“Don’t give up on your faith, love comes to those who believe it...”

That certain lyric from a song I heard repeatedly echoed in my mind. Faith brings one person to believe what they want, to manifest what they desire, or needed to their lives.

And I, Hinako Kobayashi, did never had faith before in anything except for God, but that time I met that girl… everything changed.

I’m a timid, loner person. Only goes with the flow of life, I follow what my heart desires. They say I ‘marched on the beat of my own drum.’ well, it’s the way how I live my life.

Yet, what I thought is, is there someone who can be with me despite of making my own world? There are only few of my classmates talking to me. Most of them speaks when they’re needed of my assistance.

But that change when in the Physical Education class, one from my class who I never expected to approached me, suddenly reached out.

“You don’t have a partner yet? Teacher asked me to look after you. I happen not to have a partner as well.”

It’s not that she’s being kind on me. This girl is just doing what the teacher asked. Right, there’s no way she’ll approach me just because she wants to.

We begin our stretching together in a quiet manner. This girl, she didn’t even bother to tell her name—

“Ayase Shirasawa. That’s my name… and you’re Kobayashi Hinako, right?”

Huh? She did know my name? “Ah, yeah… I’m Hinako Kobayashi.”

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After our stretching, the girl named Ayase Shirasawa faced me. “Let’s be friends?”

That time I saw her brimming smile, something inside me soothed through that appearance of hers. This is the first time I felt something strange inside me. Like an admiration, or something further beyond it.

At first I just ignored it. I feigned ignored the feeling surging inside me since the time we became friends. Shirasawa Ayase is pretty and has circle of friends. Without me knowing, I got dragged to her group and started hanging out with them.

Gradually, I find myself drawn to her. Shirasawa Ayase always talks to me. We share laughs and tears. I feel like I can be happy as long as she’s always by my side. I don’t want to lose her.

I want to see her smile, and the reason for that is me. The reason I want to see her always cheerful is because of me.

And from that thought, I got to know what these uncertain feelings for me are. “I do like Ayase, huh?”

That time I realized she’s someone special to my life.

That time I realized, I want to spend much time with her. Even if we’re grown-ups, even through thick and thin of our lives; through the moments of our dearest life. I want to walk side by side with her.

But she already have someone she wants to be with.

I always know there’s no way we can be more than friends. Ayase is special to me, and I want to make her feel special within every day of our lives.

But then, this isn’t just as easy as I want to. Ayase can never be mine. We will stay friends. There’s nothing beyond that. Until…

“Can I kiss you…?”

On that certain afternoon, Ayase suddenly blurted that word. That caught me off guard, as I look into her eyes. That time, I knew she gives up on pursuing the person she likes because that person already has someone in her heart.

And this time, she’s just getting addled to my kindness because I’m here by her side.

Anyone can be mistaken whenever there’s someone by their side when they need one. At the lowest point of her life, Ayase thought it would be considerable for me to give it a shot.

Perhaps, it should be good… but I refused. It’s not that I don’t want Ayase to kiss me. I don’t want to fill the void for that person who is supposed to be the one filled her heart.

Considering her feelings, and mine as well, and for our friendship.

I want to take this slowly. I want to approach Ayase on my own accord; let herself be indulged with me, and her heart gives in to me. I want Ayase to love me, not because she needs someone to fill the void in her heart, but because she needs me.

And for that, I’m willing to wait…

I’ll wait till that day comes.