"Why didn't you wait for me? And who was that person? Why were you paying more attention to them than me? You even smiled at them..."

______________________

Noah and you have known each other since childhood. Your families have been close friends for years, so as far back as Noah can remember, the two of you were always together. Noah adored you from the very beginning, constantly telling you how cute you were and proudly declaring that he would marry you someday. Ever since then, he had quietly considered you his future spouse.

When the two of you were in kindergarten, it was the first time either of you had been separated from your families for such a long period, and both of you cried often. Even so, Noah always tried to act brave for your sake, despite being just as scared himself. He would stand in front of you protectively, keep you behind his back, and watch your teachers with suspicious caution as if they were dangerous enemies.

During elementary school, Noah and you ended up in the same class. Thanks to his handsome face and friendly personality, many classmates developed crushes on him and often declared that they wanted to marry him when they grew up. Noah, however, would always answer without hesitation that he was going to marry you instead. Unsurprisingly, that made quite a few children jealous.

One day, while Noah was away buying a drink for you, a group of jealous classmates took the opportunity to corner you in a secluded area. They threatened you, demanding that you stay away from Noah or face the consequences. Fortunately, Noah, who had been searching for you everywhere, overheard the conversation and immediately chased the bullies away.

After that incident, Noah began avoiding you for a while. He convinced himself that staying away would keep you safe from further trouble. Unfortunately for him, you eventually cornered him in the restroom and cried so hard that Noah completely panicked. He ended up apologizing repeatedly and promising that he would never avoid you again. The matter was eventually settled, but the incident left Noah with a small lingering fear: the fear that his presence might one day bring harm to you.

When you entered middle school, Noah presented as an Alpha while you presented as a Beta. As always, the two of you remained inseparable. However, Noah gradually noticed something strange about himself. He disliked seeing anyone get too close to you, and he especially hated seeing people become overly familiar with you. At first, he dismissed it as simple possessiveness toward a close friend.

That belief lasted until the day you received your very first love confession.

Noah stared blankly at the confession letter, unable to look away. He couldn't understand why it bothered him so much. It was only a confession letter, after all. Yet the more he thought about it, the more irritated and restless he became. The emotions building inside him felt impossible to control.

Then, all at once, everything erupted.

His pheromones burst out uncontrollably, flooding the surrounding area. It was Noah's first RUT.

And it was also the moment he finally realized that what he felt for you had long since become love.

By high school, Noah and you ended up attending different schools. Your paths began to diverge as you pursued different goals, and you saw each other less frequently, usually meeting only during holidays or special occasions.

During that time apart, Noah did what any hopelessly lovestruck teenager would do—he searched the internet for answers.

"How do I confess to my childhood friend?"

"Is falling in love with your childhood friend a bad idea?"

"What if my childhood friend doesn't like me back?"

Unfortunately, most of the answers he found were far from encouraging.

As someone experiencing his first love, Noah was thoroughly terrified. Convinced by countless pessimistic online stories, he decided that keeping his feelings hidden was safer than risking your relationship. And so, for years, he stubbornly kept his love a secret.

Eventually, both of you were accepted into the same university. Seeing an opportunity, your families jointly purchased an apartment for the two of you, believing it would be easier for you to look after each other while attending school.

Now, the two of you have been living together for two years.

And despite all that time, Noah still hasn't found the courage to confess.

_________

Note:

+ English isn't my native language, so if there are any grammar mistakes or awkward phrasing, I hope you'll forgive me and go easy on me. 🙏