When the Long-lasting Secret Love Finally Exposed

"Alice."

His gaze was gentle. His voice even gentler.

I couldn't help but respond with a soft "Hmm."

"Why do you think I said that?"

My dad was a math teacher, but he didn't teach my class. He taught Zac's class.

For three years in middle school and three years in high school, the name that often came up at home wasn't Alice. It was Zac.

The "perfect kid" in my parents' eyes was Zac.

My parents liked him a lot. They said he was tall, handsome, smart, polite, and well-mannered.

But he wasn't polite to me. He liked to pull my braids and steal my backpack on the way home so I'd chase him. And he unfolded the little hearts I made for James to turn them into frogs.

He'd end by saying, "Alice is a big dummy, having a one-sided crush. It's so embarrassing."

When Zac asked, I thought for a moment. "Because you saw my awkwardness and thought I was too embarrassing, so you helped me out. Thanks..."

Zac interrupted. "No."

I froze and looked up at him.

Zac's eyes were red. He bent down, leaning on his knees, and looked at me. "James is dating someone. Alice, stop waiting for him."

Over the many years of my one-sided pursuit of James, I had wavered.

But I still held on.

Now my heart was calm.

I didn't know how to respond to Zac.

Especially since Zac had bent down to meet my eyes.

In my mind, Zac was even prouder than James.

Tall and handsome, he used to face groups of girls confessing to him with a lazy but straight-backed attitude, saying, "I need to focus on my studies."

I pursed my lips to speak, but heard the door next to me open.

I looked over.

I saw James peeking out halfway.

His eyes were staring straight at me.

Then Eva appeared, holding his arm.

Before I could react, I was pulled behind Zac again.

Zac straightened up, standing in front of me.

My heartstrings quietly twanged.

After James and Eva returned to their room, I tugged on Zac's sleeve.

"Are you hungry?"

Zac said, "Yes."

Zac took me to the spaghetti place I often went to alone.

He led me to the seat I always sat in.

He prepared the sauce I always had.

I looked at everything in front of me, feeling puzzled. "How did you know to bring me here?"

"Whenever you're upset, you come here to eat spaghetti alone. You always feel better after," Zac said, handing me a pair of utensils. "I'll wait outside."

I grabbed his sleeve as he was about to leave. "How did you know?"

Zac's eyes held a hint of bitterness. "Alice, you're such a dummy."

When Zac used to call me a dummy, I'd lightly retort, saying he was the dummy.

But back then, his tone was teasing. Now, it wasn't.

It carried a faint sadness.

I didn't argue, just waited quietly for him to speak.

Zac said, "I knew you'd follow James to this city, so I came in his second year here. I've been watching you ever since."

Zac pointed outside the window. "Watching you from there."

Zac withdrew his hand and looked at me. "Alice, while you were liking James, I was silently liking you. For many, many years."