After the call ended, the silence in Claire's room felt even heavier and more oppressive. A light drizzle had begun outside, tapping against the windowpane in a slow, monotonous rhythm.
Claire remained sitting stiffly on the edge of her bed, her cold phone clenched tightly in her fingers. In the left side of her chest, an emptiness burned—a kind of pain that drew no blood yet could drain every ounce of strength from her body.
She slowly walked toward the window and pulled aside the thin cream-colored curtains. In the house across the street, separated from hers by a neighborhood road barely four meters wide, Aru's bedroom light was shining brightly. Through the gap in the glass, Claire could see Aru's shadow moving happily, occasionally tossing a small basketball into the air with a radiant smile on his face.
He's so happy, Claire thought, her eyes burning. And his happiness has absolutely nothing to do with me.
Claire squeezed her eyes shut. Memories of her childhood suddenly began spinning through her mind unbidden: Aru climbing over her fence just to share ice cream with her, Aru promising he would always protect her from the troublemakers in the neighborhood, and Aru always calling her name whenever he needed help.
Being an important part of someone's life didn't necessarily mean becoming the person they loved romantically. All this time, Claire had been building a sandcastle out of her own assumptions.
The tears she'd been holding back finally broke free. Claire sank onto the cold floor, leaned her back against the side of the bed, and hugged her knees tightly. She cried soundlessly, muffling herself with her sleeve so her sobs wouldn't reach Mom downstairs.
That night, Claire fought with her own heart. She wasn't crying only because Aru had chosen Claudia, but because she realized something even more horrifying: tomorrow morning, she would still have to act as if everything were normal.
The next day, Claire's eyes looked puffy despite being repeatedly treated with ice packs. The thin-framed glasses she usually wore had now become her salvation, hiding the dark circles around her eyes.
Claire deliberately left for school at six in the morning, much earlier than usual, just to avoid Aru. But fate seemed to enjoy playing games. Just as Claire opened her front gate, the gate of the house across the street opened too.
Aru came out wheeling his motorcycle, still wearing his unbuttoned school jacket.
"Claire!" Aru called, his face brightening the moment he saw his friend. "Didn't you say you didn't want to leave super early? What are you doing out here already?"
Claire froze in place. She cursed herself for being five minutes too late. Drawing a deep breath and putting on her best mask of composure, Claire turned around.
"I was just about to leave," Claire answered flatly. "Why are you already ready this early?"
Aru guided his motorcycle closer to Claire, wearing a smile that wouldn't fade. "I'm stopping by Claudia's house first. I want to bring her breakfast. You know that toast place near the station? She said yesterday that she really liked their toast."
A drop of bitterness slid down Claire's throat again. Aru used to be the laziest person alive, impossible to wake up in the morning—even for something as simple as Student Council duty. But now, for Claudia's sake, the guy was willing to wake up before dawn to buy toast at the end of the street.
"Oh... I see. That's nice," Claire replied softly, her eyes fixed on the tips of her sneakers. "Well, you should go. The toast might sell out."
Aru studied Claire's face for a moment. He furrowed his brow, sensing something strange in his friend's voice. "Claire, are you really okay? Your eyes look a little swollen. Are you dizzy because of that flu last night?"
Aru reached out, intending to touch Claire's forehead as he usually did. But this time, before his fingers could touch her skin, Claire reflexively took one step back.
Aru's hand hung in midair, and he looked startled by the gentle rejection.
"I'm fine, Aru," Claire cut in quickly, pulling herself together. "I just didn't get enough sleep last night because I was revising a Student Council draft. Don't make a big deal out of it."
Aru pulled his hand back and scratched the back of his neck, looking slightly awkward. "Oh... I thought you were sick. Don't push yourself if you're tired, okay?"
"Yeah. Go on, or Claudia will be waiting," Claire said, trying to give him a faint smile so he wouldn't suspect anything.
The awkwardness on Aru's face vanished the instant Claudia's name was mentioned. His smile blossomed again. "Okay! I'll head out first, Claire. See you at school!"
Aru started his motorcycle, put on his helmet, and drove away, leaving behind a thin cloud of exhaust. Claire stood alone by the roadside, watching Aru's back slowly recede until he disappeared around the neighborhood's bend.
The atmosphere at Nusantara High School felt different that morning. News that Aru and Claudia were officially dating spread like wildfire through dry straw. In the hallways, by the lockers, and even in the cafeteria, everyone was talking about the school's new "perfect couple."
Claire sat in the empty Student Council office, pretending to be busy checking pages of financial reports. But she couldn't shut out the conversation between two tenth-grade Student Council members who were organizing a cabinet in the corner of the room.
"Seriously, don't Aru and Claudia make such a great couple?" said the short-haired girl.
"Totally! One's a handsome basketball captain, and the other's beautiful and popular. It's like watching a Korean drama at your own school," her friend replied excitedly.
"But I feel bad for Claire. I mean, she's always been with Aru. I thought they were going to end up dating."
"Oh, really? Claire's so aloof, though. Besides, they're just childhood friends. It's a whole different level compared to Claudia."
The words struck Claire right in the gut. A whole different level. A simple, honest phrase, yet it cut so deeply.
The Student Council office door suddenly swung wide open. Aru entered with a sparkling expression, holding Claudia's hand. The room, which had been noisy moments before, fell silent for a moment.
"Morning, everyone!" Aru greeted his younger classmates warmly, then turned his attention to Claire sitting behind the secretary's desk. "Claire! Look, Claudia brought some homemade cookies from her house to share with everyone in Student Council."
Claudia smiled sweetly and approached Claire's desk, holding out a lunch box filled with chocolate cookies.
"Morning, Claire," Claudia greeted her gently. "Try one... They're my mom's homemade cookies. Aru said you really like chocolate."
Claire looked at the lunch box, then shifted her gaze to Aru standing beside Claudia with a proud expression. Right before her eyes, Claire saw the place that had once been her special privilege shift away from her. Aru had told Claudia what she liked. Aru had shared pieces of her with that girl.
Claire's smile widened, the fakest smile she had ever created in her life.
"Thank you, Claudia," Claire replied calmly as she accepted the box. "Congratulations to both of you."
Aru naturally draped an arm around Claudia's shoulders and chuckled softly. "Thanks, Claire. You're my best friend."
My best friend.
Claire nodded slowly, hiding her trembling hands beneath the meeting table. Deep in her heart, a new promise was spoken with terrible bitterness: starting today, she truly had to bury her feelings deep down and never let Aru know that the night before, she had cried until dawn just because of Claudia's name.
To be continued...