The same afternoon…
Austin was headed home after classes, as usual, taking the metro train. He had retreated into himself, sitting back, covered by headphones, listening to music, and leaning his head against the window. The afternoon crowd mostly consisted of students, their chatter blending into the soft hum of the train.
It was then that a girl caught his attention. She had just boarded the train and taken a seat directly across from him. Though Austin did not normally pay any heed to other people, there was something almost instinctive about how she drew his gaze in this instance.
Undeniably, she was cute. Short, her reddened hair had a tremendous, lively shade to it, soft and fluffy with gentle curls that framed her small face. A few strands had escaped her hair decoration and fell loose, which she calmly pushed behind her ear. She owned light green eyes that sparkled with sunlight filtering through the windows like polished marbles with a mischievous glint in them. Her skin was smooth, and it was fair, having a natural blush dusting her cheeks, giving her a delicate almost porcelain-like appearance.
What struck me most was how petite she was—adorably small at barely 4'10\" to 5 feet, nearly a full foot shorter than Austin. Her rounded shoulders and slightly oversized yellow hoodie made her look even endearingly more like a tiny bear all wrapped in sunshine. She sports a large bag slung over her shoulder.
But Austin did not act like his brother might have; he swiftly returned his attention to his phone, claiming not to have heard. He glanced back at the girl out of the corner of his eye. This time, she seemed visibly uncomfortable. She was sifting through her bag, her movements hurried and almost frantic. She leaned forward slightly, her hands covered her ears tightly, her expression one of clear distress.
Sharp observation skills kicked in for Austin. He realized the metro, with every slowing down or picking up of speed, would emit distant screeching sounds, and during each halt, she would flinch, her hands digging even harder into her ears. Chatters by college kids and a general cacophony from the crowded train filled the space around them.
For most, it would not be such a deal, but Austin surmised that someone with sensitive hearing could find it unbearable. He promptly deduced she probably left her earplugs home and was overwhelmed by the sound.
Without a moment's hesitation, Austin undid the connection between his headphones and his phone and stood up. Two steps forward, he then softly said, "Hey," speaking in a smooth tone not to scare her off.
The girl looked at him, her green eyes wide with curiosity and mild astonishment.
"Do you have sensitivity to hearing?" he asked gently. She hesitated for a while before nodding silently.
"Here," Austin said, extending his headphones. "They have active noise cancellation. They will help."
Without the slightest hesitation, the girl accepted the headphones, quickly pulling them down over her ears. In less than a second, the anguish smoothed from her face as the cacophony around her declined to silence.
Austin sat beside her, keeping a suitable distance, resting his head carelessly against the glass of the window. He did not try to talk to her, rather perturbingly so, his relaxed calm as if helping was no big deal. He resumed scrolling through his phone, letting her have her peace.
Yet, the girl looked puzzled. She kept looking at him a few times and cocked her head to the side, seemingly in an attempt to puzzle him out. As she sat there in silence for a few more seconds, she subtly shifted her weight in her seat and inched forward a little. Her voice was nearly whispery as she asked, "Are you from Arora University?"
"Yeah, second-year business student," Austin replied, his eyes still on his phone.
"Ohh, so you're my senior?" she said, her voice light, almost playful.
"Yeah," he said, but then something happened and he snapped his head towards her, a slightly shocked expression on his face. "Wait-those are full noise-cancellation headphones. How did you even hear me?" he asked, and for the first time was actually puzzled.
Ashley's cheeks flushed and she looked down, putting her fingers to her lips as though she were hiding a smile. When she could hold it in no longer, she looked up at him again, her green eyes sparkling with mischief. "Secret," she breathed softly, smiling to herself.
Austin blinked, caught off guard by just how naturally charming she was. For a moment, he simply stared at her, feeling something he'd never felt before and yet oddly pleasant tug at his chest.
She tilted her head to one side, her hair bouncing slightly against her back as she did so. "What is your name, senior?" she asked, her voice soft, her fingers still nervously fiddling with the strings of her hoodie.
After a brief pause, Austin replied, "Austin."
She smiled again and introduced herself. "I'm Ashley Turner, first-year criminology student."
Hearing that, Austin's brows shot up in surprise. "Criminology?" he asked, his disbelief evident.
Ashley tilted her head slightly, her green eyes sparkling with amusement as she raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Why? Is that a problem?" she asked, her lips curving into a playful smirk.
Austin blinked, trying to catch up. "I mean.you don't exactly seem like someone who deals with criminal activities," he said honestly.
"Oh, really? And why is that?" she asked, leaning forward a little, her voice laced with curiosity and a soft laugh playing on her lips.
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's just. I thought someone like you—uh, I mean, someone as cute as you—would be in, I don't know, fashion design or fine arts or something."
Ashley's smile grew, and her eyes lit with a playful spark. "Wait, did you just call me cute?" she asked, clearly entertained.
"No—I mean, yeah—but that's not what I meant!" stammered Austin, his face slightly heating up as he tried to explain.
Ashley laughed and leaned back in her seat with a playful glint in her eye. "Don't worry, Austin. I'll take that as a compliment," she said, giving him a cute wink.
Just then, the metro train's announcement chimed signaling the next station's arrival. It was the stop right before Austin's.
"Seems like I have to get off here," Ashley said, glancing at Austin as she adjusted the straps of her bag and stood up.
Austin rose quickly, his expression faint with urgency. "Will I see you again?" he asked, truly asking. For he had been so tall, he had to drop his head down a little to meet her eyes because of her smaller stature.
Ashley paused, tapping her chin with her finger as if thinking in deep contemplation. "Hmm," she mused dramatically before breaking into a soft smile. "Maybe when fate decides to bring us together again," she said with a playful shrug, her green eyes sparkling as she stepped off the train.
Austin stood at the door, as she turned back to the platform to glance at him. The doors of the train started to close, and he observed her lips moving, though nothing could be heard above the hum of the metro.
He read her lips: "Next time we meet, I'll give you something."
A soft laugh escaped her as the train began moving, and Austin stood at the door watching as she waved goodbye with that bright smile till she vanished from sight.
That evening, Austin sat in his living room, sipping coffee from his favorite mug. He was in his usual spot on the couch, staring at the TV, though his mind was clearly elsewhere. His thoughts kept circling back to the girl he met on the metro, her bright smile and playful demeanor etched in his mind.
The opening of the door interrupted his daydream. Billy entered. His face was blank, and without a word, he dumped his bag on the floor and fell onto the couch, stretching and turning away from Austin.
"Want Coffee?" Austin asked, still holding his own mug.
"Whiskey," Billy said flatly, his voice heavy with frustration.
Austin raised an eyebrow. He set his mug down. "What happened?" he asked, really wanting to know.
"It's about Amy," Billy mumbled, rubbing his face with his hands.
Just when Austin was asking for more information, the sound of Billy's phone as it buzzed loudly in the room broke their quiet. Billy sighed and lazily reached over and opened the notification. His face scrunched up immediately in irritation.
"Spam account request, again," he whispered under his breath. It was the same mysterious account that had been troubling him for weeks. Rejecting it earlier hadn't stopped them from sending another request.
Billy was getting frustrated with the account. He opened the DM and typed out a blunt message: "Hey, who are you? How many times do I have to reject your requests before you stop sending them?"
Billy stared at the message for a moment, fingers hovering over his keyboard. He was just about to dismiss it as another prank, when he caught his eyes on the words: "I'm a girl from your university. I just want to talk to you."
He raised an eyebrow in confusion. A girl from my university?