✦ Author's Note ✦
I owe you all a big apology for the delay in posting this chapter. The past few days were a whirlwind of tests and studying, and I couldn't find the right time or energy to sit down and write. I know many of you were waiting, and I'm so grateful for your patience.
Writing this story is one of the things that keeps me inspired, but sometimes real life demands our full focus first. Thank you for understanding that balance isn't always easy. 💙
Your support—every comment, like, and message—means so much more than I can ever put into words. Even when I'm busy, knowing you're out there waiting for the next part motivates me to keep creating. I promise I'll make it worth the wait.
So here it is—a chapter filled with laughter, sketches, secrets, and a little mystery. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed finally bringing it to life for you.
Would you like me to also make a special reader's thank-you note at the end of the chapter (like a mini chat with your readers) so it feels more personal and interactive?
✦ Blurb ✦
The journey continues—between laughter, warnings, and unspoken feelings. Arjun's serious words about Rey and Section C echo faintly, but Ryu brushes them aside. Instead, she loses herself in sketching the world outside… until laughter, filters, and photos pull her back into the group. But when Aakash discovers a sketch, everything shifts.
✦ Chapter ✦
The bus rolled steadily along the winding road, sunlight slipping between the trees as voices filled the air with chatter and jokes.
Ryu leaned against the window, her sketchbook open across her lap. The scenery outside—the rolling green hills, distant peaks, and small villages—flowed through her pencil in soft lines. For a while, the world felt quiet, like it belonged only to her.
A shadow fell over her page.
"Still sketching, huh?"
She looked up to see Arjun sliding into the empty seat beside her. His tone was casual, but his eyes carried a weight that didn't match his smile.
Arjun's POVI can't let her walk into this blind. She's laughing with them now, drawing like nothing's wrong, but she doesn't know what waits ahead. Rey… Section C… none of it is as simple as it looks.If I don't say anything, I'll regret it.
"You're fitting in fast," he said, nodding toward the back where Kabir and Avyann were already making noise. "But I need to tell you something."
Ryu blinked, surprised. "What is it?"
Arjun lowered his voice, his expression suddenly serious."Be careful around Rey. And Section C… it's not what it looks like."
Her pencil paused mid-line, the curve of a temple roof half-drawn. She frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
But Arjun only shook his head, lips pressed tight. "Just… don't ignore the signs. You'll understand soon enough."
Before she could question him further, someone from the back called her name, breaking the moment. Arjun gave her one last glance—sharp, warning—before slipping back to his seat.
Ryu exhaled, trying to brush off the unease curling in her chest. She looked back at her sketch, pressing her pencil harder against the paper.
She had brushed it off then, and now she shook her head. Warnings, mysteries, secrets… she was too tired to carry them all. Right now, the view was enough.
Her pencil traced the outline of a small shrine on a hill, the bell tower standing against the sky.
Ryu's POVArjun's words echo in my head like an unfinished melody. Careful around Rey. Section C isn't what it looks like.
I stare down at my sketchbook, the line of the temple roof broken halfway. My fingers tremble, smudging the pencil mark. What does he mean? Rey is… annoying, yes. Sharp and distant, yes. But dangerous?
And Section C? That's just a class. A weird, mismatched class, but still just a class. Right?
My stomach knots. He looked so serious, like he was holding back something bigger. Like he knew a secret he couldn't say out loud.
I snap my sketchbook shut, forcing a smile. Maybe laughter will be easier than questions. Maybe I can pretend I didn't hear Arjun's warning.
At least… for now.
"Ryu!" Kabir's loud voice jolted her. "Stop hiding with your sketches! Come click pictures with us!"
Avyann popped his head over the seat, waving his phone. "Yeah, we're doing filters. You're not escaping this."
Before she could protest, they dragged her over. The group burst into laughter as Kabir chose the silliest filters—dog ears, oversized sunglasses, glowing crowns.
"Ryu, look here!" Avyann clicked one where she was squished between him and Kabir, both of them pulling ridiculous faces.
The laughter around the bus only grew louder as Kabir and Avyann switched filters again. Bunny ears, crowns, rainbow sparkles—no one was safe.
"Okay, next—Ryu and Rey!" Kiara shouted, shoving them both closer.
Before Ryu could protest, Kabir pushed her shoulder playfully, making her stumble right next to Rey. Their arms brushed, their faces far too close for comfort. The camera flashed.
Ravi's POVWait. What?
I feel my stomach twist as I watch them. Ryu, pressed against Rey, cheeks slightly red. Rey, stiff but not moving away. The photo clicks, and everyone laughs, but I can't join in.
Why him? Why does she look like that—like she's caught off guard but not hating it? I was the one who comforted her earlier, the one who tried to make her laugh when she cried. But the second she's near him, it feels like the whole world shifts.
Tch. Maybe I'm imagining it. Maybe it's just one stupid picture. But why does it bother me this much?
Rey's POVHer shoulder against mine. Too close. My heartbeat is pounding, way too fast, way too loud.
I should move. I should pull away. But I can't. I can't because for the first time, she isn't looking at me with anger or distance. She's confused, but she isn't pushing me off either.
The camera flashes, and everyone laughs, but I don't even hear them. All I see is her.
And then Ravi. The way he looks at her, like she belongs to him. Like I'm just in the way. My jaw tightens. He doesn't get it. He doesn't know her like I do. He never will.
Ryu's POVWhy am I blushing? This is ridiculous. It's just a photo. Just one silly picture.
But his arm is so close, his warmth brushing against me, and suddenly I can't think straight. My heart feels strange, like it's racing and stumbling at the same time.
And then I catch Ravi's eyes. That look—sharp, almost hurt. Why is he looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?
I force a laugh as Avyann adds another silly filter, but inside, my thoughts are tangled. Why does it feel like one picture just changed everything?
The group laughs and moves on, but three hearts remain unsettled—Ravi's burning with jealousy, Rey's with longing, and Ryu's with confusion she can't quite name.
"Woahhh, look at this!" Maya leaned over, grinning wickedly as she held the camera up for everyone to see. "Ryu, you look like Rey's girlfriend in this picture."
Ryu's face burned red instantly. "M-Maya! Stop saying nonsense!"
Kiara and Siya burst out laughing, while Ishani and Aryan exchanged curious looks, whispering something to each other. Rey simply tilted his head at Ryu, amused at her flustered reaction.
But not everyone was laughing. Standing slightly behind the group, Arjun's gaze was sharp and unblinking, fixed on Rey. His glare was cold, as if silently warning him to back off.
The air felt heavier for Ryu all of a sudden. She didn't know whether to be embarrassed by the teasing, confused by her own reaction, or unsettled by the way Arjun was watching everything.
Maya's POVI knew exactly what I was doing. The look on Ryu's face—half-confused, half-flustered—was priceless. She hated being cornered like this, but that was the fun of it. Besides, it wasn't just me who noticed. Rey seemed way too comfortable standing close, and Ravi… oh, he was seconds away from snapping. Drama was unfolding right before my eyes.
Ryu's POVWhy does this feel so strange? Rey is just standing next to me—nothing more. But then Maya had to tease, and now I can't even breathe normally. Everyone's watching, Ravi looks angry, and Arjun… why is he glaring like that? What did I even do wrong?
Then came more photos—
Ryu with Kabir and Avyann making peace signs.
Ryu with Rey's siblings Aarav and Anika, the kids clinging to her like she'd always been part of their family.
A group photo with Siya, Ravi, Kiara, , all laughing so hard half of them were blurry.
Finally, one with all the guardians leaning in, Ryu caught in the middle, smiling nervously but genuinely.
.
Later, as the group scrolled through the shots, Aakash's voice broke the chatter.
"Hey… what's this?"
He had picked up Ryu's sketchbook from her seat, flipping to a page. His eyes widened in shock.
It wasn't the scenery.It wasn't the temple.It was the sketch of a boy—familiar, almost haunting.
Ryu froze. "That? I drew it."
Aakash's voice was low, almost shaken. "But… how do you know this face?"
Aakash's POV
I hadn't meant to snoop. The sketchbook was just lying there, its cover smudged with pencil dust, edges curled from use. Out of curiosity, I flipped it open, expecting temples, landscapes—Ryu's usual quiet observations turned into art.
But the moment my eyes landed on that face, my throat tightened.
The lines were raw yet exact, capturing every angle—cheekbones, the curve of the jaw, even the shadowed eyes I thought I'd forgotten. I felt my breath falter, like someone had just knocked the air out of me.
"No… it can't be."
My fingers trembled against the page. I could hear the others laughing behind me, their chatter like static, meaningless compared to the storm unraveling inside my chest.
"How does she know? How could she possibly…?"
I turned to her, my voice unsteady but urgent."But… how do you know this face?"
Her eyes met mine—uncertain, almost guilty. And in that silence, dread curled in my stomach.
Because the face on the page wasn't just a stranger.It was someone I had hoped would never come back.
Before she could answer, Rey caught sight of her across the bus. His gaze darkened as he noticed how easily Aarav and Anika clung to her shoulders, their laughter mixing with hers. A hollow ache tugged at him—jealousy, sharp and silent.
ey's POV
From across the bus aisle, I caught sight of her. Ryu's smile—bright, unguarded—lit up the space around her, and beside her Aarav and Anika leaned in close, laughter spilling out like they belonged there.
My chest tightened.It shouldn't matter. It didn't matter. At least that's what I told myself.
But watching them cling to her shoulders so easily, so naturally, carved something raw inside me. Their laughter rang louder than the engine's hum, louder than the chatter, louder than the steady beat of my own pulse.
A weight settled in my throat, sharp and bitter—jealousy. I hated the word, hated how it fit too perfectly against the hollow ache spreading through me.
Why did it sting this much?Why did the thought of her smile belonging to someone else feel like betrayal?
I forced my gaze away, jaw tight, trying to steady my breath. But the truth echoed clear in the quiet corners of my mind—I wasn't just watching.I was losing.
Just then, Kabir's father, seated with the other guardians, pointed out the window."A temple is coming up in the way. It's an old one—our family always stops there to offer prayers."
The chatter paused as everyone turned toward the view ahead. Bells, flags, and the faint chime of wind carried on the breeze.
✦ End Message ✦
Sorry again for the late upload, friends—my test schedule messed everything up. Thank you for sticking with me. 🌸
✦ End Message ✦
Thank you so much for reading this chapter! 💙 I know the wait was longer this time because of my tests, and I truly appreciate your patience. Your encouragement keeps me going, even when real life gets in the way.
What did you think of this chapter?
Arjun's warning—do you think Ryu will take it seriously later?
The photo chaos—whose reaction stood out the most to you: Ravi, Rey, Maya, or Arjun?
Aakash's discovery—what do you think the mystery behind the sketch is?
I'd love to hear your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments in the comments. Your feedback helps shape where the story flows next! ✨
Stay tuned—the next chapter will take us into the temple, where more secrets (and maybe answers) are waiting…
Until then, thank you again for all the love and support. 🌸
("Team Ravi or Team Rey?")