place.
Noah was right behind them.
He had heard everything.
Her heart dropped.
Before she could react, Noah stepped closer and gently took her hand.
"Do you hate me that much?" he asked, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
The hallway fell silent.
Every eye turned toward them in disbelief. Noah-quiet, reserved Noah-had just raised his voice.
It stunned everyone, even his closest friends.
Iris, completely caught off guard, murmured, "No... Why would I?"
But her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she quickly turned away, walking faster, desperate to escape the attention.
Some of the students whispered behind their hands.
"Did you see that? That was like... a scene from a romance drama," one girl giggled.
"They're so cute," another whispered, watching Iris disappear down the hallway.
But not everyone was smiling.
Isla stood near the lockers, biting her nails until her fingers stung. Her eyes were locked on Noah, her jaw clenched with fury, her followers fuming beside her.
And in the center of it all, Iris was drowning in questions she didn't dare answer out loud.
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It was Wednesday, and Noah didn't show up to school.
Iris tried to tell herself it was nothing-but her mind wouldn't let it go. Her thoughts spiraled despite her best efforts. Was he sick? Was something wrong? She kept pestering Leo and Theo, asking if they'd checked on him, hoping for reassurance she wouldn't dare seek directly. The idea of calling Noah? Out of the question. That would mean admitting too much.
That night, Iris had a dream-one of those sweet, fleeting ones that cling to your chest even after you wake up. In it, she had asked Noah to sit next to her, and he had. It felt real enough that, come Thursday morning, she believed-no, she hoped-it might just come true.
But when he arrived late to class, and sat far away from her, the hope dissolved like smoke.
Hazel and Lucas tried to lift her spirits. They'd heard about her dream and encouraged her.
"Maybe you'll get your second chance next session," Hazel had said with a soft nudge.
But Iris barely reacted. It was hard to care when reality kept cutting her dreams short.
Ten o'clock. Break time.
Iris left her bag on her chair beside Hazel and stepped out briefly. But when she returned, everything shifted.
Hazel was on her feet, shouting for everyone to hear:
"Hey Iris, do you really think I can keep up with you? You only use your brain for useless things! Honestly, it's such a pain dealing with you every day-you get on my nerves!"
The words stung more than they should have. Iris just stood there, frozen in disbelief.
Lucas stepped in swiftly, grabbing Iris by the arm. "So you're showing your true colors now, Hazel?" he snapped. "Let's go, Iris."
The two left the classroom, leaving behind a trail of silence and confusion. Everyone stared. Noah, sitting just in front of them, turned to Hazel with a deadpan expression.
"You three are seriously weird," he said. "You never fail to drag unwanted attention to yourselves."
Hazel crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "I'm not sitting next to that idiot again. Switch with me. I'll sit next to Theo-you deal with her."
Noah, having just witnessed the explosion, gave a small nod. "Fine."
When the break ended and Iris returned, her mind still clouded with the sting of Hazel's words, she walked to her seat-and paused.
Noah was sitting there.
She blinked. "Noah? Are you sure you're not... in the wrong place or something?"
He looked at her calmly and nodded to the seat beside him. "Why would I be mistaken?"
With her heart thudding, she sat down. She couldn't focus-her thoughts swirled too loudly. He was right there. Next to her. And it was real.
She recalled something then-Hazel had mentioned that Noah wanted to join their project group with Leo. They'd need his email for the files. Maybe she could just focus on that.
"Noah," she began, still a little hesitant, "can I have your email? For the project. Right, Hazel?"
She turned to glance at Hazel, who was sitting behind her, but Hazel didn't respond. Didn't even look at her.
The cold silence hit harder than expected.
Iris turned back to Noah, swallowing her emotions. He met her gaze, unbothered. "Which one?"
"...What?"
"Which email?" he repeated, just as casually.
Iris frowned. "Just... give me the one you use most?"
He leaned back a little. "Better idea. Give me your phone-I'll type it. Wouldn't want you messing it up."
Handing him her phone, Iris watched him, completely entranced again by how beautiful he looked even doing the most mundane thing. Her eyes trailed the curve of his lips, the softness of his hair, the calm in his features.
Snap out of it.
The teacher called on her-it was time to present. She stood up, papers in hand, and as she spoke before the class, memories washed over her. The first time she sat beside him. The first time they worked together. The first time her heart betrayed her.
She smiled mid-sentence.
When she returned to her seat, Noah raised an eyebrow. "What was so funny that you had to smile while presenting?"
She pressed a finger to her lips. "It's a secret. You don't get to know everything."
He chuckled. "You really are... Iris."
The class ended, the bell rang, and as Iris stood to leave, a hand caught her wrist.
Lucas.
He didn't say anything. Just pulled her into an empty classroom and told her to wait.
Iris, still shaken from everything, began blaming herself. I should've tried to fix things with Hazel instead. Why did I care so much about sitting with Noah? Her vision blurred with tears.
But then, laughter echoed down the hallway-and Hazel burst in, grinning wide.
"Oh, Iris," she laughed. "You really are the funniest person I know."
Iris gasped and ran to her. "Hazel-I'm sorry. If I did something wrong, please forgive me."
Hazel hugged her back, still laughing. "You didn't do anything, silly. It was all part of the plan."
Iris blinked. "Wait... what?"
Lucas smirked. Hazel nodded. "You said you wanted to sit next to him, remember? So we made a plan on the spot. Did you really think I'd hate you? You're so clueless sometimes!"
Iris spun to Lucas and kicked him lightly in the shin. "You dumbass! You should've warned me!"
Hazel giggled. "So? How was it? Your first time sitting next to him?"
Iris's eyes sparkled. "Hazel... it was the happiest day of my life. I thought he'd ignore me, but he talked to me! And... oh my god, when he whispered something? I swear, he sounded so hot, I thought my ears were gonna melt. Thank god he didn't notice-I'd be dead of embarrassment by now. And Isla-ugh! I felt her glaring the entire session. She needs to back off already."
Hazel regretted asking. "Yeah. I definitely should've stayed quiet."
That evening, Noah messaged Iris.
Noah: Did you make up with Hazel? That fight was kind of unexpected.
Iris: Yeah, we're fine now. Thanks for asking.
And that was it. But it was enough.
That night, Iris lay in bed, smiling like an idiot. Her heart was light, her mind full of every detail-his voice, his eyes, his laugh.
She had finally sat beside him. And now, she knew:
She had to do it again.
To make up for all the times she hadn't.
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