Around 7 PM, we all got up to head home.
"Math is so difficult! It just won't get into my head," I groaned, stretching my arms.
"Same here! I don't even get why someone invented math in the first place," Nami yawned as she lazily packed her books.
As we were wrapping up, Suhina chuckled while gathering her books and said, "No wonder you two struggle in math—you spend more time staring at boys than at your textbooks."
Hearing that, anger flared inside me.
"Oh, and you're a genius now? Let me guess—Tenzin's tutoring is your secret weapon?"I shot back, my voice sharp.
"At least I score better than you," she smirked.
"Yeah, only because Tenzin is always tutoring you," I blurted out without thinking.
"Excuse me? I study on my own!" she snapped, her voice defensive.
Nami, who had been quiet until now, crossed her arms and said sternly, "Even if you do, that doesn't mean you get to insult us."
Suhina's face immediately twisted into an expression that made it seem like we had just deeply wronged her—her eyes slightly widened, lips pressed into a thin line, and she let out a soft huff, as if holding back tears.
"Oh, come on, girls, stop this," Rian interrupted, trying to calm the situation.
"Fine, whatever," I huffed, crossing my arms.
Rian turned to me with a disappointed look. ""Aira, why do you always let Suhina get under your skin?"
I frowned. "What did I even do?"
"You and Nami always gang up on her," he said, his tone carrying slight disapproval.
Nami glared at him. "Rian, are you even listening? She started it by insulting us first!"
"Yeah, well, just drop it already," Rian said, sighing.
I clenched my fists. He always said I was like a little sister to him, yet here he was, taking Suhina's side without hesitation.
You'll see, Rian. One day, Suhina will turn against you too, I thought bitterly.
Suddenly, Tenzin's voice called out from behind, "Suhina, grab your bag. You're coming with me."
We all turned to look at him. Without hesitation, Suhina picked up her bag and walked straight past us, joining Tenzin as they both left the room together.
Nami and I exchanged confused glances. What did we even do wrong? We couldn't figure it out. The frustration was still evident on our faces.
"Unbelievable," Rian muttered before walking out as well.
For a moment, silence filled the room. Just as I picked up my bag, Arin finally spoke. "You two did nothing wrong." His voice was calm, almost indifferent.
I turned to look at him. Where was he all this time while all that chaos was happening?
I sighed internally. Arin was always like this—quiet, detached, never one to get involved in fights.
"At least someone understands," Nami exhaled in relief, then walked out, motioning for me to follow.
As I was about to leave, Arin suddenly stepped closer. "Just try to control your anger a little," he said, gently tapping my head before walking away.
I stood frozen for a second, feeling my heart skip a beat.
By the time I snapped out of it, Nami had already reached the stairs. She noticed I wasn't behind her and turned back. "Why are you still standing there? Hurry up!" she grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
Together, we made our way downstairs toward our bikes, the events of the evening still lingering in my mind.
Nami started the bike when I suddenly tugged at the back of her top.
"Nami!" I called out.
"What?" she asked, turning her head slightly.
I pointed toward the swings in the park nearby. "The slide..."
She followed my gaze, then looked at me with a small smile. "Wanna go?"
I nodded eagerly. "Let's!"
Without another word, she turned off the bike, and we both ran toward the swings like little kids. We spent a few minutes swinging back and forth, letting the cool evening breeze wash over us. After a while, we climbed up and sat on the top of the slide's structure, our legs dangling over the edge.
As we sat there, catching our breath, Nami suddenly sighed. "I was so angry at Suhina today."
I leaned back slightly, resting my hands behind me. "I'm always angry at her," I said, exhaling in frustration.
Nami chuckled, shaking her head.
I hesitated for a moment before turning to her. "Hey, listen… I need to tell you something."
She instantly shifted her attention to me. "Yeah? What is it?"
I bit my lip, trying to build some suspense. "I think I… I think I like someone."
Nami narrowed her eyes at me. "Who? Tell me!"
I smirked mischievously. "Guess."
She groaned. "Don't play guessing games with me, Aira. Just say it!"
I let out a small laugh before finally admitting, "Arin."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Arin?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
She took a second to process it before tilting her head. "Are you sure? I mean… okay, but I haven't really heard the best things about him."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
She shrugged. "His behavior is… kinda strange, don't you think?"
I rolled my eyes. "Come on, it's not like I'm planning to jump into a relationship with him or anything."
She smirked playfully. "Oh yeah? So you're saying it's just innocent little crush feelings for now? Not planning your wedding yet?"
I swatted her arm. "Shut up! It's nothing that serious."
Leaning back, I let out a small sigh. "For now, it's just conversations, maybe a few meetings. Let's see where it goes from there."
Nami smiled. "Alright, fair enough. But let's head home now."
I nodded, and we both got up, dusting ourselves off before heading back to her bike.
As we rode through the streets, the wind whipping past us, we blasted music on my phone, singing along at the top of our lungs.
After a while, Nami called out over the music, "I'm dropping you at the café, right?"
I didn't hear her properly over the blaring song. "What?" I yelled.
She sighed, grabbed my phone from my hand, and turned off the music. "I said, I'm dropping you at the café, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah, just drop me there."
With that, she revved the bike and sped off toward our destination, the night air cool against our skin, as the events of the day slowly started fading into the background.
Even as the night breeze cooled my skin, the warmth of Arin's touch still lingered on my forehead. I wasn't sure what this feeling was yet, but I knew one thing—I wanted to understand him more.