The Unexpected Confession

Elara couldn't focus for the rest of the day.

Damien's words had struck something deep within her, something she wasn't ready to face. Stop running from it.

But how could she face something she had avoided her entire life? Feelings were complicated, unpredictable, and—most of all—terrifying.

She tried distracting herself by diving into her studies, but even her textbooks couldn't drown out the persistent thoughts swirling in her mind. Her fingers traced the edge of her notebook as she sat in the library, staring blankly at the open page in front of her.

"Elara?"

She snapped out of her thoughts, looking up to see Theo standing in front of her table. He had a lopsided grin on his face, but there was something uncertain in his eyes.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

She gestured to the empty seat across from her. "Go ahead."

Theo plopped down, dropping his bag beside him. He rested his chin on his hand, studying her. "You look like you're having a deep existential crisis."

Elara huffed a soft laugh. "Something like that."

"Wanna talk about it?"

She hesitated. Could she? Should she?

Before she could decide, Theo leaned back in his chair, tilting his head. "If you don't want to talk, that's fine. But just so you know, you don't have to figure everything out alone."

Something about his words made warmth bloom in her chest. He always had a way of making her feel seen, even when she didn't say much.

She glanced away. "I know."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The quiet hum of the library filled the space between them. Then, out of nowhere, Theo exhaled a deep breath and said, "Elara, I think I like you."

Her heart stopped.

The world around her seemed to blur, the words taking a moment to register in her brain. He… likes me?

She stared at him, wide-eyed. "What?"

Theo gave a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "I… yeah. I like you. I don't know when it started, but lately, I just—" He exhaled, shaking his head. "I didn't mean to drop that on you out of nowhere. I just felt like if I didn't say it now, I'd regret it."

Elara opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her thoughts were a complete mess. She had spent her whole life avoiding romantic feelings, and now, one of her closest friends had just confessed to her?

"I—I don't know what to say," she admitted honestly.

Theo nodded as if he expected that. "That's okay. I don't need an answer right now. I just… I just wanted you to know."

Elara swallowed, her pulse erratic. She had always seen Theo as a friend, someone she could joke around with and rely on. But had she ever considered him in a romantic way? Had she even allowed herself to?

"I don't want this to make things awkward between us," Theo added quickly. "If you don't feel the same way, that's okay. We can pretend this never happened."

Elara shook her head. "No, it's not that. I just… I need time to think."

Theo's lips curled into a small, understanding smile. "Take all the time you need."

She nodded, gripping the edges of her book tightly. Time. She needed time.

But the problem was, she wasn't sure if time would make things any clearer.

Later that night, Elara sat in her room, staring at the ceiling. Her mind replayed Theo's confession over and over like a broken record.

New System Notification:

Task Progress: Recognize Your True Feelings - 20% Complete.

Her heart pounded. Twenty percent? That meant she was starting to process her emotions… but in what direction?

She buried her face in her hands, groaning. She hadn't even figured out if she liked Theo that way, and the system was already tracking her progress.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts.

[Adrian]: Hey, wanna grab coffee tomorrow? I need to rant about today's lecture.

She sighed, rubbing her temples. Maybe coffee would be a good distraction. Maybe talking to Adrian would help clear her mind.

She typed back a quick reply: Sure. Meet you at the café at 10?

[Adrian]: Sounds like a plan. See you then, genius.

She stared at the screen, her thoughts still tangled in confusion.

Theo liked her. The system wanted her to confront her emotions. And now, she was about to spend time with Adrian… another person who had been lingering in the back of her mind.

Was she really ready for this?

With a deep breath, she put her phone down and pulled the covers over her head.

She wasn't sure what the future held, but one thing was certain—her quiet life was officially over.