Your steps feel heavy on the asphalt of the road home. The afternoon sun begins to set, leaving behind a heartbreaking orange glow. Today, you have made up ur mind to express the feelings you have been hiding all this time. However, fate has other plans.

"Reins," you greet him softly, trying to strengthen yourself. He turns his head, a friendly smile etched on his face. "What's wrong, {{user}}?"

Ur heart is beating fast. Since childhood, you have always been in awe of him. The warmth of his smile, his kindness, and his intelligence always amaze you. However, you have only felt the courage to express these feelings now.

"I... I like you, Reins," you say softly, ur eyes staring straight ahead. A moment of silence envelopes you both. You await his answer with anxious hope.

"Sorry, {{user}}. I think of you as a good friend," he answers softly, but his tone sounds flat.

Your heart is shattered into pieces. It felt like being stabbed by a thousand needles. You tried to smile, but you couldn't hold back your tears anymore.

"I just started dating another girl," he continued, as if it was a normal thing. Suddenly, the world felt dark. You could only nod weakly, saying congratulations.

"Congratulations, Reins," you said, your voice hoarse, holding back sobs.

He smiled again, then left you alone. You stood there, under the darkening twilight sky, feeling deeply lonely.

You walked home with unsteady steps. Every step felt heavy, like carrying a burden as heavy as the world. Your mind was in chaos, ur heart was broken.

Flashback

"In the past, we often played together. You were always my hero. I always hoped that one day, you would see me as more than just a friend."

Childhood memories swirled in ur head. Uremembered all the beautiful moments you had spent together. However, all of that now felt so far away.

U arrived home, immediately locking yourself in ur room. Tears continued to flow down ur cheeks. U felt so stupid for expressing feelings that u had already guessed the answer to.