The sunlight filtered softly through the curtains.
Akif groaned.
He wasn’t hungover — he hadn’t drunk that much — but something else was making his head throb.
A memory.
A moment.
A breath away from disaster.
“Oh God,” he muttered, dragging the blanket over his face like it could hide him from his own thoughts.
Because last night, he had almost kissed Zoya.
And worse — she didn’t stop him.
And worst — he wanted to do it again.
“WHY did I drink,” he groaned into the pillow. “I’m an idiot. I’m a certified disaster. I need to become a monk.”
He buried his face deeper into the blanket, refusing to move, even when Ayaan banged on his door.
“Brooo! We have class, get up!”
“Tell them I’m dead!”
---
Meanwhile…
Zoya stared at her mirror, touching the spot just beneath her jaw.
Her heart still remembered the way he’d looked at her. The way his voice had dropped. The way time had slowed down for those few seconds before he stopped.
She closed her eyes.
Was it the alcohol?
Or was it real?
Either way, she wasn’t ready.
And if Akif remembered anything, it was going to be awkward.
---
By the time they reached the university, the gossip train had already left the station at full speed.
“You two left the party at the exact same time,” Aarfa pointed out, wiggling her brows.
“I had blisters,” Zoya said flatly.
“Oh sure, and Akif carried you like a K-drama hero just because of blisters?”
“YES!”
“You two were alone for almost two hours.”
“We were NOT—!”
Meanwhile, Akif stepped into the hallway and instantly regretted every life choice.
Ayaan clapped him on the back. “Look who’s alive after Drunk-Panic 101.”
“Shut up,” Akif muttered, pulling his hoodie over his head.
“Bro. You almost kissed her, didn’t you?”
Akif looked away. “I don’t remember.”
“You’re lying.”
“I don’t want to remember.”
“Because it was that good?”
Akif glared.
Zoya appeared around the corner.
Both boys fell silent.
She glanced at Akif, and their eyes met for a microsecond.
It was charged.
She quickly looked away.
Aarfa leaned into her. “He’s literally hiding in his hoodie like a shy bride.”
“Stop it,” Zoya hissed, her cheeks burning.
Ayaan whispered to Akif, “Say something, Romeo.”
“I can’t even look at her without my brain short-circuiting.”
---
The rest of the day was full of merciless teasing:
Someone played “Tum Hi Ho” during group study on purpose.
Aarfa called Zoya “Miss Almost Malik”.
Ayaan kept offering Akif breath mints with a wink.
Someone actually handed Zoya a fake proposal ring in the canteen.
And through it all, Zoya kept a poker face — while Akif basically tried to merge into the wall.
---
That evening, their phones buzzed.
> Zoya: “So… about last night?”
A pause.
> Akif: “I’m sorry.”
> Zoya: “For almost doing it? Or stopping?”
Akif stared at the message, heart hammering.
> Akif: “Both.”
No reply.
He stared at the screen for a long time.
Then smiled — just a little.
---

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