𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 .ᐟ.ᐟ ᴅᴀɴ ʜᴇɴɢ

13 ☆ cozy warmth

 You blinked confused to see him staring behind you, his eyes dark and intense, their depth seemingly stretching into an endless tunnel. He opened his mouth to speak and then paused for a moment as if searching for the right words to express what he wanted to say. Finally, he leaned in closer, his warm breath on your skin, and whispered in your ear, "Sorry... I can't explain now but please bear with me..." He whispered, his voice tinged with a slight embarrassment but filled with determination. You could sense that he had something important to say, something that was weighing heavily on his mind.

You slowly nodded your head, your thoughts racing as you tried to process what had just happened. Despite your confusion, you accepted his assistance, knowing that it was only a temporary fix. You couldn't quite shake off the feeling that something was amiss, and the way he was smiling so brightly and asking about your day only added to your unease. You stumbled over your words, uncertain of how to respond to his questions. "It... it was fine," You managed to stammer out, unsure of how to continue without giving yourself away. You continued talking about your day, trying to ignore the growing sense of foreboding in the air.

You continued to talk about your day, but something felt off. You could sense that he was distracted, his mind drifting elsewhere. You wondered if something was bothering him, but you didn't want to push him if he wasn't ready to share. As you spoke, you felt his hand near your cheeks.

The sudden touch took you by surprise, and you felt a rush of heat surge through your body as his firm but gentle fingers caressed the soft strands of your hair behind your ear. You flinched in shock, feeling the blood rushing to your cheeks and the adrenaline rushing through your veins. Your heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to pop out of your chest, and you felt as if you were in a dream-like state, unable to process what had just happened. Your eyes widened like headlights as you stared back at him, feeling utterly confused and overwhelmed. You couldn't understand why he was suddenly behaving this way and why he was touching you in such an intimate way in public.

The sudden and unexpected touch of his hand on your hair behind your ear caught you completely off guard, and you were instantly jolted out of your surprised state. The sensation of his touch sent shivers down your spine, and your breath caught in your throat as a sudden wave of heat washed over your face. Your mind was reeling, and your heart was racing, and you couldn't help but blurt out, "Huh?!....." In sheer surprise you faced him, your eyes widening in confusion.

The train's breaks suddenly engaged, and the sound of the screeching tires filled the air as the train gradually slowed down to a stop. The hum of the engine died down, and the passengers around you started to prepare to get off the train for the next station. As you looked down to see two pairs of shoes standing in front of you, you slowly looked up and saw a girl standing in front of you, wearing an identical uniform to the raven. 

Your heart began to pound as you watched her nervously fiddle with her skirt, her expression filled with embarrassment. She hesitated for a moment before finally uttering the words, "I... I should've known you had someone... Sorry for compelling you..." You were still trying to process what she had just said when she quickly turned around and rushed out of the train. The sound of her heels receding into the distance felt like a physical blow to the gut, and you felt as if the breath had been knocked out of you. 

Dan Heng let out a deep sigh of relief as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. You blinked, unsure of what to make of the sudden change in his demeanor, and the strange encounter with the girl who abruptly left the train. After a couple of seconds, you mustered the courage to ask him, "What was that all about?" The question hung in the air between you, and for a moment, it seemed as if the only sound was the slow tick of the second hand on your watch. 

Dan Heng looked at you for a moment before letting out another sigh, one of exhaustion and weariness, "That's a long story, but let's just say you're not the only one with something going on in your life." He said as he leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes.

You felt both confused and dismayed, and your heart was still pounding in your chest from the rush of adrenaline that the encounter with the girl had left. You crossed your arms, trying to keep your emotions in check, but the questions and confusion were still spilling out of you. "At least explain..." You whispered sternly, hoping that he would finally provide you with some sort of explanation. You wanted to understand, to know what was going on and why he had changed so suddenly. The raven's silence was deafening, and his lack of response made the anxiety and uncertainty that much worse.

 "As someone people call 'popular' in school, well I get many confesses from classmates to students I don't even know... That girl was one of them, but she persuaded me to answer a question, why do I always reject them?... And I really didn't have an answer so I lied and told her I already had someone, which she didn't believe, so when I was at the station she stalked me and well I had to use you to make her leave me alone... Sorry..." He firms his lips looking down.

Dan Heng's apology caught you off guard, and for a moment, you were at a loss for words. You had no idea that he was so popular and that he had so much experience with people confessing their feelings for him. You couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy as you wondered how many people had confessed their feelings to him in the past. 

You couldn't help but feel a tug at your heartstrings. You could sense the genuine remorse in his voice, and you couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Despite all the attention he had received from his classmates, it was obvious that he had been struggling with his own personal issues, and you couldn't help but admire his bravery in opening up to you, a smile lifted on your face as you grabbed his hand, "It's okay! I understand the difficulties of being popular!" You raised his hand gently holding them with both of yours, "And I understand why you did what you did. It's tough being in a situation like that, having to reject someone who really has feelings for you. I can only assume how difficult it must have been for you."

Dan Heng's voice was almost a whisper, but you still caught the words as he stared at you, "You really are something, ____." The words hung in the air, and for a moment, it seemed as if time itself had slowed down. You wanted to reply, but you were at a loss for words. Instead, you just smiled, letting the happiness between the two of you radiate like a warm light. You felt his hand squeeze your own, and for a moment, you both just sat there, enjoying the comfort of each other's presence. You both remained silent, watching as the world outside the train window flew by, seemingly oblivious to the warmth between the both of you.

✎~~~~●

shut up i'm screaming lmao q(≧▽≦q)