TW: Obsessive behaviour, unrequited love606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tNTd4IBV2
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? 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrnheRmHTo
It was devastating.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAG4dtrLGPd
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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdr7v9vIzA
I made memories and enjoyed school life. Until that.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5rFrt7zCV
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgH1jOeA5S
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuyQPL0peP
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaEAlN5VFM
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvRZIBO9ad
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5xGBP66YO
—606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOCQo8GrGM
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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYX0swotGAS
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36wH9pQkua
We were typically strangers.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifBt24iDSE
Or not.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE35DcHkhwC
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIOuDevNQj
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXBgw3Grjs
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCoR2ZPNK6O
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssmG93xpdv
A week before the celebration, he and his friend came to the studio to decide how to enhance their already dashing performance. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSlh4bDrf7
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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgBpjgeTLK
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaFaX6rR66
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?606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6R7Wmjc0L
“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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSqLAIkLbv
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhvZFZYm0y
“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?”606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHeboAFRT2b
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPILI2LmQW
“Aria, the lights!” she yelled. Yeah, my slaps aren’t going to be light if you call his name again.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyL9ZbwRUa
“Sorry,” I managed to utter while glaring at her.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOZIgKF7pI
“Let’s do it again,” she said. Thinking you’re resolving the conflict? Great pretence.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBefd4wLj2
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!606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVFGAUtXuy
“Aria!” yelled the devil again. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4WAyZMWSY
Hearing the leader’s shrill voice, his eyes snapped back and forth between me and her, unaware of what had happened.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MVPpCc7wx
“Oh, my bad. There’s an issue with the system,” I reasoned.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9oWnMtk4i
“Really? Let me take a look,” she said and hurried forward.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4zXuc0LYS
“No, it’s fine now,” I said, giving her a disgusted face. She stepped back and stated, “Don’t mess up again.”606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAPRxDZkGe
I gritted my teeth at her warning. She acts as if she has the privilege to order me around. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3vRfkIce8
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpYZnK19G0
He will fall for me after this.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1UrHb0fVQ
“Red light, now Aria!” said the monster, ordering me once again. But this evening’s going to end with her embarrassment anyway.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKIWnLehxi
The background music and the lights were composed and rehearsed for the next two hours. The witch exploited us and our patience effectively. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXScOnxG1H
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBY2lsLjtL
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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgJmCab3p4
“Thank you for your hard work,” Adam said, “Please watch our performance at the celebration.”606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xdRaGeuJN
He sure knew how to light up my mood.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwEBtr0Fxe
He looked at me and gave one of his most appealing smiles, which I loved. His smile was such a tease just like him.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuEeJGOOnQ
I smiled back, looking at the ground, then at him. He must have picked up the hint.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64ZTS5vq8b
“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?606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgKT4C27G0
How could he say that? He was supposed to ask me to come with him.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4dmpC9aVY
He gave everybody else–the team leader–a striking smile and turned his back to leave.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUVMv9eKTc
“Wa– “The evening was quite tiring, wasn’t it?” interjected the team leader. I turned to her, “Oh.”606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuubD84n56S
Everyone looked at me now. “If it wasn’t for you, the evening would have been easier,” I muttered.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGxRlRPPFq
“What?” she said, “Did you say something, Aria?”606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIZS9Ehq9u
Someone tell the witch to stop calling me by my name.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2eHqVVLrm
“As if you didn’t hear,” I muttered again.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaoq1R5tZE
“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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBojZshcwpV
I looked at the devil’s eyes with contempt and disdain. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2lL3VsljU
“Is something the problem? Why are– “You are the problem,” I yelled, looking down.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKot6CIp0K
“What do you– “Shut up, will you?! Why did you send him off? I wanted to talk to him!”606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbjPFyLK1C
“You mean Adam? I can call– “Don’t say his name!”606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcHt9xkHfq
The room was hushed again. “Aria… by any chance, do you like him?” 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrHw1q3tr0
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?”606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0N0b6licb
I strolled to her, “Will you be jealous? Are you going to try to pull him away from me? Tell me.”606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhk8kcJiMf
“No, no. It’s nothing like that. I have just never seen you and him together before.”606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSLk6GySnP
And that was the last strike.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3JmpDYKEu
“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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAK2BwVnAK
“Oh my, is that her? Ad– I mean you-know-who’s crazy fangirl?”606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLd2LIg6wFc
It’s all lies, you know it too, right?606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBYVqa6oQE
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?606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVjNbUQs4O
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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and then Add to home screen.