Chapter 37: The Night Before Graduation

The night before graduation was surreal. It felt like a bridge between two worlds—the familiar past and the unknown future waiting ahead. Mahiru and I sat on the rooftop of my apartment complex, wrapped in a blanket, staring up at the vast sky.

"This is our last night as high school students," she murmured.

I nodded. "Yeah… feels weird, doesn't it?"

She exhaled softly. "More than weird… it's a little scary."

I turned to her. "You? Scared?"

She laughed lightly. "I'm not immune to fear, you know."

I watched her as she toyed with the edge of the blanket. "What scares you the most?"

She hesitated. "That things will change. That we'll change."

I reached for her hand, lacing my fingers through hers. "Change isn't always bad. As long as we choose to stay in each other's lives, nothing will pull us apart."

She looked up at me, her eyes reflecting the starlight. "You really believe that?"

I nodded. "With everything I have."

She sighed, resting her head on my shoulder. "Then I'll believe it too."

We stayed like that for hours, whispering about dreams, reminiscing about the past, and making quiet promises for the future. No matter what awaited us, we had tonight—a night filled with love, warmth, and the certainty that, at least for now, we were exactly where we needed to be.