the next morning, Adam was not the same as he had been the day before; he woke up with a strange weight pressing on his chest, a mix of excitement and tension, as if the day held an unspoken test, one that had nothing to do with classes or attendance, but something far deeper, something that concerned only him—his self-image and a kind of courage he had never truly tested before, so he stood in front of the mirror longer than usual, studying his features as if seeing them for the first time, trying to look confident, trying to convince himself that today he could be different.
He arrived at the university earlier than usual, his eyes searching for her among the faces without realizing it, until he spotted her sitting quietly on a bench, reading just as she had the day before, as if the world didn't disturb her, he hesitated for a moment, then walked toward her with slow steps, his heart beating fast, every thought in his head trying to stop him, but this time, he didn't retreat.
He stood in front of her and said, in a voice he tried to keep steady, "Good morning," and she lifted her head, glanced at him briefly, then replied calmly, "Good morning," before returning to her book as if nothing had happened, and for a moment, Adam felt invisible, but he held himself together and sat on the seat across from her, trying to start any kind of conversation.
After a pause, he said, "You're new here, right?" and she closed her book slightly and said, "Yes," then fell silent, and he swallowed his words, feeling the conversation die before it even began, but he insisted on trying and added, "If you need any help with the lectures, I can help you," and this time she looked at him for a second longer and said, "Thank you," before returning to her book.
At that moment, Adam felt a strange heaviness, like he was pushing against a closed door that refused to move, and yet he didn't stand up, he stayed seated, pretending to be calm while inside he was full of questions: was he boring, was his approach wrong, or did she simply not care?
Karim suddenly appeared and sat beside him with a sly smile, whispering, "How's it going? Is the conversation working?" and Adam gave him an annoyed look and said, "I can't talk," so Karim laughed and said, "That's normal, you're overthinking, let it come naturally," then added in a more serious tone, "But the most important thing—don't become someone you're not."
Adam tried to process his words, but he was distracted, because all he could think about was that small distance between him and her, a distance that felt far greater than his ability to cross it, and yet he decided not to give up easily, so he stayed for a while, watching, learning, trying to understand her way.
Minutes passed, then Salma suddenly lifted her head and asked, "Is this the room where the next lecture will be held?" and he was surprised by the question, but quickly answered, "Yes, it is," and she nodded and said, "Okay," and that was the longest interaction they had so far, and despite how simple it was, Adam felt like it was an achievement.
He smiled to himself without realizing, as if just a word from her gave him a hidden push, but at the same time, he realized the path would not be easy, and that reaching her wouldn't be as simple as he had imagined, and that only made him more determined
After the lecture ended, everyone left, and Salma walked away with a group of girls, while Adam stood watching her from a distance, not wanting to follow her, but also not wanting to walk away, so he remained where he was, caught between both desires.
Karim stood beside him and said, "Look, Adam, it's not just about making her like you, it's about becoming someone worth liking in the first place," and Adam fell silent, feeling the words hit something deep inside him, something he had been trying to ignore.
On his way home, he kept thinking about everything that had happened, replaying the conversation in his mind again and again, analyzing every word, every glance, as if searching for a mistake or a missed chance, but in the end, he arrived at only one conclusion: he wouldn't stop here.
He stood in front of his door, took a deep breath, and whispered to himself, "This is just the beginning," and he felt something inside him slowly begin to move, something like determination, or maybe a courage he had never known before.
And in that moment, without realizing it, Adam had taken his first real step… not only toward Salma, but toward himself as well, toward a version of himself he had yet to discover, but that was beginning to take shape, step by step, attempt by attempt, on a path that would not be easy, but would be real.