NM

As soon as I stepped out of class, I frowned at the sight of Greco standing by the door. His face lit up with a smile when he saw me.

What's his deal?

He walked toward me, his gaze fixed on mine in a way that made me uneasy.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked irritably.

"Let's go home together," he said, still smiling.

Could he wipe that grin off his face? It wasn't endearing—just irritating. For reasons I couldn't explain, my annoyance with him bubbled up every time he was around.

"And why would I go home with you?"

"Then don't," he replied with a shrug, his smile unwavering. "I'm easy to talk to."

Without waiting for my response, he turned and walked off.

Seriously, this guy was too full of himself. Acting like we were close? Annoying.

I stormed off toward the campus gates, determined to leave Greco far behind. I sat at the waiting shed, hoping to catch the next bus. Thankfully, Greco wasn't around. The thought of sitting next to him for the entire ride home made my skin crawl.

When the bus finally arrived, I boarded quickly and snagged a seat at the very front. Plugging my earphones in, I leaned back, ready for some peace.

Or so I thought.

The bus had just started to move when someone dashed on board. I looked up—and there he was. Greco.

He plopped into the seat across from mine, and when he noticed me looking, he waved like a child who'd just spotted his best friend. I grimaced and shot him a glare before turning away.

The ride home dragged on, the long journey stretching into nightfall. When we finally reached Vera town, I got off the bus, relieved to breathe some fresh air. Greco followed close behind, though he stayed on the opposite side of the street.

We walked in awkward sync—side by side but separated by the width of the road. For once, Greco was unusually quiet. The absence of his usual chatter was almost unnerving. What was up with him today?

As we reached the crossing, I noticed Greco suddenly veer off toward a different road. I stopped, confused.

"Greco!" I called out, making him glance back at me.

"Yes?" he answered, his tone light.

"Why are you going that way? Your house is this way," I said, pointing down the road I was headed.

"Oh, I've got a part-time job at Happiness Café, remember?" he replied with a smile.

Ah, right. I'd completely forgotten.

"Of course. Well, I'll head off then," I said, feeling a bit embarrassed for forgetting something so obvious. I was about to turn and walk away when he called my name.

"NM!"

I looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Want to come along?"

I frowned. "What would I even do there?"

"Eat?" he offered, his tone half-serious, half-joking.

I scoffed. "No thanks. I've got an assignment to finish for pre-calculus."

His smile widened at that, which immediately made me wary.

"I can help with that," he said confidently. "Pre-cal is easy."

I paused, caught off guard by his offer. As much as I wanted to argue, I couldn't deny I needed the help. Math had never been my strong suit, and pre-calculus was currently my sworn enemy.

"Fine," I muttered, trying to sound indifferent. Inside, I was already relieved. Maybe having Greco around wasn't entirely useless.

Greco

I set the tray down on the counter and changed into a new shirt since my shift had ended. I grabbed my bag and headed over to NM's table, but when I got there, I found her fast asleep. She was holding her ballpoint pen and calculator, her notes spread out in front of her.

A smile crept onto my face, and I shook my head at the sight of her.

I sat down across from her and carefully took the things she was holding. She didn't stir, so I smiled even wider. She really did sleep deeply.

I glanced at her notes, reading through the equations on the paper. I solved them one by one, finishing quickly after just a few minutes. Pre-calculus was one of my favorite subjects—math, in general, was something I enjoyed.

I checked my watch—it was already 10 p.m. I yawned, resting my elbow on the table as I watched NM sleep soundly.

She shifted suddenly, slowly opening her eyes. She blinked a few times, then adjusted her position as she sat up. She seemed startled when she saw me sitting across from her. Her eyes darted to her watch, and when she saw the time, her eyes went wide.

"Why didn't you wake me up? I still had a lot to finish. I've been waiting for you forever!" she said, clearly frustrated.

I grinned. "I know. You slept for so long that I ended up finishing what you were doing," I said, handing her the paper. She looked at it in disbelief, her mouth dropping open when she saw everything had been answered.

"How did you finish all of this?" she asked, her voice full of astonishment.

I shrugged casually. "Want me to teach you?"

She immediately shook her head. "Maybe next time. It's late, I need to go home," she said, still a little hesitant, as she packed up her things and stood up.

She looked at me for a long moment, and I couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.

"Are you not going to stand up? Come on," she snapped, and without thinking, I got to my feet.

"Is it okay if we go home together?" I asked, surprised by my own question. I didn't expect her to invite me to walk home with her.

"Well, what can I do? We're neighbors," she replied, her tone sharp. "Are you daft or something?"

I smiled at her response, and we walked home together, just like she said.

When we reached the gate to her house, I stood there, watching as she walked in without looking back at me.

It didn't bother me, though.

I sighed and smiled softly, tilting my head back to look at the sky.

So this is how it feels when the person you like doesn't feel the same way.

It's my fault, after all. It's only now that I've gathered the courage to approach you.