Karthik couldn't stop smiling the whole afternoon. Ananya's message stayed on his screen, even after the lab session ended. He copied it down in his notebook when no one was looking. He didn't want to forget it.
> "I like being yours in secret, even if everyone knows."
It was so her—clever, teasing, and oddly comforting.
As the final bell rang, the class buzzed with weekend plans. Karthik packed his bag slowly, stalling. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Ananya sling her tote over her shoulder and head toward the door.
He followed her out. Not too close. Not too far.
Outside, the heat hit like a slap. Chennai's sun was merciless in April. Ananya stood under a gulmohar tree, scrolling through her phone. She looked up as he approached.
"Waiting for me?" she asked.
"Waiting for a bus," he replied, deadpan.
"Convenient."
He smirked. "Coincidence."
She started walking, and he matched her pace.
"So," she said, eyes on the road, "are we going to keep pretending we're just walking the same way?"
"I mean, technically we are."
She chuckled. "Karthik?"
"Hmm?"
"Thanks for... not running away."
He turned to look at her. "You mean like earlier when you said I stole your heart?"
"Exactly."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't expect everyone to find out so fast."
"It's school. You sneeze, and it becomes morning assembly news."
They reached the bus stop. It was empty except for an aunty with grocery bags and a kid eating an orange candy.
Silence sat between them. Comfortable. The kind that comes when words aren't needed.
Then, Ananya leaned in slightly and whispered, "You know what I like about you?"
"I'm afraid to ask."
"You act like you hate attention... but you like it when it's from me."
Karthik blinked.
"…Maybe."
She smiled, satisfied with his reaction. A bus rumbled into view, but neither of them moved.
"I'm glad you confessed," she said softly. "Even if it took you forever."
"I was building suspense."
"Like a slow-burn anime?"
"Exactly."
Her bus pulled up. She hesitated.
"Hey," he said quickly. "Text me when you get home."
She raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you ask?"
"Since now."
She grinned, stepping onto the bus. "Okay, boyfriend-not-yet-boyfriend."
And just like that, she was gone—leaving Karthik smiling at nothing and everything, the Chennai heat suddenly not so bad.
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End of Chapter 34