Morning classes had already started, but the atmosphere in the classroom felt lighter than usual.
Mostly because of two people.
Dean and Ezekiel.
Ezekiel leaned sideways in his chair, whispering something that immediately made Dean snort with laughter.
"Stop," she whispered, trying to stay quiet.
"You started it," he replied.
"I did not."
"You absolutely did."
Under the desk, Dean kicked his shoe.
Ezekiel kicked back.
Unfortunately for them, their teacher noticed.
She stopped writing on the board and slowly turned around.
"Well," she said with a knowing smile, "it seems like someone is having a very fun morning."
The class turned toward them instantly.
Dean froze.
Ezekiel leaned back in his chair like nothing happened.
The teacher crossed her arms.
"You two seem closer than usual today."
Someone from the back of the room shouted,
"They're always like that!"
CJ smirked from his seat.
Cy raised her hand dramatically.
"Ma'am, I believe the ship has already sailed."
The classroom exploded with laughter.
Dean groaned and dropped her head onto the desk.
"Please stop."
Ezekiel rubbed his forehead.
"We're just friends."
"Oh really?" the teacher teased.
"Then why do you two look like a married couple every day?"
"AHHHHH!"
CJ clapped once.
Cy nodded proudly.
"Told you."
Dean lightly kicked Ezekiel again under the desk.
He kicked back.
The teasing kept going for another minute until the teacher finally picked up her books.
"Alright, alright," she said, still smiling. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone."
More laughter filled the room as she walked toward the door.
But before she left—
Ezekiel suddenly stood up.
The room went quiet.
His chair scraped loudly against the floor.
For the first time that morning, he didn't look amused.
He looked… annoyed.
"Can you guys just stop shipping us?" he said.
The playful mood immediately disappeared.
"We're just friends," he continued. "Nothing more."
No one spoke.
Ezekiel rubbed the back of his neck, clearly frustrated.
"And for the record," he added in an irritated voice,
"I will not like Dean."
The words hung in the air.
Dean felt something twist painfully in her chest.
For a moment, she didn't understand why.
It wasn't like she expected anything different.
They always said they were just friends.
Still—
A small, bitter laugh slipped out of her mouth.
"Yeah," she said.
The class slowly looked at her.
Dean leaned back in her chair and forced a casual smile.
"He's right," she said.
"So stop shipping us."
Her tone sounded light.
Like it didn't bother her at all.
But CJ and Cy exchanged a glance.
Because for a split second—
They had both seen it.
The hurt in Dean's eyes.
Even if she tried to hide it.
Ezekiel sat down again without saying anything.
The classroom was quieter than usual now.
No more teasing.
No more laughter.
Just the uncomfortable silence left behind by words that couldn't be taken back.
And Dean kept her eyes on her notebook.
Pretending everything was still the same.
Pretending those words didn't hurt.
Even though she didn't understand why they did. When the recess bell rang, the class slowly started moving again.
Chairs scraped the floor.
Students stood up, grabbing their bags and snacks.
But the usual energy wasn't there.
Everyone had felt the tension earlier.
Especially between two people.
Dean packed her things quietly.
Ezekiel stayed in his seat, staring at his desk like it suddenly became very interesting.
Normally by now, they would already be arguing about where to eat.
Or kicking each other on the way to the hallway.
But today—
Neither of them spoke.
Dean stood up first.
"See you later," she said quietly to Cy.
Cy blinked.
"…Yeah."
Dean walked out of the classroom without even glancing at Ezekiel.
That alone made the room feel strange.
CJ slowly turned his head toward Ezekiel.
"Dude," he said.
Ezekiel didn't respond.
He just leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face with one hand.
Across the room, Cy looked toward the door Dean had just left through.
"…That's new," she murmured.
Because for the first time—
Dean and Ezekiel didn't go to recess together. Dean sat on a bench near the school garden, poking at the food in her lunchbox.
She wasn't even hungry.
Her mind kept replaying Ezekiel's words.
I will not like Dean.
She knew he didn't mean it like that.
He was just annoyed.
He just wanted the teasing to stop.
Still…
It hurt more than she expected.
Dean let out a quiet sigh and closed her lunchbox.
Meanwhile, inside the cafeteria—
Ezekiel sat with CJ, barely touching his food.
CJ watched him carefully.
"You're not eating," he pointed out.
"Not hungry."
CJ leaned back in his chair.
"You know what your problem is?"
Ezekiel glanced at him.
CJ pointed his fork at him.
"You talk before thinking."
Ezekiel frowned slightly.
"I was just trying to stop them."
"Yeah," CJ said. "But you didn't have to say it like that."
Ezekiel looked down at his tray.
Across the table, Cy was unusually quiet.
She slowly pushed her food around with her spoon.
Then she said softly,
"She looked hurt."
Ezekiel didn't respond.
But his grip on his fork tightened slightly. The rest of the day passed slowly.
Classes continued.
Teachers talked.
Students wrote notes.
But something felt off.
Dean and Ezekiel didn't whisper to each other.
They didn't kick each other under the desk.
They didn't even make eye contact.
The whole class noticed.
CJ noticed.
Cy noticed.
Even the teachers noticed.
Because everyone in that room knew one thing.
Dean and Ezekiel were always together.
Always laughing.
Always arguing.
Always annoying each other.
Seeing them silent like this…
Felt wrong.
Like something important had cracked.
And if it stayed that way long enough—
Everyone had the same quiet thought.
The best friends everyone shipped…
Might actually lose each other.
—
When the final bell rang, students quickly packed their bags.
Usually Dean and Ezekiel walked home together.
But today—
Dean left the classroom first.
Ezekiel stayed behind for a moment.
CJ sighed.
"You gonna fix that?"
Ezekiel grabbed his bag.
"…I don't know."
By the time he stepped into the hallway, Dean was already gone.
Outside, the sun was beginning to set.
Students walked home in groups, laughing and talking.
But two people walked alone.
Dean on one street.
Ezekiel on another.
Both unusually quiet.
The school day had ended.
But the silence between them hadn't. Outside the school gates, students slowly scattered in different directions.
Groups of friends laughed while walking home together.
But two people walked alone.
Dean kept her eyes on the ground as she walked down the sidewalk, her bag hanging loosely from her shoulder.
On the other side of the street, Ezekiel walked with his hands in his pockets, unusually quiet.
Neither of them noticed two other people watching from behind.
Cy crossed her arms.
"…This is bad."
CJ nodded slightly.
"They're both stubborn."
Cy looked at Dean walking alone.
CJ looked at Ezekiel doing the same thing.
Without another word, they both sighed.
Then they split.
Cy hurried after Dean.
CJ crossed the street toward Ezekiel.
—
"Dean!"
Dean turned slightly when she heard her name.
Cy jogged up beside her.
"Oh," Dean said quietly. "Hey."
Cy studied her face for a moment.
"You're walking alone."
Dean shrugged.
"So are you."
Cy didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she started walking beside her.
The two girls walked quietly for a few minutes.
The evening breeze moved softly through the trees lining the street.
Finally, Cy spoke.
"…Something changed, right?"
Dean blinked.
"What?"
Cy kept her eyes forward.
"You and Ezekiel."
Dean's steps slowed slightly.
Cy glanced at her.
"You don't see him as just a friend anymore," she said gently.
"It's more than that now."
The words hit Dean harder than she expected.
Her chest tightened.
For a moment she tried to deny it.
Tried to laugh it off.
But the truth had been sitting inside her all day.
And now someone had finally said it out loud.
Dean suddenly stopped walking.
Cy turned toward her—
Just in time to see tears spill from Dean's eyes.
"Dean—"
But Dean was already crying.
Not the quiet kind.
The sudden, overwhelming kind that came after holding everything in too long.
"I hate this," Dean said between shaky breaths.
Cy stepped closer but didn't interrupt.
Dean wiped her face angrily.
"I didn't even realize it until today," she continued.
Her voice cracked.
"I mean… we always joke like that. We tease each other all the time. Everyone keeps saying we look like a couple and I just laugh because it's stupid."
Another tear rolled down her cheek.
"But then he said it like that," she whispered.
I will not like Dean.
Dean let out a frustrated laugh.
"Why did that hurt so much?"
Cy stayed quiet.
Dean grabbed her own hair in frustration.
"I mean, he's right! We're just friends!" she said.
"That's what we always say!"
Her voice broke again.
"So why does it feel like my chest is being ripped apart right now?"
More tears fell.
Dean covered her face with both hands.
"…Because I realized it," she whispered.
Cy's expression softened.
Dean slowly lowered her hands, her eyes red.
"I fell in love with him," she said.
The words felt strange even to her.
Like admitting them made everything too real.
Dean laughed bitterly.
"And the worst part?" she continued.
"He doesn't even know."
Her shoulders shook slightly.
"He'll probably laugh if he finds out," she muttered.
Cy gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
Dean looked exhausted.
"I didn't even want this," she whispered.
"But now I know."
Her voice dropped.
"And now everything hurts."
The two girls stood quietly on the sidewalk.
Dean wiping tears from her face.
Cy staying beside her.
For the first time since the day started—
Dean had finally said the truth out loud.
She loved Ezekiel.
And now she had no idea what to do about it. On the other side of the street, CJ finally caught up to Ezekiel.
"Hey!"
Ezekiel glanced back briefly but didn't slow down.
CJ jogged a few steps to match his pace.
"You're really just going to walk home like nothing happened?"
Ezekiel shrugged.
"Nothing happened."
CJ stared at him.
"Bro. The whole class saw what happened."
Ezekiel kicked a small rock on the sidewalk.
The rock rolled a few feet ahead of them.
"People were being annoying," he muttered.
CJ crossed his arms while walking.
"Yeah. But you didn't have to say it like that."
Ezekiel didn't answer immediately.
The evening sun was beginning to fade, casting long shadows across the street.
Finally, Ezekiel sighed.
"I just didn't want her to get the wrong idea."
CJ frowned.
"What wrong idea?"
Ezekiel stopped walking.
CJ stopped too.
For a moment, Ezekiel just stared ahead.
Then he shrugged again like it didn't matter.
"If our friendship ended this way," he said quietly, "then let it be."
CJ blinked.
"…What?"
Ezekiel rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm scared," he admitted.
CJ's eyebrows raised slightly.
"Scared of what?"
Ezekiel let out a short breath.
"That she'll find out."
"Find out what?"
Ezekiel finally looked at him.
"That I like her."
CJ's brain completely froze for a second.
"…You WHAT?"
Ezekiel quickly looked away again.
"I mean—" he said quickly. "It's not that simple."
CJ pointed at him.
"You literally just said—"
"I also like someone else!" Ezekiel interrupted.
Now CJ looked even more confused.
"…You WHAT?"
Ezekiel groaned and ran a hand through his hair.
"I don't know," he muttered.
"It's so complicated."
CJ stared at him like he was trying to solve a math problem.
"Okay," he said slowly.
"Let me get this straight."
He held up one finger.
"You like Dean."
Ezekiel stayed quiet.
CJ lifted another finger.
"But you also like someone else."
"…Maybe."
CJ blinked again.
"And your solution to this situation was to yell in front of the entire class that you would never like Dean."
Ezekiel rubbed his face.
"I panicked."
CJ sighed loudly.
"You're an idiot."
"I know."
CJ kicked the same rock Ezekiel had kicked earlier.
It bounced across the sidewalk.
"Does Dean know?" CJ asked.
Ezekiel shook his head.
"No."
CJ looked up at the sky for a moment.
"Man," he muttered.
Ezekiel glanced at him.
"What?"
CJ shook his head.
"This is going to be a disaster."
Ezekiel let out a small, tired laugh.
"Too late."
They both stood there quietly for a moment.
Then CJ sighed again.
"Come on," he said.
"We should get home."
Ezekiel nodded slightly.
But as they started walking again—
His mind kept drifting back to the same thought.
Dean's face earlier in the classroom.
The way she laughed after he said those words.
And the strange, uncomfortable feeling in his chest.
Something about that moment didn't feel right.
But he pushed the thought away.
Because if he thought about it too much—
Everything really would become complicated.