The lecture began, but Nayza could barely focus on a single word.
What was that...? she thought in disbelief. I seriously ended up sitting on a guy's hand... how did I even do that?
The more she remembered it, the more embarrassed she felt.
Across from her, Doruk watched her quietly, a faint amused smile playing on his lips. The way she kept avoiding eye contact and looked visibly uncomfortable was oddly cute to him.
Finally, he spoke softly, "It's alright. Forget about it now. I've been watching you since then... you look so nervous."
That only made Nayza feel even more awkward.
"Y-Yeah... okay," she replied with a small embarrassed smile.
A few seconds later, Doruk spoke again.
"So, if you're friends with Leera and Yesir now... then I guess that makes you my friend too."
Nayza looked at him in confusion for a moment. "Huh?"
Then, realizing what he meant, she nodded awkwardly. "Ah... yes."
Doruk smiled while looking at her, clearly entertained by her reactions.
Meanwhile, from the other side, Erhaan's gaze briefly landed on the two of them.
The moment he saw Doruk smiling at Nayza, his expression turned unreadable.
Without saying anything, he looked back down at his notebook.
His jaw had tightened noticeably, and one of his hands gripped the edge of the desk so firmly that his knuckles had turned pale. A thin layer of sweat covered his skin despite the cold classroom air.
For a brief second, an old memory flashed through his mind-
Eight-year-old Erhaan sitting in front of his parents, tears streaming down his face.
The image disappeared just as quickly as it came.
Erhaan slowly forced himself out of those thoughts and shifted his attention back toward the lecture, pretending to focus on the professor's voice instead.
By the time Nayza reached home, the silence had followed her.
She dropped her bag onto the bed and sat down, exhaling softly.
For a moment, she simply stared ahead.
Then, "Oh right..." She picked up her phone."I told leera I'd call"
The call connected on the second ring. "Finally," Leera said, a hint of amusement in her voice, "you remembered."
Nayza, let out a small breath,
"I said I would,"
"Already then," Leera replied. "Tell me! why did you change your seat?"
Straight to the point.
Nayza looked down at her hands. "I just... felt like shifting,"
"That's not a real answer."
A pause.
"Not just that,"Nayza admitted quietly. "It was getting a little uncomfortable."
Leera's tone softed, "Because of him?"
Nayza did not respond immediately, "That's the problem," she said after a moment. "I don't even know,"
Leera stayed silent, letting her continue.
"I just felt like I needed some space."
"Then you could have said that," Leera replied, gently.
"It wasn't that simple,"
Another pause.
"And now," Leera asked, "do you feel better?"
Nayza thought for a moment. "Yeah... maybe. " she admitted.
Leera let out a soft laugh. "You're confusing. I didn't say it was a bad thing," Leera added. "Just complicated."
A small silence settled between them.
Then Leera spoke again, softer this time, "You know I'm here, right?"
Something about that made Nayza feel lighter.
"Yes," she said quietly. "I know."
And maybe, that was enough for now. A friendship slowly taking shape.
The next day, the classroom felt lively as usual.
Some students were chatting loudly, while others were busy studying before the lecture started.
Outside the classroom, in the university corridor crowded with passing students, Yesir and Erhaan stood talking to each other quietly.
As they spoke, a group of girls walked past them, stealing obvious glances their way.
"Seriously... those two are so attractive," one of the girls whispered.
"Should we try talking to them?" another asked curiously.
The third girl sighed dramatically. "Forget it. Guys like them definitely already have girlfriends."
Still talking among themselves, the girls eventually walked away.
Meanwhile, inside the classroom, Nayza sat with Leera and Doruk. Leera and Doruk were busy talking while Nayza mostly listened silently to their conversation.
At one point, Leera looked at her. "Nayza, you should say something too."
Nayza blinked lightly. "What am I supposed to say? I don't even understand what you two are talking about."
Doruk laughed softly. "Honestly, I don't know where Nayza stays lost all the time."
Not knowing how to respond, Nayza simply smiled awkwardly.
Suddenly, Leera sat up excitedly. "Let's go to the arcade tonight!"
Doruk nodded immediately. "That actually sounds fun."
Then his expression turned serious. "But if Erhaan is coming too, then sorry... I'm not going."
Leera sighed. "Yeah, I know why."
For a moment, she stayed quiet before speaking again.
"But I don't think he'll even come. And honestly, I think all of us should go together. You and Erhaan don't have to talk, but at least let's spend time as a group. Nayza might enjoy it too. She stays so quiet all the time... I want her to actually have fun with us."
Nayza quietly listened to everything without interrupting.
Doruk glanced toward her thoughtful expression and her usual calm silence before finally saying, "Fine then."
The classes eventually ended, and everyone began leaving for home.
Before Erhaan could walk away, Leera stopped him.
"Come with us tonight. We're going to the arcade."
Just then, Yesir walked over as well. "Yeah, it's a good idea."
Erhaan looked uninterested. "I'm not in the mood. You guys go."
"Yes, you are," Yesir replied immediately. "Stop acting like everything depends on your mood. You're coming with us, understood? If needed, I'll come to your house and drag you there myself."
Erhaan already knew how stubborn Yesir could be.
In the end, he had no real choice but to agree silently.
Later that night, all of them met at the arcade.
It was Nayza's first time hanging out with friends like this outside university.
Everyone wore comfortable casual clothes, making the atmosphere feel lighter and more relaxed than usual.
The arcade was filled with bright lights, game sounds, laughter, and music echoing around them.
For the most part, everyone enjoyed themselves except Doruk and Erhaan, who still kept their distance from each other.
Yesir mostly stayed beside Erhaan, while Leera moved between both groups from time to time. Meanwhile, Doruk spent most of the evening with Nayza-talking to her, playing games with her, and making sure she felt included.
And surprisingly... Nayza was genuinely having fun.
At one point, Doruk looked at her while she laughed after winning a game.
For a second, he couldn't look away.
"You know," he said casually, "you look really beautiful when you smile. Honestly, I thought you didn't even know how to laugh."
Nayza looked at him with slight surprise before smiling again. "Oh really?"
From a distance, Erhaan quietly watched the two talking together.
His eyes lingered on Doruk standing beside her. "Why is it always Doruk...?" His jaw tightened slightly.
After spending hours playing games and enjoying the night together, the group finally had dinner before heading back home.
Later, lying on her bed, Nayza stared at the ceiling with a faint smile on her face.
"So this is what it feels like to go out with friends..." she whispered softly to herself.
Today had made her happier than she expected. "I really had fun today."
A warm happiness lingered in her heart as her eyes slowly began to close. Still smiling to herself, Nayza eventually drifted off to sleep.