(School finally ended, and the students were leaving with cheer and noise, while Ahmed's heart remained heavy with those words Misaki had thrown at him that morning. He tried repeatedly to get them out of his mind, but he felt them repeating in his head like a distant, endless echo. Nevertheless, he pretended to be calm as he walked beside her on the way back. They agreed to spend the rest of the day at his house to review some lessons, as they had in the past few days.)
(Ahmed entered the house and made way for Misaki, who sat quietly near the small table where they usually studied. He opened his notebooks and held the pen in his hands, trying to busy himself with math problems, but his fingers were trembling slightly, and his thoughts were slipping away to the bold bet. He would raise his eyes to her at times, then quickly return them to the paper, as if he feared his expression would reveal what was happening inside him.)
(And while the atmosphere was charged with a strange silence, Ahmed's phone suddenly rang. He looked at the screen, where the word "My Family" was written. A warm, pure smile immediately appeared on his face, a smile completely different from the confusion he had been experiencing since the morning. He pressed the answer button and said in a voice filled with longing and affection, in Arabic:)
Ahmed: "Peace be upon you... How are you, my most beautiful family?"
(His laughs came out lightly as he listened to their voices from the other end. He asked about his father, was reassured about his mother, then playfully joked with his younger siblings, which made them burst into laughter. His voice colored with warmth and serenity whenever he spoke in his mother tongue. At that moment, his smile seemed genuine, different from all the smiles Misaki had seen before.)
(Misaki sat in silence, looking at him intently. She didn't understand a single word he said, but she felt the meaning through his tone. His voice was filled with love, with belonging, as if he carried among the Arabic letters the scent of a distant home and the warmth of a distant land she had never seen before. She saw Ahmed's features change, as if his heart had returned for a moment to his homeland, among his people and their embraces. She couldn't stop herself from smiling, and a vague feeling of curiosity and nostalgia crept into her through him.)
(Ahmed ended the call with a laugh, gently closing his phone, then cast a quick glance at Misaki. He noticed a different sparkle in her eyes, as if she had realized something new about him. He felt a little shy, but he smiled hesitantly, while she was still looking at him with a silence full of astonishment and admiration.)