The sky was clear that morning, and the breeze carried a gentle softness, as if brushing away yesterday's weight from the heart.
Layan walked slowly toward school, her steps hesitant—almost like she didn't want to arrive.
Something deep inside her whispered: today feels… different.
The school gate was crowded. Students' voices, footsteps, laughter—it was all so familiar.
But it was Rima's eyes that caught her attention first.
"Layan!"
That warm voice, the kind that always made her feel safe.
Rima ran up and smiled, teasing,
— "Look at you today! You look like you're starring in some K-drama."
Layan laughed softly, brushing her hair behind her ear.
— "I just overslept, maybe."
Rima.
Her closest friend.
More than a sister.
Someone who could read her without a word…
and stay by her side through every silence.
But the comfort of that moment shattered the second he stepped into the schoolyard.
Tall, warm brown skin, eyes that held something deeper—
Not just handsome… but like he carried a quiet storm behind his gaze.
The teacher announced:
— "This is our new student. His name is Saif. He's joining your class starting today."
One glance.
That's all it took.
Saif looked straight at Layan—like he had been searching for her long before he ever knew her name.
Her breath caught.
She looked down.
And her heart beat… differently.
But when she looked back up, she caught another look—
Rima's eyes were still on her…
and there was something new in them.
Something unspoken.
Silence wrapped around the three of them like a soft storm.
Between Saif—the boy who stirred something new in her,
and Rima—the girl who knew her better than anyone…
Layan's heart quietly stepped into a path she never saw coming.