Eunji massaged her throbbing temples as she glanced at her wrist watch. It read 6:42 pm which was a little too early for her to grab some dinner but a little too late to catch bus no. 109 to ride back home. The words in her journal seemed to blur together. She blinked rapidly trying to comprehend the notes she took down for her exam in Sociology. Ten seconds later, her mind rebelled, refusing to digest another paragraph from the book Building Bridges Across Social Science Disciplines which she held onto for the past three hours. She leaned back in her chair and glanced at the ceiling before forcing herself to focus back to what she was reading earlier.

“The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. The aim of social studies is the promotion of civic competence. Although civic competence is not the only responsibility of social studies nor is it exclusive to the field, it is more central to social studies than to any other subject area in schools,” she muttered under her breath. She stifled a yawn and rubbed her tired eyes.

“What is the primary purpose of social studies to you, Jung Eunji? It’s to keep me from getting sane coz this is insane. I’ve been reading that for the past three hours and nothing goes into my mind. This is horrible,” she complained to herself before burying her face on the notes on her table unaware of the eyes observing her from afar.

She groaned and glanced at her watch again. It was 6:53 pm. Her thoughts soon became more and more incoherent.

“That’s it! I’m done with this,” she cursed under her breath before pushing the chair back and strode to the rows of neatly lined up books. Her eyes quietly glanced around the area. The librarian was at the help desk, the hushed atmosphere echoed through the room, computers for surfing the web occupied one corner, and people with laptops muffled still in their tables. She slowed down a bit upon arriving at the children’s section arranged in alphabetical order with colorful shelves and floor cushions. Her fingers ran over the shelves and soon landed on E.B. White’s Stuart Little. Three seconds later, she found herself engrossed, almost in a trance, flipping through its pages. She loved that story. She loved how the human parents went to an orphanage and adopt a mouse instead of child. She loved Stuart. She loved how Stuart “looked very much like a mouse in every way”. It was weird, but it was a good weird. At least, she could recite Stuart’s story all over again unlike the primary purpose of social studies which involved civic competence and how it can build bridges across multiple disciplines she had no care about whatsoever. At least, Stuart Little had those adorable tiny eyes which are pretty irresistible to look at just like the pair of eyes glued on some random Geometry textbook which Eunji wouldn’t dare open let alone touch. Those pair of eyes belonged to a slumped figure sat on the chair across to where Eunji was. There was a pile of books beside him. His face never seemed to look up. His messy soft golden hair like the bark of an oak tree was the perfect contrast to his red sweater. It made him shine.

His hands never stopped writing, she thought. She wished she could be that disciplined with her own studies. But no, she has her limits. She had done what she could. She spent hours on a book she could not entirely comprehend. And now, her eyes were just feasting on this good-looking man sat across her wishing him to at least unglue his eyes from his work and glance at her for a second. And just like that, as if the heavens heard her wish, their eyes met.

Oh God, he caught me staring at him.

Then, his lips lifted upward and his eyes turned into happy crescents. Eunji felt warm inside.

He freakin smiled... AT ME!

She smiled back at him. Her heart skipped a beat. She felt warm all over. Suddenly, they were alone in the crowd.