đź“š "The Seat Beside You"
There was something about him that made my heart race in the quietest ways. Not the dramatic, movie-scene kind of rush—but the still, tender kind that settles into your chest like a secret.
I had thought about sending him a friend request so many times. I'd open his profile, hover over the "Add Friend" button, then close the app as quickly as I could. Something always held me back. Maybe it was fear. Or maybe it was the possibility that he already had someone—someone like Blae, with her sweet smile and the way they shared quiet conversations.
And so, I stayed silent.
The next day was our test.
I didn't have time to be caught up in feelings or thoughts or maybes. I forced myself to shift all my focus onto my books. I studied late into the night, going over notes, formulas, and definitions—trying to drown out every distracting thought with pages of preparation.
On the morning of the exam, I walked into class feeling tired but focused. I kept my head down, clutching my stationery like a lifeline. That was until the teacher began calling out names and assigning seats for the test.
"Roll number 27, go sit next to him," she said casually, as if it wasn't the sentence that would make my entire soul panic.
Him.
He was sitting in the first row, second column—his usual calm, composed self. And now, I was going to sit right beside him during the exam.
My legs felt like jelly.
My hands were cold.
I could feel the pulse in my ears as I quietly walked to the seat next to him and sat down, keeping a small but cautious distance. I didn't even dare to glance in his direction. All I could do was try to remember everything I'd studied.
Then the papers were handed out. The room was silent except for the occasional rustle of pages and the ticking of the wall clock. I started writing.
Or… I tried to.
Because in the stillness of that exam hall, I could feel something.
A gaze.
Soft. Steady. Familiar.
I looked up slowly, unsure if I was imagining things.
And there he was—looking at me. Not once, not briefly. Again. And again.
I couldn't take it anymore. My heart was a mess, my thoughts even worse. Without even thinking, I whispered just loud enough for him to hear, trying to sound stern even though I was trembling:
"Do your paper?"
His eyes widened slightly, and then... he smiled.
That smile.
It wasn't mocking. It wasn't teasing.
It was… warm. Quiet. As if he liked that I had said something, even if it was out of frustration. As if he'd been waiting for it.
Then, he turned and began to write.
But I couldn't focus anymore.
My mind kept replaying that moment on a loop. Why was he smiling like that? Why was he even looking at me to begin with? Was he just being playful, or did he mean something more?
I tried to push it all away and concentrate on my answers, but the damage was done. My thoughts were too loud, my hands too shaky. I scribbled through the rest of the paper as best I could, but I knew I could have done better.
All because of one seat. One moment. One boy.
---
Maybe another accidental moment, just like this one, that finally brings you closer? I thought.