Days passed, and nothing really changed.
Or maybe… everything was changing slowly, in a way I couldn't understand.
I had stopped trying to look at her.
At least, that's what I told myself.
But sometimes, without realizing, my eyes still searched for her in the crowd.
It had become a habit.
Something I couldn't control anymore.
That day started like any other.
Classes, notes, teachers talking endlessly… everything felt normal.
Until something unexpected happened.
During the last period, our teacher announced a group activity.
"You'll be working in pairs," she said. "I'll assign them."
I didn't think much of it.
It was just another school task.
I leaned back in my seat, waiting for my name.
"You… and…"
The teacher paused for a moment, looking at the list.
Then she said her name.
And mine.
For a second, I thought I heard it wrong.
My heart skipped a beat.
I looked up slowly… and there she was.
She looked a little surprised too.
But unlike me, she stayed calm.
"You two will work together," the teacher continued.
Just like that…
Something I never expected became real.
We were paired together.
I didn't know how to react.
My mind went blank.
This was the first time we would actually talk properly.
Not just a "thank you"…
But a real conversation.
She walked towards my desk and sat on the chair next to me.
"Hi," she said casually.
I froze for a moment.
"H-Hi," I replied, trying to sound normal.
But my voice betrayed me.
She didn't seem to notice.
Or maybe she did, but didn't care.
"So… what do we have to do?" she asked, looking at the assignment.
I quickly picked up the paper, pretending to focus.
"We just have to complete this together," I said.
"It's not that hard."
"Good," she smiled lightly. "That makes it easier."
That smile again.
It felt just like the first time.
Simple… but enough to mess up everything in my head.
We started working on the task.
At first, it was a little awkward.
Small talks.
Short answers.
Silence in between.
But slowly… things started to feel normal.
She asked questions.
I answered.
Sometimes I asked something, and she replied with a small laugh.
It wasn't anything special.
Just a normal conversation.
But for me…
It felt like something more.
Time passed faster than usual.
I didn't even realize when the class was almost over.
"You're actually good at this," she said suddenly.
I looked at her, confused. "At what?"
"Explaining things," she replied. "You make it easy to understand."
I didn't know what to say.
No one had ever said something like that to me before.
"Thanks," I said quietly.
"No problem," she smiled.
That moment…
It felt real.
Like I wasn't invisible anymore.
Like I actually existed in her world, even if it was just a little.
The bell rang.
Class was over.
Reality came back again.
She stood up, fixing her bag.
"We'll finish the rest tomorrow," she said.
"Yeah," I nodded.
She turned to leave… then stopped for a second.
"And… thanks," she added again.
Before I could say anything, she walked away.
I just sat there, staring at the desk.
My heart was beating fast again.
But this time… it wasn't painful.
It felt different.
Warm.
Confusing.
Dangerous.
Because I knew…
This was how it started.
Not with something big…
But with small moments like this.
Moments that stay longer than they should.
Moments that make you hope… even when you shouldn't.
While walking home that day, I couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened.
Her voice.
Her smile.
The way she talked to me like it was normal.
For the first time…
I felt happy.
Truly happy.
But along with that happiness…
There was something else.
Something I couldn't ignore.
She still had a boyfriend.
And nothing had changed.
This moment…
It didn't mean anything in reality.
But in my heart…
It meant everything.
I stopped walking for a second and looked at the sky.
"This is bad," I whispered to myself.
Because I knew…
I was falling even deeper.
And this time…
It was going to hurt more than before.