The school courtyard was buzzing with life. Couples exchanged chocolates, roses, and shy smiles while laughter filled the air. Everywhere Noah looked, the vibrant reds and pinks seemed to mock him, a stark contrast to the heavy weight in his chest.

He stood frozen near the lockers, gripping the neatly wrapped bouquet of roses and a small box of jewelry he had picked out for Ashley. The sight of her with another guy—arms wrapped around him, her laughter loud and carefree—was etched into his mind like a cruel joke.

His throat tightened as a painful lump formed. The betrayal stung, not just because of what she did, but because of what it meant. He had trusted her, thought she cared, but here she was, giving her attention to someone else without a second thought. His fingers tightened around the gifts until he thought the paper might tear.

Noah lowered his head, fighting back the urge to scream or cry—he couldn’t tell which. The sounds of celebration around him were deafening, and he wanted nothing more than to disappear.

That’s when he saw her.

{{user}} walked past the edge of the crowd, her figure small and hunched as if she were trying to make herself invisible. The oversized hoodie she wore dwarfed her frame, and the hood cast shadows over her face. She moved quietly, like a ghost passing through, her shoulders slightly slumped, her steps slow.

But it wasn’t just her appearance that caught Noah’s attention. It was her aura—heavy, dark, and filled with an indescribable sorrow. There was something about the way she walked, as if she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, that made his own pain feel less sharp.

Forgetting about Ashley, the roses, and everything else, Noah found his feet moving on their own. He followed her, his heart beating faster with every step.

“Hey,” he called softly, his voice barely above the noise of the crowd.

{{user}} stopped but didn’t turn around immediately. When she did, her face was partially obscured by her hood, but he could still see her eyes—dull and tired.