"It's been a few weeks."
"It hurts so much to be ignored by someone who once meant the world to you."
I bit my lip while staring at Bryce from a distance. He was sitting in his usual spot by the hallway, wearing a sleeveless shirt and holding a book. But that wasn't what caught my attention first. He was still wearing the wristband I gave him. Or maybe I was just imagining it.
This time, I told myself. I have to talk to him. I can't just keep waiting anymore.
I approached him, carrying all the courage I'd been saving up for weeks. I had already tried a few times before—all failures. But now, I wasn't going to back out.
"Bryce—"
I stopped.
"Hi Kristine! Where are you going?" Bryce suddenly greeted our classmate passing by the hallway.
My feet froze in place as Kristine walked by with a smile. Bryce didn't even glance at me. As if I wasn't standing right in front of him. As if I didn't exist.
I stepped back slightly. No one else noticed, but to me, it felt like I'd been doused in cold water. Was this the end? Did he really not want to talk to me anymore?
The next day, I tried again. This time, no detours.
When I saw him in the library, I immediately walked over. I didn't care if it was embarrassing. I just wanted to talk to him, even for a moment.
"Bryce…"
I sighed.
I was right in front of him, but he didn't look at me. His eyes were closed, leaning back, holding his book, headphones on. I couldn't tell if he was asleep or pretending to be.
I gathered my courage again.
"Bryce, we need to talk…"
No reaction. Several seconds passed before he slowly removed one earbud.
"Huh?" he said, glancing at me. "Were you saying something?"
I clutched my chest, trying to calm myself.
"No... nothing," I whispered, shaking my head. "Sorry."
He put his headphones back on. No questions. No follow-up. Like he didn't feel the weight of what I was trying to say.
I went home in a daze. Aira asked if I was okay, but I just shook my head. She didn't need to hear that I kept getting ignored by the person I once thought I was close to.
---
Third try.
He was walking out of the building. Head down, eyes glued to his phone. Perfect timing—no crowd.
I rushed to catch up.
"Bryce!"
He looked up.
"Can we talk?"
He paused for a moment. Just stared. Then turned back to his phone.
He stood up.
"Sorry, Kiera. I have somewhere to be. I'm kind of busy right now."
"But—"
I didn't get to finish. He had already turned around. Kept walking. Didn't look back.
I was left standing there, arm half-raised in the air—like I was holding onto a word I couldn't let go.
---
Fourth try.
He was walking out of the building again. Usual routine—head down, busy on his phone, holding a black tumbler and that favorite book of his in the other hand.
I didn't think twice. I followed him. Walked quickly, nearly running. I didn't care if anyone saw. I just wanted to talk to him. Even for a second. Even just a word.
But before I could reach him—
"Why are you still chasing him?"
I stopped.
It was Zayden.
He stood off to the side, like he'd been watching me for a while. No expression on his face, but his voice was enough to thicken the air between us.
"You've done this so many times," he said. Straightforward tone, no anger, but tinged with weariness. "And every time, he ignores you."
I shook my head.
"Zayden, this is none of your business."
"Aren't you tired yet?"
I didn't listen. I ran after Bryce again. Ignored everything, even the person who had been there for me these past weeks.
"Bryce!" I shouted.
He turned. But just like before—no emotion, no joy. Nothing at all.
"Can we talk?"
He paused briefly. Just stared. Then returned to his phone. Let out a deep sigh.
"Sorry, Kiera. I have somewhere to be. I'm busy right now."
"But just for a moment! Won't you at least listen to me—just this once?"
He shook his head. Didn't speak. And like always, he walked away.
---
"Bryce!" I shouted again.
Louder. More desperate.
He didn't stop. Just kept walking.
I punched the air. The pain was unbearable. So heavy. But I didn't stop. I kept following him.
I stopped in the middle of the hallway. He was already far. But I had one last card to play. A name I hadn't said since he disappeared.
I tightened my grip on my bag. I yelled, this time deeper, sharper.
"Ace!"
He suddenly froze.
Like something pulled him back. Like I shattered the wall he had spent weeks building between us.
He didn't turn around. But he couldn't move anymore.
I was crying now. I couldn't stop it.
I took a small step closer. But I didn't touch him. I didn't force him. I just stood there, tears dripping on the corridor floor.
"Are we going to stay like this forever, huh?" My voice was hoarse. "Are you going to keep ignoring me forever? Keep pretending I don't exist?"
Silence.
No other sound except the footsteps of students walking away from us. But between us—it was like a storm. Wind. Emotions we couldn't speak.
And from the overwhelming pain... I didn't think anymore.
Softly, from memory, I sang the first line:
🎵
We ran through streets of neon light,
Laughing loud, hearts bold and bright.
Aylin and Ace, the perfect pair,
Every adventure, we were there.
🎵
I made a promise under moonlit skies,
That we'd be legends in each other's eyes.
Through every chapter, twist and turn,
You and I—there's more to learn.
"Kiera... that's enough." Bryce's tone was gentle, but tension simmered beneath it. He didn't turn, but I knew he was holding himself back.
I didn't stop. I continued.
🎵
So hold on, for when the stars align again,
We'll dance like nothing ever changed since then.
No need to chase, we've got our place—
Timeless friends, Aylin and Ace.
🎵
He suddenly turned around. His eyes were sharp. His breathing ragged.
"I said, THAT'S ENOUGH!" he yelled, loud and sharp, angry and pained. But I still didn't stop.
🎵
We carved our names in skies so wide,
With dreams too big for us to hide.
Two hearts, one fearless plan,
No one could break where we began.
🎵
"Do you still hear it, Ace?" I said, barely a whisper. My voice hoarse, tears still flowing.
I paused for a moment, head bowed, pain stabbing my chest. I pulled all the strength I had left and looked at him again.
"Can we talk, please?" I pleaded, barely holding on. "Let's fix this, please, Ace…"
His jaw clenched. His eyes burned with anger. I didn't know if it was because of the song, the name, or some wound I had accidentally reopened.
"What do you want to hear, Kiera?!" he snapped, nearly shouting. "That everything's fine? That I felt nothing when you never came back for me? When you moved away without even saying goodbye?"
"…Ace…"
"Don't call me that. Because the person who used to smile when you did... doesn't exist anymore."
He stopped for a second, taking a deep breath, trying to swallow the pain he didn't want to let out.
"If only you knew…" he began, voice hoarse, nearly a whisper. "If only you knew how stupid I was—I kept going back to Dambayan every day, waiting for you. Hoping that one day… you'd return."
His voice broke, each word spoken through the wound he'd buried for so long.
"Ace…" my voice trembled, but I forced myself to be strong. "How many times do I have to say it? How many times do I have to tell you that I did come back for you?"
I stepped closer, tears threatening to fall again, but I held them back.
"I looked for you every single day. I hoped every single day that I'd see you again. That I'd see Ace again… even just for a moment."
I shook my head, laughing bitterly through the pain.
"Yes, maybe I stopped. But do you know why? Because I was tired of hoping. Tired of believing you were still alive… that I had something to return to."
My voice grew heavy.
"And if only you knew… I lost everything too, Ace. When you disappeared, I disappeared too. I was swallowed by everything. I had no one to turn to, no one to lean on."
I looked up, trying to hold back the tears.
"I stopped waiting at Dambayan… not because I didn't want to anymore. But because I no longer had the right to return. I was taken away. My stepfather moved me to another place. The night I left that place… I also left behind the hope of ever seeing you again."
I shouted, emotions finally crashing through.
"But now, I'm here. I'm breathing. I'm full of regret. And no matter how much I explain, it's like you still don't hear me!"