It was winter again. I was alone on a restaurant. Everyone was happy chatting with each other. I felt like I was the only one with a sad expression. I kept looking around but I can’t see what I was looking for. I was thinking for a thousand times on how I would see him again.

“Hello,”

“What do you need?”

“Do I have to need something from you for me to talk to you?”

“I’m not talking to strangers,”

“Well I do,”

The waiter placed another cup of coffee on my table. The door opened again and signaled that there was another costumer again. I quickly looked up and my hopes fell again. It was just a stranger. Why, of all the strangers, he’s the one I’m looking for?

“Why are you crying? Tears are sacred; you should not let anyone see it.”

“Why do you care? Just go away!”

“I just think you need someone to talk to.”

“I don’t need anyone!”

“You know what, you look familiar… have we met?”

“Could you just shut it?”

Why, of all the strangers, he’s the one who’s not going to give up? I remembered all the efforts he made just to talk to me. I was so cold that night. I had a problem that day and I thought that… that night was the worst. It turned out to be the best.

“Family problems? Or love problems?”

“Nothing,”

“Maybe your family forced you to marry a guy you don’t like and then… you decided to run away from them. And now, you’re here crying and thinking where you would stay this night… and what will happen to you…”

“H-How did you…?”

“Simple, you kept on talking the earlier while you’re crying. Some people here even thought you’re crazy!”

Then he started laughing after saying that. I was so embarrassed because of that. I just realized that I was blushing. I didn’t even know that I was actually talking while crying that night.

A smile suddenly appeared on my face as I remembered his laugh. He looked so happy. Why do I have to lose my hopes? Who knows if he’s coming today?

“He’s supposed to propose this night… but I run away when they are busy preparing…”

“Why did you do that without even thinking on where you are going?”

“I have no time to think! All I just know is that, I need to run away from that hell…”

“They are still your family.”

“They are not my family. My real parents died when I was in six. I was adopted by a couple… but now they are bankrupted and they need me to marry a rich guy.”

“Why don’t you follow them? Why don’t you think of the things they did for you?”

“They never did anything for me… they adopted me because my parents left a huge amount on my name… and now that it’s gone, they don’t see me useful anymore.”

Remembering all those things was never a problem for me anymore. When I remember all those things… I just feel so happy… at least in that way, I was able to meet a stranger like him. A stranger that… I love up until now.

I kept on crying that night when I started telling him my story. And he just tried to comfort me.

“When you feel sad, try to sing something that could make you feel better.”

“I don’t sing.”

“Try it… it might make you feel better.”

“What would I sing?”

“Why ask me?”

“I don’t want to sing in front of you.”

“Why not?”

I hate the way he talked to me. I easily get annoyed with those kinds of replies. But when he did that, why do I feel like I want to remember it all so that when I meet him again, I’d easily recognize him.

A man suddenly stood up in front of me. He was one of the hosts in this restaurant. He usually asks someone to sing in front of the costumers. I forced a smile and shook my head.

“Ma’am, you should try… it might make you feel better.”

My eyes widened when I heard that man say that. I know that this man that stood in front of me was not the man I love but… what surprised me is that… I just don’t expect someone to say his line. I only want him to say that to me.

I decided to accept the offer. I stood up and went on the stage. Everyone turned their head to look at me. I heaved a sigh and forced smile. “This song… is dedicated to a stranger… that stranger I love… up until now.”

There I was again tonight forcing laughter, faking smiles, same old tired lonely place.

Walls of insincerity, shifting eyes in vacancy vanished when I saw your face.

All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you.

Your eyes whispered ‘have me met?’

Across the room, your silhouette starts to make its way to me.

The playful conversation starts, counting all your quick remarks like passing notes in secrecy.

And it was enchanting to meet you.

The door opened and signaled that there is another costumer again. I refused to look at who just came in. I don’t want to expect anything again. But when I looked up, my eyes instantly glued on a guy who was watching me with a smile.

This night is sparling, don’t you let it go.

I’m wonderstruck, blushing all the way home.

I’ll spend forever wondering if you knew, I was enchanted to meet you.

His eyes diverted its direction when a girl approached him. His smile became even wider when he saw the girl. The girl sat beside him and he instantly wrapped his arm around the girl’s shoulders.

My eyes instantly watered when I saw his smile. I missed that smile. That smile was the smile he showed me… the smile that made me feel better.

The lingering question kept me up 2 am, “Who do you love?”

I wondered till I’m wide awake.

And now I’m pacing back and forth wishing you were at my door.

I’d open up and you would say, “It was enchanting to meet you.”

My voice cracked when tears came streaming down on my cheeks. I tried to wipe it away and fake a smile. But I was failing to it. I don’t want to see it… I don’t want to see him showing that smile to another woman. Why do I feel this way? When in the first place… I was just a stranger to him.

Please don’t be in love with someone else; please don’t have somebody waiting on you.

I refused to finish the song but instead, I said those words while looking directly into his eyes. With that, I made my way outside the restaurant. I decided to just run away just like how I run away from my problems before. Maybe it’s the only thing I can do when problems come to me.

“Hey!”

I heard a voice behind me but I didn’t turn on my back. Maybe it’s not for me. I continued running away. But I can still hear footsteps following me. Maybe it’s just me.

“I get it… you’re not talking to strangers… Well I do, you remember that?”

And that’s when it hit me—it’s him. My mind wanted me to continue running but my body refused to follow me. I stopped on my tracks and my back.

“Why are you crying? Tears are sacred; you should not let anyone see it.”

I know that whatever I would say, he wouldn’t give up. He wouldn’t give up on asking me what my problem is. But at that moment, I wondered if he’s usually like this on every stranger he meets.

“Family problems? Or love problems?”

I shook my head and hid my face in my hands. I was crying like a kid. I felt like a kid who got his lollipop stolen away. I don’t want to talk to him. Actions are enough to show me that he loves that girl.

“Why did you do that without even thinking on where you are going?”

I decided to lift my head up when he asked that question. I don’t know if he intended to say those things just for me to remember what happened five years ago. I don’t know… I’m so confused.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Can I come near you?” He asked that made me more confused. I just nodded without thinking. He started walking to me until he is really few inches from me. He touched my face that made me jump a bit. He started wiping my tears with his handkerchief and then he flashed his sweet smile.

“W-What… What are you doing…? Why are you so nice? Are you really like that to every stranger you meet?” I said with my breaking voice. I was supposed to be mad at him… but instead, my heart started beating rapidly telling me how much I love him.

He just smiled, “Yes…”

I lifted my head to see his eyes. “Well I’m not, so just… just cut this crap! I don’t want anyone to care for me… I don’t want any stranger to touch me!” I said as I slapped his hand away from me.

His smile faded into a worried one. “Hey… why are you like that?” he asked as he stepped forward again.

“I’m warning you, stay away from me!” I shouted.

“I don’t want!” he replied with a loud tone. “Do you know how much I waited to see you again? Do you know how much I waited just to go back here?”

That made me stop. I shook my head fiercely. “What the heck are you saying?”

“Five years ago… I was alone on that restaurant. My parents want me to come with them to the other country… I run away from them just like how you run away from your parents… I don’t want to go… because…”

“Why are you saying this to me?”

“I don’t want to go because of you.” He confessed with his eyes getting teary. “I know you since when we moved next to your house. I always see you there… I know everything about you… I know from that day on, I like you…”

“Impossible,”

“That’s why when I saw you alone on that restaurant… I swallowed my pride and never gave up just to talk to you. It’s the first and last conversation I had with you before I went to the other country. You don’t know how much you made me happy that day… even when I was about to leave…”

“Why didn’t you tell me that before?” I asked.

“Why would I? Why would I say my problem when your problem is much heavier than mine? I was so hurt when I see you crying there… everyone was looking at you… and I can’t take it just to watch you crying…”

 Without any hesitation, I instantly hugged him. “I hate you…” I cried.

“Did you wait for so long?”

“Every night, I would go there… and hope that you’d go back too… I always hoped I would come to see you again. Is it too late? Is it too late for me?”

“This is just the start,”

I pulled back and looked up to him. “Who’s that girl?”

“Now I know why you ran away the earlier…” he laughed. I slapped him in his chest with an annoyed expression. “I’m sorry, she’s my best friend… she’s just a friend…”

“But why—“

“And you… You are the one I love. You stole my heart… and even for five years long, I still can’t forget what I feel for you… I decided to go back to that same restaurant just to see you… I don’t even know if you feel the same…”

“I love you,” I instantly said.

He touched my face and smiled sweetly. “It’s all worth it…” he whispered. “I knew I have to come back here…” he hugged me tightly and whispered on my ear the sweetest line I want to hear.

“I was enchanted to meet you… I love you so much…”