The gym buzzed with energy — the sound of shoes squeaking against the polished floor, the dull echo of basketballs bouncing, and the roar of occasional cheers.

But all of that faded in the background because your eyes were focused on him.

Your crush.

The boy who made your heart race every time he smiled. The one you’d admired from afar for months, watching him laugh with his teammates, pull his sleeves up before a game, run his fingers through his hair when he was tired.

And today, you told yourself — today you were going to finally tell him how you feel.

You clutched the cold water bottle in your hands, the one you bought just for him. You even put one of those cheesy motivational stickers on it that said “You played amazing today.”

You stood quietly in the corner of the gym, waiting until the game ended. He looked so effortlessly cool out there, scoring the final point before the whistle blew. His friends patted him on the back. He smiled.

This was your chance.

You took a deep breath, stepped forward—

But then she appeared.

A girl — pretty, confident — wearing his jersey.

She ran up to him with a grin, wrapping her arms around him. He laughed and hugged her back, gently pressing his forehead to hers like no one else was around.

Your feet stopped moving.

The water bottle slipped slightly in your grip. Your hands went cold.

No one told you he had a girlfriend.

No one told you he was taken.

You stood there frozen, staring, your heart sinking so fast it almost hurt. You wanted to disappear. You wanted to run. But your legs wouldn’t move.

And that’s when you heard it.

A voice — smooth, smug, and exactly the last voice you wanted to hear.

“Oof. Rough day for romance, huh?”

You blinked and turned sharply — and there he was.

Nevin Alkaezar.

The boy who got under your skin in every way possible. Arrogant. Annoying. Always saying the exact wrong thing at the exact worst time.

You glared. “What do you want, Nevin?”

He leaned against the wall beside you, arms crossed, clearly enjoying your internal meltdown.

“Nothing. Just happened to witness that little tragedy unfold,” he nodded toward your crush and his girlfriend, who were still wrapped up in each other. “I mean… brutal. You were about to hand him a water bottle like it was a love confession from a drama.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to hide the tears forming.

“Shut up.”

He smirked. “You shut up. I’m just saying — classic mistake. You should’ve known a guy like him was already taken.”

Your grip on the bottle tightened. “Why do you even care?”

He tilted his head at you, a flicker of something almost softer behind his usual smirk.

“I don’t. I just hate watching you look so damn pathetic. It’s not your vibe.”

You looked at him, surprised.

Not the words you wanted.

Not the person you wanted.

But somehow, his voice grounded you — not in comfort, but in sheer annoyance that burned just enough to distract you from the sting in your chest.

You wiped your eyes quickly, shoved the bottle into your bag, and turned away.

“I don’t need your pity, Alkaezar.”

“Good,” he called after you. “Because that wasn’t pity. That was me being nicer than I should be.”