Rain fell softly outside, making the streets look shiny and quiet. Inside Café Hazel, Neil sat alone by the window with a hot coffee and his sketchbook. This was his favorite spot—calm, away from noise, where no one asked questions.
He watched the world through the glass. A tired man reading the newspaper. A girl scrolling on her phone. Two friends laughing loudly. Neil's pencil moved gently on the paper, sketching small moments from their lives. He didn't draw faces—he drew feelings.
Neil didn't talk much. He liked being quiet. People called him "the artist guy" but didn't know anything else. He liked it that way.
Then, everything changed.
Across the street, under a red umbrella, stood a girl. Her hair was a little wet. Her coat was soaked. But she didn't look upset. She was looking inside the café… looking at him.
Neil's heart skipped. She smiled.
It wasn't a fake smile. It wasn't shy. It was soft, real, and warm—like sunshine in the rain.
Neil blinked. She opened the café door and stepped in. The bell above rang, but he barely heard it. She shook off her umbrella, ordered something warm, and sat near the window—not far from him.
He didn't look at her directly, but he could feel her presence.
Why did she smile at me? he wondered.
He flipped to a fresh page in his sketchbook. Slowly, carefully, he began to draw the moment. Her standing in the rain. Her eyes. Her smile. That feeling. He didn't know her name, but something about her stayed in his mind.
That one smile had done something strange—it made him feel noticed. Seen. Like he wasn't invisible anymore.
And just like that, Neil's quiet world had started to change.