The next morning, Jennifer walked through the school gates with heavy steps. She climbed the stairs to her classroom floor rather reluctantly.
Her stomach churned, and her heart pounded. Her mind was restless, filled with anxiety about what she should do when she saw Harwan.
"Should I just skip class?" That foolish thought—something she had never actually done—briefly crossed her mind.
She deliberately slowed her pace as she walked down the hallway toward her classroom, trying to figure out how she would face Harwan after what had happened the night before.
"Why are you standing here in silence?" Harwan's voice suddenly broke the quiet. She gave a faint smile, exhaled deeply, and shook her head.
"Calm your thoughts," she whispered softly to herself. "Don't overthink it," she added again.
"I knew you'd end up like this," came Harwan's voice again, followed by the warmth of his hand touching her wrist. She turned around and was surprised to see Harwan standing behind her.
"S-since when..."
"Come with me," Harwan interrupted her and immediately pulled her along.
"But there's only ten minutes left before the bell rings."
"That's more than enough," Harwan replied, continuing to drag her as if nothing else mattered.
Seeing where he was taking her, she immediately knew they were headed to the garden behind the school—the same place he had taken her on her first day here.
"Young love," muttered one of the teachers who knew about their relationship and smiled kindly as they passed by.
Once they arrived at the garden, Harwan let go of her hand. But Jennifer only grew more anxious, unsure what kind of question Harwan might ask her—unsure how she would even respond.
"Har..." Her tongue seemed to freeze the moment Harwan turned to face her. The words she had prepared vanished.
"Forget what I said last night..." The words from Harwan's mouth felt like a dagger piercing her heart.
"No, it shouldn't be like this," she screamed in her mind. She wanted to say it aloud, but something inside her held her back. As if some other part of her refused to let it out.
"... I just don't want things to be awkward between us because of what I said," his follow-up sentence felt like a fresh breeze to her heart.
She looked down for a moment, relieved, before meeting his gaze again.
"There's something I want to tell you before I answer your question," she said.
Though she had wanted to hide it a little longer, she knew deep down that a moment like this would come eventually.
And this time, she didn't want to take the risk of hiding her feelings again—or the Pandora's box she had been keeping locked, only to regret it later.
"Hmm, that's going to be a bit tough," Harwan said, clearly processing her words. "But I won't give up. After all, we're the ones who'll face the consequences of our choice, right?"
"It's not as easy as you say. My father... he's quite a difficult man when it comes to meddling in my relationships," she lowered her gaze, a little disheartened by the thought that her father might not accept her choice.
Especially recalling how her father had managed to ruin every one of her past relationships. She feared that her relationship with Harwan might end the same way.
"Just trust me! I'll make your father accept us," Harwan said, his face full of determination.
And when he took her hand in his, Jennifer was touched. Harwan wasn't backing away—he wasn't giving up.
"Fine, do what you want."
"So... this is our first day, right?"
Seeing Harwan's smile, she couldn't resist teasing him.
"Hmm? When did I say yes?" she replied.
"Wait, wasn't that pretty much a yes just now...?"
"Didn't I say I needed a week to think?" she cut him off with a neutral expression. "So, it depends on how you behave for the next five days."
But for Harwan, that was as good as a yes. To him, this marked the beginning of something beyond just being friends or pretending to be a couple. Without waiting for Jennifer's reaction, he pulled her into a hug.
"Nothing is impossible."
Those were the words Harwan clung to. He believed that if he could prove his sincerity and determination to become someone worthy in Jennifer's father's eyes, then surely he would be accepted.
"Someone's awfully cheerful this morning," his older sister, Anastasia, teased from his bedroom door. He didn't reply—too busy fixing his appearance.
"You're not off to work yet? That's unusual," he asked.
"I'm on the afternoon shift. And being the good sister I am, I'm driving you to school today," she said as she narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, then suddenly grabbed his schoolbag. "Ready? Let's go," she added with a strange smile—one that always came before she played a prank on him.
Still, he ignored his suspicions and followed her plan.
But the uneasy feeling returned when she took a route different from their usual way to school. He didn't ask anything for the first five minutes, assuming she was avoiding traffic.
Then, when he saw the familiar building near Jennifer's house, suspicion set in.
"Where are we going, Sis?" he asked.
"Just picking up a friend of mine. You're not late yet, are you?"
"Well, no..." he replied hesitantly.
He narrowed his eyes as she gave him that mischievous smile again—the one she always had when up to something. His suspicions peaked when she stopped near Jennifer's gate.
Annoyed that he had fallen into her trap, he also felt a flicker of joy—especially when Jennifer stepped into the front seat.
"Since when did you and my sister become this close?" he asked immediately, noticing how comfortable Jennifer seemed with her.
"You think only guys can bond after just one meeting? Besides, it's only natural for me to get close to my future family, right?"
"F-future what now?" He stammered, embarrassed as his mind imagined her words becoming reality.
"See? Told you he's a hopeless romantic," his sister mocked.
"Please, stop. And you... don't get too close to my sister. She might rub off on you," he joked back.
"You two are surprisingly harmonious."
"Harmonious? Not at all!" he quickly denied.
When they arrived at school, he barely said goodbye to his sister, brushing her off casually before grabbing Jennifer's hand with a wide smile.
"So, what's your plan today?" he asked as they climbed the stairs slowly.
"Well..." Jennifer sighed heavily. "I need to rehearse my piano piece, schedule practice with the orchestra team, and figure out how to deal with my father, who's still against our relationship."
Her face reflected a woman burdened by many things. What he hated most was being unable to lighten the weight she carried.
"I'm sorry," he said instinctively.
"For what?"
"For probably adding to your burden."
"Not at all. It's just my father who needs to realize he can't dictate my love life anymore. I'm the one who'll live it, not him."
"Don't worry. I'll become rich and respectable so your dad—"
"Stop it," Jennifer interrupted as they stopped near their class. "I want you to stay the Harwan I know—the one I fell in love with."
The sincerity in her eyes made him feel guilty for wavering so easily.
"Okay," he replied with a smile, refocusing himself. With renewed confidence, he held Jennifer's hand again and walked to class feeling lighter.
As Jennifer grew busier, Harwan immersed himself in extra classes and extracurriculars, hoping they'd help him qualify for a good university.
Though he secretly wished to attend the same university as Jennifer, he was realistic about his family's status and abilities. With a clearer mind, he tossed aside the brochure of Jennifer's dream school.
"London University?" Salman suddenly appeared, swinging the brochure Harwan had just thrown away. "You seriously aiming for this?"
"Not me. Jennifer," he replied without even glancing at him.
"Huh. I was about to make fun of you," Salman shrugged and casually tossed the brochure back on the table.
Harwan let out a relieved breath, thankful that Salman didn't seem suspicious or keen to interrogate him further.
"How's Jennifer's recital prep going? Everything smooth?" Salman asked.
"More or less. You know how talented she is with the piano. Should be no problem," Harwan replied, far more relaxed now.
"But... you've never considered that someone like Jennifer might belong to a different circle? One that people like us could never enter—even in terms of relationships?"
Harwan's hands froze above his laptop. "What do you mean?" He shot a sharp look at Salman.
"Well... haven't you thought that families like hers, in order to preserve their 'superior bloodlines,' often arrange marriages while their kids are still young?"
On the day of Jennifer's recital, Salman's words from the library echoed in Harwan's head like poison. He couldn't shake them.
He was so lost in thought backstage—waiting with Jennifer for her cue to go on—that he didn't notice her finger snapping in front of his face.
"What's on your mind?" Jennifer asked. "You look even more nervous than me."
"Nothing..." he quickly scrambled for a reasonable excuse. "Just a little anxious about what I'll say when I meet your father later."
"Don't worry," Jennifer stroked his hand. "This time, I won't let my father win. I won't let him hurt the person I love again."
He looked at Jennifer, who gave him a soft smile—just as one of the staff called her onto the stage.
Thunderous applause filled the auditorium as Jennifer walked up to the piano. In that moment, Harwan became painfully aware of the gap between their worlds. Salman's words about social classes replayed in his head.
"She's stunning, isn't she?"
In the midst of his racing thoughts, a man's voice sounded beside him. The man's tall build, pale skin, refined looks, and expensive blazer made Harwan feel small.
"Excuse me...?"
"Her," the man pointed at Jennifer, who was settling at the piano. "She's absolutely captivating, isn't she?" The man then smiled and extended his hand. Harwan shook it, feeling a strange chill.
"Louis," he said, his smile masking something unreadable.