I Don’t Like You Anymore

“Sorry, but you can’t drive me away.”
“Our situation… I think it’s time for us to get formally engaged.”

At seventeen—now an adult this year—Fierra shyly whispered those words to her childhood friend Dario, the boy she had loved in secret for so long.
She believed he felt the same way, so she thought he would gladly accept her confession!

“Engaged? Who? You and me?”

Dario asked back, his eyes widening in surprise. Then he burst out laughing as if he might fall over.

“Fifi. I’m begging you—please, even as a joke, don’t say such dreadful things.”

Until the very moment she spoke those words, Fierra had no idea.
She never imagined that her proposal would be crushed so mercilessly.

***

Even just thinking of Dario used to make Fierra’s heart flutter, but now, she felt nothing.

‘That tiresome one-sided love is finally over.’

Unlike Fierra, who thought this was for the best, Dario wasn’t pleased with her change.
Even though he was the one who drew the line as just friends.

***

“Fifi. From now on, I’m planning to stay right by your side.”
“If this is about what happened earlier, you don’t need to worry.”
“I am worried, but honestly, I just want to be next to you.”
“Why? Are you playing games with me again?”

Dario pulled Fierra’s hand—curled up like a small ball on top of the table—toward him.

“Because I like you. I want us to be more than friends.”
“……”
“I want to be the person closest to you. I want to be the one you rely on the most.”

Then he quickly pressed a kiss to the back of the hand that was trying to pull away, and, looking at her furious face, spoke gently.

“Dario.”

But contrary to his expectations, Fierra called his name with a serious expression.

“I don’t like you anymore.”