The first time you 'make someone fall' happens when you aren't even trying

That was back when I didn't even know the word for 'making someone fall'.
She wasn't the type to stand out in class.

She wasn't flashy, nor was she particularly cute.
Yet, for some reason, she would often talk to me.
At first, I didn't think anything of it.

If she wanted to talk, I'd listen.
That was all.
But one day, I noticed.

Only when she talked to me did her breathing become shallow.

Emotions show in the body more than in words.

Even as a young man, I noticed that change.
■ It started with just one word


On the way home one day, we happened to be heading in the same direction.

She said,

'Aren't you walking a bit slow?'

Normally, a simple 'I'll hurry up' would suffice.

But for some reason, only on that day,

I replied lightly, 'Then I'll leave you behind.'
I was half-joking and just took a step back.

Then—

She took a step toward me.
Just one step.

But that one step changed the 'sense of distance'.
Love is born from such small shifts.

■ The moment I was pursued, the air changed


From the next day, her attitude changed subtly.

・We made eye contact more often

・She made faces she didn't show in front of other boys
・Her voice was a tone softer only when speaking to me
Even though I was the one being pursued,

at this moment, her presence was the one chasing me.
But I didn't react to it.

'If you go with the flow, they'll fall for you.'

Even as a young man, I understood that somewhere.
So I didn't move.

A man who doesn't move is strong.

That stillness makes the other person even more anxious.

■ And then, the first 'moment of falling' happened


One lunch break.

She said in a slightly trembling voice,
'Haven't you been cold lately?'

In those words,

liking me, being interested in me,
everything was mixed in.
What I said was a short phrase.

'That's not true.'

Just that.

But her expression changed in an instant.

Relief, peace of mind, expectation.

As if all of that had melted at once,
that soft face.
At that moment—

'She fell.'
For the first time, I understood that by instinct.

■ A man who makes them fall without trying


Back then, I didn't know any strategies.

But,

'Don't push,' 'Don't chase,' 'Don't rush.'
I was naturally doing these three things.
I think the glimmers of an invincible heartbreaker

were already appearing.
My first time making someone fall

wasn't about technique.
It just happened naturally.

That was my beginning.