The festival was still alive. Lights continued to shine across the campus. Music still played.
Students still laughed as if nothing in the world could ruin the night.
But for Liam. Everything had already ended. He walked slowly through the crowd, his hands tucked into his pockets.
The same place that once felt exciting now felt… distant. Like he didn't belong there anymore.
"…Guess I should head home," he murmured. There was no reason to stay. Not anymore.
As he made his way toward the school building, the noise of the festival slowly faded behind him.
The closer he got to the classrooms. The quieter everything became. The bright lights turned dim.
The laughter turned into silence. Only the faint buzzing of the hallway lights remained.
Liam exhaled softly. "…It's finally quiet." For a moment. He thought that was what he needed.
Peace. Silence. Space to breathe.
But then. "…You're late." His steps stopped instantly. That voice.
Familiar. Soft. Mandy. His chest tightened. "…Why is she here?" he whispered. He wasn't trying to listen.
He didn't want to. But his body refused to move. "I had to finish something," another voice replied.
Liam's heart dropped. Mark. A strange feeling crept into his chest. Not sharp. Not sudden. But heavy.
Slowly. As if being pulled by something he couldn't control. He stepped closer. The voices came from near the staircase at the end of the hallway.
Each step felt heavier than the last. "…This is a bad idea," he thought. But he didn't stop.
And then. He saw them. Mandy… And Mark. Standing close together under the dim hallway light.
Too close. Not like classmates. Not like friends. Something more.
Mark sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You've been busy all day," he said. "You should take a break."
Mandy smiled faintly. "You sound like you care too much." "…I do." Liam felt something in his chest tighten.
That answer. Wasn't casual. It was real. The silence that followed felt heavier than anything Liam had experienced that night.
And then. Mark reached out. And held her hand. Everything stopped. Liam's breathing.
His thoughts. The world around him. Mandy didn't pull away.
Instead. She gently held his hand back. "…We can't let anyone find out," Mandy said quietly.
Her voice. Was different. Softer. More honest. Not the voice she used in class.
"I know," Mark replied. "We'll keep it a secret." Liam stood there. Hidden.
Unseen. "…A secret?" he whispered. His fingers tightened around his bag.
Memories rushed into his mind all at once. Her smile earlier. Her words.
Her gentle rejection. "I don't feel the same way." Now it made sense. Everything made sense.
"…I see." The words slipped out quietly. Not angry. Not bitter.
Just… empty. Because in that moment. The last piece of the puzzle fell into place. She didn't reject him because she couldn't love.
She rejected him because. She already loved someone else.
"…Mark, huh…" Liam looked at them one last time. They looked natural together. Comfortable.
Real. Something he was never part of. He took a slow step back. Careful not to make a sound.
Then another. And another. Until their voices faded behind him. They didn't notice him.
Not even once. "…Good," he whispered. Because if they had. He didn't know what he would say.
Liam walked back toward the exit. The quiet hallway felt heavier now. Each step echoed louder than before.
"…So this is the answer," he said softly. Not the one he wanted. But the one he needed.
When he stepped outside. The festival lights greeted him again. Bright.
Colorful. Alive. But now. They felt far away. Like something he was no longer part of. Liam looked up at the night sky.
"…I was just late." The words came out naturally. No anger. No regret.
Just acceptance. He adjusted his bag on his shoulder. "…I won't bother her anymore."
A quiet decision. Not made out of pain. But out of understanding. For her.
For Mark. And for himself. Liam took one last look at the festival behind him.
Then turned. And walked away. Without looking back.