It all started when I was in the 4th grade. Back then, I was a cheerful and energetic kid. In my new class, I quickly made friends. Among them was a bright and beautiful girl—my first crush. But I was too scared to confess my feelings to her.
Time passed, and by the time I was in 8th grade, I had changed. The cheerful me had become more withdrawn. One day, a new transfer student joined our class. Her name was Airi Yumeko, a girl full of energy and warmth—completely opposite of me. She chose the seat next to mine.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Airi Yumeko. I hope we can get along," she said with a sweet smile.
I replied briefly, "I'm Tsugumi Mirai. Nice to meet you too." I tried to hide my nervousness by looking away.
The next day, I saw Airi surrounded by a group of classmates. As I made my way to my desk, she greeted me, "Good morning, Mirai."
"Good morning, Airi," I responded.
During gym class, I watched her from a distance. Her bright personality made me feel at ease, even though many of the boys seemed interested in her. When some of them tried to approach her, she politely turned them down, saying she already liked someone.
The following day, as I was playing an online game in class, Airi glanced over at me, "You play this game too? Let's play together!" We gamed side by side until the school bell rang.
As we packed up to go home, Airi asked, "Mirai, can I have your contact? Maybe we can play again sometime."
I nodded, "Sure, here's my number."
That night, Airi sent me a message, "Good evening, Mirai. Thanks for today, I had so much fun playing with you. Wanna play again tomorrow?"
I smiled a little and replied, "Of course."
As time went on, we grew closer. Playing together became our routine, and my feelings for her deepened. One night, I decided I couldn't hold back anymore and gathered the courage to confess.
With a shaky voice, I called her, "Airi, I've liked you for a while now. I can't keep it to myself anymore."
But her reply shattered my heart, "I'm sorry, Mirai. I already like someone else."
After that, we barely spoke at school again.