TW: Obsessive behaviour, unrequited love338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0exUhEfHL2
Apologies that the story is too long, but ideas seem to flood my head at midnight.
How does it feel when a stranger is obsessed with you, and you never knew it? 338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw42WNOMPqD
It was devastating.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYuJwVgBHX
It has been four years since I transferred to this school. I managed to make some good friends and forged good relationships with my teachers. My grades aren’t bad, and I make some time for my hobbies. My life was normal, just like any other teenager’s would be. 338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDL1ItOt7uB
I made memories and enjoyed school life. Until that.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoj8XPQtOUA
All my friends warned me recently, “Adam, you see the girl over there? Don’t talk to her. She’s danger.” They repeated the same words for the past week when we walked in the hallway to our class.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuiJCSB34f
Not like I ever converse with her, but the reason why I should not was more flabbergasting than their advice itself. Of course, I was called to the principal’s room after that but the miscommunication was soon resolved.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQEVNdwn5U
The thing that astounds me is that a stranger whom I had just come across, maybe two or three times in the hallway, decided to involve me in her brawl. It was creepy that something like that had–Oh, I think I see her.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3b6jm4D1uK
The gossip grew louder as she came walking. She looked down at the ground, her hair let down, almost looking like a dark spirit. I gulped down. All I need, after all, is no drama. I would be glad if we got over this awful encounter.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqW2Xyy8zq
I looked at the ground as I walked to my class, deliberately ignoring her. I wonder what went on in her mind when she did it.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uSxYRkZKT
—338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdhNEmXmso
We weren’t close. He was outgoing; I was introverted. He had friends; I had none. People liked him but were jealous of and despised me. We never shared eye contact for more than a minute, let alone talk. It’s no wonder that girls who see him want him–such was his charm. And unmistakably, I’m also one of them. 338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7gB7Azb4A
We sat in the same classroom, just not next to each other. We were in the class study group, just didn’t study together. We both had each other’s numbers in group chats, just never texted. We walked in the same hallway each day, just never talked.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlj4IVbS7f
We were typically strangers.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yvuf167eb
Or not.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MisIQeTOV
Every time he sneaked out of the class with his friends, he smiled at me. Every time we walked in the hallway, he made eye contact. Every time there was an exam coming up, his friends asked me for help. And… as if by a miracle, I got to work with him for the annual celebration.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHhyU3NBBK
The annual celebration was a festival hosted by our school every year to display its students’ proclaimed talents. It was mostly welcomed as being the only time of the year for some leisure. The students forgot about their exams and their parents’ nagging about grades around this time, while the parents had some fun seeing their children do something different.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXS6YPLBcE
Not to mention, this was metaphorically the time for every girl's debutante ball and every guy’s chance to be an escort. You had a chance to let the entire school know about your presence.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbAZAYZQYM
Being the introvert I was, I chose the job of a technician, controlling lights and sounds in the background, while my prince charming, being the extrovert he was, chose to dance. Dance made everyone in the school crazy, and then when he chose it, it was decided that he was the next heartthrob.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeS9oLj2cGc
A week before the celebration, he and his friend came to the studio to decide how to enhance their already dashing performance. 338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWE21OWslo7
They danced for the tech team, only the few people who had seen them dance before their actual performance. Suggestions and praises were brought out with roars of applause. We were only five, but the claps were like ten. 338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGLJqrNIWs
I returned to my desk, while my team leader enquired about their wants and ideas on how the lights could be operated to match their performance.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpgtx78uWj
He threw in some suggestions but his friend did most of the talking. I bet the leader asked more questions just to get him to speak because who didn’t want to hear his voice?338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnIwmPkUMc
“I think we all agree on that,” he finally said, receiving approving nods from his friend and the team leader, “so let’s do it.” He glanced at those behind the team leader for a split second but returned to mine after scrutinising the room.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavScbptzKd
I pretended to focus on my computer though I had nothing going on. I’ll show him that I don’t care so much that he wonders why.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHD9O72jK3l
“Aria, control the backlights,” instructed my leader, as she designed the role for every one of us until she had nothing left for her to do. She sat on a chair and, “Blue, then pink and violet. A flash after a cue, then the spotlight on Adam, got it?”338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYPFeK586X
My brows frowned, my eyes were about to roll and I had to control my urge to scoff. She can dare call his name when I haven’t? She’s got to have some nerve. Has she forgotten I topped her in Science? How is she ordering me around? It must be the other way around.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbcbNyTgF8
“Aria, the lights!” she yelled. Yeah, my slaps aren’t going to be light if you call his name again.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuPunOJM6c
“Sorry,” I managed to utter while glaring at her.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKQy6uXtYa
“Let’s do it again,” she said. Thinking you’re resolving the conflict? Great pretence.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUvHXdt8EH
The music blared and others were busy not to screw up in front of Adam, after all, everybody would want to look good in front of a guy like him. He sat on the chair, looked down on the ground, and tapped his feet along the music. Oh, how dashing he is!338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iRNeAKw2t
“Aria!” yelled the devil again. 338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbHBifZgvx
Hearing the leader’s shrill voice, his eyes snapped back and forth between me and her, unaware of what had happened.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtg3pZQEu6
“Oh, my bad. There’s an issue with the system,” I reasoned.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW23dUPNeJe
“Really? Let me take a look,” she said and hurried forward.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwZdGI57Yw
“No, it’s fine now,” I said, giving her a disgusted face. She stepped back and stated, “Don’t mess up again.”338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYveOSoKyxQ
I gritted my teeth at her warning. She acts as if she has the privilege to order me around. 338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6jyC957Up
I looked at my prince charming, and oh, his innocent pecan brown eyes! They can calm me down so easily. He probably has no idea how I feel but, the way I’m determined to make him see me truly scares even me.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiJ1ohHbSb
He will fall for me after this.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjz7q4uB7a
“Red light, now Aria!” said the monster, ordering me once again. But this evening’s going to end with her embarrassment anyway.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FFlNBXo7I
The background music and the lights were composed and rehearsed for the next two hours. The witch exploited us and our patience effectively. 338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMSSbuRf2b
When the lights and their timings to the music were finalized perfectly, the boys rehearsed with the spotlight. His black hair sparkled, and his body moved to the beat flawlessly. The lights could have been done better and improved, but all thanks to the witch, it ended up being mediocre.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86zZRYqvhp
Nonetheless, the performance was once again greeted with cheers and applause. “Great performance, man!” said Gregor. It’s no wonder all the boys wanted to be him.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYPplLiHRy
“Thank you for your hard work,” Adam said, “Please watch our performance at the celebration.”338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiIMTL6HBH
He sure knew how to light up my mood.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xdDiKV7uj
He looked at me and gave one of his most appealing smiles, which I loved. His smile was such a tease just like him.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7uamxByxl
I smiled back, looking at the ground, then at him. He must have picked up the hint.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WGdomenLy
“Okay, then we’ll get going,” said his friend, whose name I can’t be bothered to remember. Anyway, Adam is now going to stop him and say– “Yep, see you guys later.” What?338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomCXo1yYgA
How could he say that? He was supposed to ask me to come with him.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡur2mO8TZxr
He gave everybody else–the team leader–a striking smile and turned his back to leave.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tzRasi1OU
“Wa– “The evening was quite tiring, wasn’t it?” interjected the team leader. I turned to her, “Oh.”338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp41eMlWDiy
Everyone looked at me now. “If it wasn’t for you, the evening would have been easier,” I muttered.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxHTlOcCGH
“What?” she said, “Did you say something, Aria?”338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrMHL5XYse
Someone tell the witch to stop calling me by my name.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkpiToUK57
“As if you didn’t hear,” I muttered again.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF51LDCQ6nK
“Hey, can you talk a little louder, I don’t hear you. And also look– “Shut up!” I yelled smashing a computer down. The room went silent as I felt them staring at me. 338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptaUAVo6xi
I looked at the devil’s eyes with contempt and disdain. 338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDBhuOUGMk
“Is something the problem? Why are– “You are the problem,” I yelled, looking down.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoupC2xTVPR
“What do you– “Shut up, will you?! Why did you send him off? I wanted to talk to him!”338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNsfcp7Gtl
“You mean Adam? I can call– “Don’t say his name!”338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVlfQKdPs3
The room was hushed again. “Aria… by any chance, do you like him?” 338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqT0XCDia7
I lifted my head, met her brown orbs, and looked into it to find a reason to hold back. Unfortunately, I couldn’t, “So what if I like him?”338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIb2XrL6hKl
I strolled to her, “Will you be jealous? Are you going to try to pull him away from me? Tell me.”338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMwr8pqU3h
“No, no. It’s nothing like that. I have just never seen you and him together before.”338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyb22H2pgow
And that was the last strike.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5SSffWEmq
“Hey, do you see her? The black-haired one. She caused a ruckus at the studio before the celebration. Heard she was kicked out of her debutante ball,” they giggled.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPENnvSb2h
“Oh my, is that her? Ad– I mean you-know-who’s crazy fangirl?”338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiXCotTHWy
It’s all lies, you know it too, right?338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhmB2yO8qR
I saw him come in the hallway. The whispers died down, as he strolled, but they sure couldn’t have slipped off his ears. He must have heard them, but he knows better than anyone why I did it, doesn’t he?338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5Ib27ruAS
He must know that I did it because I loved him, and also that the witch deserved it. Anybody who saw her treat me like that would know it. He knows it, so why does he look down when he walks past me?
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