The next few days went by normally, boringly normal, actually, until school reopened.
"Coming to school tomorrow?" I texted.
"Yes, of course," he replied instantly.
I asked a few others too, but they all said no. And somewhere in my mind, this little thought whispered, how would it be if it's just the two of us in class?
I didn't know God was on fast mode that day, listening way too carefully.
When I reached school the next morning, his bus had already arrived. My heartbeat did a tiny flip. I rushed to my class… only to find the entire floor empty. Not a single soul. Not even the usual chaos of footsteps and chatter, just me and my existential dread echoing in the corridor.
Then, as if the universe wanted to spice it up, my Chemistry teacher appeared out of nowhere.
"You should've listened to the boss-in-charge," he said, dead serious. "Nobody's coming today."
My smile froze. Oh great. Just me, my brain, and Chemistry.
Before I could even react, he added, "Since you're here, this is a great opportunity! I'll teach you alone today. We'll finish the entire syllabus! I'll tell other teachers not to disturb us — today will be all Chemistry."
Excuse me — WHAT?!
My heart started pounding like an alarm clock on caffeine.
Bit by bit.
Again and again.
Why was sir acting like some horror movie villain saying, "we'll finish it all today" 😭
I was on the verge of begging the heavens. Please, please Akaay, just come this once. Don't break my heart today.
My eyes glued themselves to the staircase, scanning every step, every corner —
And then I saw them.
Not him.
Just… his shoes.
But that was enough. The relief that rushed through me — oh my god. It wasn't about love or butterflies or anything filmy.
It was comfort.
Pure, solid comfort knowing that he was there.
That I wasn't alone in this silent, creepy, chemistry-fueled apocalypse.
Everybody would probably think, if a guy and a girl are the only two in a classroom, there's gotta be something going on, right? Some dramatic spark?
That's what I thought too.
But reality… hit differently.
We both entered the class, and I immediately spilled everything that had happened with my teacher. Even my class teacher was laughing when she heard it.
And then… he just sat there. Calm. Silent. Like nothing.
And me? I was at my desk, internally screaming. Why weren't we sitting together? Just two souls in a room and you can't even sit next to me? Is this some kind of divine joke?
Later, somehow, we ended up at the front desk together. Victory, right?
Wrong.
This guy cannot handle closeness. He created literal distance between our tables, like a human barricade. And then… he slept. The entire day.
I swear, I was dying inside. Like, why did you even come to school? Just to sleep next to me like some annoying decorative pillow?
And the torture didn't end there. Every teacher was laser-focused on me , "Kriti, read this," "Kriti, solve that" — while he snoozed peacefully right beside me. I wanted to shake him. I wanted to yell.
God, I wish I could be him for just one day — no stress, no homework, no awareness. Just sleep. Meanwhile, I'm being treated like the school's official face card.
But… there was one thing that kept me strangely at peace.
The way he was sleeping.
Not "cute," obviously, no, don't get me wrong. He didn't look like a prince from a drama. But there was something weirdly distracting about it, the calm on his face, the way his hair fell over his forehead, or maybe just the fact that he looked so unaware of everything I was overthinking.
It shouldn't have mattered. It really shouldn't have.
But somehow, just seeing him like that… made all the chaos fade a little.
Like, the universe might've been punishing me with this day,
but that tiny, infuriatingly normal moment?
It gave me peace.