Chapter 2 – Tangled in Silence
Aiden and Aria lived on the same street, but that was all they had in common. There were no feelings between them—just irritation, arguments, and an unspoken rivalry.
It was 5 p.m., and the evening air carried a slight chill. Aria was heading out to pick up a few things, while Aiden walked toward her from the opposite direction. Neither of them acknowledged the other. No greetings, no glances—just indifference.
"But fate had other plans."
As they crossed paths, Aria's muffler got caught in Aiden's jacket zipper. Neither of them noticed.
Aria kept walking, unaware that her scarf was no longer wrapped around her. Aiden, too, continued on his way, not realizing the extra weight pulling at his jacket.
A few steps later, Aria suddenly felt a lightness around her neck. Her hand reached up—her muffler was gone.
At the same moment, Aiden felt a slight tug near his zipper. He frowned, sensing something was stuck.
Both of them stopped.
Both of them turned around.
And their eyes met.
The realization hit them at the same time.
Aria rolled her eyes and turned to leave, but before she could take a step, a voice interrupted.
"You two always fight like this?"just like couples"
Both of them looked up at the shopkeeper standing in front of a small general store nearby. He was an old man with a knowing smile, watching them like he had seen this scene a hundred times before.
Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Excuse meeee?"
The shopkeeper chuckled, shaking his head. "yeah" i see you both arguing almost every day. Honestly, it looks like you're just waiting for marriage at this point."
Aria's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"
Aiden, caught off guard, let out a surprised laugh. "Marriage?" He glanced at Aria, then scoffed. "No, thanks."
Aria looked offended. "Excuse me?! What makes you think I would ever marry him?"
The shopkeeper laughed even harder. "Oh, come on. You fight so much, it looks like a love story in the making."
Aiden smirked. "If fighting meant marriage, she would've made me her husband ages ago."
Aria crossed her arms. "Thank God that's not the case."
The shopkeeper nodded knowingly. "Yeah, yeah, deny it all you want. But one day, you'll see."
Aria let out a dramatic "Ugh!" and turned around, storming off. Aiden chuckled, stuffing his hands in his pockets before walking away in the opposite direction.
But even as she walked, Aria couldn't shake off the annoyance. Not because of the shopkeeper's words… but because Aiden laughed.
The night had settled in, and Aria was having dinner with her family. The table was filled with the usual sounds—clinking plates, casual conversations, and the faint hum of the TV in the background.
Her mother, Sophia, sipped her soup and suddenly turned to her brother ,caleb . "Did you submit your exam sheets today?"
Caleb shook his head casually. "No, I'll go with Aiden tomorrow."
Sophia frowned. "Aiden? That boy doesn't care about his own studies. What makes you think he'll care about yours?"
Aria's father, David, chuckled. "She has a point, you know."
Caleb smirked. "You guys don't know anything. Aiden has been studying a lot this time. He might even top the exams."
Aria, who had been eating silently, almost choked on her food. Aiden? And top the exams? Impossible.
She scoffed under her breath. "Yeah, right."
Her mother raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, Aiden is a good boy."
That was it. Enough Aiden talk for the day.
Aria pushed her plate away and got up. "I'm done," she muttered, heading to her room.
As soon as she entered, she shut the door and threw herself onto the bed.
And then, without thinking—she screamed into her pillow.
"Aiden, Aiden, Aiden! It's always about Aiden!"
Her own voice echoed in the quiet room, and suddenly, she froze.
Did she just scream his name out loud?
She sat up straight, feeling her heart race. "Oh my God… What is wrong with me?"
Taking a deep breath, she shook her head. "Calm down, Aria. Calm down. Why am I even thinking about Aiden?"
"But deep down, she knew the answer. Because whether she liked it or not… he was everywhere."
."