The final bell rang not just for the day, but for the term.

And just like that, the weight of Royal Heights began to lift.

Gone were the pre-dawn strategy sessions, the relentless schedule, and Zara’s venomous whispers winding through the halls like smoke. In their place came the soft exhale of a school finally loosening its tie, students flooding the courtyard with laughter, joy, and the flash of end-of-term selfies.

Aurelina didn’t join them.

She leaned against the admin block window, her gaze following the blur of uniforms and backpacks, letting the silence settle around her. Stillness wasn’t something she was used to. Not when the past few weeks had been a war zone of grades, friendships, and emotions.

Zhiyong passed by, his tie still half undone like always. He slowed near her, but didn’t stop completely.

“Your ride’s late again?”

She rolled her eyes, allowing a trace of a smile. “Driver says traffic. I think he just enjoys keeping me miserable.”

They stood there, not talking, not needing to. A comfortable kind of silence. The kind that would’ve been impossible weeks ago.

“You’re not in a hurry?” she asked eventually.

“Home’s overrated.”

The words came out with more weight than he probably intended, and she didn’t push. Some truths didn’t need unpacking.

“So… what now?” she murmured, half to him, half to herself.

He let out a breath of dry amusement. “Now? We survive the break. Come back to more mind games. You’ll glare at me for three days. I’ll pretend not to notice. You’ll win something. I’ll win something else. Classic Royal Heights chaos.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“You say that like it’s new.”

Then came a pause—not sharp or uncomfortable, but soft. Curious.

“I saw your Leadership paper,” he said. “You didn’t pick the ruthless strategy.”

Aurelina turned, eyebrows raised. “I never do.”

“You chose mercy,” he said quietly. “Didn’t think that was your thing.”

Her expression shifted, the corners of her smile twitching. “Was that a compliment?”

“An observation.” A subtle grin. “But… I liked it.”

The moment stretched, full of something unspoken but not unwelcome.

Her phone buzzed. The driver. Time to leave.

“I should go,” she said, though she made no move.

He nodded. “See you next term.”

She turned—but paused.

“Zhiyong?”

He looked back.

“Don’t ruin this,” she said softly, gesturing between them. “Whatever… this is.”

His smile was small, real. “Not planning to.”

The car ride home was quiet. Aurelina watched Lagos blur past the window, her reflection barely visible in the glass. She pressed a hand to her chest, surprised by the pressure there strange, heavy, and real.

Somewhere between competition and betrayal, her greatest rival had become the only person who saw her.

And that scared her more than anything else ever had.

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