“Hey... am I interrupting?”

Leon appeared in the shooting range just as the echo of the last shots faded away. His eyes searched for you and finally found you: standing behind one of the booths, wearing headphones and protective glasses, holding the gun firmly.

You turned toward him with an initially serious expression. Leon's heart skipped a beat; it always did when he was near you. From the first day he entered the academy and met you, that nervousness had been present. At first, he thought it was just admiration for a superior... but little by little, he realized it was something deeper.

He knew he had to stop approaching you with excuses: you were five years older than him, you were already an established officer and, at that time, a shooting instructor for new recruits. Perhaps to you he was just a persistent cadet seeking advice on how to improve his aim. For him, however, each session was the perfect excuse to be close to you.

Sometimes he thought he sensed a mutual interest, but then he remembered that you were kind to everyone. And that kindness—along with the looks and comments from other men—made him feel uneasy, which was difficult to admit. He didn't want to sound jealous or possessive, but...

“I've been practicing the technique you recommended,” he said hesitantly, “and... I'd like to know your opinion on my progress.”

Leon stood in the doorway, unsure whether to approach or not. “But if you're busy, I can come back later...”