Chapter 5 Middle School Sweetheart (Illustration)
Chapter 5 Middle School Sweetheart
Finally, it was the first day of middle school.
I walked into my classroom, and the place felt huge… or maybe it was just because I was still small. During class, I couldn’t help noticing that I was one of the shortest boys there. The realization settled heavily in my stomach.
But at least I still had my time with Ale Onee-chan.
Just like in elementary school, I mostly kept to myself, only briefly greeting my new classmates. A lot of them looked at me strangely—and I knew why. It was my eyes.
They were usually tired and sharp-looking, almost mean. But after weeks of nightmares and sleepless nights, they probably looked even worse.
At lunch, I decided to look for her.
Maybe we could eat together. Maybe we could even do some cliche couple stuff—like sneaking up to the rooftop, or hiding behind the school where nobody could see us. Just talking. Hugging. Staying close… maybe even kissing.
Just imagining it made my face burn like an idiot.
I knew I was getting ahead of myself. I hadn’t even confessed yet.
…But I would. Soon.
In my bag, I carried my confession letter. I’d been working on it for a long time—rewriting it again and again, erasing lines, adding new ones, sometimes scrapping everything and starting over with something simpler.
“I like you. Will you go out with me?”
But I knew my feelings weren’t simple.
So I researched. I went to a stationery store and bought a red envelope—nice, neat, carefully chosen. And finally, I wrote everything I truly felt inside it. No mistakes. No scratches.
It was finished.
For now, I just needed to get used to our new routine at school.
Then I’d find the perfect place.
And when the time was right, I’d give it to her.
I finally reached her classroom—3-B, on the third-year side of the school. My hands were sweaty as hell as I stepped inside, my eyes flicking around, searching for her.
She wasn’t there.
Then a deep voice boomed behind me, almost making me jump out of my freaking skin.
“Who are you, kid? Who said you could come in here? And you don’t even greet your senpai?”
The voice came from this huge guy, even taller than Ale Onee-chan. His glare cut right through me, and my throat tightened up.
“I-I was just lost… sorry, senpai!” I blurted, bowing fast before bolting out of the room. My heart was pounding. Seriously—what a gorilla. Too damn scary.
I wandered the halls looking for Ale Onee-chan, but she was nowhere. Not even a glimpse of her.
"What a bummer."
After classes ended, I waited for her at the school entrance. Minutes passed. Nothing. Maybe she had already gone ahead. Maybe I just missed her. With no better idea, I headed to the park.
But she wasn’t there either.
I sighed and walked to our tree, sinking down at its base. I tilted my head back, staring at the sky for a while before finally lying flat on the grass, watching clouds drift overhead.
Then, suddenly, a flash of beautiful fiery-red hair filled my vision.
“Ale Onee-chan!” I shot upright.
She sat down next to me. “How are you, Iryoku?” she asked, leaning her head on my shoulder. My cheeks instantly went up in flames.
“I’m okay… I looked for you at lunch, but I couldn’t find you. Where were you?” I asked.
She smiled, but for a moment her expression grew distant.
“…I was called by a teacher. Something about my studies. Don’t sweat it, hehe.”
Her beautiful eyes locked onto mine, and for a second it felt like she was staring straight into my soul.
Then, without warning, she wrapped her arms around me and leaned into me, closing her eyes as if she were exhausted and just wanted to rest.
We stayed like that for a while.
Later, we talked quietly about a new movie she wanted to watch—the one that had just been announced on TV.
For a moment, things almost felt normal.
That night, while I was eating dinner with Mom and Dad, something felt off.
After I finished and stood up to go to my room, my dad stopped me.
“Son… please sit down. We need to talk.”
There was worry on his face. The lines there seemed deeper than before, as if the past year had aged him too quickly.
“…Okay,” I said, returning to my seat.
Mom looked tense too.
“Iryoku,” Dad began slowly, “I’ve been offered a new job opportunity. A promotion. Better pay… better benefits. And after that, I’d be able to move up even further.”
For a moment, relief washed over me. This was good news. I knew how hard Dad worked to take care of us.
Then he continued.
“It’s in another city. Shinseika—near Tokyo.”
My stomach tightened.
“I would need to move there,” he said carefully. “And I want both of you to come with me. I don’t want your mother and you staying here alone without me. They’ll give us a fully furnished apartment—we wouldn’t need to take much with us.”
My heart dropped.
Leaving Ale.
Leaving Kota.
Leaving Kei.
My vision blurred.
“No—!” My voice broke. “But what if Kota comes back? What if he returns and we’re not here?!”
Mom’s face softened as she pulled me into a hug.
“Dear… we know how hard this is,” she said gently. “But think of it this way—maybe we’ll find him somewhere else. We’ve only been searching here so far…”
I cried harder.
“I don’t want to be separated from Ale,” I sobbed. “She… she can’t be alone. What if something happens to her? I was supposed to protect her. I—I love her. She’ll be my wife someday… I—”
Dad wrapped his arms around me too.
“I know it’s hard,” he said quietly. “But with this job, we’d have more resources. We could hire a private investigator. I’d be meeting people with influence—people who could help us find Kota and Kei. This could help us in the long run. And we can still come back to visit Ale and her family. You two won’t be cut off from each other.”
I trembled in his arms, still sobbing.
“But… but…”
Dad pulled back slightly and looked me straight in the eyes. They were shining, on the verge of breaking.
“We haven’t agreed to anything yet,” he said. “I’m sorry for putting this pressure on you, Iryoku. Maybe… maybe I could go alone. Or maybe not at all. We’ll think about it together.”
I nodded weakly.
I went to my room afterward, my chest heavy, my thoughts tangled.
I didn’t know what the right answer was.
I didn’t know what I was supposed to do.
I went to my bag and pulled out my confession letter.
I carefully unfolded the neatly folded red paper. I had chosen that color because it reminded me of her—her lustrous, fire-red hair, her beauty.
I reread the lines I had written so carefully.
Ale Onee-chan,
I know I’m small, weak, and not handsome.
I know I wasn’t there to save our brothers.
I know all my weaknesses.
But being with you has always given me the strength to keep going.
I promise you—I will grow taller. I will become stronger. I will become better.
I will be the one who protects you and our brothers.
I will find them. We will find them together
That’s why I wanted to gather my courage and tell you how I feel.
Since the day I first met you, I’ve been in love with you.
I love you with all my heart.
Please go out with me… and be with me forever.
—Iryoku
I rubbed my eyes, breathing hard, then stood up—resolute.
I slipped the letter back into my bag.
Then I dropped to the floor.
One… two… three… four—
I did push-ups until my arms gave out. Then squats. Sit-ups. Planks—until my muscles burned. I reached under my bed and grabbed a fist-sized rock I had found a long time ago, using it to do curls until my arms shook.
Finally, I collapsed onto the floor, drained.
“Tomorrow,” I muttered. “Tomorrow I’ll do it. I’ll tell her how I feel… at school. If we really have to be separated, I don’t want to leave without saying it.”
My thoughts drifted to all the romance anime and shows I’d watched. It was cliche, sure—but doing it there felt right. I didn’t care if other people were around. I didn’t care if everyone saw us.
A grin slowly crept across my face as I imagined it: confessing in the middle of school, everyone watching, and us becoming a couple.
Everyone knowing we were together.
When the day finally came, I couldn’t stop fidgeting.
The plan had sounded good on paper—but actually doing it was terrifying. I needed the courage to go through with it.
I didn’t pay attention in class at all. I kept checking my bag, making sure the letter was still there.
I opened it.
Still there.
“Phew…” I muttered, wiping the sweat from my forehead.
Then the lunch bell rang.
I stood up and started walking. As I moved, I focused on my breathing. It should be fine. Still, I stopped by the restroom and brushed my teeth again.
“Come on. Don’t procrastinate,” I told myself.
I walked down the hallway like a robot—stiff, focused, and determined.
Finally, I arrived in front of Ale’s classroom. I peered inside, scanning for her, but she wasn’t there. Crap… why did I stop to brush my teeth?Thankfully, I didn’t see the gorilla guy—he was scary.
I continued roaming the halls, going around and around, but I couldn’t find her anywhere. Maybe she went to the teachers’ office or something…
As I turned the corner, there she was—walking toward me in her school uniform. Her stride was confident, her body swaying naturally with each step. The fabric hugged her perfectly, accentuating her powerful, curvaceous frame. Her thick legs moved with effortless strength, her skin softly glowing under the hallway lights.
Then my gaze reached her face—gorgeous as ever—and my breath caught.
She lifted a hand and gracefully brushed a loose strand of hair aside, her ponytail swaying majestically behind her. I knew her uniform wasn’t new to me, but seeing her like this, here at school, gave her a completely different vibe—more grounded, more real, and somehow even more captivating.
I couldn’t stop myself.
I rushed forward, almost running, my chest pounding.
“I–Ale Onee-chan—!”
“Yo, what’s up?” she said, her beautiful smile instantly enchanting me.
Before I could think, I hugged her. I just… couldn’t help it.
“Ah—”
I could’ve sworn I heard a small squeak as I wrapped my arms around her. Then she hugged me back, and I felt how soft and warm she was—comfortable, familiar, lovely.
Suddenly, she grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
“Wah—!”
This time, I squeaked.
We slipped behind a classroom, out of sight. Her movements were quick and sure, almost graceful, and for a moment it felt like we were escaping together.
We stopped. I bent forward slightly, my face burning, my heart pounding far too fast. I clenched my teeth, forcing myself to breathe.
Not right now, dammit, I thought, panic flaring. This is the worst possible time for a boner.
After a moment, I steadied myself. She hugged me again—it felt warm, comforting.
Hesitating, I reached into my bag and slid the red confession letter partway out—just enough to feel the paper between my fingers. My hand trembled, freezing halfway, the envelope still hidden inside.
I was about to speak when—
“Iryoku, it’s almost time for class,” Alessandra said quickly, ending the hug. “You should head back. We can talk after school.”
At once, I shoved the letter back into my bag.
The tension inside me loosened, like a heavy weight lifting from my chest.
What are you doing? Don’t be scared, I scolded myself.
“Okay, Ale Onee-chan.”
I gave her one last hug, then turned and left.
As I walked back down the hall, I lightly knocked my fist against my head.
Stupid. Don’t get cold feet.
I’ll do it after school. At the park. No hesitation.
Today, we’ll become a couple.
And when Kota and Kei return…
We’ll finally be real brothers, I thought proudly.
But I faltered.
I went there. We talked. We hung out at her place for a little while before I headed home—without saying anything.
“Stupid… why are you like this?” I muttered, berating myself.
I went straight to my room and continued with my exercises, pushing myself harder than usual.
Tomorrow, I told myself. Tomorrow, for sure.