Before You Loved Me - Chapter 2: First Conversation

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The first week of school passed quickly.

Khem settled into his routine without much trouble. He arrived early every morning, sat by the window in the third row, paid attention in class, and quietly left when the final bell rang. He wasn't unfriendly—he simply preferred peace over crowds.

Meanwhile, Kavin had already become well known around school. Seniors invited him to join the basketball team, classmates constantly asked him to eat lunch together, and girls from other classes often glanced at him in the hallways.

But whenever Kavin entered the classroom...

His eyes instinctively found Khem.

On Friday morning, their homeroom teacher clapped her hands.

"Everyone, next week we'll begin a history presentation. You'll work in groups of four."

The classroom buzzed with excitement.

Names were drawn randomly.

"Kavin."

He stood.

"Khem."

Khem looked up in surprise.

"You'll be in the same group."

Their teammates were Than and Rin.

Than grinned. "Looks like we're together."

Rin smiled politely at everyone before opening his notebook.

After class, the four gathered in the library.

Than broke the silence first.

"So... who's good at making slides?"

"I can," Kavin replied.

"I'll do the research," Khem said softly.

"I'll write the script," Rin added.

"Then I'll present!" Than laughed proudly.

Everyone chuckled.

For the first time, Kavin heard Khem laugh.

It wasn't loud.

It wasn't dramatic.

But it was genuine.

And somehow...

It became Kavin's favorite sound.

The afternoon passed as they worked together.

Khem spread books across the table, carefully highlighting important information.

Kavin noticed how focused he was.

"You've already finished half the research?" Kavin asked.

Khem nodded.

"If we finish early today, we won't have to rush next week."

Kavin smiled.

"You always think ahead?"

Khem shrugged.

"It makes life easier."

Their eyes met for a brief moment.

It lasted only a second.

Yet Kavin felt his heart skip.

When the library closed, they packed their bags.

Outside, dark clouds gathered.

A sudden downpour soaked the campus.

"Oh no..." Than sighed. "I forgot my umbrella."

"So did I," Rin admitted.

Kavin opened his backpack and pulled out a large umbrella.

"I brought one."

Khem looked at the rain.

"I'll wait until it stops."

"It could rain for hours," Kavin said. "We live in the same direction, don't we?"

Khem blinked.

"...We do."

"Then let's share."

After a brief hesitation, Khem nodded.

"Thank you."

They walked side by side beneath the umbrella.

The rain fell heavily around them, but neither spoke much.

Oddly...

The silence didn't feel awkward.

For Kavin, it felt comfortable.

As they reached Khem's street, Khem stopped.

"Thanks for walking with me."

"Anytime."

Khem smiled—a small, sincere smile.

"See you on Monday, Kavin."

Before Kavin could reply, Khem disappeared through the gate.

Standing in the rain, Kavin watched the closed gate for a few more seconds.

A smile slowly appeared on his face.

He didn't understand why.

He had only shared an umbrella.

But somehow...

It had become the best part of his day.5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiF4ngQjjh

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