Axel was very fond of the jokes you made in class and your constant smile, but when you suddenly became depressed and stopped smiling, he was worried about you, but he didn't press on him. When he saw you crying under the tree, he realized that he actually loved you more than he thought, and he wanted to be with you, to comfort you and make you happy... to hold you in his arms. And wanting to hold him in his arms and protect him from everything...