༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶
Chapter - 24
༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶
Is everything gonna be alright?
After some time, they finally calmed down, sitting together as they munched on the snacks she had brought.
"So... who were you meowing for?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at Gorya.
Gorya groaned, slumping against the counter. "Thyme."
She nearly choked on her food. "What?! Thyme?"
Gorya groaned louder. "Yeah... Kaning gave me the idea to ask him on a date."
She stared at her. "You? Asking Thyme out?"
Kaning grinned. "It's a double date! Tesla and I are going, so I told Gorya she should come with him too."
She chuckled, shaking her head. "Thank god I don't have a lover."
Uncle walked over, smirking as he leaned against the counter. "Yeah, yeah, the only single one here and the only one who hasn't had their first kiss yet."
She rolled her eyes, popping a snack into her mouth. "You're also on the same page as me."
Uncle gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "Excuse me? I'll have you know I've had plenty of kisses, thank you very much."
Kaning snickered. "Yeah? Name one."
Uncle waved a hand. "A gentleman never kisses and tells."
Gorya chuckled. "More like there's nothing to tell."
She smirked, "Exactly, so you and I are in the same boat, Uncle."
Uncle groaned, throwing his head back. "Ugh! This is why I need a boyfriend. Someone to whisk me away from this life of lonely suffering."
They all burst into laughter, the flower shop filled with the warmth of their playful banter.
Time skip
She walked through the school gates, adjusting the strap of her bag as she blended into the crowd of students. The usual morning chatter filled the air, but she felt oddly detached from it. Her mind was elsewhere, replaying the events of the past week-Ren's return, the strange feeling of being watched, and the moment from yesterday when Uncle teased her about being single.
As she made her way to her locker, she overheard whispers-her name mixed in with hushed voices. A few students cast glances her way before quickly looking away. Her grip on her bag tightened. It wasn't the first time people talked about her behind her back, but today, something felt different.
She opened her locker, and a folded note fluttered down. Frowning, she bent down to pick it up. The handwriting was unfamiliar.
"You're good at hiding, but not good enough."
Her breath caught in her throat.
She quickly crumpled the paper in her fist and shoved it into her pocket, scanning the hallway. No one seemed to be paying her any extra attention now, but the uneasy feeling didn't leave her.
She took a deep breath. Stay calm. Act normal.
Pushing her thoughts aside, she shut her locker and headed to class.
As she walked toward the basketball court, the familiar chatter of students filled the air, but she barely paid attention. The day had felt slow, dragging on longer than usual. Maybe it was because she hadn't slept well the night before, or maybe it was the unease lingering in the back of her mind.
Her feet moved on their own, following the path she had walked so many times before. The afternoon sun was warm, casting a golden hue over the school grounds. A gentle breeze swept past, rustling the trees and making the banners on the buildings sway slightly. Everything seemed normal.
Then she looked up.
Her steps came to an abrupt halt as her eyes landed on the rooftop.
There, standing together against the sky, were Ren and Gorya.
And they were hugging.
She didn't know why, but her heart clenched at the sight. A strange, uncomfortable feeling stirred in her chest, one she didn't want to acknowledge. It wasn't like she was close to Ren-she barely even spoke to him most of the time. And Gorya... well, Gorya was her friend. So why did this bother her?
She forced herself to look away, gripping the strap of her bag tightly. It doesn't matter. It's none of my business.
Yet, no matter how much she told herself that, she could still feel the image burned into her mind. The way Ren stood there, calm as always. The way Gorya leaned into him, seeking comfort. The way they seemed... connected.
She let out a small, shaky breath and continued walking. But the moment she reached the basketball court, she realized something-she wasn't in the mood to be here anymore.
Without another thought, she turned and left.
The school hallways were always noisy after class, but today felt different. There was a tension in the air, a hushed excitement that made students whisper among themselves as they crowded near one of the corridors.
She frowned, adjusting her bag as she approached the gathering crowd. The murmurs became clearer-frightened voices, gasps, and hushed warnings. Something was happening.
Curiosity mixed with unease as she pushed her way through the students, her breath catching when she finally saw the scene unfolding in front of her.
Thyme stood in the middle of the hallway, fists clenched and his chest rising and falling heavily. A boy lay on the ground before him, bruised and bleeding, groaning in pain.
MJ and Kevin stood nearby, their expressions unreadable. They weren't stopping him.
Her stomach churned.
She quickly moved toward them, voice urgent. "Stop him, guys! He might kill him!"
Kevin let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you think we didn't try?" he muttered, his tone weary. "It's like pushing yourself into a hole if we step in."
MJ crossed his arms, his jaw tight. "He's not listening. Not even to me."
She turned back to Thyme. His knuckles were bloody, his rage still burning as he towered over the beaten boy.
This was wrong. So wrong.
She clenched her fists.
Then, before she could stop herself, she called out-
"Thyme! That's enough!"
Silence fell over the hallway.
Thyme froze at the sound of her voice. Slowly, he turned his head to look at her, his eyes burning with rage. For a second, there was nothing but heavy silence between them.
Then, without warning, he started walking toward her.
His movements were slow but deliberate, his fists still clenched at his sides. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she refused to back away. She wouldn't let herself be intimidated.
Just as he got close, MJ suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking his path.
"That's enough, man," MJ said, his tone calm but firm. "You wanna fight someone? Fight me."
Thyme's jaw tightened. "Move, MJ."
MJ didn't budge. "Not happening."
Kevin sighed from the side, already knowing how this would end. He wasn't about to throw himself in the middle, but he also knew MJ was the only one who could get through to Thyme when he was like this.
The tension between them was thick. Thyme's hands twitched at his sides, but before he could say anything, a familiar voice rang out-
"Thyme, stop!"
Gorya's voice cut through the heavy atmosphere like a blade.
Everyone turned to see her standing there, her eyes wide with disbelief and frustration. She pushed past the students and marched straight up to Thyme.
"Enough already!" she shouted. "What the hell are you doing?"
Thyme's face softened for a fraction of a second, his anger flickering as he looked at Gorya.
She grabbed his wrist, forcing him to focus on her. "This isn't you, Thyme."
The hallway remained silent, the weight of her words hanging in the air.
Thyme looked at Ren, his expression filled with nothing but anger. Without hesitation, he stormed toward him, each step echoing with fury.
"Kevin, MJ, I've made up my mind," Thyme said, his voice sharp, unwavering. "There will only be three in F4."
Murmurs spread through the hallway, students whispering among themselves in shock.
MJ frowned. "Huh?"
Kevin crossed his arms. "What do you mean?"
Thyme didn't even glance at them. His gaze was locked onto Ren. "Ren is out of F4."
She felt a flicker of surprise at his words, but Ren remained still, his face unreadable.
MJ exhaled, trying to keep the situation from escalating. "Thyme, slow down. Let's be civil and talk about it. We're all friends here."
Thyme scoffed. "I don't have such a shitty friend."
The air turned thick with tension.
"You two," Thyme continued, addressing MJ and Kevin. "Stop hanging out with him."
MJ clenched his jaw. "Hey, Thyme-"
Thyme's glare snapped to him. "What? Are you going against me too?"
MJ sighed in frustration, rubbing his temple.
Without another word, Thyme turned and walked away, roughly bumping his shoulder against Ren as he passed.
The hallway remained silent, eyes shifting between the remaining three.
As Thyme stormed off, Gorya hesitated for a moment before running after him, calling his name. The hallway remained heavy with tension, whispers still lingering in the air.
She stood there, her eyes shifting from Ren to MJ and Kevin. The weight of what had just happened pressed against her chest, making it harder to breathe. Slowly, she took a step closer to MJ, hesitating before gently tugging at his sleeve.
"Is everything gonna be alright?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
MJ glanced down at her, his usual playful demeanor nowhere to be found. Instead, there was something more serious in his eyes-concern, uncertainty. He exhaled through his nose before forcing a small smile.
"Thyme's just... being Thyme," he muttered, but even he didn't sound convinced.
Kevin sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We'll figure it out."
She looked at Ren, but he wasn't looking at any of them. His gaze was distant, lost in thought, as if he wasn't even present in the moment.
She didn't know why, but something about that made her chest tighten even more.
___________________________________________
Thank you guys for all the support 😭 I am literally crying. I wrote two books and this one is giving so much support then the others. Maybe because I have improved my writing or whatever but thank you so so much!! Don't forget to comment and vote!
Bye! 💓