At first, the crush felt sweet —
a soft daydream she carried between classes.
But slowly…
she started noticing things.
He laughed more with other girls.
He replied to everyone's messages — except hers.
He walked past her like she was invisible.
She kept telling herself, "Maybe he's just shy."
But the truth didn't stay gentle for long.
The Betrayal
One afternoon, she overheard his friends joking:
"She likes you so much, dude!"
"Yeah, I know," he laughed.
"She's just… not my type. I talk to her only when I need notes."
Something inside her sank.
Not dramatically —
just a quiet breaking.
Not loud pain —
just a silent "Oh… I see."
From that day, she stopped looking for him in the corridors. She stopped checking her phone. She stopped hoping.
She decided to give up.
The Night She Broke Down
She didn't cry in front of anyone.
She didn't have anyone to cry to.
Except him.
That evening she sat under the banyan tree earlier than usual, hugging her knees, trying to breathe through the heaviness.
Ren arrived a little late —
but the moment he saw her eyes, he understood.
Not what happened. Just that she was hurting.
He didn't ask a single question. He just sat beside her — close, steady, warm.
After minutes of silence, she slowly said:
"I was wrong… people don't stay."
Ren looked ahead at the fading sky.
"I stay," he said softly.
She didn't reply, but tears slipped down silently —
not because she was weak, but because his words felt safer than any apology she never received.
That night, before leaving, Ren stood up and dusted his uniform pants.
"He didn't betray you," he said quietly.
"He just never deserved what you were ready to give."
She looked up at him — surprised.
"You'll be okay," he added.
"Even if the world leaves… I won't."
He didn't say "I love you."
He didn't even know that feeling yet.
But in that moment, he unknowingly promised her something deeper:
He would be her constant.
Her best friend.
Her only real home.