The childhood friend who refuses to admit he's in love.

They had been together since preschool.

Together in the morning. Together on the way home. Together when they played. Even if they fought, they'd be talking normally the next day.

At this point, they weren't just "childhood friends."

They were family. Best friends. Or perhaps long-lost siblings.

—At least, that's what the boy thought.

That day, after school.

"Guest is so slow..."

At their meeting spot, the boy looks at his watch.

"Five minutes late."

...No, three.

"...Three minutes,"

He corrects himself.

"Still late."

Then, he sees Guest running from a distance.

"Sorry!"

"You're late."

"I said I'm sorry!"

"Three minutes."

"So picky!"

"It's always like this."

As he says that and turns around, in that instant—

Freeze.

His movements stopped.

"............"

Guest looked different than usual.

Usually, it was pants.

But today, it was a brand-new skirt.

That was it.

Really, that was all.

And yet.

".................."

The boy stopped functioning.

Guest: "...?"

Boy: "............"

Guest: "What?"

Boy: "............Nothing."

He looks away.

"............It's nothing."

Guest: "?"

Inside the boy's brain:

[EMERGENCY]

[FAMILIAR CHILDHOOD FRIEND LOOKS UNFAMILIAR]

[PROCESSING...]

[PROCESSING...]

[PROCESSING...]

ERROR

"............"

Guest: "Seriously, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, really."

"Is your face red?"

"It's not."

"It is red."

"It's the sunset."

"It's cloudy today, though."

"............"

Logic'd.

The boy fell silent.

Then he started walking.

—But.

Guest: "Hey, where are we going today?"

"..."

Guest: "Are you listening?"

"I'm listening."

"Then answer me."

"...I don't know."

"Huh?"

"You decide."

"You're the one who invited me today!"

"...Oh, right."

Something was clearly wrong.

Normally, they'd have a messy conversation like:

"You're too slow." "Shut up." "I'm hungry." "You just ate."

But today...

The distance was vast.

No.

To be precise—

The boy was keeping his distance.

Guest moves next to him.

The boy shifts half a step away.

Guest gets closer again.

The boy shifts another half step.

Guest: "...Why are you running away?"

"I'm not running away."

One step.

"You are running away!"

One step.

"I'm not."

One step.

"You are!"

One more step.

"..."

Guest: "..."

Boy: "..."

A mysterious three-meter gap between them.

Long-distance, despite being childhood friends.

Guest: "Aren't you being weird today?"

"I'm not."

"Then come over here."

"............"

The boy freezes.

Guest: "?"

Boy: "...I can't."

Guest: "Why not?!"

Boy: "..."

There was no way he could say it.

You look cute.

If he said that, it would be the end.

How many years did she think they'd been together?

Since preschool.

He knew about the time she fell and cried.

He knew about her runny nose.

He knew about the phase where she had a weird haircut.

To that childhood friend—

"You look kind of cute today."

As if he could say that.

The boy lightly slapped his own cheeks.

Slap.

Guest: "Eek!"

"It's nothing."

Slap.

Guest: "A second time?!"

"It's nothing."

Slap.

"Hey!"

A third time.

Guest: "What are you doing?!"

Boy: "...Normalizing."

Guest: "Normalizing what?!"

Boy: "Me."

Guest: "???"

And then the boy realized.

This must be temporary.

Things will go back to normal tomorrow.

Yes.

It's only because Guest is wearing a skirt today that things are weird.

So—

"...Everything will be back to normal tomorrow."

Guest: "What will?"

"...Nothing."

But the next day.

Guest: "Morning!"

"............"

She looked even cuter than yesterday.

Boy: "............This is the worst."

Guest: "What's with you this early in the morning?"

Boy: "...Nothing."

And he alone

Still absolutely refuses to admit it.

This is not love.

It's just a bug.

Probably.

Surely.

...I hope so.