The Pen That Changed My Life - Chapter 11 – A Place Beside Me

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The school festival became everyone's favorite topic for the next few days.

Students laughed about the games they had played.

Some argued about which class had the best stall.

Others showed off the prizes they had won.

I listened quietly while arranging my books for the first lesson.

"You never told me if you liked the festival."

I looked up.

Narin had somehow appeared beside my desk again.

"It was... nice."

He raised an eyebrow.

"'Nice?' That's all?"

"I don't know what else to say."

He laughed.

"You really don't waste words."

"I've never needed many."

He leaned against the empty desk beside mine.

"I wish I could do that."

"Why?"

"I talk too much."

I looked at him for a second.

"I noticed."

He placed a hand over his chest.

"That hurts."

"You'll survive."

He stared at me with exaggerated shock.

"Did Phawin just make another joke?"

I couldn't stop a small smile from appearing.

"Maybe."

"There it is!"

"What?"

"That smile."

"What smile?"

"The one you try to hide."

I immediately looked away.

"I wasn't smiling."

"You were."

"I wasn't."

"You definitely were."

Before he could tease me any further, our teacher entered the classroom.

"Back to your seats."

Narin grinned.

"You've been saved by the teacher."

A few days later, our class had a free period because one of the teachers was absent.

Within seconds, the classroom turned into a marketplace.

Some students played games.

Others walked from desk to desk, chatting loudly.

I stayed where I always did.

Near the window.

Reading.

The empty chair beside me suddenly scraped across the floor.

Narin sat down.

"What are you reading?"

"A history book."

"...During your free period?"

"Yes."

"You're unbelievable."

"I've heard that before."

He rested his head on the desk.

"I get bored so easily."

"Then why are you here?"

He thought for a moment.

"I don't know."

I closed my book.

"You left all your friends."

"They'll survive."

"And you're going to spend your free period watching me read?"

He smiled.

"I don't mind."

For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

His friends called him from the other side of the room.

"Narin! Come play!"

He looked toward them.

Then back at me.

"You go."

"I will."

"...Later."

Instead, he stayed where he was.

Neither of us spoke for several minutes.

The classroom buzzed with laughter and shouting, but somehow the space beside the window remained calm.

It became our place.

Not because we planned it.

Not because anyone said it belonged to us.

It simply happened.

And from that day on, whenever there was an empty moment between classes...

Narin always seemed to find his way to the seat beside me.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MK4GsqfvR

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