After a long holiday, today was officially my first day back at school for the new year.

And yeah, I’m sixteen now — hello, sweet sixteen! 💃

I’m Nesya.

And I’m definitely not one of those girls with a perfect boyfriend, a squad of BFFs, or a picture-perfect family.

But let’s not get into my tragic backstory. 🤫

No drama today — I was too busy feeling a weird kind of excitement.

Because this year?

Something tells me it’s going to be unforgettable.

…Oops. There’s my school bus. 🚌

And surprise, surprise — the ride was as boring as watching paint dry. 🥱

When I finally got to school, it felt exactly the same as every other year:

same faces, same classrooms, same sleepy me. 😫

That is… until I hit the canteen.

I was absolutely starving — and not just for food, but for a break from this déjà vu life.

So off I went to get my favorite fried rice.

And by the way, I was with Lara — you know, that classmate who insists we’re best friends. 🥸

Anyway, after I grabbed my food and a drink, I was heading back to my table like a queen on a mission to demolish some fried rice.

And then.

Boom. 💥

That’s when I saw him.

A new guy.

A face I’d never seen before.

And in that tiny second — I swear — the world hit slo-mo like some cheesy romance movie.

My heart? Practically doing backflips.

Time literally paused long enough for me to go,

“Wait, who is that?! 🔥”

And just as quickly as it began, the moment was over.

I was back in my seat, fried rice in front of me,

acting like nothing had happened — but let’s just say my brain was playing that little encounter on repeat. 🎬💖

And I had a feeling that moment?

Oh, it was definitely going to haunt me for a while.

After a few days, I found out his name—Kaysan. His class was just next door to mine. He often came by to meet someone from my class—Skyrt.

Skyrt and I had known each other for about two years. He used to be my cousin’s best friend, and because of that, he would always find a reason to tease me. Last year, we even ended up in the same class. We weren’t exactly friends, but we weren’t strangers either.

Skyrt still teased me, often in front of everyone—including Kaysan. And maybe that’s when Kaysan started to notice me. I usually responded to Skyrt with a cold stare or an argument, and sometimes I even hit him on the shoulder. (Oh! I forgot to mention—I’m learning taekwondo, so when I hit someone… yeah, it actually hurts.)

But deep down, I kind of liked it when Skyrt teased me in front of Kaysan. Maybe because it made Kaysan look my way—even if just for a moment.

It’s been three months now… and still, I haven’t had a single conversation with Kaysan.

Finally, Sports Day was just around the corner. I had signed up for the long-distance walking competition. (Yes, I know—walking, of all things. A taekwondo student doing a grandma sport? Embarrassing, I get it. But aside from fighting, I’m honestly useless at everything else.)

I was joining the event with my classmate, Silvia. And coincidentally—oh fate, you sneaky little thing—Kaysan was also training nearby for his own event. While we were sitting down and resting, Kaysan suddenly walked over to us.

My heart instantly hit taekwondo mode—fast and loud.

But no, he wasn’t there for me. He came to talk to Silvia. Turns out, they were friends. And just as I was pretending not to eavesdrop, Silvia smiled and said:

“Oh! Kaysan, meet my classmate.”

Classmate?

Girl, I wanted to be introduced as a mystery girl, not classmate number 7. But fine, I smiled anyway.

And then, the twist—

He looked at me and said, “I already know her.”

Wait, what?

My brain stopped.

He didn’t just know me. He knew where I lived. He said he’d seen me a few times outside school. And I just sat there like:

Is this fate... or do I need to file a report?

Still, I was surprised—because apparently, Skyrt (yes, the one who lives to tease me) is Kaysan’s best friend. So of course, he had heard stories.

Curious (and low-key trying to act mysterious), I asked him where he lived.

And he gave me the most irritatingly smug answer ever:

“That’s a secret.”

Excuse me? A SECRET?!

This man knew my postal code and bus route, but couldn’t even drop a hint about his own house?

It was annoying.

But also kind of intriguing.

But also still annoying.

Either way, I wasn’t someone who gave up easily.

That’s when my little devil side kicked in.

Challenge unlocked. Game on, Kaysan.

After I got home, the very first thing I did—without even changing my clothes—was open my laptop and start stalking Kaysan on social media. And guess what? I found him. Jackpot.

So, like any normal (totally not obsessed) person, I started analyzing every single picture he ever posted. One photo caught my attention—he was standing outside his house.

I zoomed in, squinted like Sherlock Holmes on caffeine, and I was 99.99% sure... that place looked exactly like the house opposite my cousin’s. But of course, being the overthinker I am, I needed solid proof.

So I paid my cousin a “casual” visit. And there it was—his house. Right there. Across the street.

That’s when the panic hit me. Flashbacks of all the embarrassing things I’d done while playing outside my cousin’s place started replaying like a horror movie. He must’ve seen everything.

Why, oh why, did I have to act like a chaotic little tornado in that exact spot?

O.M.G.What have I done?! 😱💀

Ever since that day, I somehow always ended up taking the road that passed by Kaysan’s house. Totally a coincidence, of course. I mean, who wouldn’t want just a tiny glimpse of their crush before school, right?

(Oh! I totally forgot to mention—I actually sent him a friend request on social media… and guess what? He accepted! YAHOOO! 🎉)

We started chatting there sometimes—just casual stuff, nothing crazy. But then, out of nowhere, he joined Skyrt too. And not just joined—he joined specifically to tease me! I swear, this boy’s hobby is testing my sanity.

Soon, the whole class knew I had somehow become friends with Kaysan. Yes, THE Kaysan. And you know what shocked them the most?

Me.

(Wait—let me give you a little backstory. I’m what you’d call the emotionally unavailable iceberg of the class. I don’t talk unless it’s important, and I can go a whole month in complete silence without blinking. That's probably why I don’t have a best friend… oh wait, except for a few classmates who claim they’re my best friend. Self-declared, not my fault.)

So yeah, when they saw me laughing, teasing, and acting like an actual human being for once, their jaws dropped. It was like watching a robot discover feelings.

Even I was concerned for myself. Like—who am I, and where is my cold soul?!

Our friendship was… well, evolving. Slowly but definitely turning into something deeper—though in the most chaotic way possible.

Like one time, Kaysan came to my class, saw that I wasn’t at my seat, and what did he do?

Did he wait patiently for me to come back?

Nope.

He grabbed my bag—or sometimes my books—and ran. Like, full-on sprinted around my class like a professional thief on a mission.

And what did I do?

I chased after him with the only weapon I had—my water bottle. 💦

That thing became my sword. My justice. My way of saying, “Give. It. Back!”

He really knew how to test my patience. And sanity.

But then… things took a turn.

A few days later, he somehow found out my secret—I was a Taekwondo student. (Yeah, surprise! I’d kept it hidden because I didn’t want to become the main character in everyone's gossip group chat.)

And of course, this genius thought it’d be hilarious to tease me about it.

Big mistake.

He joked that the reason I always liked hitting people was because I knew I’d win every fight.

I laughed.

But only on the outside.

Inside?

I was hurt. Deeply.

Because it wasn’t true. I never used my skills to hurt anyone for fun. I was just naturally strong because I grew up working in my family’s palm oil field—carrying stuff, cleaning, harvesting… That’s where my strength came from. Not from some fantasy of bullying people.

So, I stopped talking to him. Cold. Silent. Off.

And did he apologize?

No. Of course not. Because he’s just as stubborn as me.

So now, we were back to square one.

He’d still visit my class, talk with Skyrt like nothing happened… while the two of us acted like complete strangers.

Just awkward stares and silence. Like two grumpy cats pretending they never used to chase each other around the classroom with bags and water bottles.

Ah, teenage friendships. So dramatic. So confusing. So... us.