The scene began with a flurry of motion. Books spilled from her arms and scattered across the ground. Students milled about, some offering glances but none stopping to help. Except for me.
Bending down, I quickly gathered the fallen books. "Are you alright?" I asked, offering my hand to her.
She looked up, her face glowing red like a ripe tomato. "Y-Yeah, thank you," she stammered, her voice as soft as a breeze.
She hesitated, then took my hand. As I pulled her to her feet and handed back her books, she immediately hugged them to her chest, tilting her head down to hide her flushed face.
"Umm… do I know you?" I asked, curiosity stirring in my chest. Something about her seemed… familiar.
"Yes," she said, almost too quickly. Then she froze, realizing her mistake. "I mean, no! Why would you know me?" She laughed nervously, her eyes darting everywhere except toward mine.
"Okay…" I replied, drawing the word out. Her odd behavior was intriguing, to say the least.
We started walking side by side, neither of us saying a word. I noticed she kept sneaking glances at me, her head turning away just as quickly whenever I shifted my gaze toward her. Was she always this shy, or was something else going on?
Breaking the silence, I decided to introduce myself. "So, my name is Yohan. What's yours?"
Her steps faltered slightly, but she quickly composed herself. "I… I'm Aisha. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," I replied, smiling at her. There was something about her smile that made my heart thump a little faster.
"So, what department are you in?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"I'm in the surgical department, Class-B," she replied, her voice gaining a bit of confidence. "What about you?"
"Same department, but I'm in Class-A," I said, my voice filled with hope. "I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other."
She whispered something under her breath, her cheeks turning crimson. "I want to!"
"What was that? I didn't catch it," I said, leaning slightly closer.
Startled, she hugged her books tighter and stammered, "I just said… it's nice to make a friend on the first day. Now I won't feel lonely!"
Her words were innocent, but there was a strange smile on her face as she said them.
"It's my first day too," I confessed, scratching the back of my head awkwardly. "And honestly, I feel the same way."
She ducked her head, hiding her face behind her books again. I noticed her ears were as red as her cheeks. Was she always this easily flustered?
As we continued walking, the awkwardness began to fade. We exchanged a few small smiles and even glanced at each other a couple of times.
Suddenly, she stopped in front of a classroom door. "This is my class," she said softly.
"Okay then. Let's meet during recess?" I suggested, trying to sound casual but hopeful.
She nodded quickly before disappearing into the classroom, leaving me alone in the hallway.
Inside the classroom, Aisha slumped into her seat, her mind racing at lightning speed.
"Why? Why is he here?" she thought, pressing her hands to her burning cheeks. "Out of all the places in the world, why here?!"
Her heart pounded in her chest as memories flooded back. She had spent years trying to forget him—the boy from Science City.
"Why now? Why after all this time?" she groaned internally, burying her face in her hands. "And why does he have to look so… so handsome now?"
She peeked out from between her fingers, her face growing even redder. "No, no, no! What am I thinking? He's not that handsome. He's just… tall. And… his hair is nice. But that doesn't mean anything!"
Her thoughts spiraled further out of control. "Maybe it's not him. He doesn't even seem to remember me!"
Slumping back in her seat, she let out a small whimper. "Ugh, why is this happening to me?"
Meanwhile, I couldn't shake the feeling that Aisha was hiding something. Her behavior was so strange, but also kind of… endearing?
I made my way to my own classroom, feeling a mixture of curiosity and nervousness. Was I overthinking things? Probably. But there was no denying it—Aisha had left an impression on me.
During recess, I found myself wandering the halls, hoping to run into her again. When I finally spotted her sitting alone at a table in the cafeteria, I felt a wave of relief.
"Hey, Aisha!" I called out, waving as I approached.
She looked up, startled, and then quickly looked down at her tray, her cheeks turning pink. "H-Hi, Yohan," she murmured.
"Mind if I join you?" I asked, already pulling out a chair.
She shook her head, her eyes glued to her lunch.
"So, how was your first class?" I asked, trying to break the ice.
"It was fine," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
The conversation was slow at first, but as we talked, Aisha started to relax. She even smiled a few times, and I found myself smiling along with her.
By the time lunch ended, I was certain of one thing—I wanted to know more about Aisha.
Back in her class, Aisha's thoughts were once again in chaos.
"He sat with me during lunch," she thought, her face heating up. "And he kept smiling at me. Why does he have to be so… so nice?"
She sighed, resting her head on her desk. "I can't deal with this. Not again. I just… I just have to keep my distance."
But deep down, she knew it wouldn't be that simple.
END OF CHANCE ENCOUNTER PART : 2 : WHY IS HE HERE?