He Chose Everyone Else… Until I Became The One He Couldn’t Ignore

Episode 9: Between Us

I kept telling myself to act normal, but nothing felt normal anymore. Even the classroom noise sounded distant, like I was sitting outside my own life. My mind kept going back to the corridor, to the way he looked at me before turning away.

I hated that it stayed.

You’ve been zoning out since morning, my friend said again.

I’m fine,” I replied, quicker than I meant to.

But I wasn’t.

Break time came, and I left early. I needed space, anything to clear my head. I walked slowly through the corridor, pretending I had somewhere important to be.

I didn’t.

Then I saw them.

Same place. Again.

But something was different this time. The distance between them wasn’t as clear anymore. She stood close, talking like she was comfortable there. Like nothing could shake her position.

He wasn’t smiling.

Not fully.

And then his eyes moved.

Straight to me.

I stopped.

I didn’t plan to.

It just happened.

She noticed immediately. Of course she did. Her voice cut off mid-sentence, and for a second, everything felt too quiet.

Then she followed his gaze.

Now she was looking at me.

Not soft.

Not curious.

Sharp.

I didn’t know she was part of your attention too,” she said lightly, but it didn’t sound light.

I didn’t say that,” he answered.

Simple. Controlled.

But he still hadn’t looked away from me.

That part made my chest tighten more than I wanted to admit.

I should go,” I said, even though no one asked me to stay.

I turned first.

Fast.

But I felt it behind me.

Her stare.

And his silence.

That was worse.

Because silence always meant something people didn’t say out loud.

I kept walking until I was out of sight. Only then did I slow down.

My thoughts weren’t calm anymore.

They were louder than everything else.

And I couldn’t tell if I was running from them…

or from him