DIARIES OF THE LONER 🥲 Yesterday was a blur. I didn't sleep well, haunted by a terrifying dream that left me confused and scared. Kim appeared in my dream, but it didn't end on a good note. My mother was there too, tears welling up in her eyes. "Takura, I told you to distance yourself from these girls. Look what's happened now." I didn't understand her words, but everything seemed perfect in the dream. We were enjoying each other's company in a jungle, caressing each other while listening to the melodic voices of birds. I woke up at 5 am, feeling restless. I had a meeting with Kim planned, and she had convinced me the previous night that she truly cared about me. My friend had advised me to make my move quickly, warning me about the SRC boys who might snatch her away. When I checked my phone, I saw a message from the lecture group - the lecture was cancelled. But then, Kim called me, and I couldn't believe it. She never called before. "Hello, Takura, our lecture is cancelled, but I still want to meet you. Can you come to my room, W21?" Her sweet, melodic voice was music to my ears. I agreed to meet her, and that was exactly what I wanted. I phoned my brother for some romantic tips, and he advised me to buy something and wear my best clothes. But his advice seemed worthless to me; I had already made a good impression, or so I thought. After showering, I headed to the campus, stopped by the mall, and bought some grapes, apples, and bananas 😊. When Kim arrived, she was dressed nicely and looked like an angel. She led me to her room, and looked like a sheep to its slaughter. I remembered my dream and my mother's words, and a shiver ran down my spine. But Kim's behind eased me, and she took out a face towel, telling me to wipe off the dust. I was shocked and blurted out, "I'm so lucky." She asked what I meant, and I ran short of words, but she just smiled, exposing her milky white teeth. As we talked, she showed interest, and I wrapped my hands around her. But just as things were getting intense, there was a knock on the door. She seemed frightened, and her phone rang, but she didn't pick up. The knocking continued, and she opened the door to reveal the SRC boy, gifts in hand, looking raged. "Why weren't you picking calls, Kimberly? Who's that boy? What's his business here?" Kim interrupted him, "No, Ray, he's my classmate, we're doing a discussion." The SRC boy told me to get lost, and two minutes later, I was outside the hostel, heart in hand. As I walked out, I heard a familiar voice behind me. "Takura, can we walk together?" It was Tanaka. She always seems to appear in my times of despair. She said, "Takura, you seem depressed every time I see you. The other day, you broke plates. Please, what's going on? I know I don't have the right to ask you everything, but I'm just a concerned friend." I sobbed, "Are you my friend? I don't have friends. I'm nothing. Nobody loves me." Kim had frustrated me, and maybe love wasn't for the weak. I admitted I was weak. But why me? I violently pushed Tanaka away, feeling a mix of emotions. "Go away, I don't have anything to do with your gender anymore." Fortunately, she didn't fall but was shocked. I started walking fast, but to my amazement, she seemed undisturbed. She followed me, in fact, and ran to catch up with me. "Takura, I'm sorry for all this, but I'm here for your mental well-being," she said. Her words pissed me off. How could she be there for my health? Was she a doctor? Suddenly, a wave of relief flowed in my veins, and I noticed her smile. That's when I noticed Tanaka was beautiful too, though Kim was the best. I don't know how, but we found ourselves around each other. I felt the warmth, but deep down, I was still thinking about Kim. "Takura, let's go. I don't want to trend at CUT celebs," she said. On the way, I felt like opening everything to her, but later dropped the idea. After giving me her house number, we parted. The recent drama with Kim and the SRC boy haunted me again, to the extent that I didn't put water in my rice while cooking. The burnt smell filled the air, and I didn't even notice. My thoughts were consumed by the events of the day, and I felt like I couldn't To be continued......