The day before the exams was always a tense time. Everyone in Kiddy's friend group was hunkered down at home, deep into their studies. The school had given them a preparation leave, and each of them was using the day to make sure they were as ready as possible for the upcoming tests.
At home, Kiddy sat at his desk, surrounded by textbooks and notes. He was trying his best to focus, but the pressure of the exams was getting to him. His concentration was broken when his mom knocked on his door and poked her head in.
"Kiddy, I need you to run to the store and pick up some groceries. It won't take long," she said with a smile.
Kiddy sighed, reluctant to leave his study zone but knowing he couldn't say no. "Alright, Mom. I'll be back soon."
Grabbing his jacket, Kiddy headed out. The cool air felt refreshing after hours of being cooped up indoors. As he walked to the nearby grocery store, his mind was still on his studies, mentally going over equations and facts.
When he reached the store, he grabbed a basket and started picking up the items on his mom's list. As he turned down one of the aisles, he suddenly froze. There, just a few feet ahead, were Sam and Lily—together. They hadn't noticed him yet, and Kiddy quickly ducked behind a shelf, peeking around the corner to watch them.
Sam and Lily were standing close, talking and laughing quietly as they shopped. They seemed comfortable, their gestures and smiles more familiar than Kiddy had ever seen before. As they moved down the aisle, Sam casually put his arm around Lily's shoulders, and she didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, she leaned into him, a soft smile on her face.
Kiddy's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected this. Sure, they were part of the same friend group and had always gotten along well, but he hadn't noticed anything more than that. And yet, here they were, clearly more than just friends.
He followed them stealthily through a few more aisles, trying to keep out of sight as they continued shopping together. They were picking out snacks and drinks, and every now and then, they'd share a look or a laugh that made it obvious something had changed between them.
Finally, as they headed toward the checkout, Kiddy decided he'd seen enough. He backed away, careful not to be spotted, and quickly finished his own shopping. As he left the store, his mind was buzzing with this new information.
As he walked home, Kiddy couldn't help but grin. "Sam and Lily, huh?" He thought about how they'd all been focused on their studies lately, and how he hadn't really noticed the growing connection between them. It made him feel a bit more relaxed, realizing that even in the midst of all this exam stress, life was still moving forward in surprising ways.
When he got back home, his mom asked if everything went smoothly, and Kiddy just nodded, still lost in thought. As he sat back down to study. The thought of his friends—of this new development between Sam and Lily—gave him a little bit of comfort.
And while he decided not to say anything for now, Kiddy couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement for them. After all, it wasn't every day that you discovered something new about your closest friends.