Chapter 1
This is Trei. Regular guy. A bit introvert, really smart, and Top 8 on his class. It had been a while since school began. Days turned into weeks, and along the way, he built memories some fleeting, some unforgettable. He laughed, stumbled, got back up. Made friends who stood by him, and faced moments that tested him. There were good days, bad days… fun times, and even tragic ones.
But among all the friends he made, only two knew the truth he kept hidden from the rest.
Trei had a crush.
A girl with unmatched beauty, and cuteness. Her smile heartwarming. Her voice soft, like clouds drifting in the sky.
Her name, is Christine.
Time passes. It's already February. The school year is nearing its end.
And Trei, just another high schooler, sits quietly at his desk. His eyes are distant, fixed on something far beyond the classroom walls.
One of his friends leans over and says,
"Staring at nothing again, are you?"
"I'm not," Trei replies, barely moving.
"You thinking of her?"
Trei doesn't answer.
His silence says enough.
"I keep telling you, man… she's taken."
A sigh escapes his lips. "Yeah… Yeah... "
The classroom door slides open. The teacher walks in. And just like that, class begins, again.
The clock ticked past midnight.
Trei lay awake, staring at the ceiling, the shadows on the wall shifting like restless ghosts. Every time he closed his eyes, her face appeared Christine's laughter, her smile. And then, the sharp sting of reality.
She wasn't his.
She already belonged to someone else.
A hollow ache spread through his chest, heavy, unrelenting. For a long time, he just lay there, listening to the silence, letting the truth sink in until it burned enough to leave a scar.
Then, slowly, he sat up. His jaw tightened. His eyes cleared.
If he couldn't have her, then he had to let her go.
No more late night hopes. No more what ifs.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed a pen. On the desk sat a blank sheet of paper, waiting. Trei stared at it for a long moment, then began to write. Not for Christine, not for anyone else. This was for himself.
A way to let her go.
A way to finally set himself free.
But he couldn't do it alone.
The next day, he shared the plan with his friends.
"You sure, bro? This is kinda awkward... you sure you can take it?"
Trei didn't hesitate. "Yes."
His voice was firm. His eyes, burning with resolve.
This plan would unfold on February 14th.
Valentine's Day.
And so, he waited. Day after day. His feelings didn't fade, they grew. But he endured.
Because this time, he wasn't holding on.
He was finally ready to let her go.
The day of the plan finally arrived.
Trei stood still for a moment, breathing in the cold February air.
He had gathered all his courage, all his confidence, and poured it into this one moment.
This was it.
He waited at the tree seat, a quiet corner on school grounds, far from the crowd. The place held meaning for him. It was peaceful. It was perfect.
His plan was simple.
Have Christine wait here.
And when she did... he'd tell her...
Everything...
He chose the time carefully after class, when most students had already gone home. No noise. No distractions. Just the two of them, under the fading light of Valentine's Day.
He clutched his hands together, trying to steady the storm inside his chest.
This was not about confession.
It was about letting go.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps.
His breath caught in his throat. This was it.
His heart raced. His hands trembled.
No turning back now.
He tried to stay calm, grabbed a book and pretended to read, acting like he was just passing time. But deep down, he was shaking. Nervous. Scared.
Then his friends showed up.
And with them... Is her.
Christine...