The Pen That Changed My Life - Chapter 35 – The Holidays

12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nZeELylmh

The first few days of the holidays passed quietly.

For the first time in months...

There was no morning bell.

No teachers.

No homework waiting on my desk.

I spent most of my time at home.

Sometimes I helped my mother.

Sometimes I played with my little sister until the sun began to set.

In the evenings, I read books near my bedroom window.

Life was peaceful.

Yet...

Something felt missing.

One afternoon, while organizing my school bag, I found the dark blue notebook Narin had given me.

I opened it.

The first few pages were filled with neat class notes.

Then, tucked between two pages, I found a small piece of paper.

It wasn't a letter.

It was a simple drawing.

A window.

Beside it, two stick figures sitting together.

Underneath, in Narin's handwriting, were a few words.

"The best seat in school wasn't by the window. It was beside you."

I stared at the page for a long time.

Then, without realizing it...

I smiled.

That evening, my little sister walked into my room.

"What are you smiling at?"

I quickly closed the notebook.

"Nothing."

She crossed her arms.

"You're smiling at 'nothing' again."

"I was just remembering school."

She laughed.

"You actually miss school?"

"I miss..."

I stopped before finishing the sentence.

"What?"

I shook my head.

"Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You're hiding something."

"I'm not."

She giggled and ran out of the room before I could answer.

A week later, I decided to visit the small stationery shop near our school.

I wasn't looking for anything in particular.

I simply wanted to buy a new notebook before the next term began.

As I stepped inside, I heard a familiar voice.

"I knew you'd come here someday."

I turned around.

"Narin?"

He smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same."

"I needed a notebook."

"So did I."

We both laughed.

For a moment, it felt as though school had never ended.

We left the shop together, each carrying a small paper bag.

The streets were quieter during the holidays.

Children played outside.

Shopkeepers greeted familiar customers.

We walked without any destination.

"I thought I'd be happy during the holidays," Narin admitted.

"Aren't you?"

"I am."

He looked at me.

"But..."

"I miss talking to you every day."

I didn't answer immediately.

Instead...

I looked ahead at the road.

"So do I."

The words escaped before I had time to think about them.

Narin stopped walking.

"You do?"

I nodded.

"The holidays are... quieter than I expected."

A smile slowly spread across his face.

It wasn't loud.

It wasn't playful.

It was the smile of someone who had just heard exactly what they had been hoping for.

As we continued walking through the quiet streets...

Neither of us realized that the distance between friendship and love...

Had become smaller than ever before.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOX4P4m4apY

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