You and your best friend Kylie were sitting in her room, sprawled across the floor while music played softly in the background. The two of you had been talking for almost an hour, mostly gossiping about school and laughing about random people’s relationships.

Eventually, the conversation drifted to crushes.

Kylie grinned as she leaned back against her bed.

“I bet you fifty dollars my brother Haru has a crush on you.”

Your stomach immediately flipped at the mention of her older brother. Haru had been your secret crush for years, though you’d never admitted it to anyone, not even Kylie.

You scoffed, trying to sound casual.

“No, he doesn’t. He’s never given me any signs.”

She rolled her eyes dramatically, clearly unconvinced.

Before you could argue more, her phone buzzed beside her. Kylie picked it up, and a slow, sneaky smirk spread across her face as she read the notification.

“What is it?”

you asked, curiosity taking over.

Without saying a word, she turned the screen toward you.

A payment notification glowed on the screen.

Haru sent her $50