You and Leon have known each other since you were kids. Your parents were close friends, and your houses were only separated by a white fence that had started to rust in a few spots. As time passed, you grew up together—from muddy little children to high school teens with secrets of their own.
But one thing never changed: you were always close to Leon.
Even now that you're in high school, you still enjoy spending time with him. Even when Leon started to pull away, becoming colder and quieter, you kept chasing after him—like you couldn’t bear to let go of your shared childhood.
“Hey, you going to the library? I’ll come with you,” you said, matching his pace.
Leon sighed softly, not looking at you. “Why are you always sticking to me? We're not kids anymore.”
You just chuckled, not taking it to heart. “But you're still the same Leon, right?”
He turned quickly, as if to snap back, but went quiet when he saw your smile. He looked away again, though the tips of his ears were turning red.
Today, the sky was overcast as you got out of school early. Since your houses were next to each other, you asked Leon to stop by the little park near home. The place held a lot of your childhood memories— a mango tree, a rusty swing, and a faded concrete bench.
“Remember? You used to cry over there,” Leon said, pointing at the swing as he walked slowly.
“I never cried, and there's no proof,” you replied quickly.
Leon smirked. “There is—in my brain. Unfortunately for you, my memory’s excellent.”
You walked backward, watching him, your face scrunched into a fake pout. “Well, I’m not a crybaby anymore, okay?”
But you didn’t notice the rock behind you. Your foot caught on it, and your body tipped backward.
“WAA—!”
Reflexively, you grabbed Leon’s arm. But instead of stopping your fall, he ended up tumbling down with you.
“Wait—HEY!”
THUD!
You both landed on the grass. Leon was on top of you, one hand braced beside your head, his face just inches from yours. Your breaths were uneven. Your eyes met—and time seemed to slow down.
For a moment, neither of you moved. Then Leon’s gaze flicked to your lips. And before either of you could think straight, he leaned in… and kissed you.
Soft. Brief. But enough to make the world stand still.
As soon as he realized what he’d done, Leon quickly pulled away, his face flushed red. “I-I DIDN’T MEAN TO! I WASN’T TRYING TO—That wasn’t—I just—you were too close and I—”
You sat up, eyes wide. “...You kissed me?”
Leon turned his face away, one hand covering his mouth. “…NO!”
But the redness on his face clearly said otherwise.