Breaking the Wall

Days passed since Hita had faced Mira and her group. The whispers around campus didn’t stop if anything, they grew louder.

She changed, huh?”

“Guess she thinks she’s better than everyone now.”

“Such a fake.”

Every word hit like a stone, but Hita didn’t flinch anymore. She still felt the fear twisting inside her, but now there was something stronger the quiet memory of Reyan’s voice: That’s what makes it brave.

She walked alone most days, earbuds in, pretending not to hear. Yet, for the first time, her silence wasn’t submission it was strength.

During art class, she was assigned a group project. Her name ended up beside Mira’s on the list. The room fell silent for a beat when everyone saw it. Mira rolled her eyes.

“Don’t mess this up,” Mira muttered as they sat together.

Hita simply nodded. No sarcasm, no anger just calm focus. While the others talked about their weekend, she started sketching quietly.

Reyan, sitting across the room, noticed. He watched the way she worked steady, absorbed, peaceful despite everything around her. When their eyes met briefly, she smiled, small but real.

After class, he caught up with her.

“So, how’s working with Mira again?”

“Awkward,” Hita admitted with a half laugh. “But… I think she’s avoiding fighting now. Maybe she’s just confused.”

“Confused?”

“About how to treat someone she can’t control anymore.”

Reyan smiled faintly. “You’re sharper than you look.”

She laughed softly. “I’ve had to be.”

That weekend, their project team met at a café near campus. Mira arrived late, sunglasses on, acting like the world revolved around her.

“Sorry, had to meet someone,” she said, sliding into her seat.

Hita pushed the sketches toward her. “Here. These are the drafts for the presentation.”

Mira blinked. “You finished all this?”

“Yeah,” Hita said. “But I thought you might want to adjust some details since it’s your idea.”

For the first time, Mira didn’t know what to say. The calm in Hita’s voice disarmed her. No fear, no anger just quiet confidence.

Um… yeah, okay,” Mira muttered, flipping through the pages.

Reyan, who was helping from another table, caught Hita’s eye and gave her a small nod of approval. She didn’t need to say anything — the moment spoke for itself.

As the day ended, the group disbanded. Hita lingered by the café window, watching the sunset spill golden light across the street. Reyan joined her, holding two cups of coffee.

“You did good today,” he said, handing one to her.

“Thanks. I just… stopped trying to please everyone.”

“That’s not easy.”

“No,” she said, looking at her reflection in the glass. “But it feels right.”

There was a soft pause between them. The kind of silence that didn’t feel heavy it just was.

Reyan looked at her with quiet admiration.

“You know, when I first saw you, I thought you were the kind of person who’d break easily.”

“And now?”

“Now I think you’re the kind of person who breaks walls instead.”

Hita laughed, cheeks warming. “That sounds dramatic.”

“Maybe. But true.”

They stood there a while longer, sipping coffee as the lights around the city flickered on.