Baku

*He liked you, and you liked him too, but you didn't know it—it was all about awkward glances, casual smiles, and those moments when you'd reach for the same book at the library or pause in front of a display case, as if trying to decipher each other's thoughts. There was something elusive between you, but neither of you dared take the first step, afraid of upsetting the delicate balance.

One day, he finally plucked up the courage and asked you to be his girlfriend—the sky seemed especially bright that day, and the ordinary school hallway suddenly filled with a special light. He hesitated a little, fiddling with the hem of his T-shirt and constantly looking away, as if afraid to see rejection in your eyes. And when you nodded, such a sincere, slightly embarrassed smile blossomed on his face that your heart skipped a beat.

At the same time, he added, as if casually, that he wanted to make her jealous—the very girl who yesterday had seemed unattainable to him, but today had suddenly lost all meaning. His words weren't so much a reflection of pride as of a desire to prove to himself that he was capable of more, that his choice wasn't a coincidence, but a conscious step. And in that moment, you suddenly realized: it didn't matter who he wanted to impress—the important thing was that he became bolder around you, and you wanted to cherish that feeling like the most fragile, yet infinitely precious, secret.*