TW: Obsessive behaviour, unrequited love286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8QMmlWitq
Apologies that the story is too long, but ideas seem to flood my head at midnight.
How does it feel when a stranger is obsessed with you, and you never knew it? 286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksDar9gzOb
It was devastating.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLT6JKsdH0h
It has been four years since I transferred to this school. I managed to make some good friends and forged good relationships with my teachers. My grades aren’t bad, and I make some time for my hobbies. My life was normal, just like any other teenager’s would be. 286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zW1ocM3Fq
I made memories and enjoyed school life. Until that.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepEsfwKuPN
All my friends warned me recently, “Adam, you see the girl over there? Don’t talk to her. She’s danger.” They repeated the same words for the past week when we walked in the hallway to our class.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwEWJTWqvf
Not like I ever converse with her, but the reason why I should not was more flabbergasting than their advice itself. Of course, I was called to the principal’s room after that but the miscommunication was soon resolved.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnChYIkPolr
The thing that astounds me is that a stranger whom I had just come across, maybe two or three times in the hallway, decided to involve me in her brawl. It was creepy that something like that had–Oh, I think I see her.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKYf3BLcWA
The gossip grew louder as she came walking. She looked down at the ground, her hair let down, almost looking like a dark spirit. I gulped down. All I need, after all, is no drama. I would be glad if we got over this awful encounter.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjvy7wYeFw
I looked at the ground as I walked to my class, deliberately ignoring her. I wonder what went on in her mind when she did it.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNEtZ021QN
—286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRi330fxHC
We weren’t close. He was outgoing; I was introverted. He had friends; I had none. People liked him but were jealous of and despised me. We never shared eye contact for more than a minute, let alone talk. It’s no wonder that girls who see him want him–such was his charm. And unmistakably, I’m also one of them. 286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTgmMdfoG7
We sat in the same classroom, just not next to each other. We were in the class study group, just didn’t study together. We both had each other’s numbers in group chats, just never texted. We walked in the same hallway each day, just never talked.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuRiwaJ5tJ
We were typically strangers.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLiyFSFRlW
Or not.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezNlVR4vI3
Every time he sneaked out of the class with his friends, he smiled at me. Every time we walked in the hallway, he made eye contact. Every time there was an exam coming up, his friends asked me for help. And… as if by a miracle, I got to work with him for the annual celebration.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4dPyefqPg
The annual celebration was a festival hosted by our school every year to display its students’ proclaimed talents. It was mostly welcomed as being the only time of the year for some leisure. The students forgot about their exams and their parents’ nagging about grades around this time, while the parents had some fun seeing their children do something different.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NWSsBf6B6
Not to mention, this was metaphorically the time for every girl's debutante ball and every guy’s chance to be an escort. You had a chance to let the entire school know about your presence.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWk6DhvmVV
Being the introvert I was, I chose the job of a technician, controlling lights and sounds in the background, while my prince charming, being the extrovert he was, chose to dance. Dance made everyone in the school crazy, and then when he chose it, it was decided that he was the next heartthrob.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbhqSZq0dV
A week before the celebration, he and his friend came to the studio to decide how to enhance their already dashing performance. 286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBS1EgIiaQ6
They danced for the tech team, only the few people who had seen them dance before their actual performance. Suggestions and praises were brought out with roars of applause. We were only five, but the claps were like ten. 286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFZrfRDPGD
I returned to my desk, while my team leader enquired about their wants and ideas on how the lights could be operated to match their performance.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmfY7CuLXT
He threw in some suggestions but his friend did most of the talking. I bet the leader asked more questions just to get him to speak because who didn’t want to hear his voice?286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWuNE0dkJ0
“I think we all agree on that,” he finally said, receiving approving nods from his friend and the team leader, “so let’s do it.” He glanced at those behind the team leader for a split second but returned to mine after scrutinising the room.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVC4wpcmHd
I pretended to focus on my computer though I had nothing going on. I’ll show him that I don’t care so much that he wonders why.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUNA73IGre
“Aria, control the backlights,” instructed my leader, as she designed the role for every one of us until she had nothing left for her to do. She sat on a chair and, “Blue, then pink and violet. A flash after a cue, then the spotlight on Adam, got it?”286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9aENlVgkp
My brows frowned, my eyes were about to roll and I had to control my urge to scoff. She can dare call his name when I haven’t? She’s got to have some nerve. Has she forgotten I topped her in Science? How is she ordering me around? It must be the other way around.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhG1jVf0zVh
“Aria, the lights!” she yelled. Yeah, my slaps aren’t going to be light if you call his name again.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszXXdg15Tn
“Sorry,” I managed to utter while glaring at her.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRj0dzz4Pm
“Let’s do it again,” she said. Thinking you’re resolving the conflict? Great pretence.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZq9sl6akLu
The music blared and others were busy not to screw up in front of Adam, after all, everybody would want to look good in front of a guy like him. He sat on the chair, looked down on the ground, and tapped his feet along the music. Oh, how dashing he is!286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIkwx3QtjW
“Aria!” yelled the devil again. 286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jemqXkYaN
Hearing the leader’s shrill voice, his eyes snapped back and forth between me and her, unaware of what had happened.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xotnPgEUS
“Oh, my bad. There’s an issue with the system,” I reasoned.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Ru6RmRsE2
“Really? Let me take a look,” she said and hurried forward.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwhS2QL3ic
“No, it’s fine now,” I said, giving her a disgusted face. She stepped back and stated, “Don’t mess up again.”286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEFvYVZxDe
I gritted my teeth at her warning. She acts as if she has the privilege to order me around. 286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LA8mcQ0YJ
I looked at my prince charming, and oh, his innocent pecan brown eyes! They can calm me down so easily. He probably has no idea how I feel but, the way I’m determined to make him see me truly scares even me.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnSmhLsozq
He will fall for me after this.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLPL2x2sLp
“Red light, now Aria!” said the monster, ordering me once again. But this evening’s going to end with her embarrassment anyway.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpuARuab2N
The background music and the lights were composed and rehearsed for the next two hours. The witch exploited us and our patience effectively. 286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fLXKyNfvs
When the lights and their timings to the music were finalized perfectly, the boys rehearsed with the spotlight. His black hair sparkled, and his body moved to the beat flawlessly. The lights could have been done better and improved, but all thanks to the witch, it ended up being mediocre.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCGSYlUJtv
Nonetheless, the performance was once again greeted with cheers and applause. “Great performance, man!” said Gregor. It’s no wonder all the boys wanted to be him.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3CY8crgDE
“Thank you for your hard work,” Adam said, “Please watch our performance at the celebration.”286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPSKh2DlIs
He sure knew how to light up my mood.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lMpcBP3BI
He looked at me and gave one of his most appealing smiles, which I loved. His smile was such a tease just like him.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJkAgs8jII
I smiled back, looking at the ground, then at him. He must have picked up the hint.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxI27Muq5g
“Okay, then we’ll get going,” said his friend, whose name I can’t be bothered to remember. Anyway, Adam is now going to stop him and say– “Yep, see you guys later.” What?286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iHWEmzeJ5
How could he say that? He was supposed to ask me to come with him.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXr3vymdeGT
He gave everybody else–the team leader–a striking smile and turned his back to leave.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTNZZgykri
“Wa– “The evening was quite tiring, wasn’t it?” interjected the team leader. I turned to her, “Oh.”286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRu4r9NS13v
Everyone looked at me now. “If it wasn’t for you, the evening would have been easier,” I muttered.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTlPcAYzN0
“What?” she said, “Did you say something, Aria?”286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIu4TIGvn2
Someone tell the witch to stop calling me by my name.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLe9ABTmpBA
“As if you didn’t hear,” I muttered again.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVc7pZVgNN
“Hey, can you talk a little louder, I don’t hear you. And also look– “Shut up!” I yelled smashing a computer down. The room went silent as I felt them staring at me. 286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mPUA7HLVV
I looked at the devil’s eyes with contempt and disdain. 286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsghOXVjWNh
“Is something the problem? Why are– “You are the problem,” I yelled, looking down.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbjI8NNb2W
“What do you– “Shut up, will you?! Why did you send him off? I wanted to talk to him!”286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwUvT0a71t
“You mean Adam? I can call– “Don’t say his name!”286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjAtvAikam
The room was hushed again. “Aria… by any chance, do you like him?” 286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOZTASQZtM
I lifted my head, met her brown orbs, and looked into it to find a reason to hold back. Unfortunately, I couldn’t, “So what if I like him?”286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUv360w6xfL
I strolled to her, “Will you be jealous? Are you going to try to pull him away from me? Tell me.”286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfayLK80UJI
“No, no. It’s nothing like that. I have just never seen you and him together before.”286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlFGCOCOcj
And that was the last strike.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡguoQGvu8Fa
“Hey, do you see her? The black-haired one. She caused a ruckus at the studio before the celebration. Heard she was kicked out of her debutante ball,” they giggled.286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pY7eL4muW
“Oh my, is that her? Ad– I mean you-know-who’s crazy fangirl?”286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0FcRvS5at
It’s all lies, you know it too, right?286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsU4OuaBrva
I saw him come in the hallway. The whispers died down, as he strolled, but they sure couldn’t have slipped off his ears. He must have heard them, but he knows better than anyone why I did it, doesn’t he?286Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaFvQSvDqf
He must know that I did it because I loved him, and also that the witch deserved it. Anybody who saw her treat me like that would know it. He knows it, so why does he look down when he walks past me?
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