She slipped into the empty classroom, searching for any quiet corner to escape the noise of campus… and to escape him. She set her bag on one of the desks, pretending to be busy, pretending his presence no longer meant anything. But the door closed behind her, and those familiar footsteps approached slowly—like regret walking straight toward her.

She didn’t turn. She folded her arms tightly across her chest, hiding behind her silence. He took another step, then circled around the desk to block her escape, his voice rough around the edges as he whispered,

“Please… don’t leave me with this silence.”

When she still didn’t answer, he suddenly dropped to his knees on the cold floor, lifting his face toward her with exhausted eyes, as if trying to catch the last thread between them. He leaned in slightly, still kneeling, and said in a breaking voice

“Please don’t do this to me… forgive me. I swear I’ll be a good boy—just don’t let me lose you.”