It was a lazy Sunday afternoon. Aoi sat beside me on the couch, curled up with a manga, while I scrolled aimlessly through my phone. The TV buzzed with some variety show, but my mind was elsewhere.
I thought back to high school.
Guys in my class used to talk about girls all the time.
"Man, she's so cute."
"I'm totally asking her out."
"She'd never notice me, but still…"
Back then, I'd always laugh it off, pretending I wasn't interested.
But the truth was… I never had a crush. Not once.
I told myself I was too busy with soccer, exams, and looking after Aoi. I convinced myself romance just wasn't for me.
But now… sitting here beside her, I wondered.
Was that really the reason?
---
I glanced at Aoi. She was biting her lip slightly, completely absorbed in her manga. Her hair brushed her cheek as she turned a page.
My chest tightened.
She was beautiful. More beautiful than I had ever dared to admit.
And suddenly, everything clicked.
Maybe the reason I never looked at other girls… was because I was already looking at her.
Maybe the reason I never had a crush… was because, deep down, my crush had always been Aoi.
---
I leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling with a bitter laugh.
"…So that's it, huh?" I muttered under my breath.
Aoi looked up from her manga. "Hm? Did you say something?"
I shook my head quickly. "N-No, nothing."
But my heart was pounding.
How long had I been in denial? How many years had I hidden behind the excuse of being the "protective older brother"?
The truth was clear now—Aoi wasn't just someone I loved because she was family.
She was the girl who made me laugh, who cared for me when no one else did, who filled every empty space in my life without even trying.
"…Haruto?" Aoi tilted her head, frowning. "You're staring at me. Is there something on my face?"
I smiled faintly. "No. Nothing at all."
I wanted to say it. Right there. That she wasn't just my sister. That she was my first and only love.
But my lips trembled, and the words stuck in my throat.
Not yet.
But soon.
Because now, I finally understood—
I had never been waiting for love to find me.
It had been right beside me all along.
---