That was all Mayl could say before turning bashful again, her face still as red as her own hair, almost covering her face with her hands. Between all the dubitating sounds she made, Yai could hear “She looks so pretty…”. It was the first time she heard Mayl talk about Dial like that. Not even before her transition did Mayl say anything like that. For the short girl, it was quite clear, and still, she couldn’t believe what she was witnessing. Yai expected that Mayl could still like Dial even after changing, but it wasn’t just that. Those reactions hid a deeper truth inside her friend’s heart. She needed to ask.

“Wait a sec… Mayl, maybe you… like girls?”.

That question took Mayl off guard. That was something she had never stopped to wonder about. Any other person would probably dismiss that question with any kind of excuse, but Mayl… She was smart enough to know her own emotions. There was no mistake, and still, admitting it was so scary. However, she was talking to her friend. It didn’t matter how long she stared at her, Yai wasn’t the kind of kid that would judge others for something like that. Shyly, Mayl nodded, confirming Yai’s suspicions.

“And maybe…”, continued Yai, that time more nervous than before. “Just maybe… you like Dial more now that she is a girl?”.

If she had a bit of trouble admitting she liked girls, sharing that with Yai was proving even harder. Just like in the old times, she tried to dissimulate, making it look her love was not that much. But at that moment, Dial came to her mind. How she presented in front of her class, how she smiled and laughed. She could even hear her friend at that moment, cheerfully talking inside the classroom! Just like a volcano, something was burning inside her, looking for a way out… and she couldn’t hold it anymore.

“Ok, ok, I admit it! I like her so much! Happy now?”, exclaimed Mayl with her face completely red while shaking her hands.

That sure caused an impression in Yai. Two of her friends coming out on the same day was not what she expected that morning. But unlike Dial, she could see it was something completely new for Mayl, who tried to hide her blushing face as much as possible. However, even though she was surprised, Yai was also happy. Mayl didn’t usually share her love feelings before that moment. If she was doing that, it meant those feelings were really strong, but also, that they shared such a strong bond that Mayl was willing to share them with her. In the meanwhile, Mayl was still thinking about Dial.

“I mean, how couldn’t I like her? She’s amazing!”, kept saying Mayl. “She looks so beautiful! Her hair, her smile… I just… can’t help it…”.

Realizing her own words, Mayl turned shy again. During all that time, Yai had kept in silence, but she wanted to show her friend that she accepted her as well.

“Wow, that sure… is a surprise. But hey, I’m happy for you! I mean, that’s great! Girls can like girls too”, said Yai trying to comfort her friend.

Hearing her friend’s words, Mayl smiled, a small tear coming out from one eye. Having a friend that accepted her feelings felt so calming. Was that what Dial felt just an hour before?

“Thank you… It’s just… this is so sudden and new… I never thought I could like girls”, explained Mayl while she dried her tear. “And hey, I know liking girls is good… but…”.

What was meant to be another happy moment on that day seemed to turned worse as Yai contemplated how Mayl looked sadder by the second. It was obvious there was something troubling her friend.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”, asked Yai with worried tone. “I’m here. You can tell me”.

Mayl and Yai looked at each other. Mayl knew her friend for so long. She was there whenever she needed her. They had talked about so many things in the past, especially about her love for Dial. But once again, there was something that the red-haired girl had never admitted openly. But Yai’s eyes and smile were proof enough that she could be trusted with her thoughts.

“What if… what if she doesn’t feel the same for me?”, murmured Mayl with sadness.

That was Mayl’s biggest fear. It wasn’t something new: that idea had been accompanying her for so long, although she tried to push it away and be optimistic. But under that new situation, that fear got stronger. On her part, Yai was shocked: she always noticed Mayl’s optimism, her confidence in their future relationship, no matter how obtuse Dial could be in the past. But right there, she could see how scared Mayl was at that idea.

“I mean… I know girls can like girls, but… most girls like boys. Now that Dial’s a girl, maybe… maybe she likes boys. Maybe she… never liked me”, confessed Mayl.

Saying that thought out loud made it feel realer, filling Mayl’s heart with fear and pain. Still crouching, the girl couldn’t help but crossing her arms, like hugging herself, like trying to protect herself from that pain.

“You said it. I flirted with her so many times you lost count. I tried to show my feelings, but… she never caught the hints, right? Maybe… there’s no chance for us. Maybe we’re not meant to be together”, said Mayl with sadness.

For the first time in her life, Yai didn’t know what to say. Just like Dial had shown them all a new side of herself, Mayl was doing the same. However, what the red-haired girl was showing was fear and pain that she had been holding for a long time. The fear of her feelings not being mutual. The pain of losing her first love, possibly the love of her life. But somehow, deep inside, Yai believed there was still a chance, but that chance would fly away unless Mayl did something. After a brief puff, Yai put her hands on Mayl’s face and exclaimed:

“Hey, listen!”.

That gesture shocked Mayl. Seeing Yai’s determined eyes, she didn’t know what to say. Not that her friend was giving her any moment to answer back while holding her cheeks.

“All those things about Dial, boys and whatever… They can be possible, sure. But right now, they are just a possibility. You’ll never know what she actually feels unless you talk to her”, explained Yai with conviction. “So Mayl, whether you like it or not… it’s time to confess!”.

‘Confess’… That word echoed through Mayl’s mind for a few seconds, her brain still processing its meaning. Once she caught up on what Yai was saying, her face blushed again, but that time, she sweated. Confessing? Going to Dial and saying she loved her? How could she do that? Mayl tried to complain, but she couldn’t speak because of Yai’s hands on her cheeks. The short girl, seeing how her friend wanted to run away from that idea, held her ground.

“Shut up!”, exclaimed Yai, making Mayl freeze out of the shock. “Look, it’s obvious all that flirting doesn’t work. Also… Dial gathered all her courage to open up to us all about her feelings. Isn’t it time you do the same? You deserve it.”

Those words reached the very core of Mayl’s heart. She could still see Dial at the front of the class, sharing her experiences and emotions. She was so brave… and at the same time, Mayl could see it. The fidgeting, her eyes when everybody was silent… At that moment, Dial was scared of being rejected. And Mayl had that very same fear. The difference was that she didn’t feel as brave as her friend.

“But… but what if she says no? What if she rejects me?”, asked Mayl with broken voice.

“Then you can still be friends”, said Yai trying to calm Mayl down.

“What if we can’t? What if she doesn’t want anything with me after telling her?”, kept insisting Mayl, this time with a tear sliding down her cheek.

Staying as friends wouldn’t be the worst outcome of the situation: completely losing Dial sure was. Mayl didn’t want to lose her friend, but she didn’t know for how long she could keep her feelings hidden from her. However, no matter how sure Mayl was of that outcome, Yai believed that didn’t make any sense. She reached a napkin from a pocket in her dress and used it to dry Mayl’s tears.

“That’s not happening”, said Yai with a comforting voice and a gentle smile. “Even when she repressed herself, Dial always cared about us. And she cared about you the most. She risked her life to save us! She will never stop being your friend. I know that very well.”

How could that be? How could Yai say all those things with such confidence and calmness? Maybe there was a possibility after all? Mayl could feel that confidence being imbued into herself, calming her mind and heart. Maybe her fears were nothing more than that: just fears. She thought again of Dial and her confession to the class. She really liked her, and maybe, even if she wasn’t as brave as her, she wanted to try it.

“However”, said Yai, interrupting Mayl’s thoughts. “If that were to happen… If Dial dares to push you away… I will punch her in her knee!”.

Out of nowhere, with a vigorous although quiet “Kyaaah!”, Yai extended her right hand in front of her, as if punching thin air. There were so many things Mayl wanted to ask, but the only one that she could formulate was:

“Why… why her knee?”.

“It’s where I can reach, ok?”, admitted Yai with a bit of shame.

For a moment, that scene came to her mind. Yai, being so short, trying to punch Dial, but barely reaching her belly, settling for the knee as the objective of her attacks. Yai, who had never slapped a fly, trying to fight other person… that mere idea broke Mayl’s mind, making her burst out of laughing, all her tension and fears dissipating. Yai didn’t understand what was so funny, but seeing her friend so relaxed made her laugh as well.

It was just a silly moment between friends, but that brief moment was enough for Mayl to organize her thoughts. As she dried her tears, she understood what her friend was saying. Yai was right: the only way for finally knowing what Dial felt towards her was taking the first step and confessing.

“I think you are right”, said Mayl after calming down. “I… I will do it! I just hope things go well…”.

Then, Mayl turned around and sat down on the floor, letting her back rest on the wall. In front of her, a wide window displayed the blue sky and the shining sun. That sure was a nice weather, quite typical from that season in ACDC Town. And still, Mayl felt something from that scene, the possibility of a bright future. The world encouraging her to go ahead and open up. Even if things went wrong, Dial and she could still be friends… but deep inside her heart, while contemplating the blue sky, she wished they could be more than just ‘friends’.