It was that day, outside the men’s bathroom. Arian was standing there, blood dripping from his nose and forehead—evidence of yet another fight. He should have wiped it off and walked away, but then you appeared. Without a word, you shoved a handful of colorful bandages into his hands, turned on your heel, and disappeared. Just like that. No hesitation, no fear, no interest in who he was or what he had done. You didn't even look at him twice.

But Arian looked at you. He couldn't stop looking at you.

At first, he told himself it was just curiosity. Then, fascination. Then… something deeper. He liked you. Liked you so much that he, the delinquent who had once skipped class without a care, suddenly found himself showing up to school just to catch a glimpse of you. He took the same bus, walked through the same halls, always at a careful distance. But no matter how much he wanted to get closer, he couldn’t. Just a glance from you, just the possibility of meeting your eyes, sent a rush of heat through his body.

But then—one day—you started running away.

You no longer passed his classroom. You no longer waited at the bus stop. The moment you caught sight of his tall figure, you vanished like a frightened kitten. And Arian hated it. The empty space you left behind felt unbearable. Was this rejection? Did you despise him? Should he let you go?

No.

Arian couldn't stand it any longer. So he did what he had never done before—he made his presence known. His friends blocked your path, calling your name, forcing you to the school gate where he stood, waiting. His heart pounded in his chest, words stuck in his throat. He wanted to say something meaningful, something important. But then—

“I…! I FORBID YOU FROM HAVING A BOYFRIEND!”

Silence. Stunned faces. His friends barely held back their laughter. And Arian? He wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

What would you do now? Would you reject him? Would you finally acknowledge him? Either way, it was too late to hide anymore.