You would think we would be dating after that happened. But we weren’t. Our routine just changed a little bit.

We talked about broader topics. Everyday, before we leave the library, we would have a brief hug. But we never confessed to one another. And that bothered me. Does she see me only as a friend? Or am I hoping too much?

My resolve never waver because I thought the light surrounding her would never disappear.

Until that day.

Valentine's day was coming up. I knew it was my chance to properly confess to her. To make the confession more special, I made the chocolate myself. It took me a couple of times, but I managed to make a heart-shaped chocolate that wouldn’t make someone sick by eating it.

Along with the chocolate, I bought a blue, simple looking, hairpin. It would help keep her bangs out of her eyes’ way.

My heart was racing as I walked to the school on Valentine’s day. My mind kept imagining what her expression would be when I showed her the chocolate. My body felt a bit unwell, probably for staying up late making the chocolate, but I forced through everything.

Minutes felt like hours. And hours felt like days.

When the final bell rang, I thought it was finally time. But, the teacher just had to choose me to help her bring books to the teacher’s lounge. I rushed there and immediately made my way to the library.

I was about to go around a corner when I saw the jock of the class standing with Aoi in front of the library. He was one of the famous boys in my class, good looking and a major sport player.

Aoi was smiling and blushing, holding a box of chocolate in her hands.

And the blue light surrounding her... was slowly fading.

My heart shattered.

I ran away, unable to face her after what I had seen.

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I got a high fever the next day, so I skipped school.

I skipped another day.

And another day.

Still not in school the next day, though my friend visited to check on me and to give notes. I wanted to ask him about Aoi, but didn’t have the guts to.

Another day of being sick. My parents were getting worried at this point, as my condition was getting worse.

The next day, I heard my mother yelling about someone delivering notes. I thought it was my friend again who brought me the notes, but it turned out to be Aoi. I kept looking at her as she walked into my room and sat down on my bed.

With her usual gentleness, she asked me how I was. I wanted to roll around and ignore her, but I couldn’t. I said I was fine, and that the book with heart that I forgot to return, accompanied me. I returned it to her since I already finished it a couple times.

All of the sudden, as Aoi’s face slowly reddened, a small box of chocolate was shoved onto my lap.

“I wanted to give it to you on Valentine's day. But you never came.”

“… What about the chocolate you received? I saw you in front of the library.

She giggled and said: “Oh, that wasn’t for me. He was just passing by the library and the box fell out of his bag. I was picking it up for him. He was meeting another girl in our class, if I’m not wrong.”

“I see…” I said coldly. The light didn’t appear again around her, so I thought she was just lying. Or even if the story was true, the special bond between me and her was not there anymore.

“Get well soon, okay? I will be waiting for you at the library.”

As she was about to leave my room, I realized the mistake I was going to make. I was in love with her, no matter whether the azure light was around her or not. It was never clear anyway what the light meant.

“AOI!” I shouted out her name, rushed to my bag, and pulled out the chocolate I made. I gave it to her with the hairpin.

She stared at my present then at me, before throwing herself to me. We ate my chocolate in my room and we had our first kiss. It was sweet, thanks to the chocolate. Before she left, I made a promise that I would keep making her happy.

I was young, and naive. But, I thought it fit the situation.

A day passed by. Since Aoi kissed me, I was worried she would get the same sickness as I did. But she didn’t. She was perfectly fine until a couple days after when I recovered. And the light? It never returned.

I asked my friend about the jock’s confession, and what Aoi said turned out to be true. The jock confessed to another girl in class and the two were dating.

Aoi, wearing my pin to hold up her bangs, smiled at me. Her friends teased her, and so did mine as news about us being a couple started going around.

Everything would have been perfect if time just stopped there and then.