The next day at college, the weather was pleasant.
Students filled the hallways with laughter and conversations as they rushed toward their classrooms.
Zimal sat quietly in her seat, staring at her notebook.
Although she looked calm on the outside, her mind was far away.
Thoughts about her family, her mother’s divorce, and everything that had changed in the last few months still lingered in her heart.
A shadow fell across her desk.
She looked up and found Zaroon standing beside her.
His face looked serious.
”Zimal, I want to talk to you.”
Zimal raised an eyebrow.
”After the lecture.”
”Okay.”
For the next hour, neither of them spoke.
Zaroon tried to focus on the lecture, but his eyes kept drifting toward her.
His heart was beating faster than usual.
He had rehearsed those words hundreds of times in his mind, but now that the moment was finally here, he felt terrified.
Meanwhile, Zimal was completely unaware of the storm raging inside him.
When the lecture ended, students began leaving the classroom.
Zimal packed her books and stood up.
”Okay, now tell me.”
They walked into a quieter corridor.
Zaroon looked at her carefully.
”Are you okay?”
Zimal frowned.
”You’re late.”
”Hmm?”
”My wound has already healed.
You should have asked that weeks ago.
You’re always late.”
For a second, a smile appeared on Zaroon’s face.
Even when she was annoyed, he found her adorable.
But the smile quickly disappeared.
”Why did you agree to your parents’ divorce?”
The question caught her off guard.
Her eyes lowered slightly.
”Because it’s their life and their choice.”
”But are you really okay with it?”
Zimal remained silent for a moment.
The answer wasn’t simple.
No child was ever truly okay with watching their family break apart.
But some wounds became easier to carry with time.
”I still meet my dad on weekends.
So…
it didn’t affect me that much.”
Zaroon looked at her.
He could tell she was lying.
Or perhaps she was simply trying to convince herself.
”What about your dad?”
”What about him?”
”Do you miss him?”
A sad smile appeared on Zimal’s face.
”Every day.”
Zaroon’s chest tightened.
For the first time, she sounded vulnerable.
”Then why don’t you stay with him?”
Zimal looked toward the college garden outside the window.
”Because then my mom would be alone.”
Her voice became softer.
”I love my dad more than anyone knows.”
A lump formed in her throat.
”But he has another family now.”
She paused.
”My mother doesn’t have anyone except me and my brother.”
A painful silence followed.
”So I stayed.”
For a moment, Zaroon didn’t know what to say.
He had always admired her strength.
But now he realized how much pain she carried behind her smiles.
Zimal looked back at him.
”Why are you asking all these questions?”
Zaroon swallowed hard.
”Because I worry about you.”
Something flickered in her eyes.
For a second, she felt warmth in his words.
But she quickly ignored it.
”Okay, let’s go to class.”
She turned to leave.
”Zimal.”
She stopped.
”What?”
Zaroon’s heartbeat grew louder.
”I…”
”We’ll talk after class.”
”No.”
His voice was unusually firm.
Zimal looked at him.
”What do you mean no?”
”I need to say it now.”
She immediately understood.
The way he was looking at her.
The nervousness.
The fear.
The hope.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Her expression hardened.
”Don’t.”
”Please.”
”Zaroon.”
”I’ve kept it inside for months.”
”Stop.”
”I can’t.”
Zimal sighed in frustration.
”I don’t want to hear it.”
A weak smile appeared on his face.
”So you already know?”
”Just get lost.”
But Zaroon wasn’t smiling anymore.
For months he had hidden his feelings.
For months he had stayed silent.
For months he had watched her walk away every single day.
And he was tired.
Tired of pretending.
Tired of lying to himself.
Tired of being just a friend.
He took a deep breath.
”If I don’t say it today, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”
”Stop it, Zaroon.”
”No.” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
His voice trembled.
”Not this time.”
Zimal’s jaw tightened.
”I said stop.”
But Zaroon continued.
His eyes never leaving hers.
”I like you.”
Silence.
The entire corridor seemed to freeze.
His breathing became uneven.
Then he whispered the words he had hidden for so long.
”No…”
A tear escaped from the corner of his eye.
”I love you.”
The words hung heavily between them.
For a second, Zimal’s heart skipped a beat.
Not because she loved him back.
But because she knew what would happen next.
She knew she would hurt him.
And she hated hurting people.
Yet she couldn’t lie.
She couldn’t give him false hope.
She stepped closer.
Then—
SLAP!
The sound echoed through the corridor.
Several students turned around.
Zaroon froze.
His face stung.
But the pain in his chest was worse.
Much worse.
Zimal’s eyes were filled with anger.
And fear.
”I told you to stop.”
Zaroon looked at her.
Even now.
Even after the slap.
Even after the humiliation.
He still loved her.
”But I love you.”
His voice broke.
”I really do.”
For the first time, he looked helpless.
Not like the cheerful boy everyone knew.
Just a boy standing in front of the girl he loved.
Begging her to understand.
But Zimal shook her head.
Slowly.
Sadly.
”Maybe you do.”
Tears gathered in Zaroon’s eyes.
”Then why?”
Zimal looked away.
Because she couldn’t bear seeing that expression on his face.
”Because I don’t.”
Those four words shattered him.
Completely.
”So forget me.”
”I can’t.”
His voice was barely a whisper.
”Please…
just give me one chance.”
”No.”
”Please.”
”No.”
”Zimal…”
”Enough.”
She picked up her bag.
Then she turned around and began walking away.
After a few steps, she stopped.
Without looking back, she spoke one final time.
”And don’t talk to me for a week.”
The words felt like a death sentence.
Zaroon stood there alone.
Watching her disappear down the corridor.
His eyes filled with tears.
For months he had dreamed of this moment.
He had imagined her smiling.
Blushing.
Maybe even saying yes.
Instead, all he received was rejection.
And silence.
The girl he loved had walked away.
And for the first time in his life, Zaroon realized that sometimes loving someone wasn’t enough to make them stay.
Zaroon stood still, his voice breaking in the empty corridor.
”Zimal…”
But she didn’t turn back.
She walked straight into the classroom and sat down quickly, trying to hide her shaking hands and disturbed breathing.
A few moments later, Afifa noticed her.
She walked over and sat beside her.
”What happened?”
Zimal kept her eyes down.
”He did…”
Afifa frowned.
”That bitch…
Zimal immediately looked at her.
”Shut up.”
Afifa raised her eyebrows.
”What?
How can he propose you after you rejected him?
Is he insane?”
Zimal closed her eyes for a second, trying to calm herself.
”Just forget it.”
Afifa wasn’t stopping.
”I know you still love him.”
Zimal’s head snapped up.
”No, I’m not.”
”Then why did you act like that?
Why did you reject him like that?
He didn’t deserve to be yelled at.
He got hurt because you still care about him.”
Zimal’s voice turned sharp.
”Shut up.”
Afifa didn’t argue anymore.
Instead, she grabbed Zimal’s hand firmly.
”Come with me.”
”Where are you taking me?”
Afifa didn’t answer.
The door closed behind them with a soft click.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
Afifa made her sit down on a chair.
”Sit here.”
Zimal looked up, confused.
”What are you doing?”
Afifa crossed her arms.
”I know everything.
So stop hiding it from me.”
Those words broke something inside Zimal.
Her eyes instantly filled with tears.
At first she tried to hold them back.
But she couldn’t.
Slowly, her eyes turned red.
And then she broke.
Tears started falling down her face.
Her voice shook badly.
”How could he do that?”
She wiped her tears but more kept coming.
”I want to move on…
I really want to.”
Her breathing became uneven.
”But I also love myself…
I can’t destroy myself for someone else.”
She pressed her hand against her chest, as if trying to control the pain.
”Why couldn’t he just stay like before?
Like he used to be…”
Her voice cracked.
”I was happy with him as a friend.
Everything was fine.”
She looked at Afifa through tears.
”But now…
he ruined everything.”
Silence filled the room.
Afifa softened her tone and sat beside her.
Zimal lowered her head and cried silently, her shoulders shaking.
For the first time, she didn’t look strong.
She just looked like a girl who was tired of fighting her own heart.
Afifa stayed with Zimal for a while, gently calming her down.
Her voice was soft, trying to pull her out of the emotional storm she was trapped in.
”You’re strong, Zimal… please don’t hurt yourself like this.”
Zimal didn’t respond.
She just lowered her gaze, silently trying to control her shaking emotions.
Slowly, her breathing steadied, but the pain didn’t leave her heart.
After some time, they returned to the classroom.
Zaroon was already sitting in his seat.
When Zimal entered, his eyes immediately went to her.
He waited for even a single glance, but she didn’t look at him.
She simply walked to her seat and sat down like he didn’t exist.
That silence hurt him more than words ever could.
The lecture began, but neither of them was listening properly.
Zimal kept her head down, gripping her pen tightly.
Her hands trembled slightly, and she forced herself to stay still so no one would notice.
Zaroon kept stealing glances at her.
Her silence felt strange… heavier than her anger.
For the first time, she didn’t react at all.
Inside, Zaroon was struggling too.
”Did I mess everything up?” he thought silently.
As soon as the lecture ended, Zimal stood up quickly and left the classroom without saying a word.
Zaroon also tried to stand, but Afifa gave him a sharp look—silent warning.
He stopped.
At home, Zimal went straight to her room and closed the door behind her.
She leaned against it for a moment before slowly walking to her bed and sitting down.
The silence of the room felt suffocating.
Her thoughts were louder than anything else.
She stared at the ceiling, eyes filled with pain.
”Why is this happening again?” she whispered.
”Why do I always end up breaking like this?”
Tears slowly formed in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.
She got up and walked to the window.
Outside, life was normal.
People were laughing, walking, living… as if nothing was wrong in the world.
But inside her, everything felt broken.
After some time, the doorbell rang.
From downstairs, her mother called out,
”Zimal, someone is here.
Go to the guest room.”
Zimal frowned slightly, confused.
”Who could it be now?” she muttered softly.
With a heavy heart, she walked down the stairs and toward the guest room.
With every step, her heartbeat grew faster, as if she already sensed something was coming.
She slowly opened the door.
And froze.
Zaroon was standing there.
Her heart stopped for a second.
”Why are you here?” she asked coldly, trying to hide how shaken she actually was.
Zaroon took a deep breath.
”I just need to talk to you.”
Zimal immediately shook her head.
”No.
There is nothing between you and me anymore.
So leave.”
Zaroon stepped closer.
”Please… just listen to me once.”
Zimal’s eyes filled again, but she refused to cry in front of him.
”Why should I listen to you?” her voice trembled.
”A boy I liked for a whole year rejected me… and I survived that.”
She paused, swallowing the pain.
”We became friends after that… and I thought maybe I was okay again.”
Her voice broke slightly.
”And now you come and say all this like nothing ever happened.”
She looked straight at him, eyes full of hurt.
”I am not a toy, Zaroon.”
Silence filled the room.
Zaroon’s voice came out low and broken.
”I never wanted to hurt you… I swear.”
Zimal shook her head.
”But you did.”
She turned away, unable to face him anymore.
Zaroon’s voice followed her, trembling.
”I love you, Zimal…”
She stopped for a second.
But didn’t turn back.
”Stop it.”
And with that, she walked out of the room, leaving Zaroon standing there alone, once again drowning in silence and regret.