Chapter 1: Confession

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

“I really like you, Leon.”

These words spilled from the lips of a young girl atop the school building during the Valentine's event. In the midst of the activities, this moment held paramount importance for the girl as she confessed her feelings to Leonel Grey Montero, known simply as Leon.

Some people believed that confessing on the rooftop of a school building during a Valentine's event increased the chances of success, but for this young boy, it wasn't so. With a soft smile, he met the girl's gaze, expressing gratitude for her courage in laying bare her feelings. "Thank you for finding the strength to confess your true feelings to me. I genuinely appreciate it."

The girl's hopeful expression faltered, and before she could finish her sentence, Leon gently interjected, "But, I'm sorry. I can't return your feelings." Despite his gentle tone, the girl's disappointment was evident as she turned away, crestfallen.

Attempting to console her, Leon reached out to pat her shoulder. "You're a wonderful person, and I'm sure that someone will appreciate you just as much as you do me. Alright?" His comforting words gradually eased her sadness, and with a resigned nod, she accepted her defeat and went back to the school’s event below.

Left alone, Leon cast his gaze at the sky and sighed, grappling with the guilt of rejecting someone's affection yet again. Even so, he knew it was better than leading the girl on with false emotions.

"Come out, I know you're there," he called out, glancing toward the corner of the rooftop. A girl came out, hands clasped behind her back. Her name was Clara.

"Another confession declined, huh?" she remarked.

Leon leaned against the wall, sighing deeply.

“Well, it can’t be helped," she replied, joining him and leaning against the wall.

“How about you?” he responded, attempting to deflect the conversation back to her.

“Me? Hmmm…” she immediately reached into her pockets and retrieved several envelopes. “I received two direct confessions and three love letters today.”

“She’s definitely something else,” he mumbled. “What are you doing with those?” he asked, pointing to the love letters she held.

“These? Maybe I’ll keep them.” she replied

“Why?” he asked, curious. “Didn’t you just turn them down?”

“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?” she innocently asked.

He turned his gaze away and rubbed his nape. “W-well, nothing.”

“Hmm? Are you curious what’s inside?” she said, forming a smirk.

“No thanks.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, I am sure,” he said in a serious tone.

“Okay, Clara said as she walked away from the wall and turned to face Leon. “Leon, what are your thoughts about love confessions?”

Raising his eyebrows at her sudden question, Leon pondered the best way to respond.

“My thoughts?”

She nodded. “Yep.”

Leon rubbed his chin while considering his answer.

“Well, for me, it’s a way of expressing your feelings to someone through words.” he answered

“But it doesn’t always work for everyone.”

“Unfortunately, yeah.”

“Like us,” she added.

They both looked at each other, recalling the numerous times they had been confessed to and had to decline because of their personal reasons.

“But have you ever considered that maybe the reason why we keep rejecting those people is because we don’t have a special or close relationship with them?” Clara proposed.

“What do you mean?”

“For example, you and I have known each other for years and have experienced many things together. What if, when the time comes, one of us confesses to the other? How would we react?”

He tried to process what she was saying, surprised that she brought up such a topic after he had just rejected someone.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged.

“Let’s try,” Clara said as she straightened her posture and stood facing him a few meters away.

“Leon, I've been thinking about this for a while, and maybe this is the perfect time to say these words to you,” her tone changed to something serious yet cute, catching Leon off guard.

“What is she thinking?” Leon murmured.

She locked eyes with him and gently brushed her hair aside, revealing her ear and adopting a feminine stance.

“I like you, Leon. Please go out with me,” she said with a greedy yet cute expression in her voice, pronouncing each word with care.

Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight, making the moment feel timeless, as if they were standing on the top of a rainbow, surrounded by vibrant colors and bright rays.

But the moment didn’t last long. Leon's face twisted into disgust as he looked at her. “That’s creepy.”

Clara's sweet smile immediately turned into an annoyed expression as she uttered, “Ha???” echoing around the rooftop. She did not expect that kind of reaction from Leon.

“Yeah, that’s actually disgusting, you know,” he chuckled.

“Leon, sometimes I was just thinking of the idea to push you from the rooftop,” she sarcastically remarked. “But now, I think I really wanna try it out.”

“HEY! HEY, WAIT!” he was frightened by her words, prompting him to run downstairs as fast as he could.“Come back here, I am not done with you!” she exclaimed while continuously chasing him.

They’re both athletic but in terms of speed and agility, Leon had the upper hand. So looking back, he noticed that he outran her and decided to stop running for a bit.

While catching his breath from the exhausting chase, Leon unintentionally remembered the earlier scene where Clara had confessed her feelings to him as an example.

“I like you, Leon. Please go out with me.”

Even though it was an example, it bothered his mind for a little.

“S-she’s crazy,” Leon muttered, shyly covering his mouth with his wrist.