"How many times have I told you not to bury yourself in books like that?" Aiden—the one who saved Ayaan—scolded right off.
"Don't be mad... nothing even happened," Ayaan said coolly.
"Nothing happened?" Aiden shot back, fuming.
"Ayaan," Liam stepped up beside him. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Ayaan replied with a small smile. "The ball didn't even touch me."
Aiden's gaze shifted to Liam. He rested a hand on Ayaan's shoulder, eyes narrowing slightly with curiosity. "And who's this?"
"It's Liam." Ayaan introduced. "Liam, meet Aiden—my friend."
"Liam..." Aiden's face lit up at the name, giving Ayaan a teasing look.
But bell rang—break over.
"See you around, senior... Ayaan, c'mon." Aiden grabbed Ayaan and went.
Liam watched them leave.
A faint disappointment settled in his chest—he hadn't even gotten the chance to properly talk to Ayaan.
After school, Liam walked slowly toward the bus stop.
A bicycle suddenly cut across his path.
"Need a ride?"
"Ayaan!" Liam's face lit up instantly.
Since they were heading the same way, Ayaan had stopped for him.
"Get on," Ayaan said.
Liam climbed on behind him, lightly holding onto the back of his shirt.
"How was your first day?" Ayaan asked. "Did you make any friends?"
"It was good… yeah, I made a few," Liam replied.
He hesitated for a moment, then asked casually,"That guy from earlier… you seem really close."
"Aiden?" Ayaan glanced back slightly.
"Yeah."
"He's my best friend. We've known each other since kindergarten." Something about that answer made Liam go quiet.
"Ayaan, stop at that café up ahead?" Liam asked, pointing.
"I'll wait outside—you go in," Ayaan said. He knew the place was fancy and expensive.
"It's my treat," Liam insisted, seeing him hesitate.
"Huh?!" Ayaan blinked.
"You've helped me a lot… I've been wanting to do this for a while. Come on." Before Ayaan could refuse, Liam grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.
They sat by the window. Ayaan scanned the menu prices and started sweating. Even if Liam was paying, it felt too much.
"Your order?" the waiter asked.
"Water," Ayaan said without thinking. It was the only thing he noticed that didn't have a price beside it.
Liam sighed softly, taking the menu from him.
"I'll order," he said.
After placing the order, he glanced at Ayaan. "Hey… relax," Liam added gently. "Didn't I say it's my treat?"
Ayaan gave a small nod, though the tension in his shoulders didn't fully disappear.
After they finished eating, they stepped out of the café.
How was it?" Liam asked.
Ayaan thought for a moment.
"For the price… the quality is good," he said honestly. "But the quantity is too little."
Liam blinked. "What does that even mean?"
"Rich kids…" Ayaan muttered under his breath.
Liam frowned slightly. "To eat good food, you have to spend money."
Ayaan glanced at him. Crossing his arms, he asked. "Have you ever had cup noodles? Or eaten at a small roadside café?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because it's unhygienic… and not good for health."
Ayaan went quiet. For a second, something unreadable crossed his face—but he didn't argue.
They rode back in silence. When they reached Liam's house, Ayaan finally spoke, "If you get ready by 7 a.m., I can give you a ride to school."
Liam looked surprised. "Wouldn't that be tiring?"
"We can take turn, if one gets tired." Ayaan said casually.
"About that…" Liam hesitated.
Ayaan tilted his head. "What?" Want to know the reason behind this hesitation, Ayaan asks.
"…I don't know how to ride a bicycle." Ayaan blinked—then, instead of laughing, a small smile appeared.
"Then I can teach you," he said. "Do you want to learn from me?"
Liam never expect such tempting offer came from Ayaan's side, Liam agreed. "Sure."
From then on, their evenings turned into cycling lessons.
After a few days of wobbling, falling, and getting back up again, Liam finally learned how to ride within a week.
"Ayaan, hold tight! I'm going to use my full strength!" Liam shouted as he pedaled faster.
"Hey—Liam, stop! Stop!" After getting a distance Ayaan said, hitting his back lightly.
Liam quickly slowed down. "What happened?"
"Do you want to have some tea?" Ayaan asked.
"From here?" Liam glanced at the small roadside tea shop and hesitated. But when he looked at Ayaan, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. "…Alright."
They stepped inside.
The place was small, a little crowded, but full of life. The chatter, the clinking of glasses, and the aroma of tea filled the air.
"Grandpa!" Ayaan called out, waving at the shop owner.
"Where have you been these past few days?" Mr. Thomas asked with concern.
"School started… too much workload," Ayaan complained.
"So, what do you want today?"
"The usual. Coffee for me—and tea for my friend." Ayaan glanced at Liam.
Mr. Thomas looked at Liam curiously. "I haven't seen him before."
"He's a transfer student."
"Then go sit quickly before your seat gets taken," Mr. Thomas warned.
Ayaan hurried to grab an empty spot, and Liam followed.
At first, the atmosphere felt unfamiliar to Liam. It was noisy, crowded… and nothing like the places he was used to.
Soon, their tea and coffee arrived—along with a plate full of snacks.
"It's oily…" Liam said, picking one up.
"No need to force yourself. I'll eat it," Ayaan said happily.
"Hey, you ordered it for me. I'll try it," Liam replied.
He took a bite—and paused.
"…It's actually good."
He glanced around. "Is this their special? Everyone seems to have the same thing."
"It's free with tea or coffee."
Liam blinked. "Free?"
"Yeah."
"Wait… a whole plate?" Unable to believe he asks.
After paying and stepping out, Liam still looked surprised.
"I can't believe places like this exist," he muttered.
"Ayaan… how many places like this do you know?" he asked, now genuinely interested.
"Most places around here are budget-friendly," Ayaan said. "And if you go to the local market, you can bargain and get things even cheaper."
"What do they sell there?"
"Almost everything," Ayaan replied. "If you look carefully, you can even find fake high-end brands for a low price."
"Ayaan—!" Someone called out from nearby.
Ayaan turned and spotted Aiden, who was waving at him to get his attention.
Ayaan and Liam walked over. Aiden was standing with his mother. The moment she saw Ayaan, her face lit up.
"Ayaan! How have you been?" she asked warmly.
"I'm doing well, aunty," Ayaan replied with a small smile. "Didn't uncle come with you?"
"You know how busy he is," she sighed. "It's been days since I've even seen him properly…"
Then her expression softened. "By the way… how is Riyaan now? Has there been any improvement?"
Ayaan fell silent.
"Mom…" Aiden cut in quickly, his tone low, after seeing Ayaan's expression dimmed slightly. "Why ask him that now? You can talk to Aunt Ria about it later."
After a brief pause, Ayaan forced a steady voice.
"There is no improvement in his condition yet... but he will. He'll be okay."
Aiden's mother reached out and gently cupped Ayaan's cheek.
"It must be hard for you," she said softly.
Ayaan gave a faint smile—but there was discomfort in it.
From a short distance away, Liam had been watching everything. Something about the scene didn't sit right with him.
"We're getting late," he called out.
Ayaan stepped back immediately.
"Let's meet again, aunty. Bye, Aiden." He quickly moved to Liam's side.
"If something others say or do bothers you, speak up," Liam said, his expression steady. "If you don't say anything, they won't realize… and they won't change."
Ayaan lowered his gaze. "…It's not always that easy."
Liam watched him quietly. He had questions—about what they talked about, who's Riyaan, why Ayaan's expression had changed after hearing about Riyaan—but he held them back. He didn't want to ruin Ayaan's mood further.
The next day, Ayaan seemed like his usual self again. But for some reason, Liam couldn't feel the same ease.
Still, he didn't ask anything. There was a line… one he knew he shouldn't cross until the other person open up himself.
...
"Our luck is terrible…" Ayaan muttered, staring at the flat tire as they were about to head home from school. "Looks like you'll have to take the bus today."
"What about you?" Liam asked.
"Don't worry about me. I'll drop this at the repair shop and take a bus later."
Before Liam could respond, one of his classmates called him over. By the time he turned back, Ayaan was already walking away.
Dark clouds slowly gathered overhead. A drop of water fell, landing softly on Ayaan's nose.
"…Guess today really is unlucky," he murmured.
The rain came suddenly, pouring down in sheets.
But strangely— he wasn't getting wet.
Ayaan paused and looked up. An umbrella hovered above him. He turned.
Liam stood behind him, holding it—his shoulders already damp from the rain. Ayaan reached out, grabbing Liam's tie, pulling him closer.
"Stand properly," he said softly. "Otherwise, you'll get soaked."
Their eyes met. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Only the steady rhythm of rain filled the silence.
And beneath it— Liam could hear his own heartbeat, loud and uneven.
...
After leaving the bicycle at the repair shop, they headed to the nearby bus stop. When the bus arrived, they took a seat next to each other.
Ayaan leaned back slightly, clearly tired. Then, without much thought, he rested his head on Liam's shoulder.
"Wake me up when we reach our stop," he murmured, closing his eyes.
Liam froze. "…Okay."
Liam sat there, completely still—afraid even to breathe too loudly, as if Ayaan might hear the frantic beating of his heart.
Right then, Ayaan's eyes opened slightly. He glanced at Liam— then closed them again, a faint smile forming on his lips.