Karthik had one job—act normal.
But the problem was, nothing about his feelings for Ananya felt normal anymore.
His brain kept screaming at him to ignore it.
To push it away.
To pretend nothing had changed.
But the more he tried to deny it, the worse it got.
---
Step 1: Avoid Her at All Costs
Karthik strategically avoided Ananya all morning.
He sat at the farthest end of the class.
He walked the long way to the canteen.
He even switched seats on the school bus.
And for a while, it worked.
Until it didn't.
---
Step 2: Pretend Everything is Fine
During lunch, Shruthi and Vikram were not buying his act.
"So, are you just going to ignore her forever?" Shruthi asked, arms crossed.
"I'm not ignoring her," Karthik said, shoving food into his mouth.
"Oh yeah?" Vikram smirked. "Then why did you nearly jump out of your chair when she walked past just now?"
Karthik froze.
Shruthi rolled her eyes. "Pathetic. Just admit you like her already."
"I DO NOT."
Vikram grinned. "Bro, you're literally panicking every time she's near you."
"I—That's—NO."
Shruthi smirked. "Fine. Prove it. Go talk to her right now."
Karthik almost choked on his food. "W-what?"
"If you really don't have feelings, then talking to her should be easy."
"That's—That's—"
A trap.
This was a trap.
Vikram grinned. "Go on. We're waiting."
Karthik groaned. "I hate you both."
Shruthi and Vikram just smirked. "We know."
---
Step 3: Face the Problem (Disaster Mode Activated)
Karthik tried to act casual as he walked up to Ananya.
(He failed.)
She was standing near the corridor, talking to Diya.
"Oi." Karthik cleared his throat. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"
Ananya blinked. "Uh… okay?"
Diya smirked. "I'll leave you two alone."
Ananya glared at her. "You don't have to make it sound weird!"
Diya just winked and walked off.
Karthik suddenly felt nervous.
He scratched the back of his neck. "So, um… I just wanted to check if you—uh—if everything's… good?"
Ananya tilted her head. "What?"
Karthik mentally facepalmed.
What was he even saying?!
"I mean—uh—are you okay? You've been acting weird."
Ananya narrowed her eyes. "Me? I'VE been acting weird?"
Karthik gulped. "Uh… yeah?"
She crossed her arms. "You've been avoiding me all day!"
"No, I haven't!"
Ananya raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Then why did you run out of class when I sat next to you?"
"That was—coincidence."
"And why did you switch seats on the bus?"
"Um… my leg was cramping."
"And why did you look like you were going to pass out when we touched hands yesterday?"
"I—"
Karthik stopped.
Because the real answer was sitting in his chest like a ticking bomb.
Because I think I like you.
…But there was no way he could say that.
Not now.
Not yet.
---
The Moment Before the Fall
Ananya sighed. "Look… if I did something to upset you, just tell me."
Karthik quickly shook his head. "No! You didn't. It's just…"
He hesitated.
For a split second, he thought about telling her the truth.
That something had changed.
That he was confused.
That he wasn't sure what to do about these stupid feelings.
But instead, he forced a grin.
"I was just messing with you. Chill."
Ananya frowned. "Messing with me?"
"Yeah, you know. Just being an idiot." He shrugged. "Like always."
She stared at him for a long moment.
Then she smiled. "Yeah. You're definitely an idiot."
But for some reason, her voice sounded… disappointed.
And Karthik hated that he noticed.
Because the truth was—
He wasn't just an idiot.
He was an idiot falling for his best friend.
---
End of Chapter 25