The weather was cold outside, like the hearts of humans—nice to see, but something we regret once we are out in it.

My heroine, she is 20 years old, with black-and-brown mixed eyes. She was shivering because of the rain that fell to hug her during her sorrow. She was swaying like a heavy punching bag from right to left. With each step she took, it felt like a pound of weight was tied to her foot.

She walked into a huge party without bothering about the thousands of eyes, the music even stopping for her. Three well-dressed men came near her. One of them removed his coat and covered her, while the other two took her to the resort room that was booked for the reunion party.

Silence followed the whole room between the four of them. She sat down on the bed while one of them dried her hair and the other knelt before her and held her hand.

“Miriyam… what exact—”

Before he could complete, she jumped into his arms and murmured,

“He is back, Tarham…!!”

The other one, who had been zoning out to the outside world, raised his voice, clenched his fist, and said, “Who… that moron?!”

𝓑𝓔𝓕𝓞𝓡𝓔 6 𝓨𝓔𝓐𝓡𝓢

Miriam walked through the corridor of a private school. She floated like a green leaf—always happy and cheerful. She was always with her three friends: Tarham, Phil, and Kinedy.

The three were standing in front of a classroom, chit-chatting as always. Suddenly, she ran up and hit Phil on the head.

Phil: “Who was the son of—???”

Suddenly he stopped when he saw it was Miriam.

Miriam: “It’s not son of a… It’s daughter of a… Complete it, dude!”

The other two laughed as they saw Miriam and Phil pulling each other’s hair.

Their teacher, who had been watching everything from a distance, asked her to meet in the meeting room. The teacher closed the door as Miriam entered.

Teacher: “Miriam, I know you like to live as a boy, but accept the reality that you are a girl. Moreover, what were your grades last year? You were one of the brightest children, and now what? Remember, the boys with you—especially that Tarham—know exactly how to balance enjoyment and studies. And one more thing: I agree that you can play soccer as well as any boy, but be a woman sometimes…”

Miriam walked out of the room and didn’t utter a word to the boys. The teacher smiled and nodded. She entered the class followed by the three. She looked around and gasped.

Kinedy: “And?”

She took out the recorder from her pocket and continued,

“Here is the recording. Study the lecture and follow it, okay?”

They all burst into laughter..

They were like a group of magnets, always drawn to one another, bound by the strongest force she had ever known. Together, they formed an unbreakable circle. Around them, she felt safe—always happy, always calm—because she knew, without doubt, that they would never leave her side. Their presence was steady and reassuring, like a silent promise. They were her guardian wings, shielding her from the world, holding her close, and reminding her that she was never alone.

She went to the library alone this time, without her friends. It was the only place where she truly loved being by herself. She was a keen reader, and from the day she learned to read, she had also fallen in love with writing.

And apart from all that, she had a boyfriend—Gabriel—waiting for her.

They sat across from each other, lost in one another’s eyes, hands intertwined, sharing secrets through their fingers. Where words stopped, actions began—quietly expressing love.

Gabriel: “So… how was your day?”

Miriyam: “As usual. A lecture from the teacher about how I’ve become pathetic in class—especially when it comes to friendship.”

She paused, then looked up at him.

“Wait… Gab, have you ever felt jealous when I’m with them? I mean, I know I’m a bit more attached to my friends.”

Gabriel covered his mouth and giggled softly.

Slowly, he moved her hair aside, his fingers brushing gently over her cheek before he spoke.

Gabriel: “At first… yes, I did. But then I realized something. You’re protected when you’re with them. And if you ever chose to cheat on me, you would—no matter the circumstances or how protective I tried to be.”

She smiled, a quiet pride glowing on her face. It was the first time she had heard him speak with such seriousness—and such maturity.

The next day…

Phil and Miriyam were arguing loudly when, all of a sudden, she bumped straight into her IT professor.

The professor rolled her eyes so hard it looked like they might fall out.

Miriyam: “Hi, ma’am— I mean, good morning, ma’am.”

She swallowed nervously. “I was actually going to ask… are you free next hour? Would you like to take over our class?”

The professor looked Miriyam up and down, unimpressed.

Professor: “Tell me something. When was the last time you all visited the practical lab?”

Miriyam bowed her head, suddenly very interested in the floor.

Professor: “I need you four in the lab next hour. Is that clear?”

We four? Miriyam scratched her head and slowly turned around.

The other two were standing right behind her.

Tarham raised one eyebrow and murmured,

Tarham: “What did you think—skipping the math class without us?”

Miriyam: “Maths?!”

Kinedy: “Yeah. The substitute today is the maths professor.”

Miriyam’s eyes widened in horror. She quickly turned back to the IT professor and forced a confident smile.

Miriyam: “We’ll be there for sure, ma’am.”

The professor gave a thin smile—one that clearly said you’re in trouble—and walked away.

The four of them exchanged looks.

Skipping math had never sounded so tempting… until now.

All four of them burst into laughter and jumped in excitement, their relief unmistakable. Skipping the math class felt like winning a small but precious victory.

But suddenly, a clerk stepped inside, scanning the room.

“Who is Miss Miriyam?” he asked.

Her heart skipped. Slowly, she stepped forward.

“Yes?”

The clerk looked at her for a moment before saying, “Your parents are here to pick you up.”

Her eyes widened. What?

“So early?” she muttered under her breath, a mix of shock and panic rushing through her. This wasn’t supposed to happen…

Miriyam:"Phil, can you please inform Gab that I’m leaving?"

Thalam: "Wait—what? Why does *he* need to be informed about you?"

Miriyam bit her lip in frustration, her silence heavier than words. Beside her, Phil struck his forehead with his palm, clearly overwhelmed.

Kinedy:"Miriyam… are you hiding something from us? And Phil, how come you’re the only one who knows about this?"

Miriyam took a deep breath, her voice trembling but firm.

Miriyam: "Guys, I promise I’ll explain everything tomorrow. Just… please believe me when I say there’s a reason for all of this. Until then, don’t ask Phil anything—and please don’t blame him. None of this is his fault."

She ran home, clutching her secrets tightly in her mind. Her heart pounded as she wondered how she would ever explain everything to them. The moment she saw her parents, she slowed down, forcing a smile.

Miriyam:Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. Why are you so early?

Her parents exchanged a quick glance, excitement written all over their faces.

Mom:Your brother is coming to town today. We thought you’d be happy, so we picked you up a little earlier.

Miriyam froze.

Miriyam:My… brother?

She let out a nervous laugh. **Brother?!** I don’t have one.

Did you… adopt a child without telling me?

Mom: Other than you? You alone are already a huge mountain for us. And besides, you have two other sisters—aren’t they more than enough?

Miriyam rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile.

Later that evening, her brother Akuil arrived.

To Miriyam and her family, he was no less than their own blood. He was only a year older than her, yet he had always been her protector, her partner in mischief, and her safest place. Every vacation, they spent their days together—laughing, arguing, dreaming.

Their bond was so strong, so unbreakable, that no one would have ever dared to come between them.

She eagerly prepared everything for his arrival. By half past four, he finally appeared at the door, dragging a huge piece of luggage behind him.

Miriyam ran toward him with a wide smile.

“Akuil!”

She threw her arms around him, hugging him so tightly he could barely breathe.

Pulling back, she looked at his face—then at the bag.

“Are you going away or something?” she asked, half-joking.

Akuil shook his head slowly.

“No… I can’t stay in my town anymore.”

Miriyam’s smile faded. Her voice dropped, suspicious and uneasy.

“And exactly why is that?”

He smiled awkwardly and gently patted her head.

After freshening up, Akuil and Miriyam rushed outside to play soccer. Miriyam had been a state-level soccer player, and ever since they were kids, she had practiced with him. She never had a brother, and Akuil had always filled that space in her life.

The game was fast and familiar—laughter, quick passes, dusty shoes. Then, suddenly, Akuil trapped the ball under his foot and stopped.

Miriyam frowned.

**“What’s wrong? Why did you stop?”**

He avoided her eyes, staring at the ground instead.

**“Miriyam… I think I’m in love with a girl.”**

The ball rolled away slowly between them as the air grew heavy.

.