"Hey… hey, you awake?"
Elliene's voice echoed faintly, pulling Lukas out of the haze in his mind.
"Oh—sorry," he murmured, blinking. "I got lost in thought."
Valerie tilted her head, her brows knitting together. "You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah…" Lukas forced a small smile. "I'm fine."
Before anything else could be said, the sharp ring of the bell cut through the moment. Chairs scraped as everyone stood and returned to their seats.
"See you, Valerie," Lukas said, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
She gave a soft smile. "You can just call me Val, no worries."
"Uh… sure."
Val hesitated for a second before speaking again. "Then… can I call you by your nickname too?"
Lukas paused, caught off guard. "Uh… yeah."
Her smile brightened. "Alright. See you, Lukes!"
For a moment, Lukas just stood there, a little surprised at how natural it sounded.
Behind him, Elliene let out a quiet chuckle.
"Didn't know you two were That close already," she teased, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.
Lukas scratched the back of his neck, unsure of what to say.
The class began, and just like that, the moment slipped away into the ordinary rhythm of the day.
Months passed quietly—like pages turning without anyone noticing.
The sound of laughter, shared lunches, small conversations after class… it all slowly stitched the three of them together.
By the time anyone realized it, they were no longer just classmates.
They were something more.
"Hey, Lukas!"
As the final bell rang, a classmate leaned over his desk.
"Valerie and Elliene are waiting for you outside."
Lukas glanced up. "Got it. Tell them to wait—I'm just finishing something."
A few minutes later, he stepped out into the warm afternoon light.
"Hey, Elliene. Hey, Val."
The two turned toward him almost at the same time, like they had been expecting that exact moment.
"You're so slow," Elliene said, crossing her arms—but the small smile on her face betrayed her tone. "Come on, let's go."
They fell into step beside each other, walking the familiar road home.
It had become a routine—something simple, yet quietly important.
People greeted them as they passed by. They had grown popular over time, though Lukas stood out the most. Maybe it was his easy smile, or the way he greeted everyone like they mattered.
And he did—he always did.
Their conversations drifted from one topic to another, light and effortless, like they had all the time in the world.
Sometimes, they were invited to parties—noisy, crowded places filled with people their age.
But Lukas and Elliene rarely went.
It wasn't that they didn't want to…
They just didn't know where they fit in those kinds of moments.
So instead, they stayed in the quiet comfort of what they had—
these walks,
these conversations,
and each other.
A few years passed, and it was finally their graduation day.
Valerie searched through the crowd until she found Elliene.
Valerie leaned closer and whispered,
"Hey, Elliene…"
"What is it?"
"I'm planning to ask Lukas to be my boyfriend…" Valerie said, hesitating.
Elliene raised a brow. "Oh… how should I help you?"
"Simple. Can you tell Lukas to go to one of the empty rooms?"
Elliene's eyes lit up with a playful, detective-like look. "Copy."
After a few moments, Elliene finally spotted Lukas.
"Hey, Lukas! Go to Room 204. I left something there—can you get it for me, please?" she said, flashing an innocent smile.
"U-uh… sure."
As Lukas walked away, Elliene quickly messaged Valerie.
"Room 204. Get ready."
"201… 202… 203… 204!"
Lukas stopped in front of the door and sighed.
"This Elliene… she's so forgetful. Is she getting old already?" he muttered.
Little did he know… he was the one who forget something important.
He opened the door.
The room was dark.
Before he could react, someone suddenly pulled him inside.
"V-Valerie?!"
Lukas froze in shock as he recognized Valerie.
"What are you doing here? The graduation ceremony is still going on—"
Valerie gently pressed her finger against his lips, silencing him.
Lukas went quiet, his heart starting to race.
"I've already done my part there… and I don't really have anything else to do," she said softly. "So… this."
Lukas blinked, confused. "This…?"
Valerie took a small breath, gathering her courage.
"Can you be my boyfriend?"
Lukas' face immediately turned red.
"U-uh…"
His mind went blank.
Did he really love Valerie…?
Or was it just friendship?
Seconds felt like minutes as silence filled the room.
"Uhm…" Lukas muttered softly.
He glanced at Valerie.
She was smiling—nervous, but sincere.
"She's… pretty…" he whispered under his breath.
His chest tightened, not from certainty… but from pressure.
"O-okay…" he said.
Maybe… it would work out.
Maybe… it wouldn't last anyway.
So he accepted her feelings—
Even if his own were still unclear.