Iris woke up the next morning with a sore throat. Exams were only a week away, and despite her condition, she couldn't afford to stay home. During the test, her head pounded, and her focus wavered. By the time she handed in her paper, she already knew the result would be disappointing.
When the grades were announced, her fears were confirmed. She had studied tirelessly, yet all her effort felt wasted because of a cold. At home, her parents scolded her relentlessly. Iris didn't argue; she knew nothing she said would change the outcome. Quietly, she accepted the blame.
But something inside her shifted. Day by day, Iris became quieter and more determined. The once-energetic girl who found joy in everything had changed, a shift that worried Lucas and Hazel. No matter how much they tried to cheer her up, nothing worked. Iris had made up her mind: she would push herself harder, even at the cost of sleep.
Weeks slipped by, and March arrived—Hazel's month. Iris buried herself in her studies, trying to mask her feelings for Noah. She told herself she had given up on him, though her heart betrayed her every time she heard his voice. She remembered catching her cold on the rooftop, lost in thoughts of him. Perhaps if she hadn't spent so much time staring at him in class, she wouldn't have failed that exam. She didn't blame him—she blamed herself. Yet, no matter how much she pretended indifference, her pulse quickened whenever he was near. Sometimes, when Noah sat beside her, she acted as if he didn't exist, while her soul screamed the opposite.
By the second week of March, Hazel's birthday arrived—March 15th. That morning, Iris received her physics exam result, and to her delight, she had scored remarkably well. Overwhelmed, she cried tears of relief as Hazel and Lucas congratulated her, pride shining in their eyes. Iris hugged Hazel tightly, her happiness spilling out in a flood of emotion.
Later that evening, while Hazel celebrated with friends, Iris stayed home. Only then did she remember it was Hazel's birthday. She quickly sent her warm wishes, though guilt pricked at her—she hadn't kept her promise of giving Hazel a gift. Silently, she vowed to become a better friend.
The following week, during French class, Iris chose to sit beside Lucas. She had so much to tell him. She confided that while she had been distancing herself from Noah, Isla seemed to use the opportunity to grow closer to him. Lucas dismissed her worries, insisting Isla had moved on last year. But Iris couldn't believe it. Isla had always been subtle, yet Iris noticed the spark in her eyes when she looked at Noah—something only someone like her, or Noah himself, would catch.
As Iris reminisced with Lucas about their old banter—arguing over silly things, sharing spoilers from shows they watched together—she felt warmth in her chest. Those memories were still vivid, as though they'd happened yesterday. When she glanced up, she froze. Noah was staring at her, a shy smile tugging at his lips, before he quickly looked away.
Startled, Iris turned to Lucas, hoping to hide her burning face. But Lucas, ever perceptive, noticed. He followed her gaze toward Noah and caught sight of his reddened ears. A knowing grin spread across his face.
"I'll check his reaction myself," Lucas whispered, mischief in his eyes.
The moment Noah glanced back at Iris, Lucas laughed softly. Iris, startled, asked, "What is it?"
Barely containing his amusement, Lucas whispered, "He didn't even flinch when I caught him staring."
Iris's cheeks turned crimson. Her heart fluttered wildly—could Noah feel the same? Overcome with embarrassment, she bolted from the classroom as soon as the session ended, running fast as if to escape her own emotions. But beneath the shyness, joy blossomed. For the first time, it felt like she might not be the only one in love.
It was almost exams week. Everyone was trying their best to prepare—mentally and physically—for the challenge ahead. As for Iris, she felt different this time: stronger, more confident. She believed she could do better this semester and hoped everything would end smoothly.
On the last day of exams, as Iris was leaving the exam hall, she suddenly heard someone call out, "Wait!"
It was Noah.
For a moment, Iris froze. Am I imagining things? she thought. Noah wouldn't call for me… he doesn't even have a reason to. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice him walking closer.
"I asked, how was the exam?" he repeated, faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Oh—uh," Iris blinked, regaining her senses. "Well, I can't really say I did well… I honestly don't know. The time was too short compared to the exam paper."
Noah chuckled softly. "Yeah, I agree."
That small laugh made Iris's heart skip a beat. He looked effortlessly cute when he smiled. Trying to distract herself, she quickly changed the topic.
"Right, are you coming next week?"
"Next week? What's that, some kind of event?" he asked playfully.
"No," Iris said, rolling her eyes lightly. "I mean results week. I thought you might skip it."
"Nah," he shrugged, "my parents would never let me do that."
"Oh, I see… I guess you'll be there too, then. Alright, see you next week. Bye!"
"See you," Noah replied, waving before turning away.
As Iris watched him walk off, she couldn't help but smile faintly, a quiet warmth blooming in her chest.
Iris's results were better than she had expected or even wished for. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she stared at the paper, relief and quiet pride swirling in her chest. The semester had finally ended, and the air buzzed with laughter and chatter. One by one, students vanished from the school's entrance, waving goodbyes and heading home with light hearts. Iris stood for a moment, watching them disappear into the golden afternoon light, knowing the next two weeks would be a well-earned breath of peace after all the sleepless nights and hard work.
.............................................
During the holiday, Iris wanted to know more about Noah. He seemed to know everything about her, while she only knew his birthday and age. She scoured every social media platform until she found his mom's account. She scrolled down, endlessly, until—poof—she saw the cutest picture ever: Noah as a three-year-old. She couldn't tear her eyes away. Every photo she found, she saved. She loved seeing his younger self, but she loved him even more now.
The holidays passed swiftly, and soon it was time to return to school. Iris was nervous to see him after all this time. Even as she remembered those cute photos, her heart skipped a beat the moment she saw Noah. He seemed a little different to her after two weeks apart. When he noticed her staring, he walked toward her, and Iris, lost in thought, burst into laughter, leaving him confused.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
Iris ran off, embarrassed. She missed talking to him—his voice, his smile, the way he looked at her with those glazing eyes—but those baby pictures had ruined their reunion.
At 1 p.m., with the teacher absent, Iris's group gathered as usual in the classroom: Isla, Abi, Lucas, James, and Noah. Abi suggested, "Truth or dare?" Everyone agreed, glad for the distraction. James fetched a bottle, and they formed a circle.
When it was Noah's turn, Abi asked, "Truth or dare?"
Dare, he replied after a moment.
Abi smirked. "I dare you to… propose to Isla!"
Iris froze. She hoped it was a joke. It wasn't. Her ears burned as she heard Noah's voice say, "Will you marry me?" She couldn't stand the ridiculous game and left the classroom, holding back tears. Although it wasn't real, it hurt. She washed her face and silently vowed never to cry over something like that again.
During the tech session, Iris was still upset. James, seated between her and Noah, asked, "You don't really plan on marrying her, right? She's not exactly wife material."
Iris was shocked. Noah slowly replied, "Wait, who said I'm marrying her? It was just a dare. I would never do it. Do you really think I'm marrying her? Especially you, Iris."
Caught off guard, she asked, "Wait… what do you mean?"
Noah tilted his head. "You know her the best among us, right?"
Iris chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so."
James grinned. "You're finally smiling now?"
Iris playfully punched him. "I wasn't mad—who said I was?"
The session ended well, thanks to James. If it weren't for him, Iris would have stayed mad at Noah, who had done nothing wrong.