Author's POV____
"What just happened?" Aria looked at them, confused.
Danvy smirked. "Your sweetheart Sinas's dogs."
Her tone was mocking—deliberately provoking.
"Stop teasing her," Sona said instantly, shooting Danvy a glare.
"What? We're just being honest," Sreya said, sipping her chai casually.
Aria clenched her jaw. "Why do you guys hate Sinas so much? There's a misunderstanding. I will clear it one day. And when I do, you'll all thank me."
Her eyes burned with determination.
Sreya and Danvy burst into laughter.
Sona leaned closer and whispered, "Can you not keep embarrassing me like this?"
"I'm serious," Aria said, pouting.
"Don't even joke about that in front of others in KHSS," Sreya warned, her voice suddenly serious. "You'll be dead."
Danvy stood, picking up her bag. "Poor newbie," she muttered, throwing Aria a look before turning to leave.
Sreya followed, waving lazily as she walked out—with a samosa still in hand.
Aria remained seated, arms crossed, lips pushed out in a pout.
Sona sighed. "Can't you not talk about Sinas for five minutes?"
Aria didn't respond.
Sona looked at her, paused as if she wanted to say something more… but didn't. She simply grabbed her bag and left too.
Now, Aria sat alone at the table. Her chai had gone cold.
Her phone buzzed.
A call from her mom.
She ignored it.
Her thoughts were louder.
Meanwhile ___
From across the café, tucked behind a half-drawn curtain, a man sat in the corner booth. Shadows cloaked his face, but his eyes never left her.
He watched the way her fingers trembled slightly as she picked at the edge of the paper cup.
He noticed the crack on her phone screen, the way she stared blankly through the window, lost in her own world.
Unmoving. Silent. Unnoticed.
Except by him.
He tilted his head slightly, as if studying her.
Like he knew something.
Like he was waiting for something.
And then—
He stood up.
Without a word, he slipped out of the booth and disappeared through the back exit.
Aria never noticed.
But something had shifted.
The air around her suddenly felt… different.
Next Day___
Aria entered her classroom. It was empty.
She sighed. Only three or four bags were scattered across the benches. She was the only one there, even though the first bell had already rung.
She pulled out her book and started reading.
No teachers were going to show up —she knew that.
But after a while, something suddenly clicked in her mind.
She grabbed her phone and rushed to the rooftop.
As she expected, Zorvath was there—sleeping peacefully like he owned the place.
She glanced around and spotted a bucket of dirty water nearby. Without thinking twice, she picked it up and splashed it right on him.
Zorvath jolted up in shock, hands immediately going into fighting position, completely alarmed.
Seeing his expression, Aria burst into laughter.
Realizing it was her, Zorvath gave her a sharp look. Aria slowly stopped laughing.
"Give me 2500 rupees," she said, stretching out her hand.
Zorvath raised his eyebrows. "2500? That's expensive."
Then he looked her up and down slowly. Aria blinked, confused.
"For you… how about 2000?" he added with a smirk, biting his lip.
"You—! How dare you…" she started, flustered.
"I'm talking about the money I paid to repair my phone! Because of you!" Aria snapped.
Zorvath chuckled, but suddenly changed his expression. "Nope."
"Why not?! It's your responsibility—you broke my phone!" Aria argued, stepping toward him.
He smirked. "It was my responsibility. But now... we're even."
"Even?" Aria repeated, confused.
"Yeah. I broke your phone, and you just threw dirty water all over me. It's a tie now."
"Nooo! That's not fair! It was just a little water. My phone cost 2500 rupees!" Aria said, crossing her arms.
Zorvath slowly stood up. "Then dry me off. I'll give you your money."
Aria rolled her eyes. "Asshole," she whispered under her breath.
Zorvath smirked with his back turned.
She was about to leave when he stopped her.
"Money?" he asked, turning slightly.
"I forgot about my money," Aria replied casually. "Better to lose it than dry someone like you."
That was it.
Zorvath's face twitched slightly. Then, without warning, he grabbed her and lifted her onto a metal storage box behind them—bringing their faces to the same level.
Now, they were eye to eye.
Aria's breath caught slightly.
Zorvath leaned just a little closer.
"What… are you doing?" Aria asked, turning her face aside.
"Dry me," Zorvath said in his deepest voice.
She glanced at him. Without arguing, she slowly picked off the tiny leaves and dust stuck to his face and clothes. Then she took out her handkerchief and gently wiped his face.
Zorvath never took his eyes off her.
He kept leaning in closer and closer. Aria tried to resist, but it was useless. His warm breath brushed against her skin as he studied her closely—every feature.
Her shining blue eyes, her smooth, clear skin glistening with sweat, her hair dancing softly in the breeze.
Finally, her eyes found his.
She was holding his shoulder. His hands slowly wrapped around her waist.
Both of them were lost—completely in another world, locked in an intense gaze.
Zorvath slowly leaned in for a kiss, his lips inching closer...
"Zorvath, we got the—"
Aswin's voice suddenly broke the silence.
He stepped in, holding snacks—frozen in shock at what he was seeing.
Both Zorvath and Aria snapped back to reality.
Zorvath quickly moved his hands away, and so did Aria. Her cheeks turned crimson as she jumped off the box.
Mirzand walked in right after, pausing at the sight of the three of them.
Aswin stood there with his mouth half open in disbelief. Aria blushed furiously. Zorvath, meanwhile, returned to his usual calm expression, hands in his pockets, silently staring at Mirzand.
Then, Aria slowly started to walk away, trying to escape the awkward moment.
"Stop," Zorvath called out.
She turned around, eyes wide.
He pulled out his wallet and handed her his ATM card.
"Buy whatever you want. Just return it to me later," he said casually.
Without saying a word, Aria took it and walked off, still flustered.
Aswin and Mirzand stood silently, both staring at her… then back at Zorvath… completely confused.