EPISODE THIRTY SIX 36 :KOREAN.

**Hadizah's POV**

"Let's call it a day, girls," Coach said, and a wave of relief washed over the room.

"Finally," most of the girls murmured in agreement.

I sat down, rummaging through my gym bag for my cold water bottle. Just as I was about to pull it out, a shadow loomed over me. I looked up to find Maya standing there, her expression unreadable.

"Get away from me," I told her sternly, hoping to end this encounter quickly.

"Chill, girl. I was just trying to help," she said, her tone deceptively sweet.

"Maya, get away from me. I'm not in the mood for your nonsense. I've had enough already," I shot back, my patience wearing thin.

"Have this." She pointed a water bottle at me, her gesture insistent.

"And you think I'm going to take something like this from you? Are you nuts? Prove to me it's not poisoned," I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Seriously, I'm not here to bully you or anything. I'm sorry," she said, her bravado faltering.

"Wow, get the hell out of my way before I report you to the coach," I warned, grabbing my gym bag and standing up to leave.

"Hadizah, wait! Please, just hear me out," she pleaded.

"You want to talk? Fine, let's talk. But first, you have to apologize for making my life miserable. If you need my help, you have to work for it-not order me around. The last time I checked, you were just a bully who feeds on making other people feel bad. You're just someone who loves tearing people down because you know they're better than you. You're just a weak sauce aggressor," I said, my voice rising with every word. With that, I walked out, feeling a surge of empowerment. I hoped I had put her in her place for good.

---

I walked to the lounge, sipping on a blueberry smoothie, and found a spot in the outdoor area with my phone in hand.

I sat down to check out the latest on Instagram and burst out laughing at what I saw. Rose had changed her profile picture from one with Ethan to a cute photo of her and her pet rabbit, Lulu. It was adorable, but I knew it was a reflection of her anger.

I exited her page, aptly named "Ethina," almost sounding like Athena.

I was so engrossed in my phone that I didn't notice the shadow beside me until I heard a voice.

"Hi!" she said, her accent unique and melodic.

"Hey," I replied, putting my phone down and looking at her. She had jet black hair and big, brown doe eyes that sparkled with curiosity.

"I'm the new transfer from Heavenly High School. Just got here at the beginning of this semester," she said, her smile warm.

"I'm Hadizah. I joined last year at the beginning of this session," I replied, feeling a flicker of excitement.

"I'm Kim Han Na," she said.

"You're Korean!" I exclaimed, surprised.

"Yep," she said, a hint of pride in her voice.

"This is the first time I've seen a real-life Korean, Han Na," I said, grinning.

"It's not Hannah, it's Han Na," she corrected me.

"Han Na," I repeated, grateful for the correction. "By the way, I love your eyepatch. It's pretty, and your eyes are way prettier," she complimented.

"Thank you! Your eyes are pretty too," I said, smiling back.

"Why did you transfer?" I asked, eager to keep the conversation flowing.

"I needed a fresh start. I wanted to meet new people and try new things," she said, her enthusiasm contagious.

Just then, I spotted Julian in the distance, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Hey!" I waved, my smile widening as he quickened his pace toward me.

"Han Na, meet my best friend Julian. Julian, meet Han Na," I introduced them, beaming as Julian wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

The atmosphere shifted instantly. It felt like the air thickened with tension. Han Na's eyes were bloodshot, anger radiating from her, while Julian appeared guilty, as if he'd just been caught in a web of secrets.

"Do you guys know each other?" I asked, my voice low, sensing there was more to their story.

"Yes, we know each other. We went to Heavenly High together. He was someone I knew briefly," she said, her tone clipped.

"Yeah, nice to see you again," Julian said, his voice almost apologetic.

"This reunion has been nice while it lasted. I'll leave now. I'm going to try out for the basketball team," she said, her expression a mixture of annoyance and resolve.

"Bye!" I waved as she walked away, curiosity gnawing at me. What was really going on between them?

"What's going on with you two?" I asked, my voice lowered, my instincts telling me there was a deeper connection I wasn't aware of.

"It's nothing. We were just classmates. I changed schools, period," he said, the tension still lingering in the air.

"Okay..." I replied, still unconvinced but willing to drop it for now.

"Let's talk about something else," he suggested, his demeanor shifting.

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?" I asked innocently, hoping to lighten the mood.

"I have a hockey game in a couple of weeks, and I want you to come wearing my jersey," he said, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"I don't think I want to do that. Girlfriends wear their boyfriends' jerseys. I'm not your girlfriend, and I don't want rumors built up against us. Let's just stay like this until Allah says it's alright," I replied, staring into his eyes, willing him to understand.

"I understand," he said, his voice softening.

"Thank you," I said, feeling a weight lift off my chest.

"I said something the other day at the orphanage, something in Greek. Do you remember?" he asked, his tone teasing.

"Not really, but I remember you said something like se gaapo or something like that," I said, dismissing it with a casual wave.

"It's se agapo, and it means 'I love you,'" he said, his gaze locking onto mine.

"I love you, Hadizah," he said again, and instead of the electrifying rush I expected, I felt butterflies-beautiful, fluttering butterflies in my stomach.

"Lian, do... do you..." I began, but he cut me off.

"You don't have to say it back. All I know is that I love you and I'll never stop loving you," he said, his words laced with sincerity.

"Why do you love me?" I asked, wanting to ensure that he truly meant it, wanting to hear the words escape his lips. I loved him too, but I needed to know if it was real.

"I love your smile, the way you challenge me to be better. I love who you are and how you've helped me become who I am," he said, his honesty disarming.

I stood there in silence, the words I wanted to say stuck in my throat. I love you too, Julian. Those were the words swirling in my mind, but something held me back.

"I..." I started, but before I could finish, Julian pulled me into a warm embrace. I melted into him, hugging him back tightly.

"You don't have to say it back. I'm not going to force it out of you. I'll always love you, no matter what. You are the love of my life, and I'll forever cherish you," he whispered into my shoulder.

"I know," I said softly, breaking the hug.

"Let's go for some ice cream," he suggested, his eyes bright with anticipation.

"I'm a bit full, sorry," I replied, wanting to ease the tension but unable to ignore the fluttering in my heart.

"No problem. Let's just take a walk," he said, grabbing my hand as we strolled away together.

Great. Now those butterflies were back.

---

**Julian's POV**

"Anna, Anna!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I barged into my room, urgency propelling me forward.

"Oh my God! I was making a f***ing video! I have millions of people waiting for me to upload," she snapped, clearly annoyed.

"Are you kidding me? For your f***ing info, Han Na is back!" I said, frustration bubbling under the surface.

"Who the f*ck is that?" she asked, her tone nonchalant.

"How can you forget her? To tap into your head, she's one of those girls you wanted to put in their place," I said, air quoting the phrase.

"Oh, now I remember. She's one of the wh**es you f***ed with. How pleasant," she said, her indifference cutting like a knife.

"I can't keep doing this with girls to satisfy your ego, Anna. You can't keep making me do bad things," I said, my voice tense.

"It's not bad if it's making someone happy," she retorted, her eyes narrowing.

"I do not want to hurt her. Everything I've felt with her so far has been real," I confessed, my heart racing.

"Don't tell me you've fallen in love with her," she challenged.

"No, but I can't keep doing this," I said, lying through my teeth. I had fallen so deeply in love with Hadizah that I wasn't sure I could ever stand up again.

"If you don't do it, then I'll f***ing kill myself," she said, brandishing a hairpin dangerously close to her neck. Panic washed over me. I couldn't afford to lose my sister; I'd gladly do anything for her.

"Please don't! Don't scare me like that!" I pleaded, snatching the pin from her hands.

"I'll do it," she threatened, wrapping her arms around me in a desperate hug.

"I love you, Ian," she said, her voice trembling.

"I love you too," I said, breaking the hug and leaving her room, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders.

---

I walked over to my bed, my thoughts racing.

I scrolled through my gallery, staring at the photos Hadizah and I took earlier that day. She looked so beautiful, a lollipop stick perched in her mouth in one shot. The others were fun snapshots we took on Snapchat, complete with dog ears and playful filters.

I wished I could tell her everything-the truth about my feelings, the way she had become my everything. Loving Hadizah was no longer just a passing thought; it was engraved on my heart. I didn't think I could ever love anyone the way I loved her. She was the light at the end of my dark tunnel, the cheese on my pizza. Without her, I felt incomplete.

I pulled out the last photo my mom and I took from my bedside drawer, staring at it until a tear slipped down my cheek.

"I miss you, miterà (mom). I wish you were here to guide me through this," I whispered, wishing for her wisdom and love.

The adhan rang in my ears, snapping me back to reality.

Hadizah had brought so many things into my life, from making me download an Islamic app (Muslim Pro) to encouraging me to love my parents more.

But the brightest change she brought to me was a newfound appreciation for Al-Islam, the brightest gift of all.

WRITER'S NOTE :

I love Koreans so I decided why not had them. Anna is emotionally blackmailing Julian which is a sign of stupidity on my part to Julian. Let's see what happens.

QOTD :

When someone helps you and they're struggling too, that's not help, that's love.

I love you don't forget to vote, read, tell your friends and families and comment. Bye.