Should have looked out on the stairs!... Maybe not.

 

Aron looked at his wrist-watch. 10 more minutes. If I take the route through the park maybe I can make it on time. He tightened his grip around the books and the notebooks he was holding in his hands, and fixed his glasses. I should have bought that bag...seriously.

When the doors of the wagon opened he rushed out onto the subway platform along with others. There were all sorts of people pushing by him: mothers with children, old ladies, couples of many ages, regular work-people, he even noticed some smartly dressed men and women. He had a hard time to keep his balance as he wasn't used to this all.

In all the fuzz he was one of the last ones to reach the stairs. He hurried up the steps.

He had reached on the halfway when he tripped over one very particular step. Aron dropped some of his books. To make it worse the steps were dirty and wet. Coke and coffee? Who drops their drinks onto the subway stairs?! Where they even got their drinks, there's no vending machine down there...

Anyway, back to Aron. He gasped. My books! Dammit! Why now? Why here? Ah, how dirty... Why... The boy quickly started to collect his books. As he was reaching for the last book someone else picked it up and handed it to him.

Aron took the book and looked up. A girl stood there, she was smiling. Wow... She's pretty...

„Are you OK?“ the girl asked.

Aron had his mouth tangling open. He was still crouching down on the steps but as the girl asked her question he was awoken from his thoughts.

„I...uhh...yes,“ he stuttered, „Thanks.“ he smiled and fixed his glasses.

The girl also smiled in response, feeling her tickly-ticker flutter as the air-butterflies in her stomach came to life. Woah! Now I know what people mean when they say that someone takes your breath away. His smile is so... pretty!

The boy still stood there. Suddenly his eyes widened. Late! I'm gonna be late!

„Right...uhh... I should go now.“ he excused himself and hurried up the stairs.

„Hey! Wait!“ the girl followed and called after him but he boy didn't stop. He held up his pace.

„What's wrong with this guy...“ the girl mumbled to herself watching how Aron just farther and farther away from her. But she didn't give up, she followed him though she really was quite far behind him.

 

„Finally!“ Aron exclaimed to himself and glanced at his watch once again. What the-! Great! Perfect! I'm dead. He ran into the building. It had ' University' written on it.

 

***

 

An hour and an half later Aron came out of the building.

„Next time I'll just set my alarm clock to extra loud...“ he sighed looking around for a bench to sit.

„Hey! Subway-boy!“ someone was calling somebody.

Aron moved towards the free bench he had noticed.

„Hey! I'm talking to you!“ the voice of the caller came behind the boy this time.

Aron turned around and got surprised.

„You again?“ he asked, shocked...just a bit.

„Yes, I was talking to you,“ the girl smiling again and reached out her hand, „You dropped this.“

In her hand there was a tiny notebook. Seeing that Aron's eyes widened and he started to search through his pockets.

„It is mine.“

„Of course it's yours. I saw it fall out from your pocket. - Here.“

„Thanks.“ Aron nodded.

An awkward silence fell between them.

The two looked around them to ease the weirdness of the moment. The life around them was quite interesting actually. There was this dog holding something in its mouth and running. Soon some boy – probably another university student – ran after the dog. As the dog ran past our little awkward couple it became evident that there was a book in the dog's mouth.

The girl giggled and looked after this funny party.

„The dog's name is Coco, just in case you're wondering.“ Aron blurted out. He had to say something to kill the tension.

„Is he your dog?“ the girl asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

„Erm... No. We just named him that. He wanders around here and plays tricks on us sometimes, but he always gives us our books back and he's smart enough not to leave any bite-marks on them.“

„Would you look at that? Interesting,“ the girl raised her brows and nodded, „How are your books, by the way?“

„What books?“ That was a weird question.

„The ones you dropped in the sub. Why? Are there any other books?“ the girl shrugged. What was he thinking...

„Oh, those... There fine. Fine, yeah... - You know, I should go.“ Aron said fixing the straps of his backpack and already took some steps away from the girl.

„Hey! Where are you going?... I don't even know your name yet.“ the girl jogged after the boy.

Aron glanced at the girl. „Kwak Aron,“ he stopped walking, „Erm... nice to meet you?“

„See it wasn't that hard, or was it?“ the girl smiled, „My name's Park Sunhi.“ He really is handsome... look at those eyes!

Aron nodded. Don't mess this up!

„So... where were you running before?“

„Oh, I... I was going to the Paper Lantern.“ Aron answered motioning to the direction where the dining place was.

„Awesome! I love that place. Can I come with you?“ Please say yes! Please! I'm probably goin' to embarrass myself in front of you there, but who cares! You're... a stranger? But... we did just meet today.

„Uhh... OK, I guess.“

„Awesome.“ Sunhi pretty much jumped, „Shall we go?“ the girl asked and went ahead the boy.

Aron nodded and evened his pace with the girl's. She's kind of cute... What am I sayin'? She's adorable! And hyper energetic... and... Wait minute! We just met! OK, that's odd... but every good friend of mine has always been a stranger to me at first... that's how the world works...

 

***

 

To make it even both Aron and Sunhi made a fool out of themselves in front of each other. And Aron's roommate AJ, who just happened to be working today, didn't help the lad at all. AJ, the troll he was, told Sunhi some of Aron's most embarrassing experiences in life. Sunhi had a hard time not to laugh too loudly.

The girl, at the moment, was busy laughing her head off.

„Thank you, AJ. Could you float off now? Don't you have other customers besides us?“ Aron said trying not to sound very annoyed.

„OK-OK. I will go now. Good luck!“ You won't get away that easily... It's too much fun to tease you.

Aron looked after the man. Why does he find it so funny to embarrass me?

Sunhi, who had by now done with her laugh-attack, watched Aron's every move. „Well, he seemed nice...“ the girl trailed off.

„Actually he his... but when he gets into this mood... he'll just...well, you just saw.“ the boy sighed, took his glasses off, and rested his forehead on his hand.

„I know how it feels. Don't worry about it. I laughed at the funny situation not at you. These things can happen to everyone you know.“ Sunhi tried to lighten the mood. He looks even more handsome without his glasses! Oh my butterflies! He's... ahem... too early for that... We just met today!

„But these kind of things happen way too often with me. You saw how I was in the morning...”

„Yeah... you tripped. People do that. I've tripped on those stairs, too. There's actually that one step that everyone – well, almost – trip over.” Sunhi consoled the boy.

Aron raised his brow in disbelief. Sunhi made the same face, looking at Aron with the exact same expression the boy had on.

„You better believe me.” the girl said.

Aron chuckled. She's actually different... I haven't seen any girl do that on any first meeting... or I just haven't met much that kind of girls.

„OK, I believe you.”

„Good.” Please, stop looking at me like that... I'm going to melt! You probably have no idea how handsome... hot!... you are! Sunhi looked away from the boy, just to get the awkwardness she was feeling to go away. She then saw someone... Mom? Dad? What the- Oh no!

„Is anything wrong?” Aron asked seeing the girl's startled expression.

„Wrong? No...” Sunhi said not looking at the boy. Instead she followed her parents with her eyes.

Aron looked where the girl seemed to be looking.

„Don't look!” the girl whispered.

Aron quickly turned himself back to right sitting position.

„Who are they? - You parents?” he whispered.

Sunhi nodded as she ducked her head trying to hide behind Aron. She then peeked at the couple again. They turned around, she ducked. Aron looked at the whole act holding his breath and saw how the girl's face softened as she sighed in relief (quite obviously). Now Aron breathed again, too.

„False alarm?” the boy asked.

„Yes...” Sunhi smiled and rested her forehead against the table.

 

„Here you go, love birds.” AJ said sweetly as he placed the dishes from the tray before the two. You're not getting away that easily like I said.

„Geesh, thank you.” Aron responded in the same sweetly faked way. And I keep getting embarrassed when AJ is around...

„Thank you.” Sunhi muttered. Love birds? It sounds nice... hii-hii... - Butterflies!

AJ took his leave being as happy and content as he could be. You'll thank me later. If I wouldn't help you you'd be all alone in the future...

 

***

 

The rest of the day went by in a flash. The initial awkwardness and weird tension wore off as the time went on. Aron and Sunhi seemed to feel quite comfortable in each other's company by the evening. And talking about evening means that this perfect day is ending.

„Do you want me to send you home?”

„That would be nice... if-if it won't bother you.”

„Are you kidding? I'd...,” he said being a bit too overly ecstatic Wait a minute! What are you doing? Aron pulled himself together and went on: “It won't bother me. So... where to?”

„Oh, just a few...blocks down. There.”

 

***

 

„I'll see you tomorrow then, right?” Sunhi asked Aron.

„Y-yeah, of course,” Aron nodded and scratched his nape, ”Paper Lantern... umm... at 2?”

„Uhuh. See you then.” Sunhi said and waived at the boy from the doorstep.

„Bye!” Aron smiled and waved goodbye as well.

 

---

I didvided it into two because of the lenght...