"Want me to go back?"

Days turned into weeks, and Tian couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between him and Cynthia.

Her warmth, once a comforting constant in his life, now seemed veiled behind a curtain of distance that left him restless and perplexed.

Despite his best efforts to bridge the gap, each attempt to connect with her ended in a frustrating deadlock.

He reassured her countless times that she could confide in him, that he was there to support her unconditionally as any friend would.

Yet, the wall she had erected remained steadfast, casting a shadow over their once effortless camaraderie. Determined to get to the bottom of it, he decided to seek advice from Ryan.

As he walked through the quiet corridors of the school during the lunch break, Tian's mind was a whirlpool of thoughts. The group of four had their lunch together as usual but instead of going to classes, Ryan and Nia had decided to head to the library to complete their pending assignments.

Tian had regretfully left Cynthia's side just to find a moment to clear up his doubts and seek advice from Ryan. Determined to get to the bottom of it, Tian quickened his pace towards the library. The quiet corridors seemed to echo with his footsteps, amplifying his unease.

As he entered the library, the hushed atmosphere and the soft rustling of pages added to his anxiety. He spotted Ryan and Nia at a corner table, surrounded by books and notes, their faces scrunched up in concentration.

Walking forward, he greeted them as he registered the momentary surprise on their face, "Hi Nia, Hi Ryan"

Lifting his hand, he gripped Ryan's wrist to pull him up, "Nia, I would have to steal your boyfriend for a bit.", Tian spoke courteously.

"And why is that?", Nia spoke with a lift of her eyebrow as she looked at him. Tian sighed, "For a man-to-man talk."

Nia chuckled slightly before she replied, "But can't you see that he is a bit busy, in the middle of something important?" Tian frowned, his mouth opening and closing, unable to speak anything as he looked at them, 'Aren't they only doing some assignments? What's important in that?'

"Assignments are that important to you?", Tian scoffed, finding his conversation with Nia highly ridiculous. 'She's just like Aiko.', he noted, subconsciously shaking his head in disapproval while looking at Nia.

Nia, who could already sense his frustration smirked slightly as she pointed at their table, "Study date.".

Ryan, who was clearly enjoying the show from the sideline couldn't help but snort, "Alright, enough with this. Don't tease him anymore.", Ryan spoke, gently patting Nia's back before looking up at Tian's dumbfounded face, "Let's go."

Tian swiftly pulled him to the side, away from prying ears and curious eyes—aka Nia. Ryan studied Tian's face, sensing the urgency. "What's going on, man? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Your girlfriend is not any less.", Tian murmured, causing Ryan to smile sarcastically, "Want me to go back?" Tian frowned, shaking his head rapidly, "Sorry."

"Spill.", Ryan spoke as he leaned against the wall of library, making sure that Nia was right in his view. Tian sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair.

"It's Cynthia. She's been acting weird around me, and I don't get it. One minute she's fine, and the next she's distant. I don't know what to do."

Ryan frowned, "Tell me more." Tian contemplated for a second before choosing to be completely transparent with him.

Ryan hummed as the dim light of the library cast shadows on his thoughtful face. After a moment, he said, "Maybe you need to find the right time to confess your feelings to her. I mean...it would add depth to your relationship and would help you to address her distant behavior."

Tian frowned, "Confess? But…I mean just for this issue? Won't that be too meaningless?", he spoke, ignoring the rapid thumping of his heart as nervousness gripped his heart with the thought of confessing.

"Meaningless?", Ryan scoffed, flicking Tian's forehead, "I have been standing here for the past ten minutes, listening to you continuously simp over her. I can confidently say that this confession is long overdue."

Tian rubbed his forehead, his expression a mix of annoyance and contemplation. "It's not that simple, Ryan. What if I ruin our friendship? What if she doesn't feel the same way?"

Ryan sighed, his gaze softening. "You're overthinking this, Tian. Sometimes, you just have to take a leap of faith. Besides, she likes you too."

"Huh?", Tian's eyes widened by a fraction, his heart coming to a standstill for a moment before it felt like it would burst open. The surety in Ryan's tone had solidified his earlier doubts. "What...What did you say?"

Ryan frowned, trying to keep his face as straight as he could, "What? I..I said she cares about you..a lot."

Tian, shook his head yet still spoke, "Is that so?". Ryan breathed out a silent sigh of relief, 'Thank god. Nia would've killed me if she had known that I had blurted it out.'

Tian, lost in his own thoughts, glanced at Ryan for a moment before he started making his way out of the library after thanking him. 'He definitely said that 'she likes you too', yes.'

Suddenly, he was interrupted by a girl from his class calling him out, holding a stack of heavy textbooks. "Tian, could you help me carry these books to the classroom? They need to be distributed," she asked, her voice tinged with desperation.

Tian looked at her with confusion, his mind still reeling from the conversation with Ryan. But eventually, he agreed. "Sure, I'll help."

As they walked through the hallways, he tried to focus on the task at hand. The heavy textbooks were cumbersome, but his mind was elsewhere, replaying Ryan's words over and over.

They passed by the cafeteria, where Cynthia was sitting alone by the window, sipping on orange juice and gazing outside. The sunlight streamed in, casting a warm glow on her thoughtful face.

She looked peaceful yet lost in thought. Her contemplative expression stirred a yearning within him, a desire to unravel the mysteries that now shrouded their friendship.

Suddenly, the girl walking with Tian let out a strange shriek. Tian looked down to see a rat scurrying away, having stepped on her foot, making all the students in the hallway pause and look their way. They both burst into laughter at the unexpected commotion after the girl apologized to everyone for the disturbance.

In the midst of their laughter, Tian glanced toward the cafeteria and saw Cynthia looking at them with a frown. Her eyes locked with his for a brief moment before she quickly averted her gaze, her expression unreadable.

Ryan's words echoed in Tian's mind: "She likes you too."

Could Cynthia's complicated gaze be…jealousy? Was she feeling the same way he did? Tian's heart pounded as he considered the possibility. The idea that Cynthia might share his feelings filled him with a dizzying mix of hope and anxiety.

As they continued walking, Tian's thoughts were consumed by Cynthia. Maybe Ryan was right. Maybe he needed to find the right moment to tell her how he felt. But for now, he had to focus on carrying the books, all while his mind remained a chaotic mix of hope and confusion.

The classroom loomed ahead, and as they reached it, Tian set the books down with a heavy sigh. The girl thanked him and left, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

He looked back down the hallway, where Cynthia had been, and wondered if Ryan was right. Was she really feeling the same way?