Author's Note :
Shopping bags. Shared jokes. Soda and fries.
It looks like just another day at the mall l—but Ryu can feel it.
Something's different.
Too many glances. Too many silences.
She's used to being quiet... but this time, it feels like the silence is growing around her.
Is it her?
Or is everyone hiding something?
And when Rey notices more than just her new outfit...
The real question becomes—what else is he seeing?
Read closely.
Not everything is as casual as it seems.
This chapter is all about the unsaid
The mall buzzed with energy, laughter echoing off the glass walls. Everyone had gathered today—Kabir's sister Kiara, Ravi's sister Siya, Avyan's siblings, Rey's younger siblings Aarav and Anika, Ryu's cousin Arjun, and Aakash, her half-brother. On the surface, it was just a shopping day.
But Ryu felt it.
That strange distance.
Even though they were all together, walking in groups, laughing—something felt... off.
"You guys seriously took 20 minutes to pick one pair of socks?" Aarav grinned, nudging Kiara as they exited the store.
"They weren't socks. They were fashion statements," she replied with a wink.
Ryu smiled faintly, walking a little behind them, her eyes flicking from one person to another. Arjun and Aakash weren't even speaking properly. Avyan's sister whispered something into his ear and all he did was nod. No one included her in the jokes. Even Ravi, usually her partner-in-chaos, kept glancing away, stiff.
Then someone bumped her elbow.
"Sorry," Rey said, steadying her before she could trip on a display stand.
"You okay?"
Her heart fluttered, but she nodded quickly.
"Yeah."
His hand lingered for a second longer than needed before he turned back, falling in step with Anika.
They sat down in the food court to make a list of essentials for the upcoming temple visit.
"Snacks, water bottles, first-aid, mosquito repellent," Kiara ticked off.
"And extra batteries for torches," Siya added.
They passed the notepad around. Rey sat between Aakash and Arjun, both unnaturally silent. His posture was straight, but his eyes were watching. When Ryu leaned closer to Ravi to whisper something funny, Rey's brows tightened just a little.
Maya caught it.
She winked at Ryu, whispering, "Looking like a battlefield."
Ryu excused herself and wandered into a store. Her legs took her to the women's section, where her hand absentmindedly brushed over a simple cream-colored skirt with floral prints.
Before she knew it, she had tried it on.
And stepped out.
The skirt reached just below her knees. The top was sleeveless, neat, elegant. She looked... different. She didn't expect anyone to notice.
But she was wrong.
Rey's eyes landed on her.
And stayed.
He blinked. Once. Twice.
"You're..." he began, then stopped.
"...You look different."
"Good different or bad?"
He didn't answer. He just stared.
Later, as they packed their bags, Ryu noticed something strange. There were a few wrapped items—flat and square, and one long tube—tucked away inside Avyan's bag and Kiara's shopping tote.
She wasn't nosy. But this felt... odd.
"Did we buy that too?" she asked, lightly.
Avyan glanced over and shrugged, "Oh, it's nothing. Just... random."
But his eyes didn't meet hers.
Something was being hidden.
From her.
Again.
As they all walked toward the exit, Ryu trailed behind, quiet. Her head buzzed. The tension. The silence. The secret looks.
Why did she feel like an outsider?
Rey's POV
Why were they acting like this?
He watched Arjun's clenched jaw. Aakash's dead stare. And Ryu—who usually glowed with curiosity—was shrinking into silence.
Then there was Ravi. Laughing with her. That hand-touch on the table. The whisper.
He hated how it made him feel.
But the way she looked today...
That skirt.
That softness.
She wasn't the same girl from a month ago. She had changed. And he...
He didn't know what to do about it.
Ryu's POV
They were hiding something.
Even Aakash didn't look at her properly. Arjun's responses were clipped. Rey kept drifting close but said nothing.
And those wrapped items? Why wouldn't they just tell her?
"I'm not paranoid," she muttered.
"Something's going on."
She kept telling herself that.
But the hurt in her chest grew louder.
The mall's food court buzzed softly, trays clattering and conversations overlapping. Ryu sat at the end of the table, her fingers toying with a straw wrapper. The others had gathered snacks—fries, milkshakes, and nachos—and now clustered around the wide table, chattering about the next stop.
Rey returned with two chilled sodas, one of which he slid quietly in front of Ryu.
Rey (low tone):
"Orange soda. You like this, right?"
Ryu blinked, taken aback. "How'd you—"
Rey:
"You mentioned it once. Last month."
Before she could respond, Maya nudged her from the side.
Maya (teasing):
"Ooooh, Rey remembers things."
Ryu rolled her eyes, sipping the drink to hide the sudden warmth in her cheeks.
Across the table, Ravi watched the exchange, his jaw clenched just slightly as he stabbed a fry into the ketchup.
Siya (to Kiara, playfully):
"If we're going to do that lake hike, I swear I'm not carrying anyone this time."
Kiara:
"No one asked you to carry Avyan last time! He tripped once."
Avyan (mock offended):
"I was being attacked by pebbles. Tiny, vicious ones."
Aarav (smirking):
"Sure, pebbles. And the next time we'll blame butterflies."
Anika:
"Why don't we visit that abandoned fort? The one in the forest?"
Arjun (serious):
"Is that even safe?"
Aakash (gruffly):
"Probably not. But sounds fun."
Ryu watched them all—laughing, arguing, teasing—but something felt off.
They were different today.
More secretive.
Whispers exchanged mid-sentence. Bags nudged under the table. Glances passed like signals.
She wasn't imagining it.
Something was going on.
Ryu's POV:
They're hiding something. All of them. I know I should ask, but—what if I don't like the answer? Why do I suddenly feel like the odd one out again?
Rey passed her a napkin as sauce dripped from her fry. Their fingers brushed for the barest second.
She didn't flinch.
But her heart did.
Rey:
"Careful. Or I'll start carrying wet wipes for you."
Ryu (quietly):
"You already do."
Rey (smiling softly):
"Touché."
Maya leaned across the table, clearly not missing a thing.
Maya (mock whisper):
"If you two get any more domestic, I'll start charging rent."
Ryu laughed, but her eyes flicked to Arjun and Aakash sitting stiffly across Rey—one on each side. The tension was thick. Neither looked happy to be near the other, and both looked like they wanted Rey somewhere else.
Arjun (to no one in particular):
"So. How long are we staying here?"
Aakash (coolly):
"Until we get what we need."
Rey (awkward, trying to bridge the silence):
"Let's make a list of places we want to visit. We'll vote later."
He pulled out his phone and opened a notes app. Ryu leaned closer to peek.
Rey (low, to her):
"You can type."
Ryu:
"I'll mess it up."
Rey (soft smile):
"Then we'll mess it up together."
Ravi, watching this, bit down on his straw with a loud crunch.
Ravi's POV:
It's not like I didn't know something was shifting. But watching them laugh like that—it stings more than I thought. And the way Rey looks at her... it's not like before.
He pushed his chair back, pretending to grab another drink, but mostly just needing space. Space from them. From that smile Rey gave her.
From what it meant.
Siya (oblivious to the tension):
"Okay so—fort hike, amusement park, night camping. What else?"
Kiara:
"I say café hopping. Let's find weird aesthetic places."
Avyan (snorting):
"Of course. Gotta feed your inner Pinterest."
Anika:
"I second the café hopping. I need pics for my feed."
Maya:
"Then someone better bring a camera. Ryu, bring yours."
Ryu nodded distractedly. Her eyes had fallen on one of the shopping bags now tucked under Arjun's chair. A corner of something glittery poked out beneath the tissue wrap.
Not anything she picked.
Not anything she saw them buy.
But she said nothing.
Author's Note (brief interlude):
They sat in a circle, voices overlapping, laughter bouncing between bites and plans—but not everyone was laughing from the heart.
Some hearts were unsure. Some were aching.
And some were trying very hard not to fall.
Later, as they wrapped up, Maya looped her arm through Ryu's.
Maya (grinning):
"By the way, that top-skirt combo? Dangerous. Rey couldn't take his eyes off you."
Ryu sputtered, caught completely off guard.
Ryu:
"Maya!"
Maya:
"I'm just saying. You dropped fries. He picked 'em up. You reached up. He steadied you. Y'all are basically a montage."
Ryu:
"I don't—"
Maya (winking):
"You do. That's the fun part."
Final Glimpse (Rey's POV):
She wore something different today. Not her usual layers. A simple, soft blue top tucked into a skirt that brushed her knees.
And he hated how much it affected him.
He hated more how everyone else noticed it too.
As they stood to leave, he gently brushed a crumb off her sleeve.
Rey (quietly):
"You look nice today."
Ryu turned to look at him, eyes searching. "Thanks."
But she wasn't smiling fully.
He knew that look.
And he feared she had started noticing the distance too.
Author's Note
Secrets. Silences. Skirts.
This chapter isn't about what was said—but about what wasn't.
Why is everyone acting distant?
What are they hiding in those wrapped items?
And what exactly did Rey feel when he saw Ryu like that?
We're nearing a turning point—and your theories are EVERYTHING.
💬 Comment Prompt
💭 Do you think Ryu will confront them? Or will she stay silent?
💥 Drop your guesses about what's hidden in those bags!
🖤 What was your favorite moment between Ryu and Rey today?
🗣️ Let's talk theories below—your comments keep me going!
👀 Do you think Ravi is catching feelings or just being possessive?
🤫 Who do you think Maya is secretly shipping?
Drop your fav moment, your theory, or just a "🍜" if you enjoyed the eating scene!
🖤 Your vote means everything. Can we hit 7 comments & 2 votes on this chapter?
Let's goooo! 🌸👇
Want to dive deeper into the scenes and emotions of this chapter?
📌 Check out the visual board I made for it on Pinterest – from outfits to vibes and moods!
https://in.pinterest.com/whispersofshymuse08/the-devil-of-section-c/