The sun was already dipping low, brushing the world with a golden warmth that made everything seem a little more magical. The courtyard buzzed with the sound of students rushing to wherever they needed to be — the shuffle of shoes, the burst of laughter, the casual chatter about nothing and everything.
But none of it mattered.
Because in that moment, I saw her.
She wasn't doing anything special — just standing there with her bag slung over one shoulder, her hair catching the light like soft silk. But the second my eyes found hers, everything else blurred out of focus.
I didn't know her name.
I didn't know her story.
But I knew her eyes.
They were deep and calm, like still water at sunset. One glance — just one — and my heartbeat stumbled, tripping over itself like it had forgotten how to work properly. I told myself to look away. To act normal. To keep walking like everyone else.
But I couldn't.
Something in her gaze held me still, as if an invisible thread had wrapped around my chest and pulled me toward her. My feet moved before I could think. A single step. Then another. It felt like the world had grown quiet — not silent, just distant, like I was underwater and everything else was above the surface.
My palms grew warm, my throat dry. I didn't know what I was doing, but I knew I'd regret it forever if I just let her disappear into the crowd.
She turned her head slightly, catching me staring. My chest tightened. Her eyes widened — not in annoyance, not in fear — just a hint of surprise. Then the corners of her lips softened, curious.
And before I could stop myself, the words slipped out like they had been waiting there all along.
>"Your eyes are beautiful."
The world stopped.
She froze for a heartbeat, like she wasn't sure she'd heard me right. Then it happened — that small, shy smile. Soft. Gentle. A smile that wasn't loud or dazzling but felt real. Warm. Like sunlight sneaking through clouds.
For a second, I forgot how to breathe.
The air around us changed. The noise of the courtyard faded into something distant. It wasn't that the world disappeared — it just… stepped aside. As if even the universe wanted to give this moment space to exist.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, still smiling, and something inside me melted. I'd seen a lot of smiles in my life, but none like hers. It wasn't perfect, but it was honest — and that honesty was louder than anything else.
> "Thank you," she said softly.
Two simple words, but my heart reacted like it was hearing a song for the first time. I didn't even know this girl, but somehow, it felt like I'd been waiting for this moment without knowing it.
People rushed around us, but I didn't care. The sunset wrapped around her like gold, turning the world into a painting I didn't want to end.
I didn't know who she was. I didn't even know if I'd ever see her again.
But I knew this — my world had just shifted. Just because of a glance.
And maybe, just maybe… she felt it too.