The message arrived just as the last of her tea went cold.☕
Kian: Today's exam was a little harder than I expected. I came to the dormitory because I have a headache. Sorry, we won't be able to meet today.
Ariana read the words twice. A small, deflating disappointment settled in her chest. She had lingered for an hour, imagining his tired but relieved smile. Now, the empty chair across from her seemed to echo. Pushing her own sadness aside, a stronger instinct took over: to give him the quiet he needed. She gathered her things and left. 😣
Back in her dorm, routine became a solace. Before her shower and the long night of studying ahead, she sought the comfort of ritual. She found the warden in the kitchen and was gifted a strong, steaming cup of coffee. The bitter aroma filled her room, a familiar scent to keep her company as she opened her Management Accounting textbook. She wondered if Kian, with no exam tomorrow, was already asleep, trying to quiet a mind she knew was always racing.
________________________________________
The next day, she woke to a room flooded with late morning light. It was 10 a.m. Her first conscious motion was to reach for her phone. The screen was blank, no new notifications. The silence felt heavier than the one he'd left her with yesterday.
With her own exam at 2 p.m., she moved through her morning with a quiet focus. As she got ready, a part of her mind remained tethered to the quiet boy in his dorm, hoping his headache had faded with the night, and that the space between them was only temporary. 🤔