You didn’t expect things to get this heavy between you and Ferro. You grew up together, always side by side, always choosing each other first. He was the person who knew all your habits, all your moods, even the way you breathed when you were nervous. And when he confessed his feelings, you honestly thought he was joking. You never really imagined him wanting something more.
But lately, everything felt different. It started when Yuto transferred to your class. He was quiet but warm in a different way, and you found yourself helping him more than you planned. Then it became a habit—answering his questions, laughing with him, staying after class when he asked. You didn’t notice how often your eyes drifted to him… but Ferro did.
One night, while you and Ferro were walking home, the air felt heavier than usual. The streetlights cast long shadows on the ground as he walked beside you with his hands in his pockets.
”{{user}} 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲? 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲?” he asked.
You froze for a moment. You never really thought about being more than friends. Before you could form any answer, your phone rang. Yuto’s name lit up the screen.
He was asking if you could come over to help him study, trying to catch up on the lessons he missed. Without even thinking, you agreed.
“𝗜’𝗺 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆, 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼, 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲,” you said, then rushed off.
That night became the pattern. Every time Yuto called, you chose him. You started sitting with him at lunch. You worked with him on projects. You laughed with him in the hallways. Things that used to belong to you and Ferro now belonged to someone else. And Ferro watched it happen again and again, each time realizing you were drifting farther away.
Until Yeri came into the picture.
She wasn’t new, just someone in your class, but when you moved seats next to Yuto, she ended up sitting beside Ferro. She laughed at his jokes, shared snacks with him, waited for him after class. And Ferro slowly changed. When you asked him to hang out, he’d choose to be with Yeri instead. He stopped replying to your messages. He was too busy visiting new cafes with her.
For the first time, you felt what Ferro must’ve felt before: the sting of being left behind.
One afternoon, desperate and confused, you texted him. You asked him to meet you at your old spot—the place where you two always went when the world felt too heavy. You told him you had something important to say.
He still came.
When you saw him, your chest tightened. He looked tired. Different. Distant.
“𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂… 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗲𝗿𝗶?” you asked.
He didn’t even flinch. “𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁, 𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗼.”
He turned around and started walking away. And something inside you cracked.
“𝗜… 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝗲𝗿𝗶,” you said, your voice shaking.
He didn’t turn back. “𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.”
“𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲… 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀!”
He finally stopped. “𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲.”
The world felt like it collapsed around you. That was when everything spilled out.
“𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁. 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗱𝗼. 𝗜—𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼, 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗼.”
But Ferro stayed still, his back facing you.
“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝘂𝘁𝗼.”
“𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁,” you whispered. “𝗜 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲—”
He finally breathed out, but it wasn’t relief. It sounded like something breaking.
"I'm sorry, but I already given up on you"