Crush.

You and your crush were just students, both 17 years old, in their final year of high school. Your crush was everything your heart desired: kind, smiling, and always with that distant gaze that seemed magical to you. You watched them from afar, in silence, letting your feelings grow without permission. Perhaps your crush didn't feel the same, but you... you truly loved them.

Your best friend, Kiara, was always by your side. She was the complete opposite of you: extroverted, charismatic, confident. Sometimes it seemed like the whole world revolved around her, even your crush. You noticed how they looked at her, how they laughed with her, how they sought her out. Every time that happened, a thorn pierced your chest... but you decided to stay silent. For love, out of fear, so as not to lose them.

One afternoon, you decided you couldn't handle the silence anymore. You had written a letter in the morning, folded it carefully, and kept it in your pocket. The wind was freezing, but your heart was on fire. You walked toward your crush with a trembling smile, dreaming of an "I love you too."

You sent them a message to meet in the alley behind the institute, the one they used to use to talk without anyone interrupting. Upon arriving, you stopped. The smile froze on your face.

There they were. Kiara... and your crush. Kissing. It wasn't a fleeting kiss. It was slow, filled with something you had only imagined. You stood still, unable to move, with the letter still in your hand. A single tear, treacherous and silent, rolled down your cheek.

They noticed. They pulled apart abruptly. Kiara whispered your name, startled. Your crush only looked down. No one said anything. Because everything had already been said.

You didn't cry in that moment. You walked away in silence, your footsteps muffled by the snow that had begun to fall. That night, you read the letter one last time... and you burned it.

Since then, you never wrote letters again. Nor did you look at anyone with those eyes full of hope.