"Ehh… his eyes aren't like this…"
With a frustrated sigh, Liam tossed aside yet another sketch of Ayaan. Unsatisfied, he pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and started again.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make the drawing feel alive. He had never felt this kind of frustration before. Liam had never been a perfectionist—but now, for some reason, nothing seemed good enough. Every time he looked at his work, flaws stood out to him.
Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and continued.
This time, he began with the eyes—carefully sketching them while picturing the way Ayaan looked at him.
"Liam…"
A knock sounded at the door before Mr. Lore stepped inside.
"Lina is on the call," he said, handing over the phone.
Liam set his sketchbook aside and took it. "Sis…"
"Ohh… my little bunny, how many days has it been since I last saw your cute face?" Lina said playfully.
"Sis, please stop calling me 'bunny'…" Liam replied, slightly annoyed.
She laughed. "So, what were you doing? Doesn't look like you were studying…" she added, noticing him sitting on the bed.
"Drawing…"
"Show me. I want to see too."
"Since when did you get interested in my drawings?" Liam asked, reluctant to show Ayaan's sketch.
"Are you hiding something from me? Is it your girlfriend's drawing or something?" Lina teased.
"What are you saying?" Liam asked, his face turning slightly red.
"I was just teasing—but seeing your reaction… is it really your girlfriend?" she pressed.
"Shut up… it's not like that…"
"Not convincing. Show me the picture," Lina insisted. "Or don't blame me if I tell Dad… something fishy is going on…"
"Okay, okay… I'll show you. But it's not finished yet," Liam said.
"Just show me…"
As soon as she saw the drawing, Lina spoke again. "Her eyes look really pretty. Now I understand why my city boy agreed to stay in that village with Dad."
"Sis…"
"When you finish it, show me again. I want to see the girl my little bunny admires," she added with a warm smile.
"But, sis, there's a small misunderstanding… it's not a girl—"
Before Liam could finish, the call suddenly cut off.
"She never says a proper goodbye…" he muttered.
Tossing the phone onto the bed, Liam picked up his pencil again and returned to his drawing.
The next day.
Ayaan pedaled his cycle along the quiet road to school, with Liam seated behind him. The morning breeze brushed past them, but neither spoke for a while.
After a moment, Ayaan broke the silence."Are you free this evening?"
"Yeah…"
"I'm planning to go to the amusement park. Do you want to come?"
Liam blinked, slightly taken aback. It was the first time Ayaan had ever invited him somewhere on his own.
"…Yeah, sure."
At that moment, Liam didn't realize it wouldn't be just the two of them.
That evening.
"Aiden?!"
Liam frowned slightly when he saw him. "He's coming with us too?"
"He's the one who planned this," Ayaan replied calmly. "One more person is coming… ah, there he is."
Another boy about their age walked toward them.
"Liam, this is Joy—my classmate."
"Hi…" Liam greeted, his tone a little restrained.
"Let's go!" Aiden said cheerfully, pushing them forward as they entered the park.
Contrary to Liam's expectations of being left out, he somehow ended up beside Ayaan for most of the rides.
"Guys, let's try the roller coaster!" Aiden suggested excitedly.
But seeing the massive ride, Liam hesitated. "You guys go… I'll pass."
"Come on, don't chicken out. It'll be fun!" Aiden insisted.
"I'm not feeling well either," Ayaan added casually.
"What? But you always liked—" Before Aiden could finish, Ayaan cut him off.
"How about you two go together?"
With a subtle glance that clearly said leave us alone, Ayaan nudged Aiden toward Joy.
"Fine…" Aiden said with a knowing smile, draping an arm over Joy's shoulder as they walked off.
Liam and Ayaan sat down on a nearby bench. After a few minutes, Ayaan spoke again.
"How about we look around the shopping area until they come back?"
"Okay…"
They wandered through the brightly lit stalls. Ayaan picked up a bunny-ear hairband and placed it on his head before turning to Liam.
"How do I look?"
"Cute…" The word slipped out of Liam's mouth without thinking.
A soft smile appeared on Ayaan's face. He then looked through the other accessories and picked up a tiger-ear bow.
He gently placed it on Liam's head. "It suits you."
After paying, they went to get ice cream.
"Which flavor do you want?" Ayaan asked, scanning the options.
"Vanilla," Liam replied.
"One vanilla and one chocolate," Ayaan ordered.
After getting them, he handed one to Liam. After Liam take a bite, Ayaan curiously asks. "How's yours?"
"Good…"
"Can I take a bite?" Ayaan asked, then added softly, "Please…"
Liam instantly gave in to his expression and nodded. But just as Ayaan leaned in, Liam pulled the ice cream away playfully.
Ayaan blinked in confusion.
"Here…" Liam offered it again—only to tease him once more, even dabbing a little cream onto Ayaan's nose. Ayaan shot him a sharp look.
"I was just joking, sorry…" Liam said quickly.
This time, Ayaan caught Liam's wrist before he could pull away, leaned in, and took a proper bite of the ice cream. Then he straightened, looking faintly pleased with himself.
For a moment, Liam just stared at him.
Something warm spread through his chest, quiet but undeniable. The noise of the park seemed to fade, leaving only Ayaan's smile in his view.
A small, genuine smile tugged at Liam's lips—one he couldn't hold back.
"Are they lovers like us?" Joy asked quietly, watching them. "It's rare to see Ayaan this friendly with someone."
"Ayaan has a crush on him, but he hasn't confessed yet," Aiden replied, his eyes still on the pair.
"And what about Liam?"
Aiden smirked. "Look at his face. Do you think he's looking at Ayaan as just a friend? That's the gaze of someone who's completely fallen. My instincts say he likes Ayaan too."
"Then wouldn't it be bad if we interrupt them now?" Joy said, leaning his head on Aiden's shoulder. "How about we give them some time… and spend some time ourselves?"
"I don't mind," Aiden replied, lightly bumping his forehead against Joy's. "Let's get some ice cream."
"Okay… then I want—"
"Blueberry, right? I know," Aiden said with a grin.
The two of them walked toward the ice cream stall, leaving Ayaan and Liam alone to enjoy their time together.