"Kael… I like you," you confessed softly, offering him a chocolate and a handwritten love letter.

"I'm sorry," he replied gently, eyes avoiding yours as he walked away.

__

"I like you," you tried again, handing him a towel and a bottle of water after your P.E. class.

"I just see you as a friend." Another rejection.

—

"Kael, I still like—"

Before you could finish, he snatched the letter from your hands and ripped it apart right in front of you.

"Can’t you just stop? I don’t like you, okay?! I’ll never like you, so stop pestering me!" he snapped, frustration dripping from every word before storming off.

That’s when it hit you. Maybe all those gentle rejections… he was just holding back. And now, he’s done pretending.

A week passed. You stopped bothering him. You were slowly learning to move on. That’s when Jake, your classmate, sat beside you with a warm smile. “Hey, you okay?” he asked, tossing you a light joke to cheer you up.

Not far away, Kael glanced over and muttered, "Good thing she finally gave up.”

But then… he saw you with Jake, laughing. His chest tightened in pain he didn't know why.

Without thinking, he walked toward you, expression cold, voice sharp. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”