This is a damn good game. Possibly one of the best visual novels I've ever played. I can't wait for the full release.
Viewing post in Our Life: Beginnings & Always comments
The first opportunity to be at "love" comes in Step 3, but is only doable if you were fond/crush in Step 2. You can't go from indifferent straight to being in love.
Though, even if you officially can't be at the interest level of "love" until Step 3, there is a scene where it's possible to say it was love at first sight if you started the game at crush and then moved to love as soon as possible.
You can confess to liking Cove romantically as early as Step 2 and in Step 1 the MC can say he's extra special to them. And if the player wants to imagine their character and Cove are soulmates/in love from the moment they met, that's sweet and okay, however having the game itself go on about how eight-year-old children are so genuinely in love with each other could easily get awkward or even uncomfortable, ahah.
That's why you can't officially start declaring that it's true, life long love until they're old enough to more reasonably understand those kinds of serious feelings. I hope that makes sense.