For a moment after Daniel ran off, the world felt strangely quiet. Too quiet.
I was still standing there, frozen, my brain struggling to process what had just happened.
Did that really happen?
Did Daniel actually just—I slowly lifted my hand to my cheek. Yes. Yes, he did.
Beside me, Ethan hadn't moved either.
I glanced at him. He was looking at me with a surprised expression, his eyebrows slightly raised.
And that somehow made everything worse. My face burned.
At that moment, I sincerely wished the ground would just open up and swallow me whole.
"Uh…" Ethan said carefully.
I tried to say something, but the words refused to come out. Instead, a strange dizziness washed over me. My legs suddenly felt weak, like they weren't entirely connected to the rest of my body anymore.
I blinked.
The road in front of me seemed to tilt slightly.
"Sharon?"
Ethan stepped closer.
"Are you alright?"
That question made everything worse.
Because suddenly my brain started racing again.
Why would Daniel do that?
And why—of all moments—did he do it right in front of Ethan?
I pressed my hand to my forehead.
"I'm fine," I muttered quickly.
"You don't look fine."
"I'm fine," I repeated.
He studied me for a second longer.
Then he said gently, "You look like you might faint."
"I won't faint."
He hesitated.
"Are you sure?"
I took a deep breath and straightened.
"Yes."
There was a short silence.
Then I blurted out quickly, "Please don't tell anyone what just happened."
Ethan blinked.
"Tell anyone what?"
"You know," I said awkwardly.
He thought for a second.
"Oh… the cheek thing?"
My face burned again.
"Yes. That."
Ethan shrugged lightly.
"I mean… it looked like a friendly gesture."
That did not help. At all.
"A friendly gesture?" I repeated.
"Yeah," he said casually. "Some friends do that."
I stared at him.
He tilted his head slightly.
"Did I miss something?"
"No," I said quickly.
Then after a pause, I added quietly, "Just… please don't mention it."
Ethan nodded.
"Alright."
We resumed walking.
This time the silence felt heavier.
When we finally reached the junction where we usually parted ways, Ethan stopped.
"Well," he said.
"This is my turn."
"Okay."
Another small pause.
"See you tomorrow?" he asked.
"Yeah."
He gave a small wave and walked down his street. I continued toward my house.
When I got home, the house was empty. Completely quiet.
I noticed a small note on the kitchen table. I picked it up.
Emergency surgery at the hospital. Had to rush back. Might be late tonight. Food is in the fridge. — Mum.
I sighed softly. Typical hospital emergencies.
I went upstairs, changed out of my uniform, and washed my face.
After that, I warmed the food Mum had left and ate lunch slowly at the kitchen table.
But even while eating, my mind refused to stay calm.
The day replayed over and over in my head. The performance. The applause. The suspense.
Daniel's sudden kiss. Ethan's reaction. My embarrassment.
By the time I finished eating, I was restless. The house was too quiet.
Boredom slowly began creeping in.
I picked up my phone and called Amanda. She answered on the third ring.
"Hey!"
"Where are you?"
"With Chris," she said cheerfully. "We're still out."
Of course they were.
"Okay," I said.
"We'll talk later!"
She hung up.
Next option? Daniel.
I stared at his name on my contact list for a few seconds. Then I shook my head. Absolutely not.
That would be a disaster.
Which left only one other option. Ethan.
I stared at his name on my phone screen.
Then I dropped the phone onto the bed dramatically.
"No."
Too awkward. Way too awkward.
I picked it up again. Then dropped it again. I paced around my room.
What would I even say?
Hey, sorry about the random cheek situation earlier? No. Absolutely not. Then an idea formed. School assignment.
That sounded reasonable. After all, Ethan was smart. It could work.
Before I could lose courage, I quickly typed a message.
'Hey. Do you want to come over later to work on our assignment?'
The moment I sent it, I immediately buried my face into my pillow.
"Why did I do that?" I muttered.
My phone buzzed almost immediately. I turned slowly. Heart racing.
I checked the message.
'Sure. What time?'
My face warmed again.
Maybe 4pm? I can meet you at the junction.
Another quick reply.
'Alright.'
I stared at the screen. Well. That was easier than expected.
The afternoon passed slowly.
At exactly 3:55pm, I left the house and walked toward the junction. Ethan was already there when I arrived.
He waved casually.
"Hey."
"Hi."
We started walking back toward my house.
The conversation was light at first—mostly about school and the project.
Then suddenly—My foot caught the edge of a loose stone on the road.
"Whoa—"
I stumbled forward. Before I could fall completely, Ethan reacted instantly.
His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me upright.
For a split second—I was standing extremely close to him. Closer than I had ever been.
His hand was still at my waist. My brain completely short-circuited.
He quickly let go.
"Sorry," he said. "You almost fell."
But my face had already turned bright red.
I straightened immediately.
"I'm fine."
We resumed walking. But I refused to say another word. Not one. Not until we reached my house.