I slowly turned around.
For a few seconds, my mind stopped working.
The noise of the college corridor, students talking, and footsteps around me suddenly became distant. It was as if someone had pressed the mute button on the entire world.
Because the person standing a few feet away from me…
was him.
The same eyes.
The same smile.
The same face I had seen countless times in old pictures and remembered in my thoughts for four years.
I couldn't move.
I couldn't even blink.
I had imagined this moment thousands of times. I had thought about what I would say if I ever met him again. I had created so many scenarios in my head.
But now that he was actually standing in front of me…
my mind was completely blank.
I just kept staring.
And he looked equally surprised.
For a few seconds, neither of us said anything.
Then he smiled softly.
"Hi, Junior."
That one word made my heart race.
Because for four years, he had only been a name on my screen, a memory, and a silent hope.
And now he was real.
Standing right in front of me.
I suddenly forgot how to breathe.
"H-Hi…" I finally managed to say.
I could literally hear my own heartbeat.
What was he doing here?
How could he suddenly appear in my medical college?
Why did fate always bring him back into my life when I was finally learning how to move forward?
I had thousands of questions in my mind.
Before I could say anything else, I heard another voice.
"What happened? Why are you standing like you've seen a ghost?"
I turned around.
My senior was standing there.
He looked at me, then at him, and then back at me.
I suddenly became nervous.
For a moment, I didn't know what to do.
Then I took a deep breath.
"This is… my friend."
I don't know why I used the word friend.
Maybe because I couldn't explain our complicated story in one sentence.
And then I introduced my senior to him.
They both smiled and greeted each other politely.
There was an awkward silence for a few seconds.
Then I suddenly said,
"If you don't mind… I can give you a small tour of my college. And our canteen coffee is actually nice. You should try it."
He smiled.
"Sure. I would love that."
I then looked at my senior.
"You should come too."
He looked at me for a few seconds and then smiled.
"Of course."
And just like that…
the three of us started walking together.
If someone had told me a few months ago that one day I would be walking inside my medical college with the boy I had loved silently for four years and the senior who knew all my secrets…
I would have never believed them.
Life was truly unpredictable.
I started showing him different parts of the college.
"This is our lecture hall."
"And that is our anatomy department."
"Those are the practical rooms."
"This side is the library."
I was talking continuously.
Maybe because I was nervous.
Or maybe because after waiting four years, I finally had the chance to talk to him in real life.
He listened carefully to everything.
Sometimes he would ask questions.
Sometimes he would simply smile.
And every time he smiled…
I forgot what I was saying.
I was trying so hard to act normal.
But inside?
Inside, my heart was creating absolute chaos.
I secretly looked at him.
He looked exactly the same.
Yet different.
A little more mature.
A little more confident.
A little more distant.
I wondered if he remembered anything about me.
Did he know how important this moment was for me?
Did he know that I had waited years just for one proper conversation?
I didn't know.
And honestly…
I was too scared to ask.
After the tour, we finally reached the canteen.
The three of us sat at a table.
I immediately stood up.
"I'll get coffee."
But before I could leave, my senior stopped me.
"I'll bring it."
I looked at him.
"No, it's okay. I'll—"
"It's fine," he interrupted softly. "You sit with your friend."
Friend.
Again that word.
I nodded slowly.
And he left.
As I watched him walk away, I suddenly felt strange.
A heavy feeling settled inside my heart.
Because I knew something.
I knew my senior cared about me.
Maybe more than he should.
Maybe more than I deserved.
And still…
he was helping me spend time with the person I loved.
He was making things easier for me.
Without expecting anything in return.
It was confusing.
Very confusing.
I suddenly felt guilty.
The boy sitting in front of me looked at me.
"What happened?"
I blinked.
"Nothing."
"You look lost."
I smiled softly.
"I'm just tired."
He nodded.
For a few seconds, we both stayed quiet.
Then he looked around the canteen.
"So this is where future doctors survive?"
I laughed.
The first genuine laugh of the day.
"Trust me. This place is more important than the library."
He laughed too.
And somehow…
the conversation became easy.
We talked about studies.
College life.
Hostels.
Stress.
Funny incidents.
And for the first time…
I felt like I was talking to him normally.
Not as my crush.
Not as a dream.
Just as a person.
A few minutes later, my senior returned with three coffees.
He placed one cup in front of each of us.
"Thank you," I said.
"No problem."
The three of us started drinking coffee.
They both talked about studies and future plans.
Sometimes I listened.
Sometimes I spoke.
And sometimes…
I simply observed them.
One person was the reason behind my four years of silent feelings.
The other person was the reason I had learned to smile again in college.
Both were sitting in front of me.
And suddenly…
life felt incredibly strange.
Time passed quickly.
Too quickly.
Soon he looked at his watch.
"I think I should leave now."
For a second, my heart dropped.
Already?
I wanted this day to last a little longer.
But I simply smiled.
"Okay."
We all stood up.
He thanked me for the tour.
"It was really nice meeting you."
I smiled.
"It was nice meeting you too."
Then he looked at me and said,
"I'll see you again, Junior."
Those words made my heart skip a beat.
I don't know why.
Maybe because for the first time…
meeting him again didn't feel impossible anymore.
We said goodbye.
And then he left.
I stood there watching him disappear into the crowd.
Four years.
And yet…
his presence still had the power to make my heart race.
"Shall we go?"
My senior's voice brought me back to reality.
I nodded.
The two of us started walking towards our hostel.
For a while, neither of us said anything.
The evening breeze was cold.
The campus looked beautiful.
Students were laughing and walking around.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Then my senior suddenly stopped walking.
I looked at him.
"What happened?"
He looked at me quietly.
For a few seconds, he didn't say anything.
Then he took a deep breath.
And finally said,
"Can I ask you something… and this time, I want an honest answer?"
I looked at him, confused.
He looked directly into my eyes.
And then he asked the one question I never expected.
"After meeting him today… do you still think your heart belongs only to the past?"
I froze.
Because suddenly…
I didn't know the answer myself.