Weeks passed quietly after that rainy day.
Every morning started the same way — with the soft knock on Aria's door and Ethan's low voice saying, "We'll be late if you don't hurry."
And every day ended the same — with both of them walking home together, chatting, teasing, sometimes arguing about the smallest things.
Their days had fallen into a rhythm — one that felt easy, familiar, almost comforting.
---
That Monday, when the homeroom teacher walked into class holding a glass box filled with folded slips of paper, the room buzzed with curiosity.
"Students," she said, setting the box on her desk, "for your midterm project, you'll work in pairs. Each of you will draw a name from this box. Whoever's name is written on your paper will be your partner."
Excitement filled the air instantly.
One by one, students walked up, unfolding their papers and reacting with giggles or groans depending on the name.
When it was Aria's turn, she walked nervously toward the front, her heart fluttering for reasons she couldn't explain. She reached into the box, picked a folded page, and handed it to the teacher.
The teacher smiled faintly as she read aloud, "Aria Bennett… your partner will be Ethan Cross."
A low murmur spread through the class.
Aria blinked, startled. A few girls exchanged jealous looks, whispering behind their hands. Ethan, however, only leaned back in his chair with that familiar smirk — the one that always made her heartbeat quicken.
He met her eyes and said quietly, "Guess we're stuck together again."
Aria rolled her eyes but smiled despite herself. "Lucky me."
"Obviously," he replied, grin widening.
---
That afternoon, they decided to start working immediately and headed to the library. The place was calm and silent — the only sounds were the soft rustle of pages and the ticking of the clock.
They sat across from each other, surrounded by open notebooks and scattered pens.
"So," Aria said, tapping her pen. "What should our topic be?"
Ethan leaned back in his chair. "Something creative. How about… an innovative café concept?"
She looked thoughtful. "Hmm, that could work. Maybe something like a modern reading café? Quiet, cozy, filled with books?"
"Exactly," he said, eyes glinting slightly. "A place where people like you would probably live forever."
She laughed softly. "Are you saying I'm boring?"
"Maybe just… too peaceful," he teased.
Aria stuck her tongue out playfully before bending over her notes again. They worked together for almost an hour, arguing about designs, laughing over silly ideas, and sharing quiet glances that neither fully noticed.
---
At one point, Aria stood up to grab a book from a high shelf. She stretched on her toes, fingertips barely brushing the spine of the book she wanted.
"Almost…" she muttered to herself.
Just then, a hand reached past hers, easily plucking the book off the shelf.
Startled, she turned — and found herself face-to-face with Ethan, barely a few inches away.
For a heartbeat, time seemed to stop.
His eyes met hers — calm, steady, but so close that she could see her own reflection in them.
Neither of them moved. The air between them felt heavy, electric.
Then, realizing how close they were, Aria quickly took a small step back, her cheeks flushing pink.
"Th-thank you," she stammered.
Ethan smiled faintly, handing her the book. "You're welcome, shorty."
Her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
He chuckled under his breath, clearly enjoying her reaction.
But before she could retort, the lights flickered once… twice… and then went completely dark.
The entire library was swallowed in shadow.
"W-what happened?" Aria whispered.
"Power cut," Ethan said calmly, though his voice echoed strangely in the darkness.
She flinched when the faint creak of a door echoed somewhere behind them. "Ethan…"
"It's fine," he said softly. "Stay where you are."
But then she heard the unmistakable click of a lock turning.
Ethan walked toward the door, pulling at the handle — it didn't budge. "Great," he muttered. "Looks like the librarian locked up without checking if anyone was still inside."
Aria's breath quickened. "You mean… we're locked in?"
"Yeah," he admitted. "For now."
In the dark, her hand reached out instinctively — and found his.
Ethan froze as her fingers tightened around his palm. She was trembling slightly.
"I… I just don't like dark places," she whispered.
He squeezed her hand gently. "It's okay. I'm here."
For a long moment, they stood there, surrounded by silence and the faint sound of rain tapping against the windows.
Slowly, Aria's breathing steadied. She could feel the warmth of his hand — strong, reassuring, grounding her in the darkness.
Then Ethan said quietly, his voice softer than she'd ever heard it,
"You don't need to be scared, Aria. I won't let anything happen to you."
Her heart skipped a beat.
The words weren't loud, but they carried a strange kind of promise — one she could feel deep inside her chest.
They waited together, hand in hand, until footsteps echoed from outside and the librarian's surprised voice said,
"Oh dear! Are you two still in there?"
When the door finally opened and light spilled back into the room, Aria blinked, releasing Ethan's hand quickly.
He smiled faintly, as if nothing had happened.
But inside, both of them knew something had changed.
Something quiet, fragile — yet impossible to ignore.