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795 Words
The bustling noise of Garuda High School’s students seemed to fade away, leaving a suffocating silence in Aria’s ears. She froze, standing a mere three steps behind Asher’s broad back. In her hand, a bottle of mineral water, its cold condensation beginning to wet her trembling palm, felt incredibly heavy.
"Ai..." Asher murmured the name, his tone heavy with profound longing. His eyes narrowed slightly, searching for flashes of the past in the beautiful face before him. "Your name... I remember it being slightly different."
At that exact second, Aileen caught her breath. She could feel Asher’s sharp, probing gaze, as if he were peeling back the layers of her lie. However, she wouldn’t be Aileen if she didn't possess a thousand masks to wear.
The girl let out a soft laugh, a sound that resembled the chiming of bells but sounded like the hiss of a snake to Aria. Aileen closed the distance between them, her slender fingers with softly polished pink nails brushing against the sleeve of Asher’s uniform.
"Asher, what are you talking about?" Aileen pouted, playing the spoiled, affectionate girl to perfection. "Maybe it’s just because we’ve been apart for too long. I am Aileen. But you always called me Ai, didn't you? The childhood nickname that belongs only to the two of us."
Asher appeared dazed. "Aileen... Ai..." He repeated the names, trying to fit the pieces of a puzzle in his head that felt just a little bit wrong.
"Yes, Asher. Just call me Ai, like you used to. Nothing has changed, except for the current me... well, maybe I’m a little prettier than you remember?" Aileen batted her eyelashes, flaunting a charm that made the surrounding students hold their breath.
Aria, still paralyzed behind them, felt as though an invisible hand were squeezing her heart. 'It’s a lie, Asher. She’s lying!' she screamed internally. Yet, her throat felt as if it were blocked by a stone. She had no courage. How could she step forward with a dull, sweat-stained face, thick sliding glasses, and messy hair from being punished to clean windows?
With the last shred of bravery she possessed, Aria took a single step forward. "Ash—Asher..."
Her hoarse voice was barely audible. However, Asher was apparently perceptive enough to turn around.
The young man rotated his body. For a brief moment, those eagle eyes met Aria’s eyes, which were hidden behind lenses that were slightly fogged up. Aria’s heart hammered wildly, hoping for a tiny miracle. Hoping that Asher would recognize the gleam in the eyes that used to accompany him as he cried under the mango tree.
Asher looked Aria up and down, from head to toe. His gaze was cold, flat, and full of judgment. There was no spark of recognition. Instead, a crease formed on his forehead, as though he had just spotted an insect disrupting his view.
"Who is she?" Asher asked coldly, without breaking his gaze from Aria’s pathetic figure.
Aileen turned around, her victorious smile flashing for a split second before she put on a contrived, concerned face. "Oh, her... that’s Aria. One of the students here. She’s a bit... unique, Asher. Maybe she wants to offer you that water?"
Asher let out a soft scoff, his eyes dropping back to the cheap, slightly scuffed mineral water bottle in Aria’s hand. "No need. I’m not thirsty," he uttered flatly, then averted his gaze as if Aria were nothing but a passing breeze.
Aria’s chest throbbed with a sharp pain. Those words were sharper than a blade. She looked down deeply, staring at her scuffed shoes. Tears began to well up, blurring her vision even further.
"Look, Asher. You’re scaring her," Aileen whispered, then boldly wrapped her arms around Asher’s waist. "Never mind, just ignore her. I’ve missed you so much. You have no idea how lonely I’ve been all this time without you."
Asher fell silent for a moment. He looked down at Aileen, searching for reassurance. Whether out of guilt for leaving his best friend for too long, or because he was genuinely captivated by the beauty in front of him, Asher finally smiled. A genuine smile that once belonged only to Aria.
"I missed you too, Ai," Asher murmured.
Then, in front of hundreds of watching eyes, and right before Aria’s tearing eyes, Asher drew Aileen into his embrace. He held the girl warmly, as if he were cradling his lost past once again.
Aria could only stand there, frozen. The water bottle in her hand fell to the floor with a dull, soft thud, rolling away—just like her heart, which was now shattered into pieces. In that embrace, Asher had found his home—a home built upon the foundation of her twin’s lies.
- Writer
