Chapter 2: The Gift of the Night

“There’s no one here,” she whispered. The street was deserted,

and the tall buildings stood silent. All the children in the

neighborhood were asleep. She looked around carefully,

scanning every corner as far as her eyes could reach, but she did

not see a single soul.

“Hmm… maybe it’s a child playing a prank,” she thought. Just

as she was thinking this, something brushed against her foot.

When she looked down, she saw a beautiful, rare rose lying

there. It was so exquisite that she had never seen a rose this

stunning before. Its beauty drew her in irresistibly.

Unintentionally, she picked it up and brought it closer, inhaling

its scent. She took a long, deep breath. The fragrance of the rose

was so enchanting that words could hardly describe it. What is

this? She wondered.

Then she noticed something else. Tied to the rose’s stem with a

delicate bow was a small piece of paper.

She looked around once again, hoping she might catch sight of

someone, but there was no one there. Nothing at all. The street

remained empty, silent, as if it were holding its breath.

“What could this be?” she whispered.

Carefully, she opened the paper so that the rose would not be

damaged, and she untied the delicate bow. She did not know

why, but she felt restless, desperate to see what was hidden

beneath it. Her heart was beating faster as she unfolded the small

piece of paper.

It read:

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My beloved red rose,

This letter is written in your name.

Ask this heart about the state of its restlessness,

a heart that, even after seeing you, still longs to

Meet you. I am dying a little more with each.

passing day. I would rather fade away than see.

You love someone other than me.

Do not ask who I am!

I am the one who is closer to you than anyone else.

Yours,

Lover

Anonymous

After reading the letter, she sank into deep thought. In one hand,

she held the unfolded letter; in the other, the rose. She could not

understand who could have written something so beautiful for

her. Could it be that this letter was not meant for me at all? She

wondered. Someone meant to throw it somewhere else, and it

accidentally fell onto my balcony.

But then another thought crossed her mind. If someone had

thrown it by mistake, wouldn’t they know by now?

14

“I’ll go outside and see who it is,” she whispered to herself.

Then she stopped. She did not want her sister to wake up or

notice anything. Quietly, she picked up the beautiful rose from

the balcony and took out her personal diary, the one she kept

hidden deep inside the cupboard. Without making a sound, she

gently placed the rose inside it and put the diary back where it

belonged.

She was scared while doing all this, but she had fallen in love

with the rose and wanted to keep it safe. If someone is outside

and this rose belongs to them, I will return it, she told herself.

What should I do? After a moment, she decided, I will keep it

for now. They must have more roses, anyway.

Suddenly, a thought struck her mind. She looked again at the

letter on her other hand and reread it slowly.

The light of my eyes…

Her eyes widened.

“How could I forget this?” she whispered. “This must be him. It

is him.”

A small smile curved her lips.

“He’s the only one who could love me this much,” she

murmured.

“Naughty boy.”

She hid the letter in the cupboard and then lay down to sleep, as

if nothing had happened.

She was running late for university again.

“Where are my books? I kept them right here yesterday,” she

said anxiously.

“I didn’t touch any of your things!” her sister shouted from the

kitchen.

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“Okay, I’m not even saying anything,” she replied, still searching.

She looked for her books as if she herself had placed them

somewhere and then completely forgotten. I put them in the

cupboard, she thought.

When she opened it, her books were lying snugly inside.

“Thank God, I found my books,” she breathed in relief.

As she lifted them, her diary caught her eye.

How could I forget the letter? She thought.

She placed her diary aside on the chair and closed the cupboard.

“I’m heading to the university,” she called out as she walked

toward the stairs.

“Okay,” her sister replied. “But come home early today. We

must go to the airport.”

She paused for a moment. “I am donating my books. Do you

want to give yours too? Her sister asked.

“Yes, I have put them on the table. You can pick them up from

there,” she said.

She checked her bag once again, making sure everything was in

place, and quietly left the house. The morning light filtered

through the windows, and she felt a mix of excitement and

nervousness for the day ahead.

She stepped in through the door.

The classroom was silent as the professor was delivering the

lecture, yet her eyes were searching for someone.

“Hello!” a voice whispered.

She turned slightly.

“Where were you? You are late today,” she said.

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“There was an event today,” he replied.

“I’m organizing it.”

“Music night?” she asked.

“Right,” he said.

“You look very smart today, my rose,” he murmured, leaning

closer to her face.

“Is there any problem?” the professor asked, looking directly at

the two of them.

“Nothing, sir. Everything is fine,” the boy replied quickly.

He took the seat beside her, sitting close enough that their

shoulders almost touched. He lowered his head toward the desk

so the professor would not notice and looked at her with eyes

full of affection.

“I won’t be able to concentrate if you keep looking at me like

that,” she whispered.

“Today, you’ll have to come with me,” he mumbled.

She felt herself getting distracted. Still keeping her eyes towards

the projector, she asked in a deep voice, “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” he replied with a smile.

“Um…really,” she hesitated.

“Is there a problem?” he asked, concern flickering in his eyes.

I cannot break his heart, she thought to herself.

She had not forgotten anything. On one side, she had to go to

the airport; on the other, there was him. After a brief pause, she

chose him.

“Perfect,” the boy said softly, a satisfied smile spreading across

his face.

17

The class had ended, and the break had begun. Students were

leaving the classroom one by one, yet he was still looking at her.

“Come on, it’s break time,” she said as she stood up from her

seat.

“Why are you in such a hurry?” he replied.

Before she could react, he caught her hand, pulled her closer,

and gently settled her onto his lap. His arms wrapped around her

waist, holding her firmly.

“Someone might see us,” she whispered, her voice tense.

“No one will,” he said calmly.

He lifted her hair aside with his hand and leaned in, pressing a

soft kiss against her neck.

Her sensations began to intensify, yet she did not want to stop

him. Fear lingered in her heart that someone might walk in and

see them. The boy’s hand moved slowly over her waist as he

lifted her slightly, positioning her legs so that one rested on each

side of his. His hands traveled from her waist upward until they

reached her face.

As the boy’s hands slowly traced every part of her body before

finally reaching her face, her sensations intensified with each

passing second. Fear still lingered, fear that someone might walk

in and see them, but it no longer had the strength to stop her.

This was the first time she had experienced feelings like this,

unfamiliar yet overwhelming. She wanted to lose herself in him,

to melt into his presence. She could not find the words to say;

she could only feel deeply, intensely, letting the moment take

over her completely.

His hands had now reached her face.

“Someone might see us,” she said, placing her hand against his

chest, her voice barely above a whisper.

“At this moment, you belong only to me,” he replied.

18

He lifted one hand and placed it gently against one of her rose

tinted cheeks, then cupped the other with his second hand. He

looked at her with an intensity filled with deep affection.

“I love you. You are only mine,” he said.

As he spoke those words, he held her by the waist and pulled her

so close to himself that there was no distance left between their

bodies at all.

He placed one hand gently on her waist and the other on the

back of her neck. Her senses were heightened so intensely that

he could feel her heartbeat against him.

“Even if someone sees us, I don’t care,” he whispered.

Without hesitation, he pressed his lips to hers, their mouths

meeting in a way that made her feel as if she were melting into

him.

“I love you too,” she murmured, surrendering herself to him

completely.

As she said it, he deepened the kiss, pulling her even closer. His

hands moved to cradle her neck, closing the tiny space between

their bodies. She responded fully, returning the kiss with the

same intensity, her arms wrapping around him, lost in the

moment.

The world outside ceased to exist. The only thing that mattered

was them, the kiss, and the fire of emotions consuming them

both.

A loud bell rang, signaling the end of the break.

Reluctantly, she pulled herself away from him and sat down at

the desk beside him, keeping a small distance. Why does the

break feel so short? He wondered.

He looked at her and smiled, a playful glint at his eyes.

Embarrassed, she blushed and returned the smile.

19

“Today’s our basketball match,” he reminded her softly.

“Oh, shit!” Johnny, one of his friends, shouted as he entered the

classroom. “What happened?” he asked. “Come on, we’re

getting late for the game. They are waiting for you,” Johnny

replied hurriedly. You guys go ahead; I’ll catch up.”

He turned back toward her, smiling warmly.

Today, she was feeling his presence more deeply than ever.

The university stadium was packed with spectators. All that

remained now was the team leader’s grand entrance. When will he

come? She wondered.

The moment he entered the stadium, both boys and girls began

chanting his name. But he seemed completely unaffected by the

crowd. His eyes were searching for only one person.

She immediately lowered her head, hiding behind the person

sitting in front of her so he would not notice her.

“There you are,” he said suddenly.

“Let’s play a game today,” he said with a playful grin.

“Hey, VIP seat, clear it,” he added casually.

“VIP seat? For what?” She lifted her head, and the person who

had been sitting in front of her was suddenly gone.

Where did he go? She thought, confused.

He caught her gaze, winked at her, and started walking up the

stadium stairs toward her.

What will I do sit in the VIP seats? she thought nervously.

Reaching her, he took her hand and gently led her down toward

the VIP section.

“Sit here, my princess,” he said softly.

20

“This isn’t right… " Everyone is watching us,” she whispered.

“Everyone belongs where they deserve to be,” he replied calmly.

And saying that, he kissed her cheek in front of everyone.

She froze.

When she looked around the stadium, she realized the crowd

was staring at her, not in shock, but with eyes full of envy.

Her heart was still racing.

The game had begun.

He was playing exceptionally well, just as he always did. He

played with such strength and focus that his body was soaked in

sweat.

He looks so cool, she thought, watching him.

“Goal!” the commentator shouted.

“Yahoo!” she whispered under her breath.

He and his team celebrated, jumping with joy, while the

opposing team burned with frustration. Everyone had a

weakness, the rival team’s leader thought to himself. His hands

were still trembling.

She could still feel his kiss throughout her entire body. Football

had never really been his passion. If she were here today, it was

only have been because of him.

“One round over,” the commentator announced.

As soon as those words were spoken, both teams formed small

circles, discussing their next move.

“We need to make this round a tie. Understood?” the opposing

team leader said quietly.

“Done,” his teammates replied in unison.

21

“Let’s do whatever is written in our fate,” he said to his own

team.

“Of course, we’re the ones who will win,” the team members

replied confidently.

The game had entered its final stage.

Both teams were trying to score one single goal and would

decide who would win.

The stadium was filled with tension. There was restlessness

everywhere, whispers spreading through the crowd.

“But what is this? The entire stadium is chanting just one name,”

the commentator said in a serious tone. “

The round had begun.

The football rested at his feet.

He looked toward her and smiled just once before kicking the

ball forward.

The goal seemed inevitable.

But suddenly, a rival team member blocked it and delivered a

powerful kick toward the left side. As their leader struck the ball,

chaos erupted in the stadium. The crowd surged, voices colliding

in confusion.

“What’s happening over there?” he said anxiously.

One of his teammates came running toward him, panic written

all over his face.

And what he heard next was something he had never expected.

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