I Collapsed When I Saw My Crush’s Wallpaper Of Him And A Strange Woman – However The Truth About Her Made Me Even More Stunned

During a school extracurricular activity, I accidentally discovered something that took my breath away. The wallpaper on my crush’s phone was a shadow of him and a woman tying her hair. The truth behind that photo left me completely stunned, and I realized that everything I had believed about his feelings for me was not as I thought.

My name is Hana, a 17-year-old girl living an ordinary life like everyone else. Kaito is my best friend, the one I can share everything with. Since we were neighbors, it’s no surprise that we’ve known each other since childhood and have been best friends through elementary and middle school.

Kaito isn’t just a good friend; he’s also the one I’ve secretly liked for a long time, even though I’ve never dared admit it to him. However, I can sense that Kaito might also have feelings for me. The way he looks at me and the small, warm gestures he makes always make my heart race when I’m around him. But we’ve always stayed silent, afraid to speak up because I fear everything will change if I confess.

Then, one day during a school picnic, I realized that everything I thought was just my imagination. The truth was different.

That day, during the school’s extracurricular activity, we all played “Truth or Dare” with our group of friends. The game was quite fun, with everyone laughing and doing silly things in response to each other’s questions. Kaito and I sat close to each other, occasionally exchanging mischievous glances.

But suddenly, Kaito was asked the question, “Who do you like?” At that moment, I saw him looking slightly flustered. We had played together for years, but I never thought Kaito had a girlfriend. He stayed silent for a while, but finally, he pulled out his phone and showed us a photo. Everyone in the group stared at his phone curiously.

The photo showed a blurry figure, a girl, and beside her was Kaito’s shadow. The whole group gasped in awe, looking at Kaito with interest. He just smiled and said, “This is the person I like.”

It felt like everything suddenly collapsed. A bitter, disappointing feeling filled me. I tried to hide those emotions and gave a small smile, pretending like nothing was wrong. But it felt almost impossible.

Noticing something was off with me, Kaito turned to ask, “Are you tired? Do you want to go rest inside?”
It felt like my ears weren’t even registering what he said. Suddenly, he patted my shoulder. “Hana, are you okay?”
I snapped back, replying, “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just a little cold. I think I’ll head in first.”

At that moment, Kaito took off his thin shirt and draped it over my shoulders. But I pushed it away, feeling my heart break. “You keep it on,” I said, before walking into the room.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. Thoughts of the photo and Kaito’s words made my heart ache. “Does he like someone else? Who is she?” I asked myself in the dark, feeling as if my heart had shattered. Everything changed the moment I saw that photo.

The next morning, I woke up early and took a walk around the camp to think by myself. As I sat on a bench, lost in thoughts about everything that had happened, I saw a familiar figure.

I looked up, and what I saw made my heart tighten. Kaito was talking to a strange girl, someone I’d never seen before, not a classmate of mine. They were chatting happily, and Kaito’s eyes lit up with passion as he looked at her. The girl giggled and avoided eye contact when Kaito teased her, then looked back at him with affectionate eyes. Their interaction was so intimate, so natural, it made me feel unfamiliar and uncomfortable. So, this was the girl Kaito liked?

I tried to stay calm, but my heart kept pounding in my chest. A feeling of unease grew stronger with each passing second. My hands clenched as if something inside me had broken.

“Does he like someone else?” I asked myself, the lump in my throat growing bigger. I sat there quietly for a moment, too afraid to approach. I was no longer the best friend I thought I was to him; he was now close with someone else—a girl who might be taking his heart.

I stood up and turned to head back to the tent. Just then, I heard Kaito calling my name from behind, but I ignored him and kept walking toward the tent.

 

When I reached the tent, I pulled the flap open and sat on the floor, staring at the ceiling as a whirlwind of thoughts swirled in my mind. I couldn’t do anything but try to understand the truth of what I had just seen.

Soon, I heard footsteps outside the tent, soft and careful. The sound startled me, as if everything around me had crumbled. My heart raced. I remained still, a sense of unease washing over me. Then, I heard a soft but determined voice: “Hana.”

I opened the tent flap and stepped outside, unable to believe my eyes. Standing before me was the girl I had just seen with Kaito, the one who had been laughing with him earlier. Her long hair blew in the wind, and her eyes sparkled like stars.

“What’s going on? Why are you looking for me?” I asked, trying to suppress the confusion and suspicion rising inside me.
She smiled, her lips slightly parted, but her gaze was serious. “Can we talk outside for a moment?” she asked earnestly, making me feel that something important was about to be revealed.

We walked outside together and headed toward a swing by the lake. From a distance, the lake reflected the afternoon sunlight, creating a quiet, cool space, but inside me, everything still felt heavy.

We sat on the swing in silence for a while, neither of us speaking. The gentle breeze rustled the leaves, almost as if it wanted to break the uncomfortable silence. Finally, she spoke, cutting through my thoughts. “I’m Maya, Kaito’s cousin,” she said calmly.

I looked up, my surprise evident. “Kaito’s cousin?” I repeated, feeling as though a cool breeze had passed through my burning heart. So, she was just Kaito’s cousin, not his girlfriend?

Maya looked at me sincerely, as if trying to clear up any misunderstandings. “I’m currently studying in France. I came back because Kaito asked for my help with something. I just wanted you to understand that there’s nothing between me and him.”

Just then, a group of my classmates appeared in front of me. One of them turned on music, and Maya stood up, joining them to dance to Taylor Swift’s Love Story. The scene confused me even more as I watched them, not understanding what was going on.

Before I could figure it out, Kaito appeared, holding a fresh bouquet of roses. His eyes sparkled, and he walked toward me with determination. He stood before me, smiling shyly, but his eyes couldn’t hide his happiness.

“I like you, Hana. Will you be my girlfriend?” His words in that moment made my heart tighten. The overwhelming feeling inside me was hard to describe. It turned out, Kaito liked me. I was the one he liked.

I choked up, unable to believe what I was hearing. I took the roses from Kaito’s hands and could only reply with a simple, “Yes.” As soon as I said that, everyone cheered and clapped, congratulating us.

Then, they returned to their activities, and Kaito and I were left alone on the swing. Kaito sat next to me, a shy look still in his eyes. He scratched his head, not knowing what to do next.

I turned to him and asked, trying to calm my nerves, “So, who was the girl in your phone?”
Kaito smiled and showed me his phone again, pointing at the blurry image of the girl tying her hair. “She’s pretty, isn’t she?” he said.

I stared at the picture, then turned away, feeling a little teased. “How could she be pretty when you can’t even see her face?” I pouted, folding my arms and turning my face away, pretending to be upset.

“Hana, do you really not recognize her?” Kaito’s question startled me, and my heart skipped a beat. I looked back at him and saw a gentle smile on his lips.
“Recognize what?” I asked, my voice betraying my curiosity and confusion.

Kaito laughed softly, his voice deep and warm. “You’re the one in that picture, Hana. Don’t you recognize yourself?”

I gasped, feeling like my heart had stopped for a moment. The world seemed to freeze around me, and all my thoughts disappeared. “What? It’s me?” I stammered, unable to believe what I had just heard.

Kaito nodded, his voice softening. “Yes. That day you argued with your mom and went to the park to cry, I took that picture of you when you were tying your hair.”

His gaze grew even gentler, as if explaining everything he had never dared to say before. “I was afraid that if I confessed, our friendship would change. But with the support of everyone and my cousin, they helped me plan this event.”

I sat still, a sense of relief washing over me as I listened to his explanation. All the questions in my mind now had answers. I still couldn’t believe this happiness.

I turned to look at Kaito, my voice trembling. “So… how long have you liked me?”
Kaito smiled and nodded. “For a long time, Hana. I think I’ve liked you since the time you helped me stand up to the bullies in elementary school.”
Hearing that, I smiled gently, replying, “I like you too, Kaito.”

Kaito laughed, his smile radiant, no longer shy. He gave me a light hug, and we didn’t need any words, for we both understood everything that needed to be said. My heart no longer felt heavy but filled with love and peace.

From that moment on, everything between us changed. Our close friendship didn’t disappear but transformed into a sincere, beautiful love. Together, we shared joyful moments, peaceful afternoons, and dreams for the future.

This story draws inspiration from real-life events and individuals, but it has been adapted and fictionalized for creative expression. Names, characters, and specific details have been altered to protect individuals’ privacy and to enhance the storyline. Any similarity to real persons, living or deceased, or actual events is coincidental and unintentional.