The air felt heavier than usual.
No one said it out loud, but everyone could feel it—the tension, like something was about to break.
Una noticed it the moment she arrived.
Ayaan wasn't there.
That wasn't normal.
"Where is he?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
Leo hesitated. That alone was enough to make her uneasy.
"Probably busy," he said, but his voice didn't sound convincing.
Clara glanced at him but didn't correct him.
That was worse.
Una sat down, her fingers nervously playing with the edge of her sleeve. Her eyes kept drifting to the path… waiting.
"He's not coming," Alex said suddenly.
Una looked at him. "How do you know?"
Alex shrugged. "He told Daniel he had better things to do."
The words landed harder than they should have.
"Better things?" Una repeated quietly.
"Yeah," Noah added, leaning back. "He's been distant lately anyway."
"That doesn't mean anything," Una said quickly.
But her voice… didn't sound sure anymore.
Across from her, Helena watched silently.
Later that evening, as the group slowly split apart, Helena finally spoke.
"You really don't get it, do you?"
Una frowned. "Get what?"
Helena crossed her arms. "He's not 'busy.' He's avoiding you."
Una's chest tightened. "Why would he do that?"
Helena looked at her for a moment… then sighed.
"Because of Alex."
The name hit differently this time.
"That's not true," Una said immediately. "There's nothing going on."
"Maybe for you," Helena replied calmly. "But that's not how it looks."
Una shook her head. "He could just ask me."
Helena let out a quiet, almost sad laugh. "And you could've told him first."
Silence.
That sentence stayed.
Because it was true.
Una looked away, her thoughts suddenly louder than everything else.
On the other side of the story—
Ayaan stood alone on the empty path.
The same place.
The same quiet.
But it didn't feel the same anymore.
"You're really just gonna disappear?"
Ayaan turned slightly.
Ryan stepped closer, hands in his pockets, his usual calm expression replaced with something more serious.
"You could've stayed," Ryan added.
Ayaan shook his head. "Didn't feel like it."
Ryan sighed. "Or maybe you didn't want to see it."
Ayaan's jaw tightened. "See what?"
Ryan didn't answer immediately.
Then—"Her… and Alex."
That was enough.
Ayaan looked away, his voice colder now. "It doesn't matter."
Ryan studied him carefully. "Then why does it bother you?"
No response.
Because it did bother him.
More than he wanted to admit.
Back with Una—
She walked home slower than usual.
Helena's words echoed in her mind.
*"He's avoiding you."*
*"You could've told him first."*
Her chest felt tight.
Not because she had done something wrong…
…but because she didn't understand what she had done at all.
The next day—
They finally saw each other again.
Same path.
Same place.
But this time…
it felt different.
Ayaan stopped a few steps away from her.
Una turned.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
"Are you avoiding me?" Una asked, her voice quieter than usual.
Ayaan didn't hesitate.
"No."
But something about the way he said it…
felt like a lie.
Una's brows furrowed. "Then why does it feel like you are?"
Ayaan looked at her—really looked this time.
Then he said the one thing he shouldn't have.
"Maybe you're just overthinking it."
The words were simple.
But they hurt.
Because they dismissed everything she was feeling.
Una took a small step back. "So it's just me?"
"I didn't say that."
"But you meant it."
Ayaan stayed silent.
And that silence—
said more than anything else.
From a distance, Alex watched the scene unfold.
Beside him, Helena stood quietly.
"This is going to get worse," she murmured.
Alex didn't reply.
He just kept watching.
Because now—
it wasn't just a misunderstanding anymore.
It was turning into something bigger.
Something harder to fix.
And neither Una nor Ayaan realized…
they were already starting to lose each other.
-------------