He tries to talk to her the next week.
She was sitting on the stairs outside the lecture hall, fingers scrolling around her phone, staring at the blank courtyard like she nowhere to be but at the court.
He walks up — no plan, no smooth line. Just:
"Hey, you dropped this, your charger?"
She lifts her head, startled. Big dark eyes, a polite half-smile. She checks her bag.
"It's not mine.", she answered.
Voice quiet, like stepping into snow. She tucks her phone away.
"But thank you."
She leaves before he can ask her name again.
"Did I just missed my chance?? Oh, boy. Man up."
He smiles looking at her.
Despite failing to be close with her multiple times, he keeps up his patience.
He doesn't chase her, not yet.
Instead, he watches her;
How she's always early to the gym.
How she always stays after practice to collect stray balls, wipe the court down herself.
How sometimes she just sits there, shoes off, staring at her hands like she's trying to keep them from shaking.
He became more and more curious wanting to know what it is that keeps her so far away.
He wants to ask: Who hurt you?
He wants to promise: I won't.
But he couldn't. At the same time he was afraid that he might loose her. For now he was relieved with the friendship he has established with Sana. For now, he was happy with exchange of HELLOs, having lunch together and playing together. He was happy just being by her side here and there. He was happy that she hasn't pushed her away. He was happy trying to understand her from all way possible.
He was so happy that he couldn't find the courage to chase after her, to declare his love to her.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
One day while he was leaving the lab after a group project, outside the court, he saw her, Sana, alone on the cold concrete steps; Head in her knees, shoulders trembling.
He didn't thought anything and just dropped his bag and sat beside her.
"Hey. Are you okay?"
She lifts her head, wipes her eyes fast.
"Sorry. I'm fine. Just… tired."
He wants to touch her shoulder but doesn't. She was trembling too hard.
"You want me to stay?"
For instance she didn't thought anything and just nodded — Just once.
They sat there asking nothing. His hoodie draped over her shoulders. The dim street lights. The cold wind and warmth between two. He just stayed beside her, comforting with silence and lots of questions running inside his head.
It was the first time she let him be close. And he kept skipping a beat. Anxious she might hear it.