In Sumeru, there lived a girl named Aaliyah with one of the richest family there. She had beautiful bright golden wavy hair, along with dark green streaks that blended in well in the tips of her hair.
Her wardrobe consisted of only the best fabrics, a magenta dress with golden and pink patterns and accessories that only people among her family could afford. The dress reached down to almost her ankles. It was layered with a brighter but similar colored fabric underneath the top layer. The ends of her dress consisted of faded, but still golden, streaks that went upwards, with tiny star-like patterns above the streaks.
Her shoes made her look a few inches taller, a golden color like all her other accessories, going along with the color scheme her outfit consisted of. Her beautiful jewelry and accessories matched her, perfect and pretty.
Aaliyah’s appearance was stunning to all around her. She was one of the most attractive ones in Sumeru, catching the eye of any boy around her age. How could she not, though? She was the perfect girl, after all.
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This was it. Today, Aaliyah was gonna confess to Alhaitham. She was definitely nervous, but she did her best to conceal it with her regular confidence and attitude.
The other day, she saw him in passing on a walk. When she encountered him, she had decided to ask him to meet her at a certain tree near his home at a certain time.
Well, this was it. The time was now, and if she didn't go through with this today, she feared she never would. So, with much preparation and a relationship with Alhaitham at stake, she departed to their planned meeting spot.
.
.
"I'm not interested in you." Alhaitham said bluntly.
As soon as she heard the words come out his mouth, they pierced her heart. What did he mean? Not interested? Her mouth was left agape, and her eyes wide. She couldn't believe this.. she just couldn't!
"Huh.. W- What do you mean? You're.. *not* interested in me..?" Aaliyah said with disbelief, as though those words could never be used towards her.
"Nope, never have been, never will be." Alhaitham said, feeling no remorse with the words that had just left his mouth.
Aaliyah then felt a sense of dread seep into her heart. Having no other words left, her mind scrambled to find something to say. "O- oh. Alright then. I- I'm sorry to have bothered you.." Aaliyah said with a struggling sense of defeat. So. This was the feeling of rejection. It was a strange, unfamiliar feeling- an unwelcome one. Never in her life had someone said something so outright displeasing to her face. Her throat became dry with nothing left to say and eyes watery.
Aaliyah then turned around to walk away, leaving no time for him to see the tears form in her crimson eyes, soon to become puffy and red. After Aaliyah fled, all that was left of the scene of their meeting was Alhaitham, in front of the tree they met at. Bits of sun peeking out from the shade of the tree falling on him and complimenting his turquoise and orange-yellow eyes, highlighting his face- filled with confusion.
.
.
‘Nilou. It must be her. Alhaitham must have a crush on her, that must be it. After all the times I’ve seen them hanging around each other.. It's clear now. Alhaitham rejected me for Nilou. Why wouldn't he...? With her elegant dancing, beautiful looks, and overly nice personality. Of course Alhaitham has to like Nilou,’ Aaliyah thought, anger gathering in her mind.
It made her blood boil. She could never be like her, and she hated that realization, most of all.
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In Sumeru, there lives a girl named Aaliyah with one of the richest family there. Her hair was annoyingly bright, catching the attention of all who were unlucky enough to be around her. Her outfit consisted of a compilation of what most in Sumeru could not afford. Her personality was ugly. She was rude and condescending towards everyone. Truly, no one could stand to be around her with that attitude.
A strange exception to this statement happened to be Nilou.
Even though she was known to be open minded and kind- this was different. This wasn't just someone who she was going to be kind to regardless- no. This was different. She saw something else in Aaliyah, not the rudeness she portrayed on the outside. Her beauty was foreign, something she had never seen before.
And though Aaliyah treated her the worst out of everyone else, to Nilou, it didn't matter what Aaliyah did to her. No matter what names she called her, no matter what insults she threw at her, she knew. Deep in her heart, she knew.
Nilou knew Aaliyah was special. Looking into her mesmerizing crimson eyes, she couldn't look away. Whenever she caught herself staring at Aaliyah, her heart felt like it was dancing.
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Ever since Alhaitham’s rejection of Aaliyah, the insults and remarks Aaliyah threw at Nilou only got worse.
.
.
One day, Nilou decided that she'd had enough of Aaliyahs harsh treatment. On a nature walk she decided to take, Nilou encountered Aaliyah. ‘This is it. I’m finally going to ask why she's been extra mean recently!’ Nilou thought with a sense of determination and somewhat nervousness.
She knew she never usually confronted people, but this was Aaliyah, and if they were ever going to get along, she needed to do this!
Before Aaliyah could get some snide remark in, Nilou interrupted her before she got the chance to.
“Hey Aaliyah, why have you been so mean lately? I know you’re mean to everyone.. especially me.. but why are you so harsh now?! I haven't even done anything to you!” Nilou gushed out her words, not giving Aaliyah a chance to speak.
In her mind, Aaliyah thought about Nilou’s actions just now. ‘Huh.. this is strange. Nilou, *confronting me*? How out of character for her. Interesting. I guess I've pushed her too hard this time. I’d usually have no trouble dealing with something like this, but from Nilou? She's confronting me about my recent behavior towards her. What should I even say?’ Aaliyah thought, slightly nervous.
‘Well, no better time to go for it than now. Here goes.’ Aaliyah finished her thought, choosing her next actions.
“You wonder why I’m so harsh to you? It's obvious, is it not by now? Has he not told you? I’m sure you two have laughed about it. About my ridiculous behavior that day, my feelings for him.” Aaliyah said, biting her lip, unsure if this was the correct way to say this. A part of herself though, felt some pressure lift off her shoulders. She was finally releasing her pent up anger from her rejection from Alhaitham.
“Wait, what?! What are you talking about? Your.. feelings for him? Who are you talking about? Wait a minute, Alhaitham mentioned meeting with you the other day… do you- Aaliyah, do you have feelings for Alhaitham..?” Nilou said, her voice laced with surprise and a hint of heartbreak that Aaliyah couldn't pick up on.
“... I did. But.. I’ve realized he did not feel the same. I fear he never did.” Aaliyah said with a bit of hesitance, feeling exposed.
“Oh… I’m so sorry Aaliyah. But wait, how does this correlate with your treatment towards me?” Nilou finally said after a brief pause.
“Well- I was under the impression that he had an interest in you. Why wouldn't he, you're the perfect girl, after all.” Aaliyah said, spilling her guts to Nilou, not caring what she was saying or revealing about herself anymore. She was already embarrassed, what more did she have to lose?
“You- you really think that about me, Aaliyah?” Nilou said, in a state of disbelief and maybe even a hint of hopelessness. She did feel bad about Aaliyah getting her heart broken, but she has the chance to hear about what Aaliyah thinks of her, how could she not take it?!
Aaliyah finally worked up the courage to reply, then out her mouth came words she never thought she'd admit. To herself or anyone else.
“...Of course I do, Nilou… I’ve- I’ve always thought that about you. How perfect you are, how I could never compare to you. I know I act condescending towards everyone, but that's just an act I put up in order to make up for my imperfectness. Gosh.. I can't even believe I'm even ranting to you of all people about this…” Aaliyah was blushing, she didn't know what she was doing, and why the words kept coming! She couldn't control herself or even begin to grasp why she was doing all this, especially in front of Nilou!
Nilou couldn't believe this. What was she hearing right now? This was.. a moment of weakness from Aaliyah. She never thought a day like this would come from her. But… now she knows how Aaliyah truly feels. And why she's been treating her poorly.
After an awkward amount of silence passes, Nilou decides to speak up.
“Also um, Alhaitham likes a guy, not me, so…” Nilou says in the uncomfortable atmosphere.
“Wait, he does? Oh, god I feel terrible now.. I- I’m so sorry Nilou. I.. I never should've taken out my anger on you. I.. I hope you can forgive me. I’m truly sorry. Is there anything I could possibly do to make it up to you?” Aaliyah said with a shocked, remorseful and apologetic tone shown in her voice.
“I forgive you Aaliyah. But, one thing you could do is… Treat me to dinner! I- if you want!” Nilou said, her boldness already wearing off.
Aaliyah chuckles a bit, then starts with a “Sure, then. If that's the measly price I have to pay to make it up to you, I’d be happy to treat you to dinner. It's- It's a date.” Aaliyah said, blushing like never before and almost trying to avoid eye contact with Nilou. She was hesitant to voice the last sentence, but she was sure she wanted this to be her response.
Now Nilou’s turn to respond, she faltered and stuttered as she attempted to convey her response to Aaliyah. “H- Huh?! Well- Well, sure! Y- Yeah, It's a date..!” Nilou, as red as her hair, finally managed to spit out her words.
Nilou and Aaliyah then set off, both their hearts racing and the blush on their face as red as the setting sun. They searched through town, attempting to find a restaurant to eat at. On the way, they unexpectedly acquired a special peace and comfort between them.
.
.
From then on, Nilou and Aaliyah were caught hanging around each other more often than not. Everyone in Sumeru was confused and even concerned for Nilou. Many even tried checking on her! “Hey, Nilou… we’ve seen you hanging around Aaliyah a lot more. Are you okay? Is she forcing you to do something for her?” Someone asked, worried for Nilou.
“Hm? What are you talking about? Aaliyah’s not forcing me to do anything! She's quite pleasant to be around! I very much enjoy our hangouts!” Nilou replied, no sign of anything troublesome happening, no unpleasant feelings whatsoever.
It was strange, but Nilou appeared to be fine, happy even. So everyone left it alone, and every once in a while, the people of Sumeru saw Aaliyah and Nilou hanging out together. They never quite figured out what was going on with them. It was quite an interesting case.
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October 27th, it was Nahida’s birthday! Everyone in Sumeru was gathered to celebrate Nahidas birthday with her! The atmosphere was lively, with everyone happy and excited to be there! Even Aaliyah was there, with an almost… happy expression? Who knows…
“Alright everyone, it's finally time for Nilou’s special performance! Please focus your attention on the stage!” Someone announced, in hopes to grab everyone's attention.
Nilou soon stepped on stage, ready to perform.
The music started, and Nilou took flight. With each move, she mesmerized the crowd. Aaliyah was awestruck. To Nilou’s knowledge, Aaliyah had come to only one or two of her performances, but most other times, Aaliyah often lingered around during her performances, though not in an obvious spot. There was no way she'd let Nilou know how she adored her dances. As Nilou danced, her moves were as graceful as a water lily in its first bloom, pure and pristine. Everything was going smoothly, until-
Thud!
All of a sudden, the music stopped and everyone had their attention on Nilou.
“Are you alright, Nilou?!”
“What happened?!”
Everything erupted into chaos; everyone’s first priority was to check on Nilou.
While Nilou was catching her breath and barely realizing what had happened, only one person’s cries or concern truly reached her.
“Nilou! Where did you fall?! Are you hurt?!” It was a voice no one expected to speak, especially not with that amount of distress hinted in their voice.
When everyone turned to see if they weren't mistaken on who was speaking, they only saw a glimpse of them, rushing to the stage.
Everyone threw their attention to the stage, and there they saw… Aaliyah!?
Aaliyah jumped on the stage, immediately seeking Nilou.
“Are you alright, Nilou?” Aaliyah said in a panicked voice laced with concern.
“Aaliyah! You didn't have to rush up here for me, I’m fine! Really!” Nilou said, relieved to see her.
“Are you sure? Your ankle looks hurt!”
Nilou chuffed out a quick laugh and reassured Aaliyah for a final time “Yes, I’m alright Aaliyah! Geez, you're so protective! Though, it's just what I’d expect from you!”
Aaliyah, finally reassured, then said with a slight chuckle as well “Well, it is what you signed up for when you asked me out, after all. You deserve someone to be protective over you.”
Everyone, still in complete shock, stayed silent, as the two shared this special moment they weren't entirely sure they were supposed to be seeing.
Aaliyah continued “...Nilou. I’m so glad you're alright. I don’t deserve you, after how good you’ve been to me.”
Nilou then nuzzled into Aaliyah, content with this moment they were sharing, then said a bit quieter than her other statements:“Silly Aaliyah, of course you deserve me. I wouldn't have it any other way.”
After a brief moment of silence, the crowd finally processed what had just happened. Then, all of a sudden, everything exploded.
“Huh, what is this?! Is this fake?!”
“Is that even Aaliyah?! How do we know this isn't someone else?!”
“Hold on a second, did they just say that they’re together?!”
“I knew Nilou has been getting closer with Aaliyah, but I had no idea they were this close!”
Numerous voices overlapped each other, but they were all in a consensus about being confused.
Nilou then decided to speak up, finally moving out of Aaliyah’s embrace and into a proper sitting position. She then began with “Hehe, sorry everyone! We meant to tell you all soon, but we just haven’t had the time..”
Aaliyah spoke up after Nilou, deciding she should say something as well. “Yes, I’m sorry we have been hiding this from everyone…”
Everyone was shocked! Aaliyah was apologizing for something?!
After another pause, she started again “I… I’m also very sorry to everyone here who I have mistreated. I was foolish to have such a childish mindset. Nilou has changed me, and she showed me a compassion I never believed I could have. I’m terribly sorry to all who I’ve caused harm to. I- I hope you can all eventually forgive me. Though, even still, I can understand if you may choose not to.. I wouldn't be surprised.”
Everyone took in the genuine look Aaliyah showed on her face, a look none knew she was capable of having.
There was silence at first, then the crowd filled with quiet whispers. Everybody was shocked by the day’s events. At first, they couldn't believe what was happening. Now, though, everybody came to a conclusion. They all saw the look on Aaliyah’s face. It was filled with regret, no bad intentions sighted. Growing impatient with the silence, somebody from the crowd spoke up.
Dehya looked around at the crowd, then spoke. “Thank you, Aaliyah. I can speak for everyone here when I say that your apology means a lot. From the look on your face, I can tell you're being genuine. Knowing that, I’m sure we all can accept this apology. We can give you a second chance. You can start over, Aaliyah.”
A wave of relief washed over Aaliyah. She looked up from her spot next to Nilou on the stage, tears beginning to form in her eyes, “Dehya… Thank you, everyone. Truly. This new opportunity.. I will make sure to not mess it up.”
“Well then, now that that is out of the way, why don't we resume this party? After all, it's still Nahida’s birthday.” Alhaitham said after a minute.
“You're right! We definitely should!” Nilou said, her smile as big as ever. The music and dancing then resumed, and Nilou, as soon as she heard the music start up again, grabbed Aaliyah’s hand and strung her along to where everyone else had gathered. “Come on Aaliyah, let's dance!” Nilou looked back at Aaliyah with a big grin on her face.
Aaliyah had no time to reject her offer, but she found she didn't want to. When they arrived where everyone else was gathered, Nilou took Aaliyah in an embrace. Soon, they found themselves dancing in a rhythm alongside everyone else.
The sun was shining brightly upon them, no clouds in sight, happy looks on everyone’s faces, Aaliyah couldn't wish to be anywhere else right now.
Aaliyah, finally having caught up with the moment after taking notice towards her surroundings, focused on Nilou.
Seeing Nilou dance was a sight for sore eyes. She moved in such a graceful and elegant manner that Aaliyah found herself captivated by Nilou’s moves, and couldn't peel her eyes off her. Aaliya’s smile reached up to her eyes, something she never thought she could achieve before.
Aaliyah glanced around, taking in her surroundings once more. A few months ago, she never would've dreamed of being in a position such as this.
This was it. This is what her heart was secretly searching for. The smallest details in Nilou’s shining, beautiful eyes made Aaliyah never want to look away. She never could've imagined someone being able to look at her like this, not the way Nilou does. Her compassion, empathy, and genuine kindness changed Aaliyah, it truly truly did.
If she had the chance, Aaliyah would've chosen to stay in this moment. The laughs and smiles around her could bring her to tears. She never thought this was possible, because how could someone like Nilou, so unbelievably kind and patient and beautiful, love someone like Aaliyah?
She would never know. Though, for now, she didn't have to worry about that. All she has to be worried about, now, is being in the moment. And that?
Aaliyah could live with that. That was enough for her.