Before You Loved Me - Chapter 3: A Seat Worth Saving

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Monday morning arrived with bright sunshine after the weekend rain.

Khem entered the classroom fifteen minutes before the first bell, just as he always did.

He placed his bag beside his desk, opened a novel, and quietly began reading.

A few minutes later, the classroom door slid open.

"Kavin!"

Several classmates waved him over.

"Come sit with us!"

"We saved you a seat!"

Kavin smiled apologetically.

"Maybe tomorrow."

Instead, he walked to the empty desk directly behind Khem.

Than raised an eyebrow.

"You seriously chose the back corner?"

"It's quieter," Kavin replied casually.

Only Kavin knew the real reason.

From there...

He could see Khem.

During mathematics class, the teacher filled the whiteboard with equations.

Khem wrote every step carefully.

Suddenly, his pencil snapped.

He searched through his pencil case.

Empty.

He had forgotten to bring a spare.

Before he could ask anyone, a new pencil appeared on his desk.

Khem turned around.

Kavin smiled.

"You can borrow it."

"I'll return it after class."

"No rush."

Khem accepted it with a small nod.

"Thank you."

It was such a small act that no one else noticed.

But Kavin secretly hoped Khem would keep it for a little longer.

At lunch, Than and Rin invited everyone from their project group to eat together.

The cafeteria was crowded.

As they searched for seats, they noticed one table with only a single empty chair.

"You guys sit," Khem said. "I'll find another place."

Before he could leave, Kavin spoke.

"Wait."

He grabbed another chair from a nearby table.

"There. Now everyone fits."

Than laughed.

"Problem solved."

Khem looked at Kavin.

"...Thanks."

"It's just a chair."

But to Khem, it meant more.

Someone had noticed he was about to eat alone.

Over the next few weeks, little things kept happening.

If Khem forgot a pen, Kavin had an extra one.

If Khem stayed late in the library, Kavin somehow ended up studying there too.

If Khem carried too many books, Kavin naturally took half of them.

None of it felt forced.

To everyone else, Kavin was simply being kind.

To Kavin...

Every excuse to spend time with Khem felt precious.

One afternoon, Rin quietly watched the two of them.

Than noticed.

"What?"

Rin smiled faintly.

"Don't you think Kavin pays a lot of attention to Khem?"

Than looked over.

Kavin was explaining a chemistry question while Khem listened carefully.

"I think he's just friendly."

"Maybe."

Rin closed his notebook.

"Or maybe there's another reason."

That evening, Kavin lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

His phone buzzed.

It was a message from Khem.

Khem: Thanks again for lending me the pencil today. I left it in your locker.

Kavin smiled at the screen.

He typed a reply.

Kavin: No problem. See you tomorrow.

The conversation ended there.

Just two short messages.

Yet Kavin read them three times before putting his phone down.

He laughed quietly at himself.

"Why am I so happy over something this small?"

He didn't have an answer.

Not yet.5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlIvYToDlJ

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