Chapter 2 The First Sight

Ady’s POV

“I can’t see the road, and it’s pouring too hard, Dad!”

It poured severely throughout the night, and there were no streetlights to guide the way. If Dad had stopped the car, we would have gotten stranded there.

“We can’t go back, Ady. If we do, there will be a landslide in that area, and the river might overflow,” said mom.

Then, a woman appeared in front of our car, followed by a scary-looking creature. Then things happened quickly. After Dad turned the steering wheel to the left, I don't know what happened, but the car went to the bridge and completely fell off. Before I knew it, water was slowly getting into the car, and I saw it stuck between two giant rocks. My asthma is flaring up, and I can't catch my breath. No, I don't want to die yet. I don't know what happened next, but I heard someone calling.

“Miss, wake up...Miss!”

I heard a man’s voice, so I tried to open my eyes. I could barely see the young boy until everything went dark.

--

Present Time

‘How awful! I really can’t bear Kuya’s scent,’ I thought.

I’m not trying to be insensitive, but I can’t stand being stuck on a train with a foul stench and little fresh air to breathe. I seemed to have felt sick. The person next to me was sweating profusely, and I was unclear if I would pass out or die in that instant moment of suffocation. I instinctively placed my hand over my mouth and nose. The train car was crowded because of the many commuters on such a busy day. For early-morning commuters, the LRT is a popular option. It was not only the quickest way to get about town, but it was also the cheapest. Wait times are most extended during peak hours.

I was speechless after the train arrived at the next station. The mob shoved each other aboard as soon as the train doors opened. The crowd was now squeezed together. Those outside the train had to keep going until the door closed. They pressed me against the train door on the opposite side before finally giving up.

“Ouch!” Someone stepped on my toes, and I protested.

When I felt hands on each side of my head on the train door at that moment, I turned to look at the owner.

Suddenly, a hoarse voice with an accent said, “Are you alright, Miss?”

A stranger saved me from being crushed and assaulted by the crowd. Hearing his words drove me to look at him, and our gazes locked. He was a stunning teenager with pinkish skin, bluish eyes, and a voice that was mesmerizing and seductive.

‘Damn, this man is smoking hot,’ I thought.

The guy was like something out of a dream, and I couldn’t help but admire him. Never in a million years did I imagine I would stand next to such a handsome man in a packed subway car, with his hands resting near my head.

‘But why doesn’t he have a car?’ I thought.

I ask him questions in my head, and I look like an idiot. The itch that goes through my whole body is hard to put into words. It felt like I’d fallen under the spell of his charisma.

I felt the slight movement of the train door I was leaning against, so I turned to look at it. I noticed that the man removed his hand from the train door and saw that its door was slightly damaged. When the train stopped, I turned to him. We were both in a hurry, but the man left first. In a rush, he followed the crowd, getting out of the train.

‘He’s gone.’

——

“Ady!”

When I heard my name called, I turned around. Elsa, a friend and fellow architecture student, rushed over to me. This is my third year of college, and I have two more years until I graduate. Thank you to the foundation for providing me with the finances to finish my education.

“I’ve been yelling and pursuing you, Ady, but you haven’t even stopped!” Elsa held her chest and took a breather.

“There’s no need to hurry. After all, that’s why you have a smartphone. You are welcome to contact me.” I handed her the water bottle I’d just bought from a store near the railway station. My friend opened it right away and drank from it. “It’s healthy for you. There’s no need for you to go to the gym. You look like you’ve lost a lot of weight,” I added with a grin.

“Whoo! Yes, excellent! It’s exhausting chasing you, huh?” Elsa sighed a little before handing me the almost empty water bottle. “Why are you so hurried? It’s much too early.”

“I have to go to the library to borrow a book,” I said, putting the water bottle in my bag.

“I’m not sure why you make reading a book so difficult and boring when there’s the internet. What do you think Google’s doing, huh? Don’t you trust Google?” We walked to the university together.

“I need a book because whenever I try to use Google to come up with a beautiful and modern design, I can’t think of anything. Google already gives me what I need when all I have to do is type a few letters. But I don’t have to copy an existing design I saw online. Of course, I’d want to know that my damaged brain has been produced.” I giggled.

“Fine. You explained yourself in court.” Elsa responded glumly. “Will you go to the acquaintance party on Friday?” My friend cut me off as I was about to say something. “The foundation said that their scholars should go to help support the university, so you have to go. Because there will be attendees from the foundation, we should be there, you know, for extra points.” She giggled.

My face is clouded. “I have nothing to wear, and hiring clothes is too expensive.”

“Gosh! Just clothes?” Elsa stared at me, puzzled, and then giggled. “I got your back.”

I took a deep breath, and we halted beside the main gate. “Oh, we’ll have to split up. Enjoy yourself in the world’s most boring place.” Elsa exclaimed, giggling.

Elsa and I are in the same class, although we have three separate subjects at different times. We had to make our way as we reached the main building since we were in the same class and building that morning.

“See you around, Ady!” Elsa grinned heartily as she sprinted away from me, waving as she went straight down the corridor.

When I realized I had an hour to waste, I went directly to the library. And since it was so early, no students were in the library. I looked for the book I needed right away and went straight to the most comfortable table.

My name is Adira, which means “strong “ in Hebrew. Nothing particularly noteworthy about my life, but I never imagined that today would be only the beginning.

——

In case you were wondering, I’m Damon. You wouldn’t believe how crowded the train was when I boarded earlier. I was doing this to kill time while riding the train. Monday is almost the same day in a week. And a week is the same as a regular day in a month. Everything seemed normal, but I was mistaken. My Monday has entered a brand-new era starting today, and I couldn’t have been more excited.

With the number of people on the train that morning, I could hardly move because of all the people pressing me to get on the train. They pushed me several times before holding onto the door on the other side of the train.

I heard a woman’s voice say, “Ouch!” I was interested in finding out who it was.

I was stunned and couldn’t believe it when I suddenly recognized the woman in front of me. That’s her. Her height has changed a bit, and so has the length of her hair, but I’m sure she’s the girl from the river. She had blossomed into a stunning woman with a figure that any young woman would want. It surprised me how drastically her appearance had altered in such a short period. It’s been five years since everything happened, and I still can’t find the words. And the woman hasn’t changed at all. I became more enthralled as I stared at her.

“Are you all right, Miss?” I asked.

The woman was staring at me, but her mind seemed elsewhere—a smile formed on my face despite my mask.

‘Did she recognize me?’ I thought.

When the train arrived at another stop, the number of commuters in the crowd increased noticeably. We were pushed closer to the other door. It worked out well because my backpack was in front of me. And the same went for the woman, who had hers tucked under her arm. Air separated our bodies and was not quite touching. Later, the train door opened after it stopped at the next station. I rushed off the train with the other passengers as soon as it came to a halt. I walked away from the woman, who didn’t seem to recognize me.