I placed my bag on the desk and pulled out my notebook, flipping it open to a fresh page. As I settled in, looking around bored, my eyes were drawn to something unusual—scribbled words etched into the wooden surface of the desk. They were faint, almost as if someone had hastily carved them out in a moment of boredom or frustration.
“Lost in a crowd, but still unseen…”
The words felt oddly fitting, resonating with the whirlwind of emotions that often came with starting something new. I traced the letters with my fingertips, wondering who had felt compelled to leave this small piece of themselves behind.
Just as I was contemplating the message, a soft, almost melodic voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Excuse me."
A faint smell of jasmine hit my nostrils. I turned my head, and a girl was standing there with a captivating presence. My eyes roamed over her face. Her fringe, slightly tousled by the wind from the window, framed her forehead perfectly. The sunlight caught in her hair, which barely grazed her shoulders, creating an almost halo-like effect around her.
Her eyes were striking—a deep, inky black that seemed to draw me in. They complemented her hair perfectly, adding to the mysterious aura she exuded.
Creepy me.
Trust me, I’ve never gawked at someone like this before.
She raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of curiosity and impatience—like she was challenging me without saying a word.
"Can I sit here?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of exasperation.
For a moment, I just stared at her, completely thrown off by her presence. "Huh?" I finally managed, snapping out of my daze when I realized she was waiting for an answer. I noticed the seat beside me, where someone had left a pen on the desk. Without really thinking, I grabbed the pen and stuffed it into my bag.
"Sure," I said, nodding quickly. My voice came out rougher than I intended, so I turned back to the window, trying to play it cool. I cleared my throat, the sound awkwardly loud in the quieting room, and felt the seat beside me shift as she sat down.
My heart started beating a little faster, and suddenly, I was hyper-aware of her presence next to me.
A strange flutter kicked up in my chest, as if my heart were trying to escape its confines. Every breath I took seemed too loud, too deliberate, and the air around me felt charged with a tension I couldn’t quite place.
I couldn’t resist sneaking a quick glance in her direction. She was arranging her things on the desk with quick, efficient movements, like she was here to get straight to work.
I forced myself to turn back to the front of the room where the professor was setting up, but my mind kept drifting back to her.
Stop behaving like a creep; you don’t want this on the first day, man… no, don’t steal glances.
But I found myself stealing glances at her from the corner of my eye, wondering if she was just as aware of me as I was of her. But she seemed completely absorbed in the lecture, her eyes fixed on the professor, her pen moving swiftly across her notebook.
I’m the fool here.
I took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on my own notes, but a small smile tugged at the corners of my lips. Maybe this unusual start to my college life wasn’t so bad after all.
As the lecture began, I forced myself to focus on the professor’s voice, trying to absorb the material despite my lingering distractions.
The girl beside me, seemed deeply engaged, her notes filling up quickly as she scribbled away. Her concentration was impressive, and for a moment, I found myself envying her ability to tune out everything around her.
Every now and then, I would catch glimpses of her out of the corner of my eye. She had this natural elegance about her, even in such a mundane setting as a lecture hall. The way her hair fell just right and how she seemed to move with purpose made her stand out, even in a crowd of students.
As the lecture progressed, I could hear snippets of discussion from nearby students, most of them seemingly just as absorbed or struggling to stay awake as I was. Occasionally, Amulya would shift in her seat, and each time, I would feel a ripple of awareness. It was disconcerting how such a small action could impact me so much.
As the lecture approached its midpoint, I decided to take a break and stretch my legs. The professor’s voice had become a soothing background hum, but the confinement of the lecture hall made me restless. I leaned back in my seat, stretching my arms above my head and rolling my shoulders to loosen the tension. The room was filled with the soft rustling of papers and the occasional scribble of pens on notebooks.
I tilted my head and glanced around, my eyes drifting over the sea of students, each absorbed in their own notes or conversations. My gaze shifted toward the front of the hall, where the professor was engaged in a brief Q&A session. A girl in the front row had her hand raised, her brow furrowed in concentration as she posed a question. The professor, a middle-aged man with glasses perched precariously on the tip of his nose, answered with patient clarity, occasionally nodding as he spoke.
In the midst of this, my attention was suddenly pulled back to the girl sitting beside me. As if drawn by an invisible thread, our eyes met. Her gaze was intense and thoughtful, and for a brief moment, time seemed to stand still. My breath caught in my throat as I struggled to maintain my composure. I quickly shifted my focus back to the professor, who was now addressing a question from the girl at the front.
The room was bathed in the soft light filtering through the high windows, creating a dappled effect on the floor. A gentle breeze stirred the air, carrying with it the faint scent of fresh paper and a hint of jasmine.
The professor glanced back over the room, his eyes briefly meeting mine before returning to the front. With a final nod and a dismissive gesture, he concluded the session. “Alright, that’s it for today. Please make sure to review the material covered and come prepared for next class.”
A collective sigh of relief swept through the room as students began packing their belongings. I noticed the girl beside me closing her notebook with a practiced efficiency, her movements smooth and deliberate. The brief but charged moment of eye contact had left an impression on me, and I felt a peculiar mix of curiosity and intrigue.
As the classroom began to empty, I gathered my things with a sense of quiet satisfaction. I watched as students filed out, their voices blending into a low murmur.
I stood up, gathering my things with a renewed sense of purpose. The girl, now ready to leave, glanced back at me with a small, acknowledging smile before heading towards the door.
I returned her smile, feeling a curious mixture of anticipation and uncertainty. The lecture may have been over, but the brief encounter had left an impression. As I walked out into the hallway, the chaotic buzz of students and the echoes of conversation filled the air, but my thoughts were still with the girl beside me.
