Invisible String

Chapter 6

Iyaara

The tests were finally over, and that feeling afterward—the mix of exhaustion and relief—was almost too good to describe.
I let out a long sigh, the kind that carried every ounce of stress with it. Finally, I could sleep without formulas and essays haunting me.

Before I could even let another thought win over, Ava came running toward me like she’d just won an Oscar.
“Gurllllll! Tests are over!” she shouted dramatically, throwing a hand over her head like she was in some dramatic movie scene.
“Finally, I can be at peace,” she said, then paused, raising one eyebrow. “Except not so peaceful… because of the results.”

Before I could respond, Kairo appeared with his usual mischievous grin—the kind that always meant trouble.
“Boo!” he yelled right behind Ava.

She jumped so hard she nearly dropped her bag. “Kairo! Are you insane?!” she screamed, smacking his arm.
I couldn’t help laughing at the sight of them.

“Okay, guys, I have to go,” I said, shaking my head.

“Byeee!” they shouted together before going right back to arguing, their voices fading down the hallway.
Honestly, they were always like that—bickering like an old married couple that forgot they weren’t married.

I smiled to myself as I walked out of school. The air outside felt different—lighter, calmer. The kind of breeze that felt like a hug after a long, rough week.
I walked down the familiar path, the city noise humming softly around me, and stopped at the little convenience store near the corner.
I just bought a chocolate ice cream.

After every exam week, I had this little ritual—wandering through the streets, letting my mind drift, pretending the world had slowed down just for me. It was my small way of rewarding myself for surviving.

The streets felt alive that afternoon—the hum of engines, the chatter of people, the smell of roasted peanuts mixing with something sweeter in the air. I wandered aimlessly, the kind of wandering you do when exams are finally over and your brain refuses to think about anything serious.

That’s when I noticed it—a new café on the corner that definitely hadn’t been there before.

Huh. When did this open? I thought, pushing the door open.

A warm wave of roasted coffee beans and caramel hit me the moment I stepped inside. The low buzz of conversations filled the space—some people chatting on dates, others tapping away on laptops. The line wasn’t too long, but not short either. I joined it, scrolling absently on my phone, half lost in my own thoughts.

“Iyaara?”

A deep, familiar voice sliced through the noise, and I turned instinctively.

Ryker.

He stood a few steps behind me, dressed in a grey hoodie and shorts, hair messy like he hadn’t even tried. Somehow, that made him look even more unfairly perfect.

“Ryker?” I blurted, blinking in surprise.

“It is you,” he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, half incredulous.

“Uh… to buy coffee?” he replied, his voice laced with sarcasm.

I rolled my eyes. “I know that, genius. I just meant—you don’t seem like a coffee person.”

He lifted a brow. “Excuse me? I’m human too, Iyaara.”

Before I could respond, a barista called out, “Ma’am?” snapping me back to the counter.

“Oh—yes, sorry. I’ll have an espresso, please.”

“And you, sir?”

“Black coffee,” Ryker said smoothly.

I frowned. “Seriously? You drink black coffee? Doesn’t it taste… bitter?”

He chuckled under his breath. “Nope. I love it. And it’s healthy, too.”

We found an empty table near the window, the sunlight slipping through the blinds and catching faintly in his eyes. The waiter brought our drinks, placing them neatly in front of us.

“So,” Ryker began, stirring his coffee, “why’d you come here?”

I smirked. “Why can’t I come here?”

“No, I mean—your house is pretty far from this part of town.”

My brow furrowed. “Wait… how do you know where I live?”

He looked up, a tiny grin playing on his lips. “Remember that bus we took once? I saw your stop. It’s pretty far from here.”

I blinked, realizing he remembered something that small. “Oh. Well… I kinda have this little tradition. Whenever exams end, I just walk around the city, try new things, eat something nice, you know? And I saw this café, so… why not?”

Ryker leaned back in his chair, watching me with a calm, unreadable expression. “Interesting. The more I know about you, the more interesting it gets.”

My heart skipped a beat. Just one.

Wait. Why am I feeling like this? I shouldn’t.

After finishing our coffees, we stepped back into the sunlight, the air cooler now, brushing softly against my skin.

“So,” he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets, “where to next?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Wherever looks interesting, I guess. I don’t really plan these things.”

“Ah, spontaneous. I see.”

I grinned. “Exactly.”

As we walked further down, my eyes caught something that made me gasp. “Hey! Look—an arcade!” I said, pointing excitedly across the street.

Ryker followed my gaze, lips curling into that rare, teasing smirk. “Why not?”

“Honestly, I thought you wouldn’t come,” I admitted as we walked inside.

“Why’s that?” he asked.

“I don’t know… you just seem like the kind of guy who studies all the time. Quiet. Serious.”

He muttered something under his breath, too low for me to catch, and before I could ask, we’d already reached the Whack-a-Mole booth.

“Ready to lose?” I said, grinning, arms crossed.

“Always ready,” he replied, “just not for your kind of ending.”

The timer beeped. Plastic mallets in hand, we both started hammering down on the moles as they popped up, faster and faster. My heart raced with each one I missed. When the buzzer sounded, I glanced up—his score: 31. Mine: 27.

“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath.

Ryker smirked, his tone smug. “What was that you were saying again?”

I groaned. “Nothing.”

We played almost everything after that—shoot your shot, laser tag, space shooter, pac-man—and every time, Ryker somehow managed to win or tie. It was unfair.

Halfway through, he got a call and stepped aside. While waiting, my eyes caught the claw machine glowing in the corner. A white plushie sat right on the edge, taunting me.

I dropped a coin in and moved the claw—missed. Tried again—missed. One more time—still missed. “Ugh,” I sighed, giving up.

Ryker walked back just as I turned away from the machine.

“All done for today?” he asked, tone soft but teasing.

“Yeah,” I said, forcing a small smile. “Had a long and nice day.”

We walked down the steps together, and I tried to hide the disappointment of not winning that stupid plushie.

But before we reached the end of the street, Ryker stopped suddenly. “Wait,” he said.

I turned. “What?”

“I forgot something in the arcade.”

I turned, curious, but he was already gone, disappearing back into the glowing arcade lights.