Angel Last mission is love

38. Silent Distance

The final examination period had arrived at the university, and the campus was filled with a tense yet busy atmosphere. Students sat at their desks, scribbling down their last answers, checking their work one final time before the invigilator signaled for them to stop writing. When the bell rang, everyone began gathering their sheets to hand them in, relief and exhaustion showing on their faces.

In the middle of the room, Leo and Stella were just packing their things when they both looked up at the same time—and their eyes widened in surprise. Standing near the front, holding her completed paper neatly in her hands, was Clara. She had returned.

A small, involuntary smile tugged at the corners of Adrian’s face before he could stop it. His heart gave a little leap he had not expected. For weeks he had wondered where she was, if she was alright, if she would ever come back—and there she was, looking thinner and more tired than before, but still there.

Yet Clara did not look at anyone. She did not glance toward Adrian, did not acknowledge Stella or Leo, and did not meet the curious stares of the other students. Her gaze remained fixed only on her papers, her expression calm but closed off, as if she had built a wall around herself to keep everyone out. She walked forward, handed her work to the teacher, and turned to walk back toward her seat with slow, steady steps.

Leo felt a sharp twinge of guilt and nervousness. He hesitated for a moment, then got up and walked over to her, trying to sound casual. “Clara… it’s good to see you back. We were all wondering where you’d been for so long.”

Clara did not stop or look up. She simply nodded faintly and kept her eyes on the desk, giving no reply.

From a short distance away, Adrian watched them silently. He noticed how guarded she was, how different she seemed from the warm, open girl he used to know. The sight made his doubts grow stronger, but he waited, unsure of how to approach her.

Soon, the exam hall began to empty out. As the last students filed toward the door, Stella deliberately raised her voice, calling out loudly, “Adrian! Wait for me!” She hurried over and sat down right beside him, leaning close as if they were the only two people in the room, trying to draw his attention away from Clara.

But Clara did not even glance in their direction. She gathered her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and walked straight toward the exit, moving with quiet determination.

Adrian could not hold back any longer. He stood up quickly, ignoring Stella beside him, and hurried after her. Just as Clara stepped out into the corridor, he called her name and reached out to gently hold her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

“Clara,” he said, his voice a mix of concern and confusion. “What are you doing these days? You haven’t come to university for weeks, you didn’t answer any messages, you just vanished without a word. Is everything alright?”

Clara stood still for a moment, her back straight. She did not turn around immediately, and she did not pull away right away—but she also did not speak. When she finally turned to face him, her eyes were clear but cold, holding none of the softness they once had.

She looked him directly in the eye, her voice steady and distant. “If you have finished asking your questions, may I leave?”

Before Adrian could say anything more, she gently but firmly pulled her hand free from his grasp, turned, and walked away down the corridor, leaving him standing there alone—staring after her, feeling more confused and empty than ever before.