The sky that evening looked like it was holding onto something—like it wanted to rain but couldn't let go.
Zhi Zhi stood near the edge of the street, her fingers lightly gripping the strap of her bag, her eyes wandering without purpose. Life had always been simple for her. School, home, laughter with her best friend… nothing extraordinary. Nothing that could shake her world.
Until that moment.
A soft breeze passed by, brushing her hair across her face. She tucked it behind her ear absentmindedly—and that's when she saw him.
He wasn't doing anything special.
Just standing there.
A stranger.
Wearing a plain white shirt, slightly creased, as if he didn't care much about appearances. His gaze was distant, fixed somewhere far beyond the crowded street. People walked past him, voices blended into noise, but somehow… he stood out.
Like silence in chaos.
Zhi Zhi didn't know why she kept looking.
Maybe it was the way he seemed alone, even in a crowd.
Maybe it was the calmness in his eyes.
Or maybe… it was something she didn't understand yet.
Her heart gave a small, unfamiliar flutter.
"Zhi Zhi! What are you staring at?"
Her best friend's voice snapped her back. Bright, warm, full of life—just like always. Zhi Zhi quickly looked away, pretending nothing happened.
"Nothing," she said softly.
But her voice didn't sound convincing. Not even to herself.
Still… she glanced back.
Just once.
But he was already gone.
---
That night, Zhi Zhi lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was quiet, but her mind wasn't.
Why was she thinking about him?
She didn't even know his name.
Didn't know where he came from.
Didn't know if she would ever see him again.
Yet somehow… he stayed.
Like a shadow she couldn't escape.
She turned to her side, hugging her pillow tightly.
"It's nothing," she whispered to herself.
Just a random moment.
Just a stranger.
Just… nothing.
But deep down, something felt different.
Something had already begun.
---
The next day came like any other.
The school halls were loud, filled with laughter, footsteps, and unfinished conversations. Zhi Zhi walked beside her best friend, listening but not really hearing. Her mind was somewhere else—stuck in yesterday.
And then—
She froze.
There he was.
Walking down the corridor.
The same white shirt.
The same quiet presence.
The same eyes that didn't seem to belong anywhere… yet somehow pulled her in.
Her heart skipped.
For a second, the world around her blurred.
"Wait… who is that?" her best friend suddenly said, her tone curious.
Zhi Zhi felt something tighten in her chest.
"I… I don't know," she replied.
But her eyes didn't leave him.
Not even for a second.
He passed by them without looking.
Like she didn't exist.
Like she was just another face in the crowd.
And yet… for Zhi Zhi, that moment felt like everything.
Her best friend turned slightly, watching him walk away.
"He's new, right?" she said, a small smile forming. "He looks… interesting."
Zhi Zhi didn't respond.
Because something inside her already knew—
This wasn't just a coincidence.
This wasn't just a meeting.
This was the beginning of a story…
One that would quietly break her heart.
---