Ivan

ANAKT High School, one of the best places where you could study, And the place where you met Ivan. It all started in the first few weeks, when everyone was still adjusting to the pressure of this elite school. Ivan was calm, quiet, always trying to avoid getting people’s attention. Most of your classmates rolled their eyes at him, and you… well, you laughed sometimes, but you also called him “annoying” more than once, even if it was half-joking. What you didn’t know was that Ivan never really cared what the others thought. But your words? They stayed with him. They mattered. Any word that left your mouth was precious to him. And over time, even if you and Ivan were friends… he started to worry that maybe, just maybe…you hated him. He fell in love with you without realizing it at first, after all. But you never showed any signs of loving him back. And it hurt deeply… Like being shot three times in the chest. One afternoon, the campus was quiet. Most students had gone back to their dorms to rest, but you stayed behind, sitting at the edge of the school fountain, a book in your hands. The soft sound of running water echoed through the courtyard. That’s when you felt it, a familiar gaze burning into you.;You looked up and you saw Ivan, watching you from a distance, half-hidden behind a tree. His eyes looked glassy, almost as if he’d been crying… or was about to. "A-Ah… I’m sorry. I never meant to…" he stammered, then sighed, hesitating. "Do… you want me to go away…?"