A distinct calmness can be felt in the university in the early morning.
Before the corridors were filled with voices and footsteps, before the professors spoke about lectures, before the campus was filled with learners and educators from every nook and cranny, the campus breathed in a comfortable silence that felt almost soothing. The buildings stood tall, with empty corridors and sun-drenched glass windows. A sharp scent of damp grass lingered from last night's rain, and today hovered a clear, bright sky.
Kitsada adjusted the strap of his backpack over his shoulder as he walked across the corridor leading to the engineering building. He lost count of how many times he walked back and forth on this path that he'd already known the cracks present on the pavement, the hidden shortcut towards the cafeteria barely noticeable from the second pillar, and the spots near the locker area where students usually take naps.
Walking down the aisle, he thought about his journey studying his program. Civil engineering is really taxing for its practitioners. The program demanded discipline from all the plates, projects, and everyday calculations – everything must be done in order and precision. Fortunately, Kritsada thrived in that order. He was clearly born to be an engineer. Through his innate brilliance, he'd come a long way.
And yet, today, his thoughts are in disarray.
It had been days since that first encounter.
The memory suddenly resurfaced, and an image burned deeply into his mind despite how brief the encounter had been. He couldn't help but let his thoughts wander on that fateful rainy day. As if heaven heard his complaints after facing a series of unlucky incidents, an angel was sent down from heaven to console him. The angel, sans wings, came down solely for Kritsada.
He was reminiscing about the memory when the angel walked towards him in small treads. Long brown hair with defined waves cascading her shoulders that smells like fresh citrusy lime; however, before Kritsada could go down the rabbit hole, he quickly snapped, for he strayed too far from the embedded memory. He quickly turned his head towards the woman who had just passed by him.
Kritsada was stunned. How could he have failed to notice that the young woman had happened to cross paths with him? He was so deep in the memory that he forgot the woman in it was wearing big, soft waves, unlike her current pin-straight hair.
'Thira'
The girl stopped before the bench under the big oak tree. Kritsada knew it was the perfect place where the sunlight was not harsh. The young woman is standing there as if waiting for someone. Her pin-straight hair perfectly framed her small, beautiful face.
Kritsada was momentarily stunned; he couldn't believe that he would see Thira on campus once again. She was just on his mind, and now she's standing a few feet away. Unlike their previous encounter, where her big, soft waves, loose and natural, covered her small face that showed little to no emotion, Thira's emotion right now is unpredictable.
It left him thinking.
Kritsada barely even knew her name, yet a strong impression lingered. He stood there without the intention of moving. He was silently observing the young woman.
After a while, the formerly silent campus came to life. Students move in groups, laughter echoes into the open air, and conversations overlap over clusters. Kritsada saw his block mates walking towards the lecture hall, along with other passing students.
As he stood there, he noticed the noise gradually fading. Hands still on his backpack strap, he felt the sudden shift in the crowd, and that caught his attention.
It was subtle but unmistakable, the way people turned their heads almost in unison toward where Kritsada had been watching for the past few minutes. Some male students slowed down, some openly stared, while others pretended not to. Some female students reacted differently – one could hear a tinged of awe with a hint of envy.
Kritsada could hear whispers of admiration from different directions.
"She's from the Business Department," a voice said beside him. His blockmates had already reached his position.
Kritsada's attention was caught. He turned his head to his block mate as if wondering what he was talking about while subtly asking for more information.
"That's Surithae Simueang."
"Yeah. That's her, others call her Thira."
"I heard she's one of the elites – the top of the class kind of elite."
"She's kind of scary and unpredictable, though," chimed another voice.
Kritsada, amazed by the sudden flood of information, slowly knit his brows.
"Scary and unpredictable, how?" he asked, voice quieter with a hint of gravity.
"Well, according to the rumors, the Business Administration's princess is very hard to read. On one hand, she seldom smiles, but when she does, it feels like she's mad. The bigger the smile, the heavier the vibe. On the other hand, when she parades her emotionless face, it's like flowers bloom on the sidewalks. That's how unpredictable she is," said the guy who is the social butterfly in the engineering department.
"Or maybe she's always mad." A soft laugh followed.
"Nahh, even if she's mad, a smile from her would be nice even if it would be the death of me," said another.
Kritsada once again fixed his eyes on Surithae.
The young woman is now sitting on the bench with her perfect posture. Holding an unopened book on her lap, she smiled and didn't waver as passing students greeted her. He noticed that behind that smile, it felt perfectly practiced, as if every movement of hers were precise and controlled. In short, Surithae is being polite and distant.
"She's rich, you know. Like ultra rich," someone else whispered.
"Well, that explains it."
"No, it doesn't," another voice countered.
"People think she acts like it, but I think that's just the way she is," the voice added.
Kritsada exhaled slowly. The information he gathered was quite a lot.
'I know she's from the Business Department; it was etched in her uniform before. Her name is Surithae, it suits her perfectly pure angel-like face,' he thought to himself.
A group of students finally approached Surithae's location. Kritsada could hear Surithae laugh softly at something one of the students said. The laughing sound was light, like the ringing of wind chimes in a soft breeze. However, the intensity of her eyes remained. She might be smiling, but that sharp gaze is as steadfast as the pin-straight hair she donned.
He remembered the soft waves from the rainy day before. Unlike her smiling face now, Surithae wore an expressionless façade on her beautiful face. One could hardly feel the emotion that she had that day. But Kritsada was sure of one thing: despite the heavy rain, he could feel as if he was surrounded by a surreal atmosphere at that time.
Under the shade of that small umbrella, he felt surrounded by blooming flowers, birds chipping nearby, and a soft sunlight beaming on him. As crazy as it sounds, he felt the world fade at that moment, leaving him head-on with a heaven-sent angel.
Looking at the present, Surithae left Kritsada a lingering question.
Which one is real?
The sudden thought came into mind. He felt unsettled and thrilled more than he liked. Unsettled, in a way that her mere existence could shake what order he lived for himself, and thrilled, that he gets to uncover a glimpse of truth that he happened to discover.
Was she always this relaxed, surrounded by others, her smiling presence that commanded attention from every corner without her asking for it? How others formed beelines to get her attention, without knowing that she had already put her defenses up with that hidden signature, cold and distant approach.
Or was she that aloof, with her imposing and intimidating aura that made her difficult to approach, but when you pass that zone, it feels like you're teleported to another dimension, where it feels soft and dreamy.
Surithae turned slightly, her gaze landing on the corridors. For a half second, Kritsada felt exposed, as if she might see him standing there, quietly observing her from afar.
Fortunately, she didn't.
Her attention was already focused elsewhere, as if there was not a worthy thing for her to look at. And somehow, Kritsada felt a sting out of nowhere. That stung more than he could have expected.
BRRRING BRRRING
The school bell rang sharply, one that could be heard even in the secluded corner of the university campus.
Kritsada and his block mates resumed walking towards their lecture hall. As he walks, his steps slower now, the image of Surithae smiling still lingers in his mind. He stopped for a moment, causing confusion in the group.
He swiftly glanced back one last time at the old oak tree.
Surithae was already gone. No shadow can be seen hovering in the coziest shade in that part of the campus.
Their second encounter is just as fleeting as their first. And once again, it left Kritsada quite an impression. He felt a growing curiosity deep in his chest.
Who is really Surithae Simueang?
The question followed him throughout the whole day. Like an unfinished thought, he now waits for the next encounter to uncover more of her.
Kritsada, with certainty, knew that his curiosity towards Surithae was just the beginning.