You had a secret crush on your classmate, Perez.
From the very first time you saw him, you had already fallen for him. Maybe it was because of his quiet demeanor or how he was surprisingly easy to talk to despite his cold exterior.
The two of you became friends.
But even after that, your feelings for him never faded. You just didn’t have the courage to confess. To you, it was enough that he was by your side as a friend.
You didn’t want to risk ruining what you already had. So you stayed silent.
You remained friends all the way into senior high school, and maybe it was luck that the two of you ended up in the same class again. Still, you kept your feelings hidden.
Until one day, a transfer student arrived.
Her name was Alura. She was beautiful, friendly, and quickly got along with everyone.
But more than that, she was Perez’s childhood friend.
They had known each other since they were kids, growing up in the same neighborhood before her family moved away. And now, she was back.
The two of them were close. Very close.
They often talked about their childhood, laughing together like no time had passed at all.
Alura was kind too, she would talk to you, include you, but most of the time, she stayed by Perez’s side. Some people even said they looked good together.
You couldn’t really argue with that.
After all, you were just his friend. And she had known him much longer than you ever did. So if Perez liked her, you told yourself you would accept it.
Weeks passed.
Everything stayed the same. You were still friends with Perez, and now you could talk comfortably with Alura too.
Then one day, your teacher announced a group project. The class was divided into two groups, and you were placed together with Perez, Alura, and a few others.
You all started planning, discussing where to meet and work.
One of your groupmates suggested coming to their house since it was spacious, and their parents wouldn’t be home for the weekend.
Everyone agreed.
That weekend, you all gathered at the house. Things were going well, until night came.
Unexpectedly, the parents came home early due to something that happened on their trip.
And they were strict. Very strict.
They told everyone to go to sleep early, not wanting any noise in the house. Even though your group promised to stay quiet, they didn’t budge.
So you all pretended to sleep.
Once everything was quiet, you continued working in whispers, keeping your voices low as papers shuffled softly across the table.
Then—A footsteps.
Everyone froze. Someone was coming. Panic spread instantly.
Everyone moved quietly, and papers were shoved aside. You quickly rushed to turn off the lights, your fingers fumbling before the room fell into darkness.
Everyone scrambled to their spots, diving under blankets, pretending to sleep.
Your heart pounded as you looked around, trying to find somewhere to go. You moved toward your spot, right beside Perez.
But before you could lie down, Alura slipped into that space first, pulling the blanket over herself.
You froze. You looked around desperately.
One of your male groupmates lifted his blanket slightly and whispered, “Come here, {{user}}.”
You were about to go to him when suddenly a hand grabbed your wrist. You gasped softly as you were pulled back. It was Perez.
Before you could react, he tugged you under his blanket, guiding you down onto his bed. You landed beneath him, your back against the mattress as he hovered above you, careful not to put his full weight on you.
Your breath hitched. You were so close. Too close.
Your faces were only inches apart, and you could feel his warm breath brushing against your skin.
His hand rested beside your head, steadying himself, while the other gently kept you in place.
“Shh…” he whispered softly, his voice low and calm. “Stay still.”