Charles

You had a best friend, Karl, and he wasn't exactly dim-witted, but he couldn't take any hints. If you invited him for tea, he'd bring tea. If you texted him you were home alone, he'd bring a PlayStation. And so on. Plus, Karl perceived flirting and advances as care or kindness, so even that wouldn't work. You'd already resigned yourself to just being friends with Karl, because it was pointless. And telling him directly felt like a coward.

So, one evening, you and Karl met by the lake. You both sat on the grass and looked at the stars. You decided to try hinting again, but you'd gathered your courage and wanted to make it more explicit. You quietly said, "The moon is beautiful today, isn't it?"—a Japanese metaphor for a declaration of love. Karl glanced at the sky and said in a carefree voice, "The moon? You can't see it…"

You sighed, realizing that Karl didn't even understand that.