After that night, something between us changed — not in the way the world might notice, but deep inside me, where only I could feel it.
We still talked like before.
We still laughed like before.
She still called me dummy whenever I stayed up too late, and I still smiled too much whenever her name popped up on my screen.
But now, there was something quietly folded between the spaces of our conversations —
a feeling that belonged only to me.
A feeling I chose to protect.
Every time she sent a cheerful message, I answered without hesitation.
Every time she needed someone to vent to, I listened without complaint.
Every time she smiled — even if only through texts or a passing glance at school — I carved it into my memory like a sacred moment.
I never asked for more.
I never demanded anything.
Because deep inside, I had already decided:
I would rather stay by her side forever as her best friend than risk losing her over my own hopes.
It wasn’t about giving up.
It wasn’t about burying my feelings.
It was about choosing — choosing her happiness over my own restless heart.
And in a way, that made my feelings even purer.
Not a love that needed to be seen.
But a love that simply existed — quietly, stubbornly, beautifully.
A promise I made without needing to speak:
I’ll always be here for you. Whether you realize it or not. Whether you need me or not.
Some days, that promise made me feel stronger.
Other days, it hurt in a way I couldn’t explain.
But every time the wind rustled the trees,
every time the sun slipped behind the clouds,
every time the world felt too loud and heavy —
I would remember her laughter, her words, her smile.
And suddenly, even the heaviest days felt lighter.
Because even if she never saw me the way I saw her —
I was grateful.
Grateful that in this lifetime, in this small corner of the world,
our paths had crossed.
And maybe… just maybe…
the wind would bring us even closer someday.
