Itsukii

Their story began long before either of them understood what it meant to love someone.

They were only seven years old when they met.

They were children, full of energy, who spent their days inventing games, running around the house and arguing over such small things that, a few minutes later, they were laughing again.

Over time, they became inseparable.

Where one was, the other was too.

They played together, studied together, went for walks together, and when they went to the beach, they spent hours running on the sand and going into the sea.

He liked to pick small flowers along the way and give them to her.

• For you.

She always smiled.

— Another rose?

• Do you like.

• I like.

And he cherished that smile as if it were the most important thing in the world.

Until, little by little, the childhood friendship turned into something different.

At fifteen, they began to realize.

At sixteen, they no longer hid it.

And at eighteen, they were officially together.

They grew up side by side.

They knew each other's dreams, fears, quirks, and even those little things that no one else noticed.

Like her craving after eating something sweet.

She would always stand on tiptoe for a few seconds, look ahead with a distracted smile, and then continue walking as if nothing had happened.

He thought that was funny.

You do this every time.

What do I do?

• That.

— What is this?

— Standing on tiptoe after eating sweets.

She was laughing.

I don't even notice.

I understand.

And it was precisely because he knew every little detail about her that he was certain he wanted to spend the rest of his life by her side.

At eighteen, he began preparing a surprise.

I had bought a wedding ring.

He didn't tell anyone.

She kept the small box and began to imagine the day she would finally make the request.

But life took a different turn.

They broke up.