"Uhm... I'd like to say something," I stammered, my mind scrambling for the right words. The tension in my chest was suffocating. Why was this so hard?
She stared at me, her gaze unwavering, eyes locked onto mine without blinking. "What is it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
My heart pounded in my chest as I took a shaky breath. "I... I liked you," I said, every word feeling like it weighed a ton. "Ever since we first met when you bumped on me that time."
I could feel my body shaking with nerves, the anxiety tightening around me like a vise. This was it—no turning back now.
Hanna's face went pale, her expression frozen in shock. She didn't speak at first, just stared at me as if trying to process what I had said. I could feel the seconds stretching into eternity. Then, finally, she opened her mouth.
"L-liked? Me? A... are you serious?" She gazed into my eyes; it seems like she saw a ghost with her face expression.
I nodded, forcing the words out with more conviction than I felt. "Of course. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."
She blinked, as if trying to make sense of my confession. Her hands trembled slightly, though she tried to hide it. "I... I see... sorry, I was just... surprised," she said, her voice softer now.
Inside, I braced myself. Whatever she said next, I had to accept it. I said on my mind.
"You know I already have a boyfriend, right?" she continued, her words laced with hesitation.
I nodded, trying to steady my nerves. "Yeah. I know. I'm not trying to interfere. I just wanted you to know my feelings about you."
She hesitated for a moment, her face still pale, before she finally spoke again. "Can I go home now? Your house is nearby, right?"
"Yeah... of course. Be careful, okay?" I muttered, still reeling from the awkwardness of the moment.
"Yeah... I will," she replied softly, before turning and walking away, her footsteps quick and uneven.
I stood there, watching her go, my mind a storm of confusion and embarrassment. What just happened? Why did I say that? I felt like I could barely breathe, and my face was on fire from the sheer humiliation.
As I turned to head into my house, I glanced back one last time. Hanna was looking at me too. Our eyes locked for a split second, and it felt like time slowed down—one of those moments straight out of a K-drama. She quickly turned away, and I did the same, heading inside with my heart still racing.
"What is she thinking? Why was she looking at me? Did she rejected me?" I muttered to myself, a mix of hope and doubt swirling in my chest. I couldn't shake the feeling that something more was going on, but... she had a boyfriend. I wasn't the kind of person to mess with that.
That night, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. The conversation replayed over and over in my head. I felt like a fool. How could I have been so bold?
The Next Morning...
The sunlight filtered through my curtains, birds singing their usual cheerful tune outside. But inside, I was anything but cheerful. The embarrassment from yesterday was still fresh, and I didn't know how to face Hanna if I saw her at school. Aside from that, I couldn't sleep a little bit because of that embarrassing moment yesterday.
I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower, trying to wash off the weight of the previous day. The smell of breakfast from the kitchen made my stomach growl, but it didn't do much to lift my spirits. After eating, I packed my bag and headed to school, every step feeling like a burden. How could I face myself in front of her?.
When I arrived, I looked around for Hanna, but her best friend informed me that Hanna was absent today. I couldn't help but feel a little relieved, though it didn't last long.
"Good morning, class," our teacher said as she entered the room.
"Good morning!" the class chorused. I slunk into my seat, trying to focus on the lesson, though my mind kept drifting to Hanna. Was she okay?
The bell rang for breaktime, and I headed to the cafeteria, my stomach churning with nerves. As I walked, I spotted someone familiar—Julia, Hanna's bestfriend. I hadn't really talked to her much before, but she was friendly enough.
"Hey," I said, walking up to her.
"Oh, hey, Tristan!" she smiled warmly. "What's up?"
I hesitated, then asked, "Do you know why Hanna's absent today?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, she said she was feeling sick. She might not be in tomorrow either."
I felt a pang of worry. "I see..."
Julia's sharp gaze lingered on me for a moment. "Wait... are you worried about her?"
I froze, caught off guard. "Me? No. Not really."
"Not really? Hmm... sounds like you're worried about her."
"I'm just... concerned, that's all." I quickly added, "But she already had a boyfriend, and I don't want to mess with that."
Julia gave me an amused look. "Ah, I see. So, you like her?"
I shook my head quickly. "No! Definitely not! I mean, yeah, I like her, but I'm not going to do anything about it. She's with James."
Julia raised an eyebrow. "You're literally complicated, Tristan."
I sighed, feeling a little embarrassed. "I know. I'm hungry. I'm going to the cafeteria now."
"Well, I was about to go grab some lunch anyway. Want to eat together?" She offered.
"Sure, why not?" I replied, glad for the distraction.
We sat down and ate, talking about random stuff—school, life, and all the usual things. It was nice to just chat without thinking too much about my feelings for Hanna.
After School...
The day dragged on, and I can't go home further because I have to attend a practice for our group dance performance task in P.E. Despite being exhausted, I pushed through it, knowing that skipping practice would just make things worse.
By the time the sun was setting and our practice was already finished, I was walking in our neighborhood, heading home. But then an idea struck me. What if I stopped by Hanna's house? I just want to visit her. Maybe she was okay, and maybe—just maybe—I could talk to her again.
I stood in front of her house, uncertain. "Should I go in?" I muttered to myself, hesitating.
Just as I was about to knock, I saw someone standing by the gate and talking Aunt Amber. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized him. It was James.
Of course. He was here because of Hanna. I should've known. I was about to turn and leave when I heard a familiar voice.
"Tristan!" It was Aunt Amber, waving from the front door.
I turned, and she smiled warmly. "Are you visiting Hanna? Come inside."
I was about to refuse, but curiosity got the better of me. I hadn't seen Hanna all day, and I wondered if she was okay. "Sure, why not?" I said, walking toward the gate.
Just as I was about to step inside, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was James.
"Yo, who are you?" he asked, his tone cold, eyes narrowing.
"I'm just a friend of Hanna's," I replied, trying to stay calm.
"Friend? She didn't mention any guy friends to me." He eyed me suspiciously.
I took a deep breath. "I'm Tristan. Nice to meet you. And don't worry—I'm not here to cause any problems. I just... want to see her, that's all."
James seemed to relax a little, though he still didn't seem thrilled. "Alright. I'm James. Nice to mee you too." He said while intensely looking at my eyes.
He turned to Aunt Amber. "I'm heading out, Aunt Amber."
"Okay, be careful," she replied with a warm smile.
James walked away, and Aunt Amber turned to me. "Come on in, Tristan. Hanna would love to see you."
I hesitated for the second time. "I... I think I should go home."
Aunt Amber raised an eyebrow. "We had a deal, didn't we? Come on, just for a bit."
I sighed, but agreed. "Alright, fine."
As I stepped inside, I couldn't shake the feeling that something more was going on with Hanna and James. And just as I was about to ask Aunt Amber about it, she surprised me with a question.
"Aunt Amber, did Hanna already introduce James to you?" I said confusely.
She nodded. "Yeah, but something's off. I can't figure it out."
"But why did he come here? Did he visit Hanna?"
Aunt Amber looked at me thoughtfully. "Well... let's just say he came here for more than just Hanna."
"What do you mean, Aunt Amber? Didn't she mention that James is her boyfriend?" I asked, my voice laced with curiosity.
"Uhm... yes, but aside from that, there's a more important reason why he came here," Aunt Amber replied, her expression shifting.
I leaned in slightly, the curiosity eating away at me. "What is it, Aunt Amber?"
"Are you sure you want to know?" she said, a hint of hesitation in her voice.
"Yes, of course. Why not?" I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, though a knot of unease was forming in my chest.
Aunt Amber's expression grew serious. "Hanna and James were—"
"Tristan?" A familiar voice cut through the room like a sharp blade, halting Aunt Amber mid-sentence.
I turned to the source, and my heart skipped a beat. Standing in the middle of the stairway was Hanna, her gaze fixed on us.
She must've heard us talking about her and James.
I froze, unsure of what to say or do. Hanna's expression was unreadable, and the weight of the moment hung heavy in the air.
Did she literally hear us?.
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy this amazing and confusing chapter of "Unseen depth of love" See you all on the next chapter!
Note: This story is from the idea and imaginary of the author. If anything wrong, like it was A.I generated. It's a big NO. It's not an A.I generated but it enchanced by an A.I to make it engaging and readability. But all of information and story line from this novel is from the author ideas,experienced and imaginary. Thank you.