Two months later, they broke up. It hadn't been serious, from what I could tell.
I gave it a week. Just to let her breathe.
Then one evening after tuition, I asked her to stay back for a moment.
Nobody in my circle reads manga. Nobody watches those kinds of shows. So nobody would have guessed what was about to happen.
When everyone else had left, I told her the truth. That I'd had feelings for her for years. That if she felt even a little of what I felt, I'd want her to be with me.
She didn't say yes. She didn't say no.
She told me to give her some time.
I thought it was because of the breakup. I thought she needed space to feel ready. I walked home that night feeling something close to hope for the first time in a while.
I didn't know what I'd just set in motion.