The school year had just begun, and the hallways were alive with chatter and footsteps echoing off polished floors. Amid the familiar bustle walked someone new—Glen, a quiet boy with sharp eyes and a calm presence.
He wasn't just new—he was focused. Glen was a good student, the kind who sat in the front row, turned in assignments early, and actually paid attention during class. But he didn't brag about it. He simply wanted to do well. Maybe that was his way of staying invisible, or maybe it was just who he was.
Glen kept to himself, moving through his days with quiet determination. An introvert at heart, he found comfort in solitude and routine. Speaking up in class made his palms sweat. Socializing drained him. Still, little by little, the walls began to shift.
A group project here, a kind word there—and soon, Glen had made two friends who saw past the silence. They understood him. Laughed with him. And more importantly, they were the only ones who knew his secret.
Glen had a crush.
Her name was Keira. She had this warm smile that lit up a room, a way of talking that made people lean in and listen. Glen never spoke to her directly—just watched from a distance, heart skipping every time their eyes almost met.
Only his two best friends knew. And they kept his secret safe, like a fragile little spark waiting for the right moment to ignite.
Keira was more than just pretty—she was extra pretty, the kind that made Glen's chest feel too tight and his thoughts scatter. But it wasn't just her looks. It was her smile. That heartwarming, genuine smile that could melt winter and silence a storm. Every time Glen saw it, he felt like maybe, just maybe, things would be okay.
He didn't need her to notice him. Just seeing her was enough—for now.
One afternoon, while the three friends sat under the shade of an old tree near the edge of the school grounds, one of them nudged Glen with a cautious tone.
"Hey... you know Keira already has a boyfriend, right?"
The words dropped like stones in Glen's chest.
He blinked. "Oh… really?"
His friend nodded. "Yeah. I heard it from a few people. She's been with him for a while."
Glen smiled faintly and gave a small shrug. "Alright. Makes sense."
But deep inside, he didn't believe it. He had never seen her with anyone. No hand-holding. No lunch dates. No goodbyes at the gate. Nothing that hinted at her having a boyfriend.
Sure, rumors floated around all the time—but unless he saw it himself, it didn't feel real.
So he played along, nodding and pretending like it didn't bother him. But in his heart, he held onto a small, quiet hope.
Because sometimes, not believing was the only way to keep dreaming.
Day after day, Glen's feelings only grew stronger.
No matter how much he tried to ignore them, they bloomed quietly, stubbornly, like wildflowers in the cracks of a sidewalk. He never stopped believing—not even when the rumor of Keira's boyfriend circled back again.
Because she never changed.
Whenever Keira talked to him, she smiled in that warm way of hers, the one that reached her eyes. She laughed at his awkward jokes, leaned in just a little closer during conversations, and remembered the little things he said. And in those small moments, Glen felt like the world stood still.
Like maybe… maybe he wasn't imagining it.
Maybe she liked him too.
But one thought kept haunting him, sinking its claws deeper as the weeks slipped by—what if this is just how she treats everyone?
What if her smile, her laughter, her kindness… wasn't meant to be special? What if that was just her?
Glen couldn't find an answer. And as the final days of school approached like a countdown, the pressure tightened around him. Every passing day became a missed chance. Every conversation felt like it could be the last.
He wanted to tell her. So badly.
But fear held him still.
Fear of being wrong. Fear of ruining the soft, silent connection they had. Fear that her smile would never feel the same again once he said the truth.
So Glen stood at the edge of his emotions, heart full of unspoken words, watching time slip through his fingers—wondering if he'd ever be brave enough to know for sure.
There was a moment.
A perfect moment, quiet and ordinary to everyone else—but for Glen, it felt like the whole world paused.
He and Keira were alone for once, just the two of them, standing near the school garden after class. The sun was low, painting golden streaks across the sky, and Keira was laughing softly at something he'd said—something small, maybe even stupid, but she laughed anyway.
Her smile lingered, and for a brief second, her eyes met his in a way that made Glen's heart skip.
Say it, he told himself. Tell her.
His mouth opened, the words forming silently on his tongue. I like you.
But they never came out.
The courage crumbled before it reached his lips. His chest tightened, and the moment passed. Just like that.
Being an introvert wasn't just about being quiet—it was about feeling like your voice didn't belong in moments like that. Like your heart was too loud, too risky, too fragile to put on display.
So he said nothing.
And now, with graduation drawing closer with every sunrise, Glen found himself haunted by what-ifs. He spent more time imagining than speaking. Endless scenarios spun through his head like restless ghosts.
What if I tell her and she says no?
What if she's really had a boyfriend this whole time, and I've been lying to myself?
What if I ruin everything?
But also… What if she feels the same?
The uncertainty was torture—each question dangling above his head like stars just out of reach. His friends' words echoed louder than ever. His own doubt became a cage.
And as each day bled into the next, Glen realized something: sometimes, the hardest part about love wasn't feeling it.
It was having the strength to risk losing it.
Graduation Day had arrived.
The air felt heavier than usual, clouds gathering above as if the sky itself understood the weight Glen carried on his shoulders. His heart beat like a drum in his chest, each step echoing with the promise he made to himself:
Today, I'll tell her