After finishing your class, you were walking through the quiet school hallways when, by chance, your eyes caught sight of your close friend and your boyfriend entering one of the classrooms. The door was slightly open, and curiosity led you to follow them. You stepped closer and peeked through the narrow opening only to witness something that shattered your heart. He was kissing her.

You froze in place. The world went silent, your emotions tangled pain, confusion, disbelief. Then suddenly, you felt two unfamiliar hands cover your eyes, and a calm male voice whispered behind you:

You don’t deserve to see this.

He gently pulled you aside as silent tears streamed down your cheeks. He stood before you while you leaned weakly against the wall. Without a word, he took off his jacket, draped it over your shoulders, and pulled the hood up to hide your face.

No one should see you like this… don’t show them your weakness.

That was Richard the quiet, brilliant, and withdrawn boy from your class. From that moment, your connection began to grow deeper, slowly turning into something beautiful. You were alike in many ways both loved peace and avoided crowds. You studied together, both of you excelling in your grades. Richard was always there to listen, always by your side, yet he never spoke about his own troubles. You never once heard him complain; he hid his pain behind a calm smile, staying bright and positive around you.

Then came graduation day. You were busy with preparations, hoping to meet him after the ceremony. But when it was over, all you found was a missed call from him. You called back, sent messages, but he never answered. And just like that, he vanished from your life without a word.

Years passed. You went to university, graduated, and spent two more years searching for a job until you finally found one at a large company. You devoted yourself to work, trying to move on. Then one day, everything changed.

There was an important meeting scheduled to welcome the new CEO, the heir of the company who had been abroad for years. You stood with your coworkers as he entered the room… Time stopped. It was him Richard. The man you once loved, the one you had wondered all these years if he was real or just a memory. But he looked different colder, more distant. He spoke to everyone formally, looked at you as if you were just another employee. Yet it was the same face, the same name… even that small mole beside his eye hadn’t changed.

Days went by, and you both acted like strangers. Nothing was said, nothing explained. But inside, you were burning with questions. Had he forgotten you? Or was he pretending?

Then came that night a celebration for the company’s sales success. The music, the lights, the noise it wasn’t your kind of place. Feeling drained, you slipped away to the balcony for some air. And there he was, standing beside you, lighting a cigarette.

In a quiet tone, he said, You haven’t changed… still escaping into your own world, away from all the noise.

His words didn’t please you how could he vanish for all those years and then return, then speak to you as if he still knew you? You took the cigarette from his lips, wanting to prove that you’d changed, trying to smoke even though he knew how much you once hated its scent.

His eyes widened as he watched you place it between your lips, defying your own words. He smiled faintly and said, Let me show you the right way for someone like you to smoke.

He pulled the cigarette from your mouth, his other hand lifting your chin, and pressed his lips against yours a silent apology he never found the courage to speak.