The Kiss I Never Should Have Asked For - Chapter 25 – The Boy Named Rin

47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuh7vnYwXE

The following week...

School returned to its usual routine.

Classes.

Homework.

Exams.

Nothing had changed.

At least...

That was what everyone else believed.

For me...

Every day felt a little different.

Narin was still with me.

But he wasn't really with me anymore.

During lunch, I waited at our usual table.

The seat across from me remained empty.

Five minutes passed.

Then ten.

Just as I was about to stand up, Narin finally arrived.

"Sorry."

"I was late."

I smiled.

"It's okay."

"What were you doing?"

He opened his lunch box.

"Helping someone."

Again.

The same answer.

Every single time.

I nodded quietly and changed the subject.

I didn't want another awkward conversation.

Later that afternoon, our English teacher asked me to take some papers to another classroom.

As I walked down the corridor, I heard laughter coming from the open windows.

One voice belonged to Narin.

The other...

Belonged to someone I didn't recognize.

I looked inside.

Narin was sitting beside a boy from another class.

They were sharing a notebook.

The boy laughed as Narin playfully tapped his forehead with a pen.

It reminded me...

Of how Narin used to joke with me.

I looked away before either of them noticed me.

Maybe...

I was overthinking again.

After school, I met Korn beneath our tree.

"You look upset."

"Do I?"

He nodded.

"You've been forcing your smile all day."

I laughed softly.

"You really do notice everything."

He smiled.

"Only when it comes to you."

For a moment...

Neither of us spoke.

Then footsteps approached.

"P'Korn!"

One of Korn's classmates ran toward us.

"Korn, the teacher is looking for you."

"I'll be there."

The boy noticed me and smiled politely.

"Hello, P'Phawin."

"Hello."

Before leaving, he looked back at me.

"Oh..."

"I almost forgot."

"P'Narin was looking for someone earlier."

"Someone?"

"Yeah."

"I think his name was... Rin."

The boy shrugged.

"I heard them talking outside the library."

"Anyway, I'll go now."

He ran off before I could ask anything else.

"Rin..."

I repeated the name quietly.

Korn looked at me.

"Do you know him?"

I shook my head.

"No."

"I've never heard that name before."

Korn didn't say anything.

But I noticed the concern in his eyes.

That evening, while walking home with Narin, I finally asked,

"Narin..."

"Hm?"

"Who's Rin?"

For the first time in a long while...

Narin stopped walking.

His expression changed.

Only for a second.

Then he smiled.

"Just someone from another class."

"Why?"

"I just heard the name today."

"Oh."

"He's nothing important."

He answered so quickly...

That I didn't know whether to believe him.

I smiled anyway.

"I was just curious."

He nodded.

"Don't think too much."

"I won't."

But as we continued walking side by side...

A single question echoed through my mind.

If Rin was really "nothing important"...

Why did Narin look so surprised when I asked his name?47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41t30MapaR

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