It was beyond belief what Denzel had just said. Cute? Together? With whom? These words swirled around Alexandra and Ivan as soon as Denzel left. She glanced lightly at Ivan and examined his features. There was no doubt that they were indeed brothers—both handsome and smart—but the more she looked at him, the sooner she realized that there was no way for her to like him.
"What are you looking at?" he asked in a hostile tone.
Alexandra stared at him for a moment before replying. "What? Can I not stare at you? Geez."
Ivan did not reply, instead, he looked away with a red face, making Alexandra wonder if he was sick. She leaned closer to him to the point where their foreheads touch.
"What are youؙ—"
She gripped his big wrists. "Stay still," she said, "Hmm… You don't seem to have a fever."
"Who told you I have that in the first place?"
He seemed shy, which was a surprising sight for the young Alexandra. She smiled playfully, leaning her body closer to Ivan. This was a cute side of Ivan, the way he looks away with a red face whenever he's shy or embarrassed makes Alexandra laugh her guts out.
She shifted back to her original position as she gazed around the school grounds. In their academy, luscious green plants and colorful flowers dwelled at their backyard-school garden. Students use that area during lunch, club activities, and free time. It was a nice scene, and one the stood out the best from all angles.
"Aren't you going to class?" Alexandra silently asked Ivan.
"Yep. Mom and dad are gonna kill me if I don't."
She giggled. "Still, I was shocked you placed third."
Ivan paused and frowned. "It was luck."
Alexandra looked up the blue sky. Luck, she thought, wasn't it supposed to be hard work? Her mind delved deeply into a chain of thoughts before being distracted by a girl. Alexandra then shifted her eyes towards the direction of the girl, who seemed to be running towards a boy.
"A love confession," she murmured, not noticing that Ivan did the same. He looked at her with concerned eyes as he wanted to ask her a personal question.
"Hey," he started, "When are you gonna do it?"
Alexandra paused and glanced towards Ivan. "I don't know."
"Are you certain of your feelings?"
"I think so…"
"You 'think'?"
Alexandra glanced above again, not knowing how to answer his question. She wanted to confess to Denzel sooner, but deep inside, something just felt off. She was not afraid of rejection, but she also thought that if it won't be so sure, there was no need to tell Denzel. She already got her indirect answer her silly question a long time ago—and that was: she would always be treated as a sister, no more, no less.
"Ivan, have you ever loved someone?"
Ivan stared at her eyes before answering. "I have."
"What did it feel like?"
"It felt good, but it also felt sad."