Operation Confession

The sky was clear and the morning air was crisp as Naomi walked to school. She was nervous, her mind whirling around what Saori had planned for her. However, a smile escaped her as she spotted her friend in the distance, wearing dark sunglasses and an overly dramatic attitude.

-Saori, why are you wearing those glasses? -Naomi asked, amused and a bit puzzled.

Saori, in all seriousness, raised a hand skyward and replied:

-It's because of "operation confession," my dear. I don't want to be too dazzled by the glow of our success," she said, drawing a giggle from Naomi.

Naomi's nervousness began to fade a little. Although the thought of confessing her feelings to Kotaro terrified her, having Saori by her side gave her a strange sense of security, even if her friend was a bit over the top. At least she could count on her to reduce the tension with her enthusiasm.

First Attempt: Flowers and Rain 

Back at school, Saori took the reins of the plan with the confidence of a military strategist. She explained to Naomi her brilliant idea: during recess, she would take it upon herself to convince Kotaro to go to the school garden. A quiet place, surrounded by flowers, would be the perfect setting for a romantic confession.

-Imagine this: the flowers all around, the wind caressing your faces... you walk up to him, look him in the eyes and confess your feelings. It's going to be so romantic! -Saori waved her hands as if she was directing a movie, increasing Naomi's anxiety.

When the bell rang for recess, Naomi prepared herself. With her heart pounding a mile a minute, she started walking towards the garden... only to be interrupted by a clap of thunder and the sudden onset of torrential rain that poured mercilessly down on the school.

-What...? -Naomi muttered, as the students hurried back inside. She glanced at Saori, who, still wearing her glasses, was watching the scene as if it were part of a script.

Saori sighed dramatically, holding her hand to her chest:

- "The weather has played against us, as in the best movie tragedies" -she said with a theatrical tone, provoking a nervous chuckle in Naomi.

Second attempt: The Library of Romance...

Saori, undaunted by the rain, quickly came up with a new plan. The next attempt was to have Naomi and Kotaro meet alone in the library. Under the pretext of carrying some books, Saori handed a stack of them to Naomi and gently pushed her in the direction of the library.

-It's the perfect place, Naomi. In the silence, only the beating of their hearts will be heard," Saori smiled, giving her a boost of confidence.

Nerves on edge, Naomi walked toward the library, mentally repeating to herself that everything would be fine. Opening the door, her eyes searched for Kotaro, but instead of finding him alone, she saw a flurry of activity. The library was full of students participating in a read-aloud activity, and of course, they were not alone. Naomi looked around in disbelief.

-Oh no... -she muttered to herself, clutching the books to her chest.

From the hallway, Saori peeked out and, seeing the scene, let out another of her dramatic quotes:

- "Fate has thrown us another curved bullet. The silence of love has been broken by the crowd."

Naomi couldn't help but laugh despite the frustration she felt. But all was not lost, there was still one last plan.

Third Attempt: Love in the rain....

For the third attempt, Saori had a seemingly foolproof idea: Naomi should offer Kotaro her umbrella and walk together in the rain. There was nothing more romantic than a confession sharing an umbrella, according to Saori. The problem was that Naomi was so nervous she could hardly think of anything else but ruining the moment.

-You have to approach calmly, Naomi. Make sure you don't hit him or anything weird. Just offer him the umbrella, walk together and.... That's it! Love blooms -Saori made a dramatic gesture with her hands, as if everything was as simple as in a movie.

Naomi nodded with a deep sigh. "This has to work...it can't go wrong again," she thought as she grabbed the umbrella and hurried to look for Kotaro in the rain.

She found him walking alone, his figure always calm and serious under the gray sky. Naomi, with renewed determination, started running towards him... only to trip and hit him on the head with the umbrella as she arrived.

-Ouch!" exclaimed Kotaro, holding his hand to his head.

Naomi, horrified, froze for a second.

-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! -she exclaimed, trying to open the umbrella as the water drenched her completely.

Kotaro, with his usual calmness, took the umbrella and passed it to Naomi, who was still struggling with her own clumsiness.

-You seem to need it more," he said, in a calm tone.

Naomi, soaked and embarrassed, could only let out a nervous laugh as Saori, from a distance, struggled to contain her laughter. The situation was so absurd that she couldn't help it.

In Naomi's mind, only one sentence echoed, "No way, I ruined the perfect moment again!".

While Kotaro still didn't understand what all the drama was about, Naomi realized that, perhaps, the confession would have to wait a little longer.

Dejected, Naomi ran into Saori again at the end of the day. Her friend patted her back, still laughing at what had happened.

-Well, we tried. At least you survived. What do you say, fourth time's the charm?

-No, no more. We'd better not try anymore... -Naomi replied, shaking her head, though she couldn't help but smile.

Saori, ever the optimist, put her arm around Naomi's shoulders.

-You know you can't give up so easily, right?

Naomi, with a shy laugh, replied:

-We'll see...

Already feeling defeated, Saori did not want to insist anymore. She, true to her cheerful nature, asked Naomi for the umbrella, saying in a playful tone:

-Well, since you're staying here, lend me the umbrella. I need it more than you do.

Naomi, always kind, nodded with a weak smile and handed him the umbrella.

-It's all right. I'll stay here until it rains.... Besides, I have some homework to finish before the vacations.

The friends said goodbye under the last drops of rain, and Naomi returned to the classroom. The atmosphere was quiet, almost desolate. The school, which was normally bustling and full of life, was now empty. The lights were off, and the only illumination entering the classroom came from the faint moonlight that was beginning to appear through the dissipating clouds.

Naomi, physically as well as emotionally exhausted from the day's events, plopped down on one of the desks and, without realizing it, fell asleep. The quiet of the classroom, the soft sound of the last raindrops hitting the roof, and the feeling of being alone lulled her into a brief, but deep sleep.

A few minutes passed before Naomi sensed a presence nearby. She opened her eyes slowly and, focusing her eyes, saw Kotaro in front of her, watching her with his calm, serious eyes. He, ever so silent, sat at the desk in front of her, lit by the moonbeams streaming through the window. The image was almost unreal; Kotaro seemed to be part of the same silvery light that bathed him.

Naomi, nervous and feeling the heat rise to her face, looked away quickly.

-I... I... thought you had left," she stammered, blushing, not knowing how to react to his unexpected closeness.

-I decided to wait for the rain to clear," Kotaro replied in his usually calm tone. I've been playing the piano in the meantime.

Naomi stirred in her seat, not knowing what else to say. The silence that enveloped them seemed as fragile as glass, as if a single word could shatter that intimate moment and bring them both back to their distant worlds.

After a pause that felt eternal, Kotaro tilted his head toward the window, his eyes lost in the night view.

-Naomi... -He began to say, without looking at her. I've noticed you...different lately. Especially today. Is everything all right? You seem... distracted.

Naomi felt her heart start to race. Kotaro had noticed her. Had he noticed her all along? Her first impulse was to deny everything and say she was fine, like she always did, but for some reason... the words wouldn't come out. Should she tell him the truth? Was this the moment she had been waiting for all day? His mind was torn between fear and desire.

-N-no, it's nothing.... -she said, trying to sound convincing, but failing to hide her nervousness. I'm fine... just tired, that's all.

Kotaro didn't look very convinced, but he didn't press her either. He turned his gaze to her for a moment and then went back to looking at the moon through the window. His voice sounded softer this time, almost as if he was talking to himself.

-You know... I want to be your friend, too. You can count on me, Naomi. If there's anything you want to tell me, you can. I'm here to listen to you.

Naomi felt those words stab into her heart. Friend... was that all he saw in her? The whole day had been an emotional roller coaster, and now she was in front of him, all alone. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for... they were alone, he was telling her he would listen to her? Should she do it now?

But something stopped her. Friend. That word made her pause. Maybe... maybe fate really was against her saying what she felt. After all, everything had gone wrong during the day. Maybe it wasn't the right time...maybe it never would be.

She lowered her head, trying to calm the violent beating of her heart, and replied in a much lower, despondent tone:

-Actually... there's something I wanted to tell you, but it's nothing important -she paused, her thoughts struggling with each other-. I wanted to know if... you'd like to go with me to the summer festival during the vacations.

Kotaro raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the sudden proposal. However, he nodded slowly, without breaking his calm attitude.

-Sure... sounds good.

Naomi smiled slightly, but it wasn't the beaming smile she expected. In her mind, the unspoken words echoed loudly. Why didn't I? She felt as if she had passed up a golden opportunity, but also something inside her told her that maybe it was better this way. "I shouldn't force what isn't ready yet," he told himself, but the discouragement was still there, latent in his chest.

As they walked towards the exit, the echo of their footsteps was the only thing that broke the silence of the empty classroom. Kotaro, as always, was impassive, but something in his gentle gesture towards her when she accepted his proposal to go to the festival left a mark on Naomi. Perhaps there was still hope after all.

Naomi: "I didn't.... again. Why can't I just tell her how I feel? It's like every time I get the chance, something stops me. And now... now we're just going to the festival as friends. Why am I so scared of losing him...? If he knew how I felt... maybe he wouldn't want to be around me... and I... I don't want to lose my friend... my first real friend."

With the weight of that last reflection, Naomi silently said goodbye to Kotaro, knowing she had passed up another opportunity. Maybe...someday....