Do you remember?
How you were the first to change my name.
I volunteered to be the student council.
As I shyly put my hand up, yours went up too.
I always stayed after school from then on, to do the council's chores. Surprisingly, you stayed behind too.
I was writing up the class roll and you were still sitting opposite me. You laid your head against your arms, watching my pen glide against the paper.
"Are you sick?"
I realised that you saw the light pink dust against my cheeks. I lowered my head.
You tilt your head, trying to look beneath my bangs.
"Are you ok?"
You shifted forward, and my fingers froze completely. I could tell you were confused.
The space between our legs was close enough when you brought a chair over, sitting opposite me.
I awkwardly retracted my feet, but you just found more reason to inch forward.
I shot up from my chair stiffly, and you gazed at me. I walked out of the classroom, facing my back against you.
When I walked back, I found my pen wrapped in your fingers, you were writing something on the paper.
You placed the pen down, the tips of your lips curved upwards gently.
"Ha-Nari."
My name slipped out of your pink lips. You turned to me gradually, flashing me a slight smile as you revealed your teeth.
"Hana." You spoke again.
My expressions crumbled subtly at the foreign name.
"It suits you." You chuckled in that soothing voice of yours.
I realised at that moment.
You had given me a nickname.
