sol.ace_r

I practiced saying these words to you over and over again in my heart before finally writing them.
It was only after meeting you that I realized a single sentence could be this difficult to say, and at the same time make my heart race this much.

Maybe you had already noticed.
The way I stumbled over my words in front of you, and laughed a little too long even at the smallest conversations,
the way I looked back once more on the road home because I wanted to stay a little longer.
All of those moments were ultimately leading toward a single sentence.

I like you.
Very much, with a sincerity too great to hide.
The time spent with the words “I like you” lingering warmly in my mouth,
waiting to reach you through my trembling fingertips,
turned out to be a far longer and sweeter anticipation than I had imagined.

The fact that I like you
doesn't need to prove anything, nor does it need an explanation.

The way my heart reacts before anything else, just by hearing your name,
makes it unmistakably clear.

When you smile, I find myself smiling along with you,
and when you seem troubled, my day somehow feels heavier too.

Looking at that, I could no longer deny that my heart was already moving toward you.
I hope your days become a little gentler,
and that the moments when you feel alone grow fewer.

Even while writing this letter, I found myself wondering for a moment what you might be doing right now.
Even if you're spending an ordinary day that has nothing to do with me,
I still find myself hoping that the air around you feels a little warmer,
and that a small piece of my heart might somehow reach you.

I like you that much.
For now, I'm not wishing for anything more.
I'm careful because I worry about becoming a burden to you,
or carelessly disturbing the world you live in.
I simply wanted you to know
that these feelings exist,
that there is someone who likes you.

I like you.
With a heart still too shy to call it a confession,
yet with a sincerity that is undeniably real.