TW: Obsessive behaviour, unrequited love358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5zE67Yeh3
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? 358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZv6HUqD2VY
It was devastating.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnH6nrlB2V
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. 358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXIeocGND4
I made memories and enjoyed school life. Until that.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqp7UK54Xpd
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46hOWOvrQe
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZRcFCL0O4
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamlLmkV7g7
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPwyqPVIQY
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgjf1Y5QFZ
—358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORZonypf6Y
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. 358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKiBrF4lzm
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TRQoJLy0U
We were typically strangers.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoLIMYHf6O
Or not.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdV7J2jcNNs
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElfwapi7vz
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BvMitZFNc
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6l9iFTmWkj
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIj9rHT2zX
A week before the celebration, he and his friend came to the studio to decide how to enhance their already dashing performance. 358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiUOrVkxA7
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. 358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSN7BcrlFEe
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13TciQHtHV
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?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMRtqPmWFI
“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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvymt0j6PN
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2YZrWCJJz
“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?”358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxsvQaMVu5
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gLBne95hf
“Aria, the lights!” she yelled. Yeah, my slaps aren’t going to be light if you call his name again.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEbMsrjjX3
“Sorry,” I managed to utter while glaring at her.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMAOxmo0wB
“Let’s do it again,” she said. Thinking you’re resolving the conflict? Great pretence.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDP4k2CcoYY
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!358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUlcuvwIrS
“Aria!” yelled the devil again. 358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOt7nu6Jxd
Hearing the leader’s shrill voice, his eyes snapped back and forth between me and her, unaware of what had happened.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuyaWJ4gXL
“Oh, my bad. There’s an issue with the system,” I reasoned.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAGtwxyFxH
“Really? Let me take a look,” she said and hurried forward.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqj7Fy16RK
“No, it’s fine now,” I said, giving her a disgusted face. She stepped back and stated, “Don’t mess up again.”358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllrX6p01g6
I gritted my teeth at her warning. She acts as if she has the privilege to order me around. 358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdG9CAJaM9W
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMN5VVA5XR3
He will fall for me after this.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1Y8Lyabgi
“Red light, now Aria!” said the monster, ordering me once again. But this evening’s going to end with her embarrassment anyway.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFovoS1g3c
The background music and the lights were composed and rehearsed for the next two hours. The witch exploited us and our patience effectively. 358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZZ9TJSKbk
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ510JDgmvAA
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kKxfBmBBt
“Thank you for your hard work,” Adam said, “Please watch our performance at the celebration.”358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGUdj8Y7EA
He sure knew how to light up my mood.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGotcsusKLV
He looked at me and gave one of his most appealing smiles, which I loved. His smile was such a tease just like him.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibtLKgWpft
I smiled back, looking at the ground, then at him. He must have picked up the hint.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYL4Qolj3D
“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?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLj7fGd0IQ
How could he say that? He was supposed to ask me to come with him.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19JlMWIIDB
He gave everybody else–the team leader–a striking smile and turned his back to leave.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2S24IE9hn
“Wa– “The evening was quite tiring, wasn’t it?” interjected the team leader. I turned to her, “Oh.”358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOZFjXG4Es
Everyone looked at me now. “If it wasn’t for you, the evening would have been easier,” I muttered.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MrLD23BFA
“What?” she said, “Did you say something, Aria?”358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnQ56aQge8
Someone tell the witch to stop calling me by my name.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOdfW25RiN
“As if you didn’t hear,” I muttered again.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0LouS7fuo
“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. 358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuCQfRBec2
I looked at the devil’s eyes with contempt and disdain. 358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfFG3ly71L
“Is something the problem? Why are– “You are the problem,” I yelled, looking down.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VMtRlmM30
“What do you– “Shut up, will you?! Why did you send him off? I wanted to talk to him!”358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhgXL4S0sl
“You mean Adam? I can call– “Don’t say his name!”358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNQKQd5TOZ
The room was hushed again. “Aria… by any chance, do you like him?” 358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfW5w4vqNd
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?”358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUKtlZZpLH
I strolled to her, “Will you be jealous? Are you going to try to pull him away from me? Tell me.”358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOnFg1TSYX
“No, no. It’s nothing like that. I have just never seen you and him together before.”358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1balqBPvlz
And that was the last strike.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfDxq6MnXA
“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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYl57PK20x
“Oh my, is that her? Ad– I mean you-know-who’s crazy fangirl?”358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXgnM9wMPL
It’s all lies, you know it too, right?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsNdDutiA4
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?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJx217lsy1X
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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