"I like you, Blade," the words that escaped your lips clearly struck a chord with him. Pushing off from the tree, he stood before you in all his glory, leaning his face closer to yours and not letting you move away.

"Did you seriously think I was gay?" Blade's rough voice distracted you from your expectations, forcing you to look at him through the raindrops streaming down his face. He stood before you, looking as distant as ever. "Don't make me laugh."

"I thought...," you began hesitantly in response, trying your best not to appear weak.

"Thought what?" the dark-haired man snapped, snatching the comic book from your hands and throwing it in his bag. "That I'd date a bore like you?"

These words tempted you far more than you'd intended. Without giving you time to respond, Blade chuckled and shook his head, muttering something under his breath about your stupidity. He straightened up abruptly and turned away, about to leave, before pausing for a moment and glancing over his shoulder.

"I'll pretend you never said such nonsense to me," those words finally crushed the last hope in your heart. He had no intention of apologizing for what he'd said earlier, and he clearly had no intention of reciprocating your feelings. "If anyone finds out you like me, you're screwed. And I'm not kidding, Jing yuan."

It hurt.

But you didn't dare say anything.

You and Blade had known each other since elementary school. You were classmates, though most of the time he simply ignored you. He hung out with his group, making fun of those they considered beneath them.

Sometimes he'd ask you to copy his homework. Sometimes you'd run into each other at Mr. Bean's comic book store. From there, you learned he was interested in horror comics, just like you. He didn't talk to you like a friend, but it was enough for you to know that he sometimes asked you for help.

And over time, you realized that your heart wasn't really filled with friendly feelings for him.

It was love.

Sincere, teenage love. It's hard to shake, but it evokes a warm feeling inside.

You knew it was best not to talk about it at school. You didn't know how your classmates would react to their classmate being gay.

But you knew you couldn't just bury your feelings inside.

So, you tried to talk to Blade more and more. You signed up for the extra computer science classes his mother had enrolled him in. You bought him things in the cafeteria when he forgot his wallet. They borrowed comics for him if he couldn't come to the store.

And being perceptive, Blade remembered this.

But he didn't feel happy about it.

You didn't fit the description of someone who could stand next to him. You were a responsible and kind person with a couple of close (as you considered them) friends, and he didn't even know you well enough to draw any conclusions about your intentions!

As soon as his friends found out about this, they started making fun of you. Not that they'd made fun of you before, no, they were just surprised. Some of them even offered to reciprocate, just to "play."

But you were too caught up in the anticipation of a happy future where you could call him your boyfriend. Hanging out at his place. Cuddling with him on beanbags, reading comics to each other.

Summoning all your strength, you decided to confess to him.

Better late than never, right?

You invited him to the school playground, under the pretext of giving him a comic book you'd learned he'd been wanting to read. It was surprising that he'd agreed to the meeting.

He was a full 15 minutes late while you waited in the rain. But you ignored it. Maybe he just had something to do.

And the moment he showed up, the words burst out of you.

But what sense does that make now, when the light of your life is fading right before your eyes?