Kanopea couldn't focus in class that day. Even Professor Diaz's lively lecture on algorithms couldn't pull her thoughts away from the garden, from the oak tree, and from him the quiet stranger who had left a faint trace in her mind she couldn't explain. Every time she tried to take notes, her pen wavered, distracted by the image of his calm demeanor, the slow rhythm of his reading, and the way the sunlight had caught his hair the last time she saw him. Her friends noticed her distant expression.
Franca leaning over to whisper, "Kan, are you even listening?" She forced herself to smile and nod, though the words inside her mind refused to settle.
During lunch, she joined Franca, Sheree, Lila, Naomie, and Than at their usual table.
Lila immediately teased her, "So… the garden guy again?" Kanopea's cheeks warmed.
"I don't even know him," she muttered, trying to sound firm, but the tone lacked conviction.
Sheree laughed and elbowed her. "Doesn't matter. Curiosity doesn't require permission." Than simply sipped his drink, a faint smile on his lips, while Naomie observed quietly, knowing enough not to push too far.
Franca, ever energetic, insisted they take a walk through the garden after lunch, and despite herself, Kanopea agreed, feeling the magnetic pull of familiarity calling her back.
Walking along the stone path, Kanopea kept her eyes scanning the trees, her heart quickening with every rustle of leaves. And then she saw him. He was sitting on the bench, back to the sun, still immersed in his book. She paused, trying to calm the sudden racing of her chest, telling herself it was only curiosity. Yet, as she watched him, a quiet longing stirred deep inside her, subtle but insistent. It was strange to feel so drawn to someone she didn't even know.
The group noticed her hesitation.
Lila nudged her shoulder teasingly. "Go talk to him already," she whispered.
Kanopea rolled her eyes. "I can't just—" she began, but the words died on her lips.
How could she speak to someone who seemed so untouchably calm? Franca laughed softly.
"Or maybe you're enjoying the view," she teased.
Kanopea's eyes narrowed, but her lips curved into a faint smile anyway.
The stranger shifted slightly, adjusting the book in his lap. Kanopea felt an odd sense of intimacy, though they had never exchanged a word. It wasn't just curiosity anymore; there was something more, a pull that made her want to know what he was thinking, what he saw when he looked at the world. The thought made her feel both vulnerable and exhilarated, a paradox she wasn't sure she was ready to admit even to herself.
As the group left the garden to continue their walk around campus, Kanopea lingered for a moment, casting one last glance at the oak tree. He didn't look up, didn't notice her at all, yet somehow, the simple sight of him sitting there, calm and unreadable, had shifted something inside her. She realized she was waiting for more, silently hoping for another small encounter that would deepen the quiet fascination stirring in her heart.