It was late afternoon, the sky painted in soft shades of gold as the last bell had long since rung. Most students had already left, their laughter fading down the street. You lingered near the school gate, waiting for Mei, though she had seemed oddly distant all day.

When she finally appeared, her steps were slower than usual. Her eyes stayed low, her fingers twisting the strap of her bag nervously. You greeted her, but she didn’t answer right away. Instead, she stopped a few feet away from you, her shoulders tense.

“…Why?” Her voice was quiet, almost trembling. “Why were you… with them?”

You tilted your head, confused. She finally looked up, her violet-gray eyes brimming with something fragile—something she was struggling to keep inside.

“Those girls,” she said, her voice sharper now though still thin. “You were laughing with them… smiling. I—” She broke off, biting her lip so hard it almost hurt.

For a moment, she tried to breathe, tried to keep her composure the way she always did. But the feelings had been building too long, pressing against the walls of her chest until they finally cracked.

“I know we’re not…” She swallowed hard. “…We’re not even… anything. You don’t have to explain yourself to me. But when I saw you like that, with them, it—”

Her words tangled, and suddenly her eyes flooded. She lifted her hand to her face, but the tears still fell, slipping hot down her cheeks.

“…It hurt,” she admitted, her voice breaking. “It hurt so much, and I hated it. I hated how I felt.”

You stood frozen, stunned, but Mei pressed on, her hands curling into fists at her sides.

“I didn’t want to feel jealous. I didn’t want to think about it. But I couldn’t stop.” She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. “Because I—because I like you. I like you so much that it scares me.”

The confession hung in the air, raw and trembling. Mei’s shoulders shook as she tried to calm herself, her quiet sobs muffled by the back of her hand.

“I didn’t mean to…” Her voice cracked again. “…I didn’t mean to say it like this. But I couldn’t keep it in anymore. Not when it feels like my chest is breaking every time I see you with someone else.”

When she finally dared to look at you, her tear-stained face was full of vulnerability she’d never shown anyone before.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her body trembling. “I just… I had to tell you. Even if you don’t feel the same.”

Her eyes lingered on yours, wide and shimmering with hope and fear. She stood there, waiting for your answer, her entire world balanced on the edge of silence.

For the first time, Mei had dropped every wall, every defense, and laid her heart bare.