Today was Lila's first day at her new school.

She woke up earlier than usual, her heart filled with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. She had been thinking about this day for weeks, and now it had finally arrived.

After getting ready, she sat down for breakfast. Although she tried to eat normally, the nervous feeling in her stomach made it difficult. Once she finished, she put on her school uniform, checked everything she needed, and prepared to leave.

As she arrived at the school gate, she couldn't help but stare.

The school was much bigger than she had imagined.

Students walked through the campus in groups, chatting and laughing with one another. The large building stood proudly before her, making her feel both amazed and intimidated at the same time.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.

Soon, she found her classroom.

The room was already filled with unfamiliar faces. Some students were talking to each other while others sat quietly at their desks. Since she didn't know anyone yet, Lila chose a seat on the first bench and sat down quietly.

She felt nervous being surrounded by so many strangers.

The first day passed smoothly. There were introductions, lessons, and plenty of new things to learn. Before she knew it, the final bell rang and it was time to go home.

The following days went by in a similar way.

Every morning she came to school, attended classes, and returned home. Slowly, she began getting used to her new environment.

A week later, their class teacher announced that the seating arrangement would be changed.

Little did Lila know that this simple change would become the beginning of a story she would never forget.

The students moved to their newly assigned seats.

Lila was placed in the middle row with two girls named Anne and Maria.

Right beside their row sat three boys: Adrian, Jack, and Terry.

At first, Lila paid little attention to them. They were simply classmates among many others in the room.

However, one day, while looking around the classroom, she decided to observe her classmates more carefully.

That was when her eyes landed on Adrian.

It wasn't anything dramatic.

She simply looked at him for a moment and found herself thinking that he looked quite handsome.

It wasn't a huge crush.

Not yet.

It was only a small feeling that quietly settled in her heart.

Keeping the thought to herself, she continued with her day and told no one about it.

As time passed, Lila grew closer to Anne and Maria.

The three girls quickly became good friends.

They spent time together during breaks, shared stories, laughed at random things, and slowly became inseparable.

One afternoon, while the three of them were talking, Maria suddenly asked a question.

"Lila, who do you think is the most handsome boy in our class?"

The unexpected question caught her completely off guard.

Lila immediately felt nervous.

Her heart began beating faster.

She hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Anne and Maria waited curiously for her answer.

Feeling pressured and flustered, Lila finally opened her mouth and said...

The question hung in the air.

Lila froze.

Her mind immediately went to Adrian.

Unfortunately, her mouth reacted faster than her brain.

"Jack."

The answer slipped out before she could stop herself.

For a moment, silence filled the space between them.

Anne blinked.

Maria stared at her.

Even Lila was shocked by what she had just said.

Jack?

Why had she said Jack?

Sure, Jack was tall, smart, and well-liked by many students in class. There was nothing wrong with him.

But he wasn't her type at all.

Lila preferred quiet people.

People who didn't constantly attract attention.

People more like Adrian.

Her heart sank as she realized what she had done.

"Jack?" Maria repeated suspiciously.

Lila forced a smile.

"Y-Yeah."

Anne and Maria exchanged looks.

"Really?"

Lila nodded quickly.

The last thing she wanted was for them to discover the truth.

If she admitted that she liked Adrian, she knew she would never hear the end of it.

So despite regretting her answer immediately, she decided to stick with it.

"Yes. Jack."

From that day onward, her peaceful school life disappeared.

Anne and Maria became completely convinced that Lila liked Jack.

And they never let her forget it.

Whenever Jack entered the classroom, one of them would immediately nudge her.

"Lila, look."

"Your Jack is here."

"Oh, he's coming this way!"

Lila would instantly bury her face in her notebook while her friends laughed.

"I don't like him," she would mutter.

Neither of them believed her.

As the days passed, the teasing only became worse.

During lunch breaks.

During classes.

Before school.

After school.

It seemed as if Anne and Maria had found a new favorite hobby.

One morning during assembly, the students gathered together as usual.

While everyone stood in their designated places, Jack was sharing something with a few classmates nearby.

The moment Anne and Maria noticed him, they turned toward Lila.

"Oh look, Jack is talking."

Maria grinned.

Anne tried not to laugh.

"I think he's looking this way."

"He is not."

"Maybe he is."

"He isn't."

"Lila's getting nervous."

"I'm not!"

The two girls burst into laughter.

Lila groaned.

She wished she could disappear.

If only they knew the truth.

If only they knew that every time they teased her about Jack, she secretly found herself glancing at someone else entirely.

Days continued to pass.

The teasing never stopped.

At first, Lila tolerated it.

Then she ignored it.

Then she tried denying it.

Nothing worked.

Anne and Maria remained absolutely convinced that she liked Jack.

Finally, one day, after enduring yet another round of teasing, Lila reached her limit.

"Fine!"

The sudden outburst startled both Anne and Maria.

Lila crossed her arms and glared at them.

"I don't like Jack!"

The two girls immediately fell silent.

Their eyes widened.

"You don't?" Maria asked.

"No!"

Anne looked confused.

"Then who do you like?"

Lila realized what she had just done.

Her frustration had gotten the better of her.

Now there was no escape.

Her heart began racing.

Slowly, she took a deep breath.

Then she finally admitted the truth.

"I like..."