Requiem of a Broken Heart

Chapter 28

Chapter 28:

Under the dappled summer sunlight, Brian’s voice carried a warmth that made Rachel’s chest tighten.

“Tracy, we’ll be in the same university soon. Once we’re in college, be my girlfriend, okay? I promise…”

Rachel never heard the rest. If she hadn’t been crouched behind the thick trunk of a tree, she never would have overheard his tender words.

She realized that Brian hadn’t failed his exams after all. Every choice he had made—all his sacrifices, all his compromises—had been for someone else. He had someone he liked. And he loved that woman deeply. Rachel couldn’t even begin to put her feelings into words.

It felt as if something inside her had been torn apart, the raw edges burning as though rubbed with salt.

She spun around and ran. Faster. Farther.

She had no idea how long she kept running—only that, by the time she finally stopped, the ice cream in her hand had completely melted.

The pink liquid dripped onto her white dress, splattering like drops of blood from a wounded heart.

That day, she had spent every cent of her pocket money on the prettiest dress she could find, just in case she ran into him. And in the end, she felt like the biggest fool.

As she sprinted uphill, her foot caught on an uneven patch of ground. She stumbled, and the ice cream smeared across her face as she crashed onto the rough pavement. Jagged stones bit into her skin, but she felt nothing.

The only thing that mattered was that the boy she loved already had someone else in his heart. And to him, she was nothing more than a stranger—someone without a name.

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When her senior year began, she buried herself in her studies. She stayed up until one in the morning, then dragged herself out of bed at five—running on only four hours of sleep.

In the sweltering summer, whenever exhaustion crept in, she ran laps on the track until sweat drenched her clothes. Then she’d go right back to her books.

In the biting winter, when drowsiness clouded her mind, Rachel splashed ice-cold water on her face and plunged her hands into a freezing basin. The pain jolted her awake. That sharp sting fueled her determination.

And she endured. For an entire year, she never once tried to see Brian again. Then, just days before her college entrance exams, she did something reckless—something completely out of character. She requested a leave of absence.

stood for a day and a night, her legs swelling and her feet going numb, before transferring from one bus to another. Finally,

she could do was

until her eyes ached from searching. Yet, no matter how long she waited, she never

school’s bulletin boards, her heart pounding with anticipation. Finally, she found

it, Brian wore a crisp white shirt.

year had passed—365 days, 8,760

that time,

older,

boyish innocence in his gaze had faded, replaced by the quiet maturity of a young

her eyes landed on the picture, tears welled up. Before she

and handed her a tissue. “Miss, are you

wiped her tears and forced a smile, shaking her

she murmured, her voice trembling. “I’m not crying. I’m happy.” How she wished, one day, her photo could appear

Brian’s class information

a renewed sense of purpose,

every person who stepped out. But as the crowd thinned, her excitement began to fade. One by one,

empty. Only then did she step away,

bulletin board information had to be

and without thinking, she rushed forward, grabbing the arm of a passing student. “Excuse me,” she blurted

but answered casually, “Oh, he left for a competition.

Tomorrow? Her stomach dropped.

money left. She had planned to catch the train back tonight, right after seeing him. If

she supposed to

paced back and forth,

hesitation, she made her way to the train station, rescheduled her ticket, and used her last

freezing. By the second half of the night, she was curled up in her chair,

endless night finally

light touched the sky, she got up and

time, Brian was the first to step out

light blue T-shirt and crisp white pants, his outfit exuded an effortless charm. His short haircut