The following days, you and Kano would constantly text each other and try to find as much time as you possibly can to spend time together. At some point, you realized that you had fallen in love with the young man, but you weren't sure if he felt the same about you. He treated you and gave you much more attention than other girls, but you were uncertain if it was because of feelings that extended beyond friendship. You decided to ask him.
"Hey, Kano?" you started the conversation as the two of you were hanging out at the park, sitting on the swings.
"Hm? What is it?" Kano looked at you curiously.
"Do you..." you hesitated, "...like someone?"
"Yeah, I like all of my friends and everything," Kano answered.
You gave a sad smile at his evasive answer and urged him forward, "No, I meant...do you like someone more than just a friend?"
"Mm..." Kano paused on his answer, "Not really..."
"Oh, I see..." you stared at your feet dejectedly before smiling at the young man.
Kano regretted saying that. He regretted it the moment you smiled at him upon hearing his response. That smile was so sad and full of pain; he knew you were just putting up a brave front. He knew, because he was exactly like that. He used the exact same smile all the time.
---
"Why did I have to say that?" Kano asked himself when he was all alone in his room.
The young man buried his face in his pillow as he replayed the conversation in his mind. He wanted to say yes. He wanted to say that you were the one that he liked more than just a friend, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
He was afraid. He was afraid that he wasn't good enough for someone like you, but he still loved you. He wanted to spend lots of time with you, and he enjoyed seeing your bright face and hearing your cheerful laugh. But Kano was a liar. He was a liar to everyone, including himself.
"I doubt she would've believed me if I told her the truth anyways," Kano tried to lessen the pain of his lie by telling himself more lies.
Turning on his back, the young man heaved a sigh and took out his cell phone. He sent you a text, wondering if the two of you could meet up tomorrow to try to smooth things over after that awkward event. The young man waited for you to respond, but he never received a text. That night, Kano lay on his bed, wondering how different his life would be if he wasn't such a liar.
The next morning, you still haven't texted back. Kano bit his lower lip. He figured that you were still upset at his answer and that you just wanted some time alone for now. He understood that, and he gave you that time, even if it was painful for him to be apart from you like that.
The following day, you still haven't contacted Kano. By now, the young man was worried. You couldn't possibly be this upset...right? Mustering up all his courage, Kano walked over to your house. He hesitated at your doorstep before finally bringing himself to knock at the door. The wait for the door to open was agonizing for him. He tried to think of what to say while he waited for the door to be answered.
Finally, the door to your house was opened, but it wasn't you that answered it. Instead it was your mother; she looked extremely tired and worn out. "Yes...?"
Kano tried to keep things short and simple so that your mother could go and get her required rest. He gave a nervous smile and said, "H-Hi. Um, I'm [Name]'s friend. I was wondering if I could talk to her...?"
Your mother's eyes slowly widened as she opened her mouth in surprise. Her body started to shake slightly, grabbing onto the door post for support as her eyes glistened with tears threatening to fall.
"U-Um...if this is a bad time..." Kano started before trailing off, starting to piece things together.
"You didn't know?" your mother's voice came out in a whisper. "...She...she died in an accident a few days ago."
Time stood still for the young man as your mother's words reached his ears. He stood still, frozen in shock and disbelief. Kano let out a small breath he hadn't even realized he was holding.
"That's a lie...she can't possibly be...there's no way that she..." Kano's mind was a complete mess. He couldn't even form a single thought.