On his day off, Kaivan met up with his friends at a cozy little café with a warm vintage design: Rina, Tania, and Dandi. The air was rich with the aroma of fresh coffee and pastries. Tania, cheerful as always, sipped her coffee with a wide grin.
"Kaivan, why do you always pick such plain places to eat? Take us somewhere fancy for once!" she teased.
Kaivan gave a small laugh, though a discomfort tugged at his chest. "Well, as long as we get to eat together, isn't that what matters?" he said, lifting his glass of juice in a half-confident gesture.
"That's true! What matters is that we're together. And honestly, the cake here is amazing!" Rina chimed in with a playful nudge at his shoulder, her bright smile making his heart skip.
"Yeah, who cares about the place. As long as there's good food, I'm happy!" Dandi added, already holding his spoon like he was ready to pounce on dessert.
Tania shot him a mischievous glance. "When it comes to food, Dandi's always the first to dive in!"
They all laughed together.
"Hey, Rina," Kaivan suddenly said, trying to stir the mood further. "If you were a superhero, what kind of power would you want?"
Rina paused to think, then broke into a wide grin. "Hmm, I'd want the power to fly! So I could go anywhere, without limits—free like a bird!"
Kaivan nodded slightly. "That's awesome. So you could escape from problems whenever you wanted, huh?" he joked.
Rina giggled, replying, "More like I'd fly away on vacations all the time—straight to the fancy places!"
Dandi, sitting beside Kaivan, jumped in. "Escape from problems? If it's Kaivan, his superpower would definitely be running fast—so he could run away from all his troubles! You've got plenty of those, Van!"
Tania smirked at Kaivan. "Or maybe the power to slow down time—so you could disappear whenever you're embarrassed, haha!"
Kaivan forced a smile. "Maybe," he answered briefly, trying to mask the sting in his chest. Deep down, he knew their jokes weren't entirely just jokes.
That night, when they finally parted ways, Kaivan walked home alone. The empty sidewalk became his only companion, shadows stretching alongside him. The laughter and teasing still echoed in his ears, now transformed into reminders of how often he was seen as not enough.
Every morning, as the sun peeked over the eastern horizon, Kaivan awoke to the pounding of his own heart. The golden rays slipping through the gaps of his curtains seemed like reminders that each day brought another chance—another fragile hope. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, but behind it, restlessness lingered.
"Maybe… today is the day."
Kaivan had been carrying his feelings for Rina for a long time. She was the bright, clever girl always at his side, her sweet smile etched deep into his heart. Often, he found himself watching her from afar, his thoughts drifting, his pen scribbling poems into the pages of his diary. Each verse was a mirror of emotions too deep, too fragile, to ever speak aloud.
That morning, Kaivan prepared himself with deliberate care. He pulled out a weathered brown notebook, his hands trembling slightly as he flipped through the pages—poems he had written for Rina, verses he believed captured his deepest feelings.
The day was bright, the breeze carrying with it the faint aroma of coffee from the café where they often gathered. As Kaivan stepped onto the school grounds, he spotted Rina sitting at a desk, absorbed in her book. Her lips curved into a gentle smile whenever she stumbled upon something amusing, and the sight rooted Kaivan in place.
"This is it!" he told himself.
He clenched his fists, steadying the storm in his chest. When the school day ended, he took a deep breath and approached her desk, each step slow but resolute.
"Hey, Rina," he greeted, his voice trembling yet filled with sincerity.
Rina looked up, her warm smile instantly lighting up her face. "Oh, Kaivan! Hi! What's up?" she replied cheerfully, closing her book and turning her sparkling eyes toward him.
"I… I want to tell you something," Kaivan said softly but firmly. He forced himself to meet her gaze, though his heart felt as if it were caving in.
Rina tilted her head slightly, curiosity flickering across her expression. "Oh? What is it? You look so serious today," she said, her smile easing the tension in his chest.
But before Kaivan could continue, hurried footsteps cut into the moment. Dandi appeared at Rina's side, clad in a black leather jacket that gave him an effortlessly striking presence. "Babe! Finally, I made it. Sorry I'm late," he said, gently resting a hand on her shoulder.
Rina's face brightened as she welcomed him. "Ah, you're not late at all. I was just chatting with Kaivan," she replied, shifting her seat slightly to make space for him.
The word babe struck Kaivan like a slap. It echoed in his ears, shattering every fragile hope he had built. He remained frozen there, trying to mask the ache spreading through his chest.