As Grayson sat by the ancient reservoir, his thoughts drifted back to a time long before the weight of his current responsibilities. The ripples of memories brought forth a vivid flashback to his school days, a moment that had quietly shaped the man he had become.
Flashback: 31 Years Ago
The school buzzed with youthful energy as students mingled and played during a break. Grayson, a curious mixture of annoyance and intrigue, couldn't help but cast a glance at a peculiar girl who stood out in the crowd.
"Why the heck is she like this?" he wondered.
But suddenly, Grayson's gaze shifted from annoyance to a more observant demeanor. His attention honed in on a peculiar detail — the girl's nose hair.
"Wait, is that a quirk? Her nose hair?" The urge to laugh bubbled up, and Grayson fought to suppress it. He clenched his fist on the bench, attempting to distract himself.
However, he found himself unable to look away. The girl's animated conversation with her friends, coupled with her contagious laughter, drew him in despite his initial resistance.
Suddenly, a burst of unexpected laughter erupted, rippling through the classroom. Grayson's unrestrained amusement disrupted the tranquility, causing heads to turn, and eyes, including those of the peculiar girl, fixed on him. The abrupt sound shattered the monotony of the lesson, injecting an unexpected vibrancy into the air.
Perplexed and somewhat embarrassed, Grayson found himself at the center of attention. "What just happened? This isn't like me," he questioned himself, shooting a glance at the peculiar girl. Shock painted his expression as their eyes met, and in that moment, something shifted within him. His heart throbbed in a way he had never experienced, a subtle tremor echoing through the corridors of his being.