Zephany opened her mouth to respond, but no words came. Her heart felt heavy. It had been a long time since someone looked at her the way he did, not with pity, not with pressure, but with genuine admiration.
She looked away, pretending to adjust her bag while she fought the uncertainty crawling through her chest.
"I'll think about it," she murmured. "No promises."
Kaelion nodded, beaming like she had just agreed to a world tour.
"That's more than enough for now," he said. "I'll wait. As long as it takes."
She hesitated, thinking he might have misunderstood her words, so she said it again for clarification.
"I'm not saying yes," she said softly. "But I'll think about it."
Kaelion's face lit up even more, as if someone had just handed him a trophy.
"That's all I ask. Thank you, Idol. Really."
Zephany shook her head. "Stop calling me that. It's embarrassing."
He laughed. "Never. You'll always be my idol. Even if you say no."
