Josh wasn't sure when his feelings became a problem. Maybe it was when Aki laughed a little too hard at Miguel's joke. Or when she rested her head on his shoulder during a movie night and his heart nearly exploded.
He tried not to let it show. Tried to be the same old Josh she knew since they were six. But every smile from her made his brain short-circuit. Every time she said his name, it sounded like music. And every time she touched his arm or playfully shoved him, it left a spark behind.
"You okay, Josh?" Aki asked one afternoon. They were sitting by the field, watching clouds. She tossed a pebble at his leg. "You've been weird lately."
He blinked. "Weird how?"
"I dunno. Like… quiet. You're never this quiet."
He forced a laugh. "Just thinking."
"About?"
He stared at the sky. The clouds looked like secrets floating by, just out of reach.
"Stuff," he muttered.
Aki didn't press. She just leaned back on her elbows and sighed. "I miss when things were simpler, y'know? Like back in grade school."
Josh swallowed hard. "Yeah. Me too."
But things weren't simple anymore.
He started noticing little things Aki did. The way she looked at him when she thought he wasn't watching. The way she always waited for him, even when their friends called her over first. The way her smile faded whenever he joked about liking someone else.
Was he imagining it? Could it mean something?
He thought about telling her. He came close—once, after class, when they were alone and the hallway was quiet. But the words stuck in his throat. Saying it could break everything.
So instead, he smiled.
"Wanna get ice cream?" he asked.
She brightened. "Race you!"
And just like that, the silence between them was filled with laughter again.
But the feelings stayed, quiet and waiting.