Is it love?

This is my story.

I am Siyana.

My life had always been simple—predictable, quiet, almost painfully ordinary. Just like any other upper-middle-class girl, I followed routines, rules, and everything my family expected. I had joined college only three months ago, and for the first time, it felt like my life was settling into a rhythm.

Until the day he walked into it… and everything changed.

I still remember the moment.

I turned around, and there he was—standing in the soft sunlight, almost as if the world had paused just for him.

“Hi! I am Advay.”

He extended his hand towards me, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe. He was effortlessly handsome. His light brown eyes glowed warmly under the sun, like they held stories he had never told. His straight nose, his slightly long brown hair brushing his shoulders, and that gentle smile… it all felt unreal.

And then I noticed it—a faint scar on his cheek. Small, almost hidden behind his light beard, but somehow it made him even more beautiful. Like a secret only his face remembered.

When he smiled, his cheeks lifted slightly, and something inside me melted. There was something in his eyes—something calm, magnetic—that left me speechless. Words betrayed me. My tongue forgot its job.

He waved a hand in front of me, snapping me out of my daze.

“Siyana… are you listening?”

I blinked hard, as if waking up from a dream.

“H-how do you know my name?” I asked, sounding much more nervous than I meant to.

He pointed gently towards my ID card, his lips curving into a soft smile. Embarrassed, I let out a shy laugh, trying to hide the fact that I had been staring at him like an idiot.

Then he said quietly, “I am in your class. Today’s my first day.”

For some reason, that statement hit me strangely.

Three months into college… and he appears out of nowhere? Why had no professor mentioned him? Why today? Why like this?

I opened my mouth to ask, but before I could speak, one of my friends called out my name from behind. The moment broke—almost too suddenly.

I turned back to him.

He gave a small, warm nod.

“I’ll see you around, Siyana,” he said softly.

I don’t know why, but my heart skipped a beat.

I waved goodbye and walked away. But every step felt heavy… as if a part of me wanted to turn back, just one more time, just to see him standing there in the sunlight again.

Madam, who were you talking to?” my friend Samantha teased me, raising her eyebrows.

I joked back, “Why should I tell you?”

We both laughed and started walking toward our classroom.

We had barely sat down when Samantha nudged me and pointed toward the corner of the room.

“Isn’t that the same guy you were talking to? He’s in our class?”

I nodded. “Yes, that’s him. His name is Advay. It’s his first day.”

She nudged me harder this time. “Bro, he’s hot!”

I rolled my eyes and teased her back, “Oh please, I’m not interested in boys. They’re all the same.”

This time her expression changed a little. She said more seriously, “Not everyone is the same, Siyana. You should give it another chance.”

I was about to reply when the professor walked in.

I just gave her a side-eye and put on my earphones.

Obviously, I had zero interest in the class. The lectures didn’t teach me anything—if anything, they only bored me.

Listening to music felt much better than pretending to care about the lesson.

After class ended, both of us were starving, so we went to the cafeteria to get something to eat. While Samantha was placing the order, I looked around and noticed Advay sitting alone at a table.

Seeing him by himself didn’t feel right—especially because it was his first day.

So while Samantha was still ordering, I walked toward him to talk.

He was sitting with his earphones in. But the moment he looked at me, I noticed something that made me stop in my tracks.

His eyes were filled with tears.

In the sunlight coming through the cafeteria window, even his tears seemed to shine.

I don’t know what happened to me—I just froze there.

He understood that I had seen him crying. And maybe he felt uncomfortable, because he quickly wiped his tears and walked out of the cafeteria.

But in my mind, all I could see were his eyes.

I couldn’t understand why he was crying.

Was it because he couldn’t make any friends on his first day?

Or was it something else?

One part of me felt really bad for him…

and another part of me wondered how someone could look so beautiful even while crying.

Watching him cry felt like someone had dropped a stone into my chest—heavy, sudden, impossible to ignore.

Anyway, like that, one or two days passed. I didu't

see him in class, and I slowly began forgetting

about him... but somewhere inside me, his eyes still

made me feel something strange, something I

couldn't explain.

But I couldu't let myself get distracted. I didu't

even have the time.

To manage my expenses, I had to work a

part-time job. And last night I had received a new

offer-to tutor a kindergarten kid.

The pay was really good, enough to easily cover

my monthly expenses, so I said yes.

I had to go there this evening.

When I reached the house, a servant opened the

gate for me. The house looked beautiful from the

outside, and even more beautiful inside.

There was a garden on the side, with a swing and

a white boundary fence.

The house had an old, vintage design... but it

[ooked stunning.

When I entered, the servant said,"Please sit here,

I'll go call Harper."

The sofa was complete

"I rage-style

While I waited, I was lcg at the paintings on

the wall when suddenly I heard someone call my

name from behind.

"Siyana....."