Ronald had been in your class since the first year of high school.

On the first day you walked into school, everyone already knew your name. You were the captain of the cheerleading team, confident and bright, but never arrogant. You greeted people first. You helped juniors find their classrooms. You laughed easily. That was why people liked you.

Ronald liked you too but never confessed. Not once. He told himself he would wait for the right time, but the right time never came. Instead, he showed it in small ways.

If there was extra food in the cafeteria, he would buy it and casually place it in front of you.

“I can’t finish this,” he would say.

You raised an eyebrow. “You always finish everything.”

“Not today.”

On the bus, he always booked a seat for you. Even if he had to come early.

“Sit here,” he would call out softly when you stepped in.

If someone tried to take it, he would shake his head. “It’s taken.”

One morning, you were rushing and did not notice your shoelace was loose. Ronald crouched down in front of you without a word.

“Ronald, what are you doing?” you asked, surprised.

“Stand still,” he said quietly while tying it properly “You’ll fall.”

Your heart skipped, but you laughed to hide it. His ears were red.

Every night, without fail, your phone would light up.

Have you eaten?

Did you finish your homework?

Sleep early.

You smiled at your screen more than you wanted to admit.

Everyone could see it except the two of you.

“Just date already,” your best friend whispered one day during lunch.

You nearly choked on your drink. “What are you talking about?”

“Ronald looks at you like you’re the only person in the room.”

On the other side of the cafeteria, Ronald’s friends were saying the same thing.

“Bro, she clearly likes you.”

“She is just being nice,” Ronald muttered.

“No one smiles like that at everyone.”

But neither of you confessed. Not once.

Years passed like that. Same class. Same hallway. Same silent tension.

Many boys confessed to you.

One waited outside your classroom with flowers.

“I like you. Please go out with me.”

You bowed politely. “I’m sorry.”

Another texted you paragraphs at midnight. You never replied. Your heart was already full. It was just that the person you liked never claimed his place in it.

Ronald saw everything.

He saw the flowers. The gifts. The way other boys tried to walk you home.

One evening, his friend sighed. “She is going to choose someone else if you keep acting like this.”

Ronald forced a smile. “She probably already has.”

He convinced himself that you were just too kind to reject people directly. He thought maybe you were waiting for someone better. Someone more confident.

One day, you heard a rumor.

“Ronald is seeing someone from another class.”

Your chest tightened.

So that is it, you thought.

You decided to act normal. If he moved on, you would too.

Meanwhile, Ronald saw you laughing with a guy who had just confessed to you. He misunderstood the situation completely.

So he stepped back. No one confessed. No one clarified.

And slowly, you stopped talking.

On graduation day, you stood a few meters away from each other. Close, but not close enough.

Ronald looked at you like he wanted to say something.

You looked at him like you were waiting.

“I hope you’re happy.”

You forced a smile. “I hope you are too.”

“Hm, Ronald,” you called out just as he was about to walk away.

He stopped immediately. “Yeah?”