I had always been the kind of kid who enjoys playing practical jokes. Ever since I entered high school, I had gained a reputation for being a nuisance to many, although deep down I didn't feel that I was a bad person. I was simply amused to see the reactions of others. But there was one in particular who always defied my logic: Akira.
From the first day I met her, she became my favorite target. I would hide her notebooks, put absurd notes on her desk, and even go so far as to put salt in her juice at lunch. But Akira... she never reacted like the others. Instead of getting upset or complaining to me, she would just smile.
-Wow, Ren, another joke? You should try harder to be original," she said with a light laugh, as if she really didn't care.
That behavior was getting on my nerves, why didn't he get mad, why didn't he joke back or at least say something mean to me? But over time, the way she treated me started to confuse me.
Every time I teased her, instead of enjoying it, I started to feel... weird. Her smile, that damn smile that never went away, made me feel guilty.
One afternoon, as I was leaving class, I saw Akira helping a little boy who had fallen. She stroked his head and smiled tenderly at him, and I hid behind a wall and watched her in silence.
-Why is she always like this...? -he muttered to himself.
I felt my chest tighten. It wasn't just him. Akira was like that with everyone. Always kind, always with a smile. And for the first time in my life, I wondered if I had been acting like an idiot all this time.
From that day on, I started to change my jokes. They weren't so heavy, they weren't so cruel. And without realizing it, I started to look for her smile for other reasons. I no longer wanted to see her smile just because. I wanted to be the reason for her sincere smile.
Weeks passed and, although I continued to tease her, my jokes became more awkward. Before, I did it just to tease her, but now, every time I planned something, I found myself hesitating. Did I really want to see her with salty juice again? Or did I prefer to see her really laugh?
One day, as we walked down the hall together, I saw that she was carrying too many books in her hands. Before, my instinct would have been to hide one from her or put a ridiculous note on the cover. But this time, without thinking, I took half the books from her arms
Akira looked at me in surprise
-Ren helping me? Wow, that's a novelty," she joked, laughing softly
My face heated up
-Don't get excited. I just got tired of watching you stumble around like a klutz
-Sure, sure," she replied with her usual smile, but this time, I noticed something different in her eyes.
That day I realized something terrifying. I liked seeing her smile, but now... now I also liked her eyes. And the way her hair moved in the wind. And how she wrinkled her nose when something surprised her.
I was in trouble.
I refused to accept it, but the truth was clear: I was falling in love with Akira.
And worst of all... I had no idea how to make her see me differently. Until now, I had just been the annoying guy putting salt in her juice. How could I become someone special to her?
For the first time in my life, jokes weren't enough. And that terrified me.