Chapter 2:Two Different Worlds

One afternoon, the sun was shining brightly, and the weather was perfect. I was sitting with my friends under the big tree in the school garden, enjoying the shade and the cool breeze. We were sharing snacks and talking about our favorite shows and movies, just enjoying our time together.

"Mio-chan, look at this picture! Isn't this so funny?" my friend showed me her phone screen, giggling.

I couldn't help it. A big, genuine smile spread across my face. My eyes crinkled happily, and I laughed freely, my voice clear and happy. "Hahaha! Yes! That looks exactly like our Math teacher! Oh my gosh, it's perfect!"

For a moment, I forgot everything else. I forgot about school, about studies, and especially about him. I was just being myself—happy, talkative, and open. This was the real me, the side only my friends were allowed to see. I felt light and free, without any pressure to be quiet or shy.

"What are you guys laughing so loud about?"

That voice. It cut through our conversation like a sharp knife, instantly killing the happy mood.

I froze instantly. The smile on my face vanished completely, as if it had never been there. I closed my mouth tightly and looked down, my shoulders hunching up instinctively, trying to make myself smaller. It was Haru. He was walking past with his friends, but he stopped right in front of us, blocking the light.

"Nothing," I mumbled, my voice back to being small and quiet, barely a whisper.

My friends looked at him warily, their expressions turning guarded. They knew how he always teased me and how uncomfortable I got around him. They didn't like him very much.

Haru looked at me, then at my friends, his expression dark and unreadable. His eyes scanned my face, trying to find that happy girl from just a second ago. He saw clearly how I was glowing and laughing while I was with them, but the moment I saw him, I turned into a silent, cold statue again.

"Tch. So you can laugh," he said, his tone sounding strange, a mixture of surprise and annoyance. "You can talk too, right? I hear you. So why is it that you only act like that with them? Why do I only get this silent treatment?"

He felt a strange, sharp twist in his chest. It was a feeling he didn't quite understand at first, but it was clear—it was jealousy. He was jealous of my friends. They got to see the side of me that he couldn't reach. They got to hear my voice and see my smile, while all he got was silence and cold shoulders. It wasn't fair.

"You look so happy there... it's annoying," he muttered, almost to himself, so quiet that only he could hear it.

He didn't understand why it bothered him so much. He told himself it was because he hated being ignored. He told himself it was just his pride getting hurt. But deep down, he knew the truth. He wanted to be the one making me laugh. He wanted to be the one I talked to. He wanted to enter that circle of trust and be important to me.

He kicked the ground lightly, turned around, and walked away, but his mind was filled with images of my smile. Two different worlds. One where I was bright and alive, and one where I was silent and distant. And he was stuck outside, wanting to get in, liking me silently more and more every single day.

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