"You admit it… there is someone in your heart." Noticing Liam's reaction, Neon leaned in curiously. "Who's she?"
Liam wanted to say it wasn't a girl—but there was nothing official between him and Ayaan yet. "So he kept it a secret for now
"When the time comes, I'll tell you." Leaving Neon curious, Liam walked away.
For the first time in his life, Liam found himself waiting for the vacation to end. He bought a ring for Ayaan, along with a few other gifts for Aiden, Joy, and the children at the orphanage. With a heart lighter than before, he returned to the village.
As soon as he reached home, the first thing he did was visit the orphanage to let Ayaan know he was back. At first, he couldn't find him anywhere. After asking one of the children, he learned that Ayaan was helping with the laundry.
After handing out the chocolates he had brought, Liam headed to the back. There, he found Ayaan hanging white bedsheets all by himself.
Liam walked up to him, but Ayaan didn't notice at first. Then, as if sensing something, he paused. Thinking he might have imagined it, he slowly pulled the bedsheet aside.
Seeing Liam standing there, Ayaan froze. Unsure if it was real or just a dream, he reached out and gently touched Liam's face.
Feeling the warmth, Ayaan slowly pulled his hand back—but Liam stopped him."You can touch as much as you want."
A smile spread across Ayaan's face as he pinched Liam's cheeks."Where did you learn such cheeky words?"
"Aaa—!" Liam yelped.
Seeing his reaction, Ayaan quickly pulled his hand back. "Why are you doing this chore alone? Where's the maid?"
"Her daughter got sick, so she's taken a few days off," Ayaan replied, picking up another sheet.
"You take a rest. I'll help," Liam insisted, trying to take the sheet from him.
"There are only a few left, I can handle it…" Ayaan tried to take it back.
"No need…" Liam pulled a little harder, unintentionally dragging Ayaan closer. Losing his footing, Ayaan slipped—and the next moment, both of them fell to the ground together.
They were face to face, eyes locked, unable to look away as everything froze in time.
"Brother Ayaan and Liam are fighting! Guys, come and see!" One of the boys' voices snapped them out of it.
Ayaan quickly got off Liam, and both of them became awkward, unable to even look at each other properly. Their faces turned red with embarrassment.
"What are you talking about? We aren't fighting!" Liam tried to explain.
"Then what were you guys doing?" the boy asked curiously.
Liam didn't know how to answer, but luckily Ayaan spoke up. "I slipped, and Liam was trying to help me. He just fell along with me."
Liam quickly nodded in agreement.
"Oh… so that's what happened," the boy said, clearly disappointed.
"What else were you thinking?" Ayaan asked, crossing his arms. The boy gave an awkward smile and ran away.
"I have something urgent to do…" Liam makes an excuse and tries to leave.
"But you just came—" Ayaan started, but Liam didn't stay to listen. He quickly walked away, feeling like he might die of embarrassment.
Watching him leave, a shy smile appeared on Ayaan's face.
Things quickly returned to normal—until one day, Liam attended a friend's birthday party. The host had even arranged liquor for everyone to drink secretly, behind his parents' backs.
"Let's drink with no regrets!" they cheered.
After just two pegs, Liam was already drunk—just like the others.
When everyone insisted on staying the night, Liam chose to head back home. But instead of going there, his steps unconsciously led him to the orphanage where Ayaan is. Spotting him inside the room, Liam knocked softly on the window.
Seeing Liam outside, Ayaan quickly opened it. "Liam… what brings you here?" he asked in a low voice.
"I missed you," Liam said with a soft, almost childish smile.
"You came because you missed me…?" Ayaan repeated, just to make sure he had heard right.
"Yeah… I missed you a lot…" Liam replied. As his voice started to rise, Ayaan quickly covered his mouth.
"Shh… you'll wake the others…"
Liam gently pulled Ayaan's hand away and whispered, "I want to let every single person in the world know… that I missed you."
"Did you drink or something?" Ayaan asked suspiciously.
"A little…" Liam admitted honestly.
Seeing how openly he was speaking, Ayaan grew curious. "Liam… do you like me?"
Liam nodded without hesitation.
Ayaan looked at him carefully. "Then… do you like me in a romantic way?"
Liam's eyes locked onto Ayaan's as everything around them fell silent. "I do…" he confessed.
"Then why haven't you proposed yet?" Ayaan asked, trying to understand. "Are you afraid of what people might say… if you date a boy?"
Liam shook his head firmly.
"Then why?" Ayaan pressed.
"Because I don't want to distract you from your studies," Liam replied, sounding unusually serious. "You should focus on your goals right now…"
Ayaan burst into laughter.
"Then are you never going to confess to me at all?" he teased.
"If I confess… will you accept me?" Liam asked hesitantly.
Ayaan didn't answer directly. Instead, he gestured for Liam to come closer.
As Liam leaned in, Ayaan suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled him forward—pressing a quick kiss onto his lips.
Liam froze, his eyes wide with shock. For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or even react.
"What do you think now?" Ayaan asked, leaving him to figure it out.
Hearing faint noises from inside, Ayaan quickly closed the window, not wanting to get caught. "Now go…"
However, the next day, when Liam woke up, everything felt like a vivid dream to him.
"If it were real… how good would that be?" he muttered, touching his lips—unaware that he had truly confessed everything, and that Ayaan had already accepted him.
Liam believed it was all just a dream, while Ayaan waited for him to make their relationship official. And so, they both continued their lives as if nothing had happened.
In the midst of all this, school life grew more demanding. Revision, vivas, lab work, and exams made things even tougher for both of them. They barely had time to think about anything else— even their moments together were often taken away by their studies.
As the final exams approached, everyone became completely immersed in their preparations, as if nothing else mattered.
Then, the last day of exams arrived.
"Ayaan, after the exam, let's meet at the ground. There's something I want to tell you…" Liam said before heading into the exam hall.
Ayaan understood the meaning behind those words. He, too, wanted to confess his feelings—but he never expected things would take such an unexpected turn.
After the exam ended, Liam rushed to meet Ayaan. Taking out the ring he had bought earlier, he walked forward with a smile, holding it tightly in his hand.
But then, he froze.
"I don't know how to say this… At first, it was just curiosity that drew me toward you... But as time passes, I also fell for you... Maybe more than you do... I-I love you..." Near the ground, he saw Ayaan confessing—to Aiden.
The ring slipped from Liam's hand and fell to the ground.
Tears welled up in his eyes. He didn't know how to react. Not wanting to become a laughingstock, he chose silence. Without saying a word, without stepping forward, Liam quietly turned and walked away.
Meanwhile…
"Don't stutter. Just let your feelings flow naturally," Aiden advised.
Before confessing to Liam, Ayaan had decided to practice with his friends. Joy was there with them as well.
"You don't have to be afraid," Joy encouraged him. "When you confess to someone you truly love, a sense of calm fills your heart, and the words come out on their own."
"Thanks, guys… He'll be here soon. You can leave—I'll wait for Liam alone."
"Just say you want some privacy," Aiden teased.
"Stop messing around," Joy replied.
"Just don't forget to give us a treat," Aiden added as he walked away with Joy.
Unaware that Liam had already left, Ayaan sat on a nearby bench… and waited.