It had been several days since that embarrassing moment during his class presentation. Yet, the echo of his classmates' laughter especially from Vito and his friends still lingered in his mind. Even so, there was one thing that kept him wanting to come to school — Shelly's face. He didn't know why, but every time he thought about that girl, the tightness in his chest seemed to fade a little. Though it sometimes hurt, there was something about her that made him want to keep seeing that smile.
When he arrived at the schoolyard, it was already lively. In the corner, under a shady flamboyant tree, Shelly sat with Lily and Chika. The three of them giggled softly as they looked at a picture book. Occasionally, Shelly covered her mouth as she laughed gently, her twin ponytails swaying with the morning breeze.
Not far from them, Vito came with a cold drink in his hand. With his usual confidence, he joined the conversation."Hey, what are you guys talking about? Sounds fun," he said casually, sitting near Shelly.Chika laughed. "We're looking at our playground school graduation photos.""Oh yeah? Wow, that's so cute," said Vito, pretending to be amazed. Shelly smiled politely, though her face showed slight awkwardness. Still, she laughed softly.
From a distance, Tufi watched the scene quietly. He was sitting with his close friends Rocky, Jack, and Andrew in the corner of the classroom facing the yard."Hey, Tuf," said Rocky, nudging him. "Who've you been staring at? Your eyes haven't left that spot.""Ah, nothing… I wasn't looking at anything," Tufi quickly replied, trying to close his book.Jack chuckled. "Bet you were looking at Shelly, huh?"Tufi lowered his head. "You're crazy. No."Andrew teased, "Come on, admit it, Tuf. We all know you like her."
Tufi stayed silent. He couldn't deny it, but he also couldn't bring himself to admit it. Quietly, he glanced again at Shelly. Seeing her there, laughing with Vito, made his heart feel like it was being squeezed. "I guess she fits better with Vito," he thought quietly. "She's pretty, smart, kind… and I'm just Tufi the guy who stumbles over his words and freezes in front of the class."
The bell rang, signaling the start of class. Everyone went inside, taking their seats. The morning lessons went on as usual, but Tufi's mind wandered everywhere. He tried to write, but his hand stopped every time he heard Shelly's soft laugh from the front row.
When the lunch break came, the class buzzed with noise again. Students left the room some to the canteen, others to sit outside. Lily and Chika sat on a long bench beneath the window, while Shelly walked to buy drinks with Vito. They walked side by side, talking casually.
Tufi watched from his desk by the window. He gripped his pencil, trying to calm his racing heart."Come on, Tufi. It's time to be brave," he whispered softly.He took a deep breath, stood up slowly, and began walking toward them.
But after just a few steps, teasing voices echoed behind him."Hey, look! Tufi's going up to Shelly!" shouted Vito, laughing.His friends immediately joined in, "Whoa, look at that! You gonna confess or what, Tuf?"The other students who heard started laughing too. Their voices filled the hallway.
Tufi froze. His face burned, his eyes fixed on the floor. The laughter stabbed into his ears like tiny needles."Stop it, Vito. Don't be like that," Shelly said sharply, glaring at him."What? I'm just kidding," Vito replied casually, still wearing that annoying grin.
Shelly stepped closer to Tufi, her voice gentle. "Are you okay, Tuf?"Tufi shook his head quickly. "N-no, I just… came to get my book. I forgot it here," he stammered, forcing a smile though his face was red.Shelly looked at him with pity. "Don't take it to heart. They're just joking."Tufi lowered his head, nodding slightly. "Yeah…"
Shelly smiled briefly, then went back to her seat. But for Tufi, that moment felt like the distance between them grew even wider.He knew Shelly meant well, but from the way she looked at him, he could tell it wasn't the look of someone with feelings. It was a look of sympathy.
After school, Tufi walked alone down the dirt road toward home. The sky had turned orange, but his heart felt gray.Each step felt heavier than the last, his mind replaying the scene again and again."Why do I always end up being the joke…" he murmured softly.
When he got home, he went straight to his room. Dropping his bag, he lay on his bed without even eating lunch. He stared at the ceiling, eyes burning. He bit his lip to hold back tears, but eventually one slipped out."I just wanted to be her friend… why is that so hard?"
A few minutes later, Tufi fell asleep still wearing his school uniform. It wasn't a peaceful sleep it was full of vague dreams, mixed laughter, mockery, and Shelly's fading smile. By late afternoon, the sunlight filtering through his window woke him. The room was silent. Outside, he could hear the soft sound of a broom brushing against the ground.
He sat up slowly and stepped out to the front porch. The evening air was cool. Sitting on the steps, he gazed at the yard and the orange sky above.
Across the road, he saw Aunt Hani, Rocky's mother, sweeping her yard. The woman was so beautiful, very tempting passion, shoulder-length hair, her sexy body and wearing a tank top makes Tufi horny. The shape of her big boobs and her very sexy ass make Tufi want to jerk off.
Tufi peeked through the window at Aunt Hani, who was on her haunches mowing the lawn, and her ass was facing him. Tufi was so horny he took off his pants and slowly touched his penis. Tufi really liked Aunt Hani's body and he enjoyed the view. Aunt Hani was still cleaning the yard and Tufi was still watching her while masturbating. Aunt Hani was wearing tight brown pants that showed the shape of mis V, which made Tufi tense and release his white fluid.
Tufi put his pants back on, and the afternoon breeze blew gently, carrying the scent of jasmine from Aunt Hani's yard. Tufi's previously heavy heart began to feel lighter. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the gentle breeze soothe his chest.
Night slowly descended. The sky turned dark blue, and stars began to appear. Inside the house, his mother called him for dinner, and Tufi replied with a lighter tone than usual. Before going in, he looked once more toward Aunt Hani's yard, now dimly lit. He saw her closing her gate calmly. "Thank you, Auntie," he whispered softly, though no one could hear. Then he went inside and closed the door, feeling a quiet peace settle in his heart.