When We Met, I Lost Myself

Chapter 10 – The Apology

The next morning, I walked into class determined to act normal.

Smile. Sit down. Pretend nothing was wrong.

But it was harder than I thought. Every time I caught him talking to someone else, that tightness in my chest returned. And every time he tried to start a conversation with me, I answered too quickly, too flatly, like my words were on autopilot.

By lunch, the distance between us felt heavier than ever.

I was sitting at my desk, picking halfheartedly at my sandwich, when a shadow fell over me. I looked up.

“Come with me,” he said.

I blinked. “What? Why?”

“Just come.”

Before I could argue, he grabbed my wrist gently and tugged me out of the classroom. The hallway was noisy with students heading to lunch, but he kept walking until we reached the far side of the building—the quiet corner by the stairwell that no one really used.

He let go of my wrist and turned to face me. His expression was serious, his usual grin nowhere to be found.

“Alright,” he said, crossing his arms. “What’s going on with you?”

I looked away. “Nothing.”

“Don’t give me that,” he pressed. “You’ve been… I don’t know. Distant. Different. And don’t say you’re just tired, because I know you better than that.”

His words hit me harder than I expected. He noticed. More than I thought he would.

“I just…” My voice faltered. “Forget it.”

“No.” He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Don’t shut me out. If I did something wrong, just tell me.”

My throat tightened. The words slipped out before I could stop them. “You were laughing with her yesterday. Like you didn’t even notice I was there.”

The silence that followed made my stomach drop. I wished I could take it back, swallow it down before it exposed too much.

Then, to my surprise, he smiled—not mocking, not amused, but soft. Almost relieved.

“So that’s it,” he said quietly. “You were jealous.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. “I wasn’t—”

“You were,” he interrupted, but his tone was gentle, teasing only at the edges. “And you know what? I’m sorry.”

I blinked. “What?”

“I didn’t mean to make you feel that way,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I was laughing with her. But it wasn’t the same. It’s never the same when it’s not you.”

For a moment, the world seemed to stop. The sounds of the hallway faded, the sunlight streaming through the windows seemed sharper, brighter.

“I…” My voice was barely a whisper. “I didn’t want to care, but I did.”

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Good. Because I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care when it’s you.”

I froze, unsure of how to respond. But he didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he nudged my shoulder lightly, his smile returning, playful again.

“So, are we okay now? Or do I need to bribe you with siomai?”

Despite myself, I laughed. The heaviness in my chest eased, melting into something warm, fragile, and real.

“Siomai would help,” I admitted.

He grinned. “Then it’s a date.”

And just like that, the distance between us disappeared—not completely, not perfectly, but enough to remind me why I didn’t want to lose him in the first place.