A Meaningful Struggle

As he dashes towards the back of the school building, Enso could not help but gasp for air.

The school bell rang as Enso's shoes gripped the ground to instill velocity.

Of course, since yesterday he had been so nervous of finally admitting his firm feelings to a certain someone.

And now he finally found the courage to do it by inviting the other strapping young man to the back of the school building for his confession.

Ren, can you please wait behind the school building? I have something really important to say to you---

Was what he wrote on the letter he left for his beloved Ren inside his locker.

At first, he wanted to be anonymous with his message on the letter, but later on he decided to be honest with the other.

Why he did? It is because he did not want to beat around the bush, Enso is not the type to go around the topic by encircling it throughout the conversation until he concludes his words.

And also because the other was also of similar personality, Ren, a teenager who is going through puberty in the hard way. Coupled with his daily quarrels with his disagreeing parents, he also needs to earn his own money just to be able to academically function, the young man is through a needle's hole as of yet.

This resulted in him becoming self-isolated yet outwardly extroverted, self-deprecating yet also conventionally popular, and lastly, he is also someone with a terrible case of trust issues. And all of these traits were absorbed by Enso from experience, by being somewhat clingy to the other.

And that is precisely why Enso decided to write his real identity on the invitation letter he sent to his Ren.

"Am I really going to do this?"

Asked Enso nervously to himself as he treaded around the bushes, making way to the relatively small clearing behind his grade-level building.

And as he carefully made his way through the leafy obstacles while simultaneously avoiding being seen by another student, the blonde young man finally reached the clearing.

And there, he began to see the figure of a tall and dazzlingly handsome young man with black hair, standing and waiting anxiously.

Nothing about being rejected made him fearful doing this, for he was ready to face the reaction to his sincere feelings.

---

The lad was looking around while waiting, and periodically opened his phone for entertainment, he really did waited patiently.

If it were others requesting this, he would've just thrown the letter to the trash, as he is not willing to waste time for others who are not a part of his responsibility.

But now, knowing that it is his closest friend, Enso who wanted to tell him something seemingly important, he respected it and waited for the blonde lad.

He was a little weirded out as to why Enso would choose to tell him something so random through the old-fashioned letter, but he decided to ignore and try to understand why.

And that is when answers began forming within his head. He tried to deny the ridiculous intrusive thoughts, but to no avail, he couldn't. It is because this setting is way too familiar for him, similar to those romance movies that starts off with a confession in a place devoid of people.

In a place just like this hidden clearing behind an old school building.

But he did not want to impulsively assume, so he waited to hear the other's words.

And there he stood minutes after minutes, waiting for the lemon headed moron he calls him.

"What is he doing? He really is wasting my time.."

Ren muttered in annoyance as he looks around, that is until he spotted the same blonde boy he was talking about, slowly approaching him in a surprisingly confident manner.

"Aww, did you miss me?"

The blonde lad spoke and teased.

"You!- whatever, so what is it?"

Ren decided to go straight to the point to which the other responded with nervousness from the inside, making Enso flinch just a little.

On the contrary, Ren did not want to intimidate Enso at all, he was only curious if his own thoughts would align with what is going to happen.

And just like that, utter silence filled the area, not even the wind was able to break the atmosphere that was welling up between the two young men.

But within minutes, the blonde one decided to just say it.

"Okay!!! Whatever!! I like you!"

The teenager who looked like the human version of the Greek god Hermes, decided to break his composed character and shouted out his answer, as loudly as possible.

Hearing this, the other young man was utterly stunned.

"No fucking way.."

Ren muttered.

"What? Who're you cussing at now?!"

To which Enso responded annoyed.

"No, sorry, but I actually thought that this was going to be about this.. "

Ren was still in the middle of disbelief, and so he couldn't respond properly.

"What? How?!"

The blonde young man asked in shock.

"Well this setting is just like those in the movies so... "

Ren continued with his mindless responses.

"..... Ren... "

Enso mumbled while shaking similar to a volcano that is about to erupt.

"This is so unbelievable-"

"YOU FUCKING IDIOT!! IF YOU REALLY KNEW IT WAS JUST LIKE THOSE MOVIES THEN YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT IM WAITING FOR AN ANSWER RIGHT?! "

Ren was about to continue with his mindblown response again but Enso cut his words in exasperation.

"Oh... Im sorry about that"

He apologized.

"But Enso...I'm sorry....i only see you as a friend-"

"I knew it!! OK OK You dont have to continue"

Enso responded teary-eyed.

Come on Enso, you already knew of this possibility, stop asking for more.

"So, yeah...."

Ren spoke in awkwardness as it envelops the atmosphere.

And as seconds came by, Enso's heartbeat continued its increasing intensity until he could no longer bear it and just looked away from Ren.

"I- i really gotta go now haha..... you know, to continue writing my novel...."

He reasoned with a trembling voice, and of course, he was only making up excuses.

The truth is he already finished writing his novel a while ago and has not decided to start another one.

The other caught on to this and so he could only let the other go by saying-

"O-ok, take care...."

And just like that, Enso ran away with his heart, away from his very first confession, and his very first rejection. Probably will be his first and last.