“Do you want to eat the cookies I bought?” Before I could say anything, she had already placed the snacks in front of me. I casually took two cookies, thanked her, and then returned my focus to my notes.
The teacher was passionately explaining the scheduling theory and calculation methods, which weren’t too difficult to understand (scheduling refers to the order arrangement in the manufacturing process). However, for many people, just seeing the words theory and calculation made them restless, and soon the order began to break down.
To prevent the class from getting too noisy, the teacher had to shift the topic to politics, which was unrelated to the textbook content. This shift led to a lively discussion, making it feel like we were at a national forum, evoking a sense of respect. I had never been particularly interested in politics, and at that moment, she passed me a note. I turned to take it from her.
It clearly read: “Tomorrow at Eastville Station, at exactly 7:00 AM, I will come to pick you up. Don’t be late! — Hallie!”
Sigh! Exactly 7:00 AM. It takes about half an hour to take the train from Wasteland to Eastville, at the fastest it would take twenty minutes, so I would have to get up around six. Thinking about it, even though I have to work in the mornings, I usually don’t wake up this early. Now…
Just as I was wondering why I would do something so meaningless, she rode up on a 90CC motorcycle and stopped in front of me. Dressed in red, she looked even more dazzling under the sun. She took off her helmet, wearing her usual bright smile (coincidentally, I was also wearing a red top that day).
“Where are we going now?” Wow! It seems like you invited me here, and this is your territory. Today is your birthday, and you throw such a tricky question at me?
“Let’s go to McDonald’s for breakfast first. I’m a bit hungry, and you probably haven’t had breakfast yet, right?” I replied with a hint of helplessness. So, I took her on my bike, and following her directions, we arrived at a McDonald’s on Damba Road to solve our breakfast dilemma. After finding a seat and sitting down, she spoke up.
“Thank you for spending my birthday with me. My boyfriend is too busy to accompany me, but… we can take this chance to be a couple for a day, right?” Looking at her innocent yet serious expression, I could only awkwardly smile and remain silent.
To fulfill her wish of having me as her boyfriend for a day, I decided to cast aside all my reservations and make her birthday a happy one. Besides having breakfast, we also went shopping, bought clothes, and sang at COSMO—things I usually don’t do, but her one sentence completely changed that. At that moment, I felt these activities were so wonderful. Watching her buy clothes, trying all sorts of snacks while shopping, and listening to her sing the latest popular songs, I occasionally hummed along, feeling just like a couple in love.
While at COSMO, as the popular singer Beyonce’s song “Crazy in love” played, she hooked her hands around my right arm and leaned her left side against my right shoulder. She continued to sing with delight, and I slowly hummed along. She seemed calm, while I was sweating profusely (it was my first time being this close to a girl, practically zero distance).
Just as the screen displayed the lyrics, “I look and stare so deep in your eyes,” she suddenly kissed my right cheek and murmured, “How I’m feeling and my pride is the one to blame (Yeah, yeah) ’cause I know I don’t understand just how your love can do what no one else can.” The music kept playing, and she continued singing, completely unfazed.
I was startled! Really startled, I mean by her sudden kiss. I wanted to act like nothing had happened, but my heart was uncontrollably racing, like a deer caught in headlights. I could clearly hear my heartbeat. The air conditioning in the room was strong, yet I couldn’t help but sweat profusely.
