It happened on a Wednesday afternoon.
I had gone to pick Aoi up from school, as usual. She came running out of the gates, waving at me with that bright smile that never failed to melt my heart.
But before she reached me, I saw it.
A boy—one of her classmates—stepped in front of her, scratching his cheek nervously. His face was red, and in his hands was a small letter.
"Um… Aoi-chan, would you… go out with me?"
The words echoed in my ears like gunfire.
My stomach tightened. My fists clenched. My chest burned with something ugly, hot, and sharp.
Why him? Why is he even standing so close to her?
Aoi blinked, clearly caught off guard.
I wanted to storm over, grab her hand, and drag her away. But I froze, my heart pounding with rage and fear.
What if she said yes?
What if… she chose someone else?
---
But then—
"I'm sorry," Aoi said firmly, bowing slightly. "I can't accept your feelings. There's already someone I love."
The boy's face fell. He mumbled something and walked away, leaving Aoi standing alone.
She turned and saw me, her expression softening instantly.
"Haruto!" She ran over, grabbing my arm as if nothing had happened.
I forced a smile, but inside, my emotions were in chaos.
---
On the way home, I finally asked, "…Do you get confessed to often?"
Aoi tilted her head, thinking. "Hmm… a few times, I guess. But I always say no."
I bit my lip. "…Why?"
She laughed lightly, leaning closer. "Because my heart already belongs to someone. Isn't that obvious?"
My steps faltered. My throat went dry.
She looked at me with a smile that was both teasing and sincere. "You, dummy."
The jealousy that had been clawing at me suddenly vanished, replaced by a warmth so strong it nearly knocked me off my feet.
Aoi never wavered. Not once. Even when others tried to take her away, her answer was always the same.
And in that moment, I realized—
The thing I feared most wasn't losing her to someone else.
It was losing the courage to finally tell her how much I loved her too.