Leia was in her final year of high school, just a few months away from graduation and the all-important college entrance exams. The weight of the future loomed over her like a storm cloud, but there was one thing that remained constant—her silent admiration for the boy sitting in front of her.
Nathan.
For three years, Leia had been watching him. Ever since the first day of high school, when their eyes had briefly met across the classroom, she had felt something inexplicable stir inside her. It wasn't just his looks—though he was undeniably handsome, with sharp features, a straight nose, and those deep, contemplative eyes that always seemed lost in thought. No, it was something more. It was the quiet way he carried himself, the way he seemed both distant and yet deeply grounded, as if he lived in a world of his own.
Nathan was the kind of person who made hard work look effortless. He excelled in every subject, always at the top of the class, always solving complex equations with a calm ease that left everyone else scrambling to keep up. Leia admired that about him. She admired the way he never boasted about his intelligence, never looked down on others, but simply focused on improving himself.
She wished she had the courage to talk to him.
But every time she thought about it, anxiety gripped her like a vice. What would she even say? What if he thought she was foolish? What if he barely noticed her?
So instead, Leia did what she had always done—she watched.
She noticed the little things about him, the things most people overlooked. The way he would tap his pen against his notebook when he was deep in thought. The way he pushed up his sleeves when he was about to focus. The way his eyes softened just a little when he talked about something he was passionate about.
And she knew his story.
Nathan had grown up in a single-parent household. His mother worked tirelessly, running a small café to support them both. While other students went home after school to relax, Nathan went straight to the café, helping his mom run the place before coming home to study late into the night.
Leia couldn't imagine how difficult that must have been. But Nathan never complained. He never asked for sympathy. He simply worked hard, determined to carve out a future for himself and his mother.
That kind of strength… it made Leia's heart ache with admiration.
Then, one day, she was pulled from her quiet world of observation by a voice that made her heart sink.
"Nathan, I don't understand this question," Lina, the school's most popular girl, said, effortlessly sliding into the seat beside him.
Leia's grip tightened around her pen. Lina was beautiful, confident, the kind of girl who could talk to anyone without hesitation. The kind of girl who could sit beside Nathan as if she belonged there.
Nathan, as expected, didn't turn her away. He never turned anyone away. Patiently, he leaned over and explained the problem, his voice calm and even.
Leia tried to focus on her own work, but the words blurred together.
She envied Lina. Not because of her beauty, not because she was popular, but because she had the courage to speak to Nathan without fear.
Then, just when Leia thought her heart couldn't ache any more, it did.
It happened after school, when she was on her way to the library. She turned a corner and stopped abruptly.
A girl from another class was standing in front of Nathan, her hands clenched tightly by her sides.
"Nathan, I like you," the girl said, her voice shaking slightly but filled with sincerity.
Leia's breath caught in her throat.
For a moment, Nathan was silent. His expression was unreadable. Then, in a voice as calm as ever, he replied:
"You're still young. Have you really thought this through? I come from a single-parent family. Every day after school, I help my mom run her café. I don't have time or money for dates. I can't afford fancy gifts or expensive dinners. Are you sure that's the kind of boyfriend you want?"
Leia's chest tightened.
The girl in front of him looked stunned, as if she hadn't expected such a response. After a few seconds, she bit her lip, lowered her head, and walked away without another word.
Nathan didn't watch her leave. He simply sighed, adjusted the strap of his bag, and kept walking, as if nothing had happened.
Leia stood frozen in place.
Her heart was pounding, not just from what she had witnessed, but from the thoughts racing through her mind.
I don't care about any of that, she thought. I don't care if you don't have time, if you're always busy, if you can't buy gifts or take me out. I don't need any of that. I just want to be by your side.
But the words stayed locked in her heart, just as they always had.