The Pen That Changed My Life - Chapter 13 – The First Secret

11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqysWCMh8M7

The chocolate became a habit.

Not every day.

Just often enough for me to notice.

Sometimes it was on my desk before I arrived.

Sometimes Narin handed it to me after class with a casual,

"My mother bought too many."

I knew that wasn't true.

But I accepted it anyway.

One afternoon, our mathematics teacher announced a surprise test.

The entire classroom groaned.

"I didn't study!"

"We just had a test last week!"

"This isn't fair!"

Narin leaned toward me.

"If I fail, promise you'll still talk to me."

I looked at him.

"When have we ever talked that much?"

He laughed quietly.

"That's true."

The teacher tapped the board with a ruler.

"No talking."

The room fell silent.

The test lasted almost an hour.

When it ended, everyone compared answers.

"I got number six wrong."

"I forgot question nine."

"I'm definitely failing."

Narin walked over to my desk.

"How was it?"

"It was okay."

"Only okay?"

"I think so."

He sighed dramatically.

"I guessed half of it."

"You always say that."

"Because it's true."

I smiled.

"You'll probably still pass."

"I hope your confidence rubs off on me."

As we packed our bags after school, I noticed Narin searching under his desk.

"What happened?"

"I lost my wallet."

"When did you last have it?"

"This morning."

Without another word, I knelt beside the desks and started looking with him.

One by one, we checked every row.

Nothing.

Most of the students had already gone home.

The classroom was almost empty.

Finally, I spotted something beneath the last desk near the window.

"Narin."

He looked up.

I held up the black wallet.

His face lit up.

"You found it!"

He hurried over.

"I thought I'd lost it."

He opened it immediately.

Everything was still inside.

He let out a deep breath.

"You have no idea how worried I was."

"It's okay."

"No."

He looked at me seriously.

"Thank you."

I shrugged.

"Anyone would've helped."

He smiled.

"I don't think so."

As we walked home that afternoon, he was quieter than usual.

"You've hardly said anything," I commented.

"I'm thinking."

"About what?"

He looked at the road ahead.

"Can I tell you something?"

I nodded.

"But..."

He hesitated.

"You can't tell anyone."

"I won't."

He looked at me for a few seconds, as if deciding whether to trust me.

Then he smiled.

"I knew I could."

For the first time...

Narin was about to share a secret with me.

And without realizing it...

I was becoming the one person he trusted the most.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3O9sXtOPQ

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