(The sun was slowly bidding farewell to the sky, coloring the horizon with calm orange hues, when Ahmed and Misaki left the school gate. Their steps were close, carrying a comfortable silence, as if they had gotten used to walking together... not just as friends, but as two shadows following each other without asking why.)
(Since Misaki's parents agreed that Ahmed would be her "companion," something changed in the rhythm of her day. Lessons were no longer a burden, and returning home alone was no longer a heavy matter. She was waiting for the moment to walk with him, even without words.)
(The two arrived at Ahmed's small apartment, where a faint light welcomed them from a small window, and the calm scent of cinnamon still lingered in the place from the lunch meal. They sat on the floor, facing each other, with the low table between them, on which books and notebooks were placed.)
(Ahmed opened one of the books, and Misaki took out her pens, and they sat in a manner closer to spontaneity than to order.)
Ahmed (in a soft voice, as he points to a complex equation):
"Look and focus, the topic is simple... The idea here is similar to the way you arrange boxes in a store."
(He draws squares on a paper, colors them carefully, adds small arrows, then looks at Misaki, who is following with interest, her eyes tracking the movements as if she is watching a magic show.)
(Misaki usually had an aversion to math, but with Ahmed... it was different. His voice was calm, his explanation was simple, and his eyes were full of a sincere passion. He didn't just explain to be understood, but as if he was planting the idea in her heart, and watering it until she finally smiled.)
Misaki (in a hesitant whisper):
"I didn't understand this part... Can you explain it again?"
(Ahmed smiles, and brings the paper a little closer to her. He draws again, with the same patience. He doesn't get annoyed, he doesn't make fun, but rather increases his tenderness whenever she gets confused.)
(Misaki sits closer, her hair slips to the side, almost touching Ahmed's hand, but he stays in his place, respecting the distance, and respecting her heartbeat that he doesn't hear... but he feels it.)
(Time passes, and a light silence extends between one explanation and another, not disturbing, but giving each of them a moment to contemplate. Outside, the night has quietly fallen, and the lights have begun to reflect on the windows, while inside... the warmth fills the place without the need for a heater.)
(When Misaki looks at Ahmed, she sees something that doesn't appear in the lessons: she sees a person who carries a rare kindness, who explains to her not because he is forced to, but because he loves to see her understand... and smile.)
(She actually smiles, and whispers in a low voice, barely audible even to herself:)
Misaki:
"Thank you... for making complicated things simple."
(Ahmed raises his head towards her, and smiles... that calm smile that says more than a thousand words, and confuses her heart more than all the equations.)