Study period seemed to drag on endlessly, punctuated by occasional bursts of boisterous laughter and the grating scrape of chairs against the floor. Most students opted for the tranquility of the library during this period, leaving the classroom sparsely occupied.
 
The bell, a welcome sound, signaled the end of the period, yet their teacher had still not returned. Silently, Aleena meticulously packed up her belongings, patiently waiting for Damian to complete his own preparations.
 
Just as they were about to make their way to the exit, Shane's sudden grip on Aleena's arm sent shockwaves through the quiet classroom.
 
Aleena jerked in surprise, her wide-eyed response instantly alerting Damian to Shane's abrupt intrusion. Acting on instinct, Damian interposed himself between Shane and Aleena, deftly freeing her from Shane's grasp.
 
Shane's demeanor abruptly shifted, his countenance transforming into one of dejection as he gazed imploringly at Aleena. "Aleena, can we please talk?" he beseeched.
 
Damian, ever vigilant, assessed the unfolding situation, noting Aleena's visible vulnerability in Shane's presence. He held onto Aleena's hand firmly, aiming to shield her from whatever Shane might reveal. Their eyes locked, and Damian's concerned expression wordlessly conveyed his apprehension, serving as a silent caution against engaging with Shane.
 
Shane, however, couldn't help but notice the intimate way Damian held Aleena's hand. Confusion furrowed his brow. When had their relationship evolved to this level of closeness? Were they concealing something from him? Self-doubt gnawed at him, causing him to question the state of his own friendship with both of them. A pang of shame coursed through him as he realized how little he truly understood about Aleena.
 
How had they drifted so far apart? Shane knew the blame rested heavily on his shoulders, and Aleena's past words echoed incessantly in his mind. The idea that his best friend of four years had harbored—or perhaps still harbored—romantic feelings for him felt almost surreal.
 
"Aleena," Shane began, attempting to reach around Damian and regain a hold on Aleena's hand. However, Aleena deftly sidestepped Shane's touch, retracting her hand from Damian's grasp.
 
She simply needed to escape the oppressive atmosphere created by the two boys. Her desire was to distance herself from the lingering pain Shane evoked and Damian's inquisitive scrutiny.
 
In the process of her hurried departure, Aleena inadvertently bumped into a desk, toppling a paint can placed precariously on its edge. The can's lid flew open, and a vibrant red cascade splattered across the floor. Typically, such supplies were stored in the art classroom, but due to its abandonment, many materials had found their way into vacant classrooms like this one.
 
The loud crash and the bright red paint staining the floor jolted the boys out of their stupor, their attention drawn to the chaotic scene.
 
"What's that commotion?" Teacher Sam called out from outside the classroom, intrigued by the sudden uproar. She entered the room, her eyes locking onto the pandemonium.
 
"What on earth has happened here?" she demanded, her tone a mix of surprise and irritation.
 
"I'm sorry, sir, it was an accident. I knocked over the can," Aleena confessed, her voice carrying a heavy burden of guilt.
 
"No!" Shane interjected adamantly, "It was my fault. I startled Aleena."
 
Before Aleena could argue or contradict Shane's claim, Teacher Sam decided to intervene, her patience waning. "Regardless of whose fault it is, none of you should have been in this classroom after the bell. Detention for all of you after school today!"
 
Aleena lowered her head in resignation, her silent nod acknowledging the teacher's decision. She was left unsure whether to feel grateful or resentful for the teacher's timely intervention.
 
***
 
Aleena's muscles tensed the moment Damian was pulled out of the room by Teacher Sam. With only Shane left in the room, Aleena didn't want to face the confrontation she knew was about to happen. She had been thinking a lot since the day she had confessed to Shane.
 
The throbbing in her heart hadn't diminished, but it had become less discomforting whenever Damian was nearby. The other boy had a way of making the pain recede to a slow throb, and his presence brought a smile to Aleena's face more often than not. Even if Damian didn't say anything, just having him around put Aleena's mind at ease.
 
Thinking about Shane, however, still made Aleena hurt, and being in the same room was almost unbearable. Aleena had tried to avoid him as much as possible, but Shane was persistent in trying to talk to her.
 
"Aleena," Shane called out, stopping his scrubbing as he faced the other girl head-on.
 
"Aleena."
 
"Aleena."
 
Aleena sighed and finally turned to look at Shane, who looked exhausted.
 
"Shane," she replied, trying to keep any emotion out of her voice.
 
Shane appeared pained by the cold tone Aleena was using.
 
"Aleena please, I know you're mad right now, but can you just act like you care for one minute?" Shane pleaded.
 
Aleena attempted to act indifferent, but her facade broke the moment Sungin started talking. Her anger flared when Shane dared to suggest that she was the one who didn't care about him.
 
"Act like I care? Me? All I've been doing is caring for you," Aleena said bitterly, the words tumbling out of her mouth, unable to stop after she started. "All I wanted was for you to act like you cared for even a second about me. All you did was chase Daisy, forgetting about me and making me feel as if I didn't exist."
 
Shane looked genuinely regretful, his face scrunching at Aleena's words.
 
"I do still care about you," Shane claimed.
 
"You sure have a funny way of showing it, Shane."
 
"I just need time, Aleena!" Shane pleaded. "This was a lot to process!"
 
"Time is all I've been giving you!" Aleena yelled back, his voice cracking. "I've been waiting for you for four years, Sungjin! Never once have you felt the same about me as I have about you!"
 
Aleena knew her love was hopeless, that Shane would never feel the same, and she didn't want Shane to pretend. It would only hurt more.
 
"Because I never considered it! I never knew that was how you felt!" Shane said, sounding desperate.
 
"And even if you did? What would have happened then? Would you have said you felt the same about me? It would be all lies, Shane! And that's worse than you not loving me at all," Aleena whispered, exhausted.
 
The room fell silent, and Aleena felt she had already said all she needed to say. Suddenly, Shane locked eyes with her and said, "Would you wait for me, Aleena? If I could return your feelings?"
 
Aleena started, shocked into silence by the question. What was Shane saying? That he could love Aleena back?
 
Aleena thought about Shane's calm demeanor and his strong hands. He thought about weekends spent aimlessly chatting about school work and hours spent just the two of them. She remembered staring at Shane as the other boy did his homework, Aleena's heart fluttering whenever he asked a question about his project. She thought about Shane's dark eyes that stared into her, making her feel like she was melting sometime.
 
But then she also recalled Shane leaving her without a second thought. She remembered sitting alone, watching Shane gaze at Daisy, turning to laugh with his friend, only to realize that Shane was not there to smile along with her usual antics.
 
She remembered rainy days and Shane not being there with an umbrella.
 
Aleena opened her mouth to reply when suddenly, she heard the door handle shudder. Damian had left earlier to talk to Teacher Sam and was probably heading back when he heard them talking. Aleena's heart clenched at the thought of what Damian might be thinking at the moment.
 
She looked towards the door, thinking about Damian's wordless comfort, a presence that never left Aleena's side. She remembered Damian's big brown eyes that always conveyed so much hurt, yet he still tried his hardest to ease Aleena's pain. She thought about how she wanted to protect Damian from everything bad in the world. She remembered Damian's rare but breathtaking smile that always made Aleena feel inadvertently proud every time she made it appear on the other boy's face. How Aleena didn't know how, but she always felt better around Damian; the pain in her heart easing every moment she spent with him.
 
She and Shane both stared towards the door. Aleena immediately got up, making her way towards the door, her mind racing with thoughts of where Damian might have gone. Her hand had already grabbed the doorknob and flung open the door before Shane reached out and grabbed her other arm, stopping her in her tracks.
 
"Wait," Shane said, almost as urgently as Aleena. "Please, give me an answer."
 
Aleena glanced down at the hand that was clutching her arm, and it felt like a burn.
 
Aleena stood there, her eyes locked onto Shane's, her face a tapestry of emotions. It was a pivotal moment in their long-standing friendship, and her heart hung in the balance as she considered his question. Damian, who had been silently observing the intense exchange, could feel the weight of the moment too.
 
For what felt like an eternity, Aleena didn't speak. Her mind raced, memories of their shared history flashing before her eyes. She remembered the countless times they had laughed together, the late-night conversations, the support they had given each other through life's ups and downs. But she also recalled the heartache of harboring unrequited feelings, the loneliness that had often accompanied her emotions.
 
Finally, Aleena broke the silence. Her voice was steady, yet tinged with a newfound determination. "Shane, I've waited for you for four years, and I can't keep waiting indefinitely. It's been incredibly hard, and I need to consider my own feelings and my own future."
 
Aleena said, before ripping his arm away and racing out the door.