Casual Collisions
The hallway buzzed, laughter and footsteps mixing in the air, but I felt almost like I was in a bubble where only my heartbeat could be heard.
And then he appeared.
Ren. Right there, where I hadn't expected him. His eyes locked onto mine, and that look... as if he already knew I was searching for him today too.
Before I could say anything, two boys stepped up to us. One, a tall guy with black hair, nudged Ren in the side, grinning:
"Hey, do you know each other?"
Ren's eyes stayed on me. In a single moment, I felt the tension sparking between us.
"Somehow... yes," he replied in a quiet, tense voice, his gaze never leaving mine.
"Well then... Lara, how about having lunch with me today?" said the other boy, Toma, laughing playfully, though there was a hint of provocation in his tone.
My stomach tightened. I wanted to speak, but Ren suddenly stepped in front of me, his arm instinctively brushing against mine.
His presence felt like a wall had risen between us and Toma.
"Enough, Toma. She doesn't want to have lunch with you," he said firmly, but the jealousy that Lara felt inside burned fiercely.
The hallway went quiet for a moment. Toma raised an eyebrow, then laughed, but Ren's gaze burned, and the air around us seemed to tense.
"Hey, chill! I was just joking," said Toma, but his smile wasn't as easy anymore. "Jealous, Ren?"
Ren didn't move. His hand clenched into a fist, his ears flushed, but his eyes never left me.
"It's... not about that," he muttered in a low, tense voice, though his gaze said everything.
I tried to break the silence with a small cough.
"I... really don't mind," I said quickly, my voice trembling. "I just... got surprised."
Toma winked at me, then walked toward the classroom.
"Maybe next time, then," he said, but his expression was no longer threateningly playful, more mischievous, sly.
Ren stayed beside me for a moment longer, his gaze fixed on me.
The air around us practically sparkled.
"Don't mind him. He overdoes it sometimes," he whispered, his voice carrying the jealousy, care, and emotion he couldn't say aloud.
A smile appeared on my face, but inside, heat and tingling swirled.
It felt like my heart and mind were pulling in two directions at once-I wanted to run, yet also stay by his side.
And somehow, I already knew that this moment... wasn't going to fade anytime soon.