The late afternoon sunlight slanted through the tall windows of the school corridor, making the dust motes dance in the golden glow. The last bell had rung, sending most students scurrying out of the building, their laughter echoing down the hallways.
Arshiya stayed behind, organizing some worksheets at her desk. The room was quiet now, only the faint rustle of papers and the occasional creak of the ceiling fan above. Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at it — a message from him:
"Still here?"
She smiled softly and typed back:
"Yeah… finishing some work."
Moments later, she heard the soft footsteps approaching. He appeared at the doorway, hands in his pockets, leaning casually against the frame. But there was something different today — a kind of nervous energy she hadn't seen before.
"Hey," he said, voice low.
"Hey," she replied, her heart skipping a beat despite herself.
He stepped inside, glancing around to make sure no one else was nearby. The corridor outside was emptying fast. "I… uh… wanted to ask you something," he said, scratching the back of his neck like he always did when he was unsure.
Her curiosity piqued. "What is it?"
He took a small step closer. "You… you don't get annoyed with me, right? With how I… tease you sometimes?"
Arshiya blinked. Tease me? Him? She laughed softly, a little nervous. "Annoyed? No… not really. I mean, sometimes I overthink, but it's nothing serious."
He exhaled in relief. "Good… because I… I don't want to make things awkward between us."
Her chest warmed at the words. "Awkward? With you? Impossible."
He smiled, a little sheepishly, and then took another step closer. "You know… it's just… I like seeing you smile. Even small things — like when you laugh at the kids or when you get surprised by a chocolate or a pen… it makes my day."
Arshiya felt her cheeks heat up. She looked down at her hands, twisting them nervously. "I… I didn't know you noticed all that."
"I do," he said softly, his voice almost a whisper now. "And… I don't know… it makes me feel… closer to you, I guess."
The words hung in the air. For a moment, the only sound was the faint ticking of the wall clock. The sun streamed through the windows, catching the edges of his hair and lighting up his face in gold. Arshiya's heart raced, and she realized she didn't want this moment to end.
"I… I like being around you too," she admitted quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
A shy, genuine smile spread across his face. "Really?"
"Really," she said, meeting his eyes.
They stood there in the quiet corridor, the world outside fading into nothing, until the sound of the cleaning staff sweeping the floor reminded them both of the reality outside their little bubble.
He chuckled softly. "Guess we should probably get going before someone thinks we're slacking."
Arshiya laughed, the tension breaking, but her heart was still fluttering. "Yeah… before they think I'm making you wait here all afternoon."
He shook his head, smiling warmly. "No complaints here. I like staying… even if it's just for a few minutes."
As they walked toward the staffroom together, their shoulders brushing lightly, neither of them said much more. They didn't need to. In those few shared minutes, a silent promise had formed — that they'd be there for each other, quietly, gently, without rushing, letting things grow at their own pace.
And for Arshiya, that was more than enough.