Chapter 8 — ALMOST CONFESSION

The hallway was quiet after the last bell, the usual chatter of students having already faded into echoes. Jinsei lingered by his locker, pretending to adjust books, though really he was waiting. Waiting for Akane.

She appeared just a few minutes later, her sketchbook clutched against her chest. She moved with that calm grace he had come to notice, but there was a faint shadow in her expression today, a subtle tension he hadn’t seen before.

“Hey,” he said softly.

“Hey,” she replied, her voice carrying just a hint of hesitation.

They walked together down the empty hall, neither speaking immediately. The soft creak of their shoes on the polished floor filled the space between them. Jinsei felt the familiar pull in his chest, that quiet awareness that always seemed to surface when he was near her.

Finally, he spoke, careful, tentative. “Akane… I—”

She glanced at him, curious but cautious. “Yes?”

He faltered, the words lodged in his throat. He wanted to say something important, something true, but the timing felt impossible. Instead, he just shook his head, forcing a small, awkward smile. “Never mind.”

Akane tilted her head slightly, as if reading his thoughts. “You were going to say something.”

“I… I thought I should,” he admitted quietly. “But… it’s silly. I’ll just—”

She stopped and turned to him, soft brown eyes steady. “It’s not silly if it’s important.”

His heart beat faster. “I… I’m noticing you,” he said finally, words spilling out without polish or hesitation. “Not just… the sketches, or the lanterns, or the quiet. You. Just… you.”

Akane’s lips parted slightly, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. Her eyes widened, caught between surprise and… something warmer, something vulnerable.

Jinsei swallowed, feeling exposed, yet certain that this was right. “I don’t… I don’t know if you feel the same. But I notice you. All of you. And I—”

Before he could finish, Akane looked away, brushing a hand over her face to hide her blush. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

He nodded slowly, understanding. “That’s fine. I just… needed you to know.”

They resumed walking, side by side, but the air between them had shifted. Every step felt heavier with unspoken truths, every glance loaded with awareness. Jinsei could feel her warmth near him, the faint scent of her hair, the soft rhythm of her steps matching his.

After a few quiet moments, Akane finally spoke, voice barely above a whisper. “I… I like that you notice me. Just me. Not… expectations, or my family, or anything else.”

Jinsei’s chest tightened. “I don’t care about any of that,” he said simply. “Just… you.”

She looked at him then, eyes glistening faintly, and gave him a small, fleeting smile. “I… I’m glad you do.”

The bell outside rang, startling them both. Akane hesitated at the corner where they usually parted, then said softly, “See you tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” Jinsei replied, though he knew tomorrow could never be the same as today.

As she walked away, sketchbook pressed against her chest, he felt a quiet certainty settle over him. Something had shifted between them, something delicate but real. It wasn’t a confession, not fully, not yet—but it was the start of something more, a slow burn of awareness, admiration, and tentative trust.

And somewhere deep inside, he realized he was ready to see it grow.