The truth hidden in a smile.
704 Words
Monday arrived wrapped in gray clouds.
A light drizzle covered the school courtyard, and students hurried through the rain with umbrellas held high. Luna stood beneath the entrance canopy, watching the raindrops splash against the pavement.
She used to love rainy days because they hid her tears.
Now, they reminded her of something Noah had once said.
"I hope one day you won't need the rain anymore."
The thought made her smile without realizing it.
"Luna!"
She turned to see Noah jogging toward her, slightly out of breath. His hair was damp from the rain, and his uniform was spotted with tiny droplets.
"You forgot your umbrella again?" she asked.
He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"I thought the weather report was lying."
She couldn't help but laugh.
"The weather doesn't lie."
"It did in my heart."
She rolled her eyes.
"That's the worst excuse you've ever made."
"And yet..." he grinned, "...it made you laugh."
For a brief moment, everything felt easy.
Natural.
Like they had known each other for years instead of only a few weeks.
During science class, the teacher assigned the students to work in pairs on a semester project.
Without hesitation, Noah looked at Luna.
"Partner?"
Before she could answer, another voice interrupted.
"Sorry, Noah. The teacher already paired us."
A cheerful girl named Sophie smiled as she waved the assignment sheet.
Luna looked away, pretending it didn't bother her.
"It's okay," she said quietly. "I'll work with Mia."
Noah frowned slightly.
He wanted to say something, but the teacher had already begun calling everyone's names.
The rest of the class passed in silence.
Luna focused on her notes, but every now and then, she caught herself glancing toward Noah.
He was laughing politely with Sophie.
Smiling.
Talking.
For some reason...
It hurt.
She didn't understand why.
After school, Luna skipped the rooftop for the first time.
Instead, she wandered through a nearby park, letting the cool breeze clear her thoughts.
"Why does this feel so strange?" she whispered to herself.
She had no right to feel upset.
Noah wasn't hers.
He could laugh with anyone he wanted.
So why did seeing him with someone else leave such an ache in her chest?
Lost in thought, she sat on an old wooden bench beneath a large cherry tree.
A few minutes later, footsteps approached.
"I've been looking everywhere for you."
Luna looked up.
Noah stood in front of her, breathing heavily as though he had been running.
"You weren't on the rooftop."
"I wanted to be alone."
He nodded.
"I figured."
Silence settled between them.
Finally, Noah sat beside her.
"Are you mad at me?"
"No."
"Luna."
"I'm not."
"You keep saying you're fine whenever you're not."
She stared at the ground.
"...I don't know what I'm feeling."
Noah didn't interrupt.
So she continued.
"When I saw you laughing with Sophie..."
Her voice grew quieter.
"...I felt something I couldn't explain."
The confession hung between them.
Noah smiled softly—not because he found it amusing, but because he understood.
"Sophie's cousin is in the hospital," he explained. "She was asking if I knew any volunteer groups that visit children's wards."
Luna blinked.
"Oh..."
"I wasn't choosing someone else over you."
Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment.
"I never thought you were."
"You did."
"...Maybe."
They both laughed quietly.
After a moment, Noah reached into his backpack and handed her a folded paper star.
Unlike the colorful ones in the jar, this one was white.
"What's this?"
"The first star I made after meeting you."
She carefully unfolded it.
Inside, written in tiny letters, were the words:
'Today, I saw someone smile when they thought no one was looking.'
Luna looked at him, speechless.
"You noticed that?"
"I notice more than you think."
Her eyes shimmered with emotion.
For years, she had believed she was invisible.
Yet somehow, Noah had been quietly seeing every version of her—the lonely one, the quiet one, and even the one who smiled when she forgot to hide.
As they walked home together beneath the clearing sky, Luna realized something that both frightened and comforted her.
The walls around her heart were still standing...
But Noah had already found the door.
- Writer
