Chapter 7

Sky Wongravee

I found myself alone in the quiet corner of the campus during my free time, leaning against the brick wall. The weight of everything pressing down on me felt heavier than it had all morning. My phone sat untouched in my hand, and even though I'd convinced myself I was done checking it for the hundredth time, I couldn't ignore the nagging feeling in my chest. Nani had said he was busy and didn't reply to my messages... but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

It was stupid, really. I was the one who messed things up. So why did I feel so damn lost?

"Sky," came Dunk's voice, pulling me from my thoughts.

I looked up to find Dunk and Santa standing a few feet away. Dunk leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, and Santa had that knowing smile on his face.

"Got a minute?" Dunk asked, his voice low but serious.

I sighed, glancing down at my phone before pocketing it. "Yeah, what's up?"

Dunk gave me a look, his eyes sharper than usual. "You sure everything's alright? You've been zoning out all day. Something's on your mind."

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the tension in my muscles. I didn't want to talk about it. But I couldn't just keep it bottled up, either.

"It's Nani," I admitted, my voice quiet. "I don't know how to fix things. We... we kissed last night, and now things feel different. But I don't know what to make of it. He hasn't been replying to my messages, and when I tried talking to him today, he just said 'later' and went on with his day."

Santa's grin softened into a more serious expression. "Sounds like he's not ready to talk about it, man."

Dunk nodded, his gaze understanding. "It's complicated. But you can't keep second-guessing yourself. If you want to talk to him, you need to be clear about what you want."

I ran my fingers through my hair, frustration rising. "I don't even know what I want, Dunk. I'm just... confused. I thought we were fine, and now it feels like I've messed everything up."

Santa leaned in, his tone soothing. "You didn't mess up. But pushing for answers when he's not ready won't help either. Maybe you just need to give him a little time."

"But what if I just keep waiting? What if he's avoiding me on purpose?" I asked, voice thick with worry.

Dunk gave me a small, understanding shrug. "If he's avoiding you, it's because he's trying to process it. You just need to let him figure it out on his terms. The worst thing you can do is try to force a conversation right now."

Santa nodded, his voice gentle. "And if it's meant to be, it'll work itself out. But if you really care about him, the best thing you can do is let him know you're there when he's ready. Don't push it too hard."

I took a deep breath, the knot in my stomach still tight, but their words felt grounding. I had to trust that Nani would come to me when he was ready. I didn't need to rush him.

"Alright," I said, more to myself than to them. "I get it. I just... I just want to make sure he knows I'm there for him. I'm not trying to make this harder."

Dunk slapped me on the back lightly. "You're not making it harder. You just need to be patient."

Santa shot me a quick smile. "Patience, Sky. That's all it takes sometimes."

I nodded, feeling like a weight had been lifted, even if just a little bit. It wasn't going to be easy, but at least I knew what I had to do next. For now, I just needed to wait for Nani to be ready.

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Nani Hirunkit

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I couldn't focus on anything. Every time I looked up, my mind would immediately drift to Sky, to his soft, almost vulnerable expression when I told him "later." I had to push the guilt away, bury it, because if I thought about it too much, I'd feel like a terrible person.

I knew Sky was trying. I saw it in the way his eyes would flicker when we'd cross paths, the way he'd hesitate before saying anything. But I couldn't just let things go back to normal. Not yet. Not after everything.

After my classes ended, I headed straight for the library. It was the one place where I could be alone with my thoughts and away from the noise. But even there, I felt trapped, like the weight of my own emotions was pressing in on me.

I opened a book, pretending to read, but the words blurred together. I couldn't concentrate. I kept replaying last night in my head-the way Sky kissed me, the way it felt, the way he pulled away so quickly, like it meant nothing to him. I still couldn't understand why he'd called it a mistake. Why had he kissed me if he thought it was a mistake? And why did it feel so real?

I sighed and closed the book, staring out the window, trying to ignore the emptiness in my chest. I had been avoiding Sky, keeping my distance, but I could feel him trying to reach out. And it hurt. It hurt because I didn't know how to fix this, didn't know how to make things feel okay again.

I thought back to lunch, to when I sat beside him. His voice was so low when he asked me if I was good, like he was scared of the answer. Like he was scared of me.

I hated that I had to put up this wall between us, but I couldn't let him in just yet. Not when I was still so unsure of everything.

I stood up abruptly, startling a few people around me. I needed to get out of here, to stop thinking about this before it drove me crazy.

I left the library and started walking aimlessly, my footsteps echoing in the empty halls. I didn't know where I was going, but I had to move, had to get away from the thoughts that were drowning me.

As I walked past the engineering building, I saw Sky sitting with Santa and Dunk. His eyes flicked up to meet mine, and for a moment, everything else disappeared. But then I remembered the plan. I remembered the distance I had to maintain.

I turned my head quickly, pretending I didn't see him, and walked on without looking back. But my heart ached with every step I took away from him. And I hated myself for it.