After the strange conversation that day, something slowly began to change.
Riya didn't notice it at first.
Her days continued as usual—classes, homework, and the noisy chaos of the classroom.
Lakshith was still the same boy who joked with his friends, argued with classmates, and occasionally found ways to annoy her.
But somehow, Riya started paying more attention to him.
At first, it was small things.
One afternoon, she noticed him helping a classmate pick up books that had fallen from a desk.
Another day, he quietly gave his extra pen to a boy who had forgotten his.
It surprised her because Lakshith always acted carefree and mischievous,
yet sometimes he showed small kindness that most people didn't notice.
Maybe he isn't that bad,
Riya thought one day while watching him from her seat.
Soon, another small habit formed between them.
After school ended, both of them often walked toward the same gate.
The path from their classroom to the gate passed through the playground, and that short walk took about ten minutes.
At first, those walks were silent.
Riya walked a few steps behind him, unsure if she should speak.
Lakshith sometimes glanced back, but neither of them said much.
Then one day, he suddenly slowed down.
"So… you won't talk to me after school too?" he asked casually.
Riya looked up, slightly surprised. "There's nothing worth talking about."
Lakshith chuckled.
"That's harsh."
They continued walking side by side.
Some days their conversations
were simple.
They talked about homework, teachers, or silly things that happened in class.
Sometimes they argued briefly like before, but those arguments never lasted long.
Other days they just walked quietly, enjoying the calm after the noisy classroom.
Without realizing it, those ten minutes slowly became part of Riya's daily routine.
One evening, as they walked across the playground, Lakshith suddenly pointed toward the sky.
"Look," he said.
Riya followed his gaze.
The sunset painted the sky in soft shades of orange and pink.
"It looks nice today," he added.
Riya blinked slightly. She had never expected Lakshith to notice something like that.
"Yeah," she replied softly.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
As they continued walking, Riya felt something strange in her chest—a quiet warmth she couldn't quite explain.
She didn't know when it had started.
Maybe it was the way he laughed with his friends.
Maybe it was the small kindness she had noticed.
Or maybe it was those simple ten-minute walks after school.
Whatever the reason was, Riya slowly realized something.
The boy who used to annoy her the most had somehow become the person she noticed the most.
And without fully understanding it yet, Riya had started to like Lakshith just a little more than she should.