TW: Obsessive behaviour, unrequited love125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQpTLhvRDU
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? 125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgXSGu6iGQ
It was devastating.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfK1c7pTb0M
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. 125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsWkibKVeS
I made memories and enjoyed school life. Until that.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfkKaPchw4
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtn0pmrTkK9
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKX8pNDj243
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtt02nkeWn
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGS7QiOFmn
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR8z2TcnQ1
—125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uUeDZtKky
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. 125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MFEb3mivn
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeF5uEzIsj
We were typically strangers.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyQdy4842V
Or not.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeaK7Cl2La
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYn7jDTaHoQ
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrMvmJS9zM
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArtLVEBEmq
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQWoHHFVTp
A week before the celebration, he and his friend came to the studio to decide how to enhance their already dashing performance. 125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdWf8ESwNH
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. 125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt24m5c7n3g
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DYyKV5LAY
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?125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfIMNxt0Mn
“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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHg3UDkei8Q
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbf0QmQyJWo
“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?”125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoc5zbzllAg
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QMcDE82Gv
“Aria, the lights!” she yelled. Yeah, my slaps aren’t going to be light if you call his name again.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdFIgY7g6q
“Sorry,” I managed to utter while glaring at her.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhL097TTit
“Let’s do it again,” she said. Thinking you’re resolving the conflict? Great pretence.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjmpK7oNWD
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!125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKVrp4I74E
“Aria!” yelled the devil again. 125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHl5pFba7W
Hearing the leader’s shrill voice, his eyes snapped back and forth between me and her, unaware of what had happened.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKCeOzngux
“Oh, my bad. There’s an issue with the system,” I reasoned.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL074aSn8pX
“Really? Let me take a look,” she said and hurried forward.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMO3T3IMn1D
“No, it’s fine now,” I said, giving her a disgusted face. She stepped back and stated, “Don’t mess up again.”125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9W369ssQUK
I gritted my teeth at her warning. She acts as if she has the privilege to order me around. 125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfnNUnnUI3
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzonH69AZ9T
He will fall for me after this.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mpBVuumkR
“Red light, now Aria!” said the monster, ordering me once again. But this evening’s going to end with her embarrassment anyway.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XtuD3gnF7
The background music and the lights were composed and rehearsed for the next two hours. The witch exploited us and our patience effectively. 125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmosbMPMCF3
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzybybMrLR1
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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxRLZ44ZDZ
“Thank you for your hard work,” Adam said, “Please watch our performance at the celebration.”125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvs7MYNQW5B
He sure knew how to light up my mood.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3o2Xj4jVb
He looked at me and gave one of his most appealing smiles, which I loved. His smile was such a tease just like him.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSrLZpRp3A
I smiled back, looking at the ground, then at him. He must have picked up the hint.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcrfcRHcTm
“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?125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDbVqAtwEg
How could he say that? He was supposed to ask me to come with him.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUB4DSOjaJ
He gave everybody else–the team leader–a striking smile and turned his back to leave.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41dbSYjAVN
“Wa– “The evening was quite tiring, wasn’t it?” interjected the team leader. I turned to her, “Oh.”125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbmpYHJfgh
Everyone looked at me now. “If it wasn’t for you, the evening would have been easier,” I muttered.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ63SxAXBRQ
“What?” she said, “Did you say something, Aria?”125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsOOL84ENO
Someone tell the witch to stop calling me by my name.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT50Lwjogoc
“As if you didn’t hear,” I muttered again.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjY3WRVoN2P
“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. 125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pX5by9hpC
I looked at the devil’s eyes with contempt and disdain. 125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskVryAyRHB
“Is something the problem? Why are– “You are the problem,” I yelled, looking down.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0767JtgTNo
“What do you– “Shut up, will you?! Why did you send him off? I wanted to talk to him!”125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4ROqPpDQn
“You mean Adam? I can call– “Don’t say his name!”125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxqzOGd5YU
The room was hushed again. “Aria… by any chance, do you like him?” 125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSy7e6hQrN2
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?”125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOAWlXxM6k
I strolled to her, “Will you be jealous? Are you going to try to pull him away from me? Tell me.”125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIA7AaiJzH
“No, no. It’s nothing like that. I have just never seen you and him together before.”125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoJAFgohek
And that was the last strike.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbIXfoHo3H
“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.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsskXxOnQtu
“Oh my, is that her? Ad– I mean you-know-who’s crazy fangirl?”125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKtfOD1Ob2
It’s all lies, you know it too, right?125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeKz9WIiuf
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?125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARxfvfK80h
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?
125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQnHjmgd7u
and then Add to home screen.