Ayliz flipped through the pages of her diary with a faint smile on her lips. She was sitting on the swing in her bedroom balcony, where a small, cute tea table stood nearby, holding a cup of tea.

It was the month of June, around 5 in the evening. The soft rays of the setting sun fell on the pages of her diary, illuminating her delicate fingers. A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves of the neem tree in her lawn, its branches stretching just enough to shade part of her balcony, making the heat slightly more bearable.

One look at her, and anyone could tell she had returned from somewhere, exhausted. Dressed in her night suit, she had tucked her legs up, as if trying to unwind with nothing but her tea and diary for comfort.

She turned another page-then suddenly stopped.

Placing her cup back on the table, she bit her lower lip, a nervous habit, and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes fixated on a single name written on the diary's page.

Zyran.

Chapter 01: Diary

17 june 2018

Like every other day, Ayliz had her eyes fixed on the door. Even though the teacher's voice had reached her ears, she seemed to ignore it. Once again, she was waiting for someone-her restless heart filled with impatience as she kept staring at the door.

"Ayliz...?"
"Ayliz...?"

Even after being called twice, she didn't respond. The teacher finally raised his voice, "Ayliz, are you even listening to me?"

Startled, she quickly turned towards him, looking at him in confusion.
"Y...Yes, sir... did you say something to me?"

The entire class burst into laughter at her behavior.

"Silence!" the teacher commanded, quieting everyone. Then, turning to Ayliz, he asked, "Are you okay? Where was your mind?"

She was at tuition that day. It was the month of June, the first day of high school after the summer break. The classroom was filled with students, all excited to reunite with their friends, catching up on everything they had missed.

But Ayliz...

She sat there, seemingly present yet lost in thought.

No one knew who she was waiting for-perhaps not even she herself.

.

Despite everything, Ayliz was a brilliant student-the topper of all her classes. She had moved to this city just a year ago due to her father's transfer. Yet, in such a short time, she had already become Christopher Sir's favorite student. Her intelligence and confidence always impressed him, and she received more attention than the older students. Over time, Christopher Sir had started to hold great importance in her life-he always encouraged her, boosted her confidence, and assured her that she would achieve great success in the future.

But as soon as Sir's sudden question pulled her out of her thoughts, she looked at him in embarrassment-only to be distracted once again by a familiar voice that reached her ears.

"May I come in, sir?"

And there she was again-completely zoned out, shamelessly staring at the person standing at the door.

Zyran...

He was finally there.

Dressed in a white full-sleeved t-shirt, his sleeves casually rolled up, he stood at the entrance-breathless. It had been fifteen minutes since the tuition had begun, but he had just arrived, as if he had been running against time itself. His chest rose and fell with each deep breath, a restless urgency in his stance. Strands of his dark hair had fallen onto his forehead, slightly damp with sweat.

And then, his eyes met hers for a moment.

Ayliz was already on her feet, frozen in place, staring at him as if the world around them had momentarily disappeared.

"Come in. You're late today," Sir asked Zyran as he entered the classroom.

"Sorry, sir. I had some work," he replied breathlessly while walking to his usual seat-the corner seat right beside Ayliz.

Unaware of the fact that Ayliz's eyes hadn't left him for a second, he sat down as if Sir addressed Ayliz once again,

"Ayliz, pay attention to the class. Have you completely drifted away from your studies after the holidays?" He gave a slight smile and gestured for her to sit down.

But Ayliz was lost in another world.

With a hint of embarrassment and a faint smile on her face, she softly replied, "sorry, sir."and takes her place.

After Tution, following the usual rules-boys left first, then the girls. Ayliz was the first among the girls to step out.

As she walked outside, her gaze instantly found Zyran-standing with his friends, laughing as he unlocked his bicycle.

He was joking about something with them, his carefree smile making Ayliz pause in her steps. She stood there, silently watching, as he rode off, disappearing from her sight.

Just then, a familiar voice called her name.

"Ayliz..."

She turned to see Noor khan,her benchmate ,hurrying towards her.

Noors curly hair bounced as she moved,her expensive eyes filled with concern Why did you came so fast is everything alright..

Noor folded her arms, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Wait, let me guess... don't tell me you met someone during the holidays?"The one because of whom you've changed so much."

Ayliz sighed, adjusting the strap of her bag.

"You say the most random things. This isn't my kind of conversation." She shot Noor a look, as if she had just said something completely absurd.

Noor paused dramatically. "Alright, alright. Shall we go now?"

Ayliz rolled her eyes as Noor giggled. As they walked down the road, Noor nudged her. "You're coming to school today, right?"

Ayliz nodded, mumbling a soft "hmm."

Noor grinned. "Bring your Math notes, please. I need to finish my summer homework."

Ayliz shot her a look of disapproval, furrowing her brows. "That's called cheating."

Noor, ever shameless, laughed. "Maybe, but copying from a best friend's book is totally allowed."

Ayliz shook her head, finally breaking into a laugh. "There's no hope for you."

Ayliz would do anything for her friends. She was completely unaware of the world's tricks and deceit. Lies and betrayals never crossed her mind. She had a pure heart, where family and friendship mattered the most. But now... maybe, just maybe, someone else was becoming important too-though she wasn't ready to admit it yet.