As Senoinoi walked through the school gate, she thought to herself.
"Why am I feeling like this after what happened yesterday? Why is my heart beating so fast, as if an electric shock is running through my body?"
Lucky suddenly tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hey! What's wrong with you?"
He laughed. "Where were you? You jumped when I touched you. Your mind must have been somewhere far away."
Even though Lucky was her friend, Senoinoi wasn't happy to see him.
"That boy always confuses my mind," she thought.
Lucky looked into her eyes and whispered teasingly, "You look extra beautiful today."
Senoinoi forced a small smile. It wasn't a smile from her heart. She ignored him and walked into her classroom.
When the lunch bell rang, Simon walked straight toward Senoinoi.
He smiled warmly.
"There she is... the love of my heart. Every time I see her, my whole body trembles."
Senoinoi quickly reminded herself,
"No, I mustn't let Simon know that I'm happy about what he told me yesterday."
Simon gently held her hand.
"Good afternoon, my love. I hope you slept well."
Senoinoi tried not to smile. She pulled her hand back slightly and acted as if his words meant nothing.
"Why are you following me? What do you want?"
Simon held her hand a little tighter.
"My love, why do you look unhappy? Did I do something wrong?"
Senoinoi felt her heart pounding.
"Why do I feel like this whenever Simon is near me? Is this... love? Ah... who can I ask about love?"
Simon gently stroked her hand while looking into her eyes.
"Senoi..."
Simon leaned closer and whispered into her ear
"Will you love me?"
Senoinoi not replied,
Simon's eyes shone with happiness as he smiled at her.
Senoinoi smiled back, unable to hide the feelings growing inside her.
"I love you, beautiful. Meet me at Moriks' shop after school. Can't you see how the other students are looking at us?"
Senoinoi couldn't control her emotions anymore. She still didn't understand why she felt this way.
Senoinoi was a beautiful nineteen-year-old high school student. Her closest friend was Lucky, who was also nineteen. Simon, another nineteen-year-old student at the same school, had secretly fallen in love with her.
As Senoinoi walked through the school gate, she thought to herself...
Just then, Lucky hurried over.
"Hey, you two! What are you doing? This is school!"
Senoinoi stepped away, leaving Simon and Lucky together.
Simon laughed.
"Why do you look so jealous, boy?"
Lucky didn't answer. Instead, he walked straight to Senoinoi and gently pulled her by the hand.
"Why are you smiling to yourself? What's gotten into you?"
But Senoinoi's mind was filled with Simon's face and the sweet words he had spoken.
"His words feel so wonderful..."
"Eish..."Senoinoi said.
Lucky frowned and lightly pushed her.
"Hey! I'm talking to you. What's wrong with you?"
Senoinoi only smiled even more without answering him.
Before they could continue, the school bell rang, and everyone returned to their classrooms.
After school, Lucky grabbed Senoinoi by the hand.
"Today, I'm taking you home. I want to tell your mother that you're in love. You're still a child, Senoinoi. You should stop this."
Senoinoi frowned and replied angrily,
"Why are you bringing my mother into this? You're not my guardian. Leave me alone."
Seeing that she was upset, Lucky quickly tried to calm her down.
"I'm sorry, my friend. I'm just worried about you. Think carefully before you fall in love. The consequences of love can be very painful."
Without saying another word, Senoinoi walked away.
Simon had already noticed that Lucky was jealous whenever he was with Senoinoi.
Around five o'clock, as Senoinoi walked through the gate of Moriks' shop, Simon was waiting for her.
He gently held her hand.
She jumped slightly.
"Why did you scare me like that?"
Simon smiled shyly.
"Love makes me nervous, my love. Let's go somewhere private."
Senoinoi lowered her voice.
"What if we go behind the shop?"
They walked behind the shop where no one was around.
Simon looked deep into her eyes. His voice trembled with nervousness.
"So... will you love me?"
Senoinoi laughed softly.
"I don't know anything about love. You're the first boy who has ever spoken to me about it."
She could barely swallow because she was so nervous.
Simon smiled.
"Then I'll teach you what love is."
Senoinoi laughed again.
"And who taught you either?"
Simon was becoming impatient. He desperately wanted to hear her answer. Holding both of her hands, he looked straight into her eyes without blinking.
When he realized that Senoinoi couldn't answer because her emotions had overwhelmed her, he slowly leaned closer and kissed her.
"I love you too, my love," Senoinoi whispered.
She lowered her head shyly and drew circles on the ground with her foot.
Simon smiled.
"You're as beautiful as a butterfly, my love."
Before he could finish speaking...
Slap!
A loud slap landed across his face.
His vision blurred.
"What do you think you're doing?" Simon ‘s mother shouted.
"Oh, Mom..."
Simon bent over, seeing stars from the force of the slap.
"Beautiful, like a butterfly!"
"A butterfly? Have you lost your mind, Simon?"
She tried to grab Senoinoi, but the frightened girl quickly stepped back and stood silently, her eyes wide with fear and
She looked closely at Senoinoi.
"Oh... you're Mokgadi's daughter."
Senoinoi gently held her cheek, too shocked to say a word.
"I'm not denying that you're beautiful. Everyone in the village talks about your beauty. But stay away from my son!"
She stepped closer, forcing Senoinoi to move back.
"Mom, leave her alone! She has done nothing wrong. I was the one who asked her to come here."
That only made Simon's mother even angrier.
"You think you're a grown man now? I'll teach you a lesson!"
Simon took a step back.
"And you, young girl, listen carefully. You're not good enough for my son. I don't care how beautiful you are. I never want to see you anywhere near him again."
"Do you know the kind of family Simon comes from? He belongs to a wealthy family. He should fall in love with a rich girl from a rich family."
Senoinoi stood there silently, staring at Simon's mother.
"Didn't you hear me? Go home!"
She picked up a stone.
Terrified, Senoinoi quickly took off her shoes, grabbed them in her hands, and ran as fast as she could.
Simon's mother chased after her, throwing stones, but every stone missed.
Simon quietly turned around and walked back home.
