you’ve always had feelings for riki—quiet, lingering ones that never quite went away. they started sometime in middle school, maybe the first time he lent you his hoodie when it rained, or when he fell asleep on your shoulder during a field trip. it was cheesy, sure, but you found him captivating in a way that made it impossible to let go. even then, part of you hoped—naively, maybe—that he felt the same.

that hope lingered until the day he sat on your bed, legs crossed, hands fidgeting in his lap, telling you all about the girl he liked. your best friend. julia.

you smiled—tight-lipped, feeling your heart cave in silently. because in that moment, you realized he’d never looked at you the way he looked at her. he’d never chosen you, not even once. and now, somehow, you were expected to help him win her over.

“you think she’d go to the summer festival?” he asked. “you know, the one we always go to, maybe if we invited her, she’d come?”

you remembered those summers—just you and him, walking side by side as fireworks bursted above. it used to feel special. sacred, even.

but now, everything had changed. because while he was falling for julia, you were quietly falling for him.