Elara was walking through the college gates when she noticed Alax standing by the entrance, phone in hand. He was waiting for her — of course, he was — but she didn’t even glance his way. She simply walked past, expression unreadable.

Alax saw her and hurriedly ended his call, jogging after her. “Elara! Elara, please — I’m sorry. Just forgive me, please.”

She didn’t respond, didn’t even slow down.

They reached the elevator, but it was taking too long to arrive. Alax kept talking, poking her shoulder lightly as he tried to get her attention. Elara sighed, clearly irritated, and turned toward the stairwell instead.

“Wait — Elara!” Alax called, following her.

She climbed quickly, her footsteps sharp against the concrete. By the time they reached the second floor, Alax was already out of breath, clutching the railing. “Hey — I’m tired… please, stop,” he panted.

But Elara didn’t even look back. She kept going until she reached the fourth floor and walked straight into the classroom.

After a few minutes, she realized she hadn’t heard Alax’s voice anymore. Curious, she glanced back toward the door — and there he was, half-leaning on another student’s shoulder, looking completely exhausted.

“What a drama queen,” Elara muttered under her breath, shaking her head before walking to her seat.

Inside, the classroom was almost empty — only Ronan was there. When he saw her, he waved casually. “Hey,” he said.

Elara gave a small nod in return and went to sit by the window. Ronan, seated on the opposite side, rested his chin on his arm, watching her quietly.

She wasn’t looking at him, though. Her gaze was fixed on the doorway.

Following her line of sight, Ronan turned his head and saw Alax coming in, supported by the same student. Alax looked exhausted, his face pale. He shuffled toward Elara’s desk and tried to sit beside her, but she quickly placed her bag on the chair next to her.

Undeterred, Alax sat in the next seat over. He took out a sticky note, scribbled something on it, and gently stuck it to Elara’s shoulder.

She didn’t even glance at it. Instead, she peeled it off without reading and tossed it aside.

Ronan watched the exchange from across the room, frowning slightly. He couldn’t understand what was happening between the two of them — but something in the silence told him it wasn’t simple.

Class was over, and everyone was gathering their things, chatting as they filed out of the room.
Ronan was packing up, too, sliding his notebook into his bag when he noticed Elara walking toward him.

Her steps were slow, her eyes soft — gentler than he had seen them in a long time. She placed her hand on the edge of his desk.
“Ronan,” she said quietly.

Something in the way she spoke his name made him pause — the tenderness in her voice, the years of unspoken feeling behind it.

He looked up, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as if to cover his confusion. “What, broke up with your soon-to-be boyfriend?” he teased, shoving the last of his books into his bag while his friends lingered by the door.

Elara’s gaze hardened. “Can you keep your nonsense aside for one minute?” she snapped.

Ronan set his bag down and stood, leaning closer to her. Their faces were only inches apart now, and Elara’s heartbeat quickened.

“Then tell me,” he said in a low voice, his eyes locked on hers.

“I… I wanted to tell you something. Actually — “

Before she could finish, a hand grabbed her wrist sharply.

Alax.

He pulled her away from the desk, ignoring her startled gasp, and dragged her out of the classroom. Ronan froze, watching in shock as they disappeared through the door. His chest tightened, but he didn’t follow. He told himself it wasn’t his place. Elara liked Alax — everyone knew that — and whatever was happening between them wasn’t his to interfere with.

But he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Alax didn’t stop until they reached an empty classroom. He finally released her wrist.

“What is this behavior, Alax?” Elara shouted, rubbing the red mark where he’d held her.

“What were you about to tell him?” he demanded.

Elara stared at him, disbelief flashing in her eyes. “What do you mean? I was about to tell him that I know the truth.”

Alax gripped her shoulders tightly. “There’s something you should know first. Things aren’t that simple, Elara. You think if you tell him the truth, it’ll fix everything? What do you think he’ll do?”

“He likes me,” she said firmly. “And he deserves to know that I like him too — because of what he did.”

“Elara,” Alax said, his voice cracking, “just because someone gave you flowers doesn’t mean you have to like them.”

She frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“I know I lied to you,” Alax said, his tone softening. “But our friendship wasn’t a lie. That was real. I’m still your friend, Elara. I’ll always be your friend. You know me — you know I’d never leave you, or hate you. But Ronan… he’s not who you think he is.”

Elara stared at him, silent.

“I’m not saying he’s a bad person,” Alax continued quickly, “but he’s not the right one for you. You know his reputation. He’s flirted with half the class. I’m scared for you, Elara. Please — be angry with me if you want, but don’t make a decision that’ll break your heart later.”

He stepped closer, his eyes soft and pleading, and gently cupped her face in his hands. “I can’t watch you cry again,” he whispered.

Elara’s breath caught. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying,” Alax said quietly, “don’t tell him the truth. If he finds out you’ve liked him all this time — because of something he doesn’t even remember doing — he’ll make a move on you. And when things change, when it all falls apart… there’ll be no going back.”

He paused, his eyes full of concern. “I’m saying this because I care about you.”

Elara stared at him for a long moment, her emotions twisting inside her. Finally, she whispered, “Okay. I won’t tell him anything.”

Alax blinked. “Does that mean… You forgive me?” he asked hopefully.

“No,” she snapped. “You don’t deserve my forgiveness, Alax. You made a fool out of me — all these years.”

“But I only used that lie once,” he said desperately. “After that, everything was real — every moment, every word.”

Elara pushed him away, her voice trembling. “Maybe. But it doesn’t matter anymore.”

She turned and walked out, her footsteps echoing down the empty hallway.

Alax stood there, the silence pressing around him.

And though Elara’s words were harsh, the truth was — she wasn’t as heartless as she seemed. Yes, Alax had lied. But he had also been the one who stayed when everyone else walked away. He never cared about her status, her past, or her pain.

He had lied once — but everything that followed had been real.