I am in love...

From the evening to the next morning, Ken couldn't stop thinking about his feelings.

I can't possibly be in love or have a crush on Rebecca... she's my best friend, he thinks on his way to school.

But that would explain why I feel this way when I'm with her... I'm always happy to see her, crave to hear her laugh, and admire her beautiful smile.

"Ken!"

Now I'm even hallucinating... I hear her everywhere...

"Ken, turn around!" When he does, he sees the girl he's been thinking about, walking quickly towards him, waving her arm to get his attention and displaying one of those smiles that melts him.

I am in love...

"You were so lost in your thoughts; I thought you wouldn't notice me until we got to class..." She tells him as she catches up.

"Oh yes, I was really lost in thoughts."

"What about? Is there something I can help with?"

"U-um, it's about the math exercises. I didn't understand some of them..."

"Oh, I see, the last ones. Those are harder. Later, I can help you with those."

"Y-yes..." In reality, she's such a great teacher that he has almost no problem understanding the formulas and explanations from their teacher. He'll have to erase the solutions to the last exercises when possible.

"Is everything okay about this afternoon? Still at your place?" He changes the subject, reminding her of their plans for this afternoon at her home for the usual acting lessons.

She smiles, making the okay sign with her fingers, and he tries with all his strength not to smile back to avoid looking like an idiot. However, he's pretty sure the expression he made was even more ridiculous, so he stops immediately and clears his throat.

"Perfect. I'll be in front of your door at the usual time, then."

* * *

After lunch, unfortunately, Amy started calling him at irregular intervals of about an hour. Of course, Ken didn't answer any of her calls.

Should I block her? He thinks about what to do as he climbs the stairs to Rebecca's apartment, arriving at her floor faster than expected.

"Here you are! Come in." She opens the door before he can even ring the bell, and as soon as he sees her, he instinctively puts his phone in his pocket.

As Ken enters, Mister, one of Rebecca's cats, trots out with his tail held high, and she closes the door.

"Is he gonna be fine?"

"Are you referring to Mister? Sure, the neighborhood is used to him wandering around, and in any case, he has such short legs that I don't think he'll go far from the building." She jokes, grabbing his hand and leading him to her room; he looks at their hands together, thinking about how nice it would be to hold hers whenever he wants. She keeps holding his hand as they walk to her room before letting go and sitting on the chair.

"I practiced a lot like you told me last time. Do you want to see my progress?"

An hour later, Ken's phone rings again. He sighs, taking his phone and finally blocking Amy's number.

"Is everything alright?" Rebecca asks, seeing his frown as he lies back on the bed.

"Do you remember the karaoke outing I was supposed to go to yesterday?" She nods.

"The girl who invited me keeps calling me."

"Why? What does she want?"

"Well, I think she just wanted to... you know, get intimate."

"Oh, I see..." From her position, she can't see the blush on Rebecca's face caused by embarrassment over the topic. Minutes of silence follow, with him covering his face with both hands, reflecting.

"Let's go to the park," he suddenly suggests.

"T-to the park? The one behind the kindergarten?"

"That's the closest, so it's also the most convenient, but if you want, there's also one near the high schools. No, let's not go there. The others are much farther, though..."

"It's okay if it's the one near the kindergarten. I'm not picky. But why do you want to go there?"

"Don't you feel like it?"

"I go there sometimes to relax, but we have things to do now..."

"It will only take about twenty minutes, I promise. Let's take a break."

"Alright..." She takes her house keys, jacket, and shoulder bag, while he waits in front of her door like a dog waiting for its owner, wagging his tail.

They arrive at the park quickly, and a few children are already playing on the swings, although fewer than expected due to the cloudy sky and lack of sun. Rebecca heads to one of the empty benches, while Ken goes to the swings.

"Let's go on the swings!" He goes back to take her hand and leads her towards them.

"O-okay..." She blushes as she sits on one of them.

"Don't move; I'll push you." He starts doing it.

The swing gradually gains speed until it reaches its limit, and every time it reaches the peak, she view the grey sky, with a slight breeze hitting her hair and face, forcing her to close her eyes each time. She laughs, and he stops pushing, standing in front of her.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Too much!"

Encouraged by how much fun she seems to be having, he stands up on the swing, swaying along with her rhythm but not reaching her speed to avoid getting hurt.

After a while, Rebecca's swing stops, and they both get off.

"What do you want to try next?" He asks her.

"Let's take a walk." She takes his hand, climbs onto a waist-high wall, and they start walking.

What should I do now? The hand she's holding starts to sweat, and his heart starts beating faster.

A light breeze starts to blow, and he turns to her when her hair covers her face; she puts her foot in the wrong place and wobbles.

Ken grabs her waist to prevent her from falling as she puts her arms around his neck.

"Are you alright?" He asks her.

"Y-yeah... thanks." Their faces are very close, their noses almost touching, and their warm breaths caressing each other's faces.

She pulls away from the embrace, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"It's better if we go back now..." She says, stepping down from the wall.

They were in contact for only a few seconds, but Ken already misses her warmth.