Time moved so fast. Without realizing it, Tufi's days passed like the wind that never stopped blowing. It had been almost two years since that embarrassing moment since the laughter of the class echoed because of him, since Shelly's smile became something he no longer dared to face. Now, every morning felt calmer, more ordinary. There was no longer that wild heartbeat whenever he saw her walk past the classroom door. No more hidden hopes behind quick glances. Everything seemed peaceful… or maybe just silent, buried beneath an old wound that had turned to stone.
What remained now were only small habits like watching the front yard across the street every afternoon. There, under the soft light of dusk, Aunt Hani was always sweeping her yard. Her movements were calm and gentle, like someone talking to the wind. Every time Tufi saw her, his chest felt warm for reasons he couldn't explain.He didn't know when it started, but watching Aunt Hani sweep the yard had become the simplest way to make his day feel okay. The world at school could be loud and rough, but here, in front of his house, there was a calm that always waited for him.
When at home it's never quiet, there's no one there, Tufi is always horny when he sees Aunt Hani sweeping the yard, she always masturbates and it gives him a feeling of tension until now. Nothing more than that. But it was enough. Just that thing made life feel a little lighter.
Years went by. It was now 2008, and Tufi was in the third grade of elementary school. Time really did run fast. Many things had changed, yet some stayed the same. Vito was still the most popular boy in class with his expensive shoes, fancy watch, and confident laugh that sometimes annoyed people. Shelly was still the cheerful and friendly girl who could make any room feel alive. And Tufi… was still Tufi quiet, simple, and the kind of person who would rather stay silent while everyone else shouted.
But there was one thing different Tufi no longer cared much about what others thought of him. He was calmer now, colder even some people thought he was "cool." Not because he had completely changed, but because he had learned to accept himself. The old wounds didn't disappear he just learned to walk with them without stopping.
Class was as lively as usual full of chatter and laughter. The teacher hadn't come yet, so everyone was busy with their own thing.Vito sat at the front, surrounded by his usual group of friends, laughing loudly as they played with his new phone. On the other side, Shelly sat with Chika, her closest friend now closer than Lily ever was. They shared snacks and giggled quietly, talking about things only they understood.
Tufi sat by the window in the middle row. The morning breeze came in, ruffling his slightly messy hair. He was playing with a small toy robot he had bought at the school canteen earlier during recess a silver mini figure. Not expensive, but enough to keep him entertained during an empty period.
Rocky and Andrew were playing cards in the back row, while Jack was sketching something in his notebook. Nothing special about the morning just another ordinary day.Until suddenly, the little toy slipped from Tufi's hand.
"Oh no…" he muttered softly as the small figure rolled across the floor and stopped right by someone's feet.Shelly's feet.
The girl, who was sitting with Chika, bent down and picked it up. "Is this yours?" she asked, smiling.Tufi froze for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah… sorry, it fell over there."
Shelly looked at the toy for a second. "It's cute… where did you get it?""At the canteen," Tufi replied quietly.Chika chimed in teasingly, "Wow, you still like toys, huh, Tuf?"Tufi smiled faintly. "Just for fun. It looks cool."
Shelly laughed softly the same laugh from years ago, light and warm, and somehow, it broke through the walls of his heart that he thought had long been sealed.When she handed the toy back, their fingers brushed for just a second but long enough to make his chest feel warm again.
As Shelly sat back down, Tufi's eyes followed her for a moment. In silence, something within him something that had been asleep for years slowly woke up. That feeling… the one he thought was long gone, had only been hiding, waiting for the right time to return. Shelly, who was still talking with Chika, didn't even notice at first. She was still giggling, responding to her friend's jokes."Oh my gosh, Chik… you never take anything seriously!" she said, lightly tapping Chika's hand.Chika laughed louder. "Well, if I did, you'd be the one catching feelings, Shel!"Shelly covered her mouth as she laughed, her shoulders shaking with amusement. Her smile was pure, her eyes sparkled and from his place on the floor, Tufi watched it all with a gaze he couldn't stop.
From the position below the floor but pretended to play with his toys, even though he was nervous seeing Shelly's panties that were visible when her rock was lifted slightly. Meanwhile, Shelly didn't realize it because she was busy talking with Chika. Tufi was very horny at that time because he had never seen Shelly's panties before, he took the opportunity to keep peeking at them while pretending to play with his toys.
...
The following days passed like normal, but Tufi's world began to change its color again. He started noticing Shelly once more not as intensely as before, but enough to make him feel alive. Every time she laughed, his heart felt warm. He didn't want to repeat the past, didn't want to hope too much but the feeling still grew, quietly yet steadily.
However, Tufi was no longer the shy boy who panicked in front of class. He had learned from time. The way he spoke was calmer, his steps more certain, his gaze steadier.When Shelly passed by, he didn't look away anymore. He simply smiled and said, "Morning, Shelly."Shelly smiled back, "Morning, Tufi."Simple yet enough. Sometimes, small things like that could make an entire day feel different.
The rainy season came, bringing the scent of wet earth and old memories. Tufi sat in class, watching the rain outside the window. Shelly and Chika were not far in front, talking while doing their assignments. Vito, as usual, sat in the corner with his gang, busy playing games on his phone.
Tufi watched them for a moment, then turned back to the window. He realized he used to want to be part of that world: the loud one, full of laughter and attention. But now, he didn't need to. He had found his own balance. He could be happy in quiet ways, without needing to be the center of anyone's world.
And so, the last one year of his school life brought another change. As he grew closer to his classmates again, Tufi found himself spending more and more time with Lily.It started by coincidence group projects, walking home together, sitting beside each other during free periods. But from there, their conversations grew longer, warmer. Lily wasn't the loud type, but she spoke gently, with understanding. She listened without judging, laughed without mocking, and shared without drama.
Sometimes, after school, they'd go to the bookstore together, or just sit at the park in front of school, talking about random things music, dreams, childhood memories.Shelly was still around, but being near her no longer made Tufi nervous. His feelings had changed no longer a painful crush, but a warm memory.
"Lily," Tufi said one afternoon as they sat on a park bench. "Do you ever feel like… the world keeps moving, but you're still stuck in the same place?"Lily smiled softly. "Yeah. But sometimes that's not a bad thing, Tuf. Sometimes we just need time to figure out where we're going."Tufi looked at her and smiled faintly. "Yeah… maybe you're right."
That night, Tufi sat at his desk, staring at the class photo taken just a week ago.There were all the faces that once filled his days Vito with his wide grin, Chika and Shelly standing side by side, and Lily smiling gently next to him.He touched the photo lightly. All the memories the laughter and the pain now felt balanced. None of it was wasted.
He wrote a small note in his notebook: "Sometimes we have to lose something to understand what peace feels like. But through that loss, we learn to find ourselves."