He looked at me for a few seconds before speaking.
"I've been wondering something since yesterday..."
My heartbeat instantly became faster.
Thousands of thoughts crossed my mind.
Is he going to confess?
Did someone tell him everything?
Does he know...?
I smiled nervously.
"What is it?"
He looked out of the bus window for a moment before looking back at me.
"Can I ask you something honestly?"
I nodded.
"Of course."
He smiled softly.
"In school..."
"Were you always this quiet?"
For a second...
I completely froze.
Out of every question I imagined...
this was definitely not one of them.
I laughed softly.
"You made me overthink for this?"
He laughed too.
"I know."
"But I was genuinely curious."
"You barely talked in school."
"You always stayed with the same friends."
"And somehow..."
"I never knew much about you."
I looked outside the window.
"I guess..."
"I've always been shy."
He nodded.
"I noticed."
Then he added another sentence.
"But you're different now."
"You smile more."
"You actually talk."
"I like this version of you."
Those simple words made my heart skip a beat.
Before I could answer...
my best friend suddenly leaned over the seat from behind.
"What are you two secretly talking about?"
I immediately replied,
"Nothing."
She narrowed her eyes dramatically.
"Whenever someone says 'nothing'..."
"It always means something."
All three of us laughed.
Even my senior, who was sitting across the aisle, smiled after hearing us.
The rest of the journey became lighter.
Students started singing old songs.
Someone began playing dumb charades.
A few teachers even joined the fun.
For the first time during the trip...
it didn't feel like he was just my school senior anymore.
It felt like we were becoming real friends.
And somehow...
that made me happier than I expected.
After nearly two hours...
the bus finally entered the college campus.
Everyone clapped excitedly.
Some students immediately grabbed their luggage.
Others stretched after the long journey.
I picked up my backpack and stepped off the bus.
As soon as I stepped off the bus, everyone started looking for their luggage.
Some students were already complaining.
"I can't find my bag!"
"Who took my pillow?"
"I swear this isn't my suitcase!"
The whole parking area suddenly became noisy.
I laughed after seeing everyone's expressions.
Our teachers were trying their best to control the chaos.
"Everyone, don't panic! Check the luggage one by one."
My best friend immediately disappeared into the crowd.
"I'll find our bags," she shouted before running away.
I smiled.
"She'll probably bring someone else's luggage."
Just then, my senior looked at me and said,
"You stay here."
"We'll bring your bags."
Before I could say anything...
both my senior and he walked toward the luggage compartment together.
Watching them help each other made me smile.
A few minutes later I saw both of them trying to pull out a huge black suitcase.
"Is that yours?" my senior asked.
I looked carefully.
"No..."
"It's definitely not mine."
He looked at the tag and started laughing.
"It belongs to one of the professors."
The three of us burst into laughter.
"Good thing we checked," I said.
"Imagine stealing a professor's suitcase."
My senior dramatically replied,
"First week back after the trip and we'd already be suspended."
Even he couldn't stop laughing.
"Best trip ending ever."
A few students nearby looked at us curiously after hearing us laugh so loudly.
Finally, after searching for another minute...
my senior picked up my backpack.
"I think this one is yours."
I immediately nodded.
"Yes! Finally."
Then he picked up my small travel bag while my senior carried the heavier one.
"I can carry it," I said.
Both of them looked at me at the same time.
"No."
I blinked.
Then my best friend suddenly appeared beside us holding her own luggage.
She looked at the scene for two seconds before saying dramatically,
"Wow..."
"Two bodyguards."
"I seriously need this kind of treatment too."
I immediately hit her lightly on the arm.
"Stop it."
She laughed even louder.
"I was just saying!"
Even my senior smiled.
He looked at her and replied,
"Carry your own bag."
She placed one hand on her heart.
"So rude."
Everyone laughed again.
For those few minutes...
everything felt unbelievably normal.
No overthinking.
No awkward silence.
Just four people laughing after a memorable trip.
I silently wished...
that moments like these could last a little longer.
Just as I was about to walk toward the hostel...
he called my name.
I turned around.
He was standing a few steps away.
"There was actually one more thing..."
he said.
"I forgot to ask you."
I smiled.
"What is it?"
He hesitated.
Looked unusually serious.
Then quietly asked,
"Would you mind if we stayed in touch... even after this trip?"
For a few seconds...
the entire campus noise disappeared.
I could only hear my own heartbeat.
Because somehow...
that one simple question felt like the beginning of something completely new...
And before I could answer...
someone standing behind us suddenly called his name.
And whatever was about to happen next... wasn't something either of us had expected.
---
When he turned around.
I looked in the same direction.
It was the same girl we had met during the trip—the one who had studied with him in school and was now a student at my college.
She walked toward us with a smile.
"You're leaving already?" she asked.
He smiled politely.
"Yeah, I should head back before it gets too late."
They started talking about random things.
College.
Studies.
Their old school memories.
I quietly stood there for a few seconds.
I didn't want to interrupt their conversation.
My best friend looked at me, as if asking whether we should leave.
I smiled softly.
"I think we should go."
She nodded.
I looked at my senior.
"Thank you... for everything."
He smiled warmly.
"You don't have to thank me."
"I'm just happy you enjoyed the trip."
Then I looked at him.
"It was really nice meeting you."
He smiled.
"Same here."
I waved at both of them.
"Bye."
My best friend and I started walking toward the hostel.
We had barely taken a few steps...
when I suddenly heard someone calling my name.
I turned around.
He was running toward us.
The girl looked surprised behind him, but she simply smiled and continued talking to a few other classmates.
He stopped in front of me, slightly out of breath.
"I almost forgot..."
he laughed.
"I didn't want our conversation to end like that."
I couldn't stop smiling.
He looked at me for a moment before asking,
"So..."
"We'll stay in touch, right?"
For a second...
I forgot everything around me.
The noisy campus.
The students.
The buses.
Everything disappeared.
Only that one question remained.
I smiled without even realizing it.
"Of course."
His smile instantly became brighter.
"Good."
"I'll text you."
"I'll be waiting," I replied before I could stop myself.
For a brief moment...
neither of us said anything.
Sometimes silence says much more than words ever can.
Then my senior, standing a little behind us, smiled knowingly.
"I think he'll miss the last bus if you both keep talking."
All four of us laughed.
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Yeah... I should leave now."
"Take care."
"You too," I replied.
He gave one last smile.
Then turned around and slowly walked away.
I stood there...
watching him disappear into the crowd until I couldn't see him anymore.
Only then did I finally turn toward the hostel.
---
After reaching my room, the tiredness from the journey finally hit me.
I placed my backpack in one corner, took a long shower, and changed into my most comfortable clothes.
The moment I lay down on my bed...
I let out a deep sigh.
Everything became quiet.
My roommate was still unpacking her things, but my mind wasn't in the room anymore.
It was still replaying the last two days.
The rain beside the lake.
The laughter during breakfast.
The bus ride.
The conversations.
The photographs.
The little moments that no one else would probably remember...
but I knew I never would forget.
A smile slowly appeared on my face.
Then suddenly...
one memory replayed itself again.
He had been talking to that girl.
He could have simply continued their conversation.
He didn't have to run after me.
But he did.
Just to ask...
"We'll stay in touch, right?"
That single thought made my heart feel strangely warm.
I hugged my pillow tightly and stared at the ceiling.
Was I overthinking again?
Maybe.
Or maybe...
for the first time in years...
I wasn't imagining everything.
I picked up my phone.
Opened our chat.
His last message was still there.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard.
A simple question formed in my mind.
"Did you reach your hostel safely?"
It was such a small message.
Yet somehow...
pressing that send button suddenly felt much harder than I had expected.
And without realizing it...
I kept staring at the screen...
wondering whether that one message...
was about to begin an entirely new chapter between us... ❤️