The day was January 21, 2022—Friday, 7:30 AM. I was walking through the corridor, aiming to reach my class, when suddenly I noticed a couple of students surrounding something—or someone.
Caught by curiosity, I momentarily stopped and peeked. In my eyes, I saw a smiling, cute girl wearing eyeglasses that complemented her cuteness.
"Is she new here?" I asked myself in surprise, since I had never seen a face like hers in this school.
As I continued to gaze at her, her eyes unexpectedly met mine. In that moment, it felt as if the people surrounding her weren't there at all—as if we were the only two people in the corridor.
"Shoot, our eyes met! Why did she have to look at me while I was looking at her? This is just so embarrassing," I muttered to myself as I quickly walked past her and entered my designated classroom.
As I stepped inside, a familiar voice called out to me.
"Finally, the class president has arrived. Do you already know?" asked my close friend Cedrick.
"About what?" I asked, clearly clueless.
"About a transfer student joining our class today," Cedrick replied in a calm, collected voice.
Just as I was about to respond to his question, I suddenly heard a cute voice from behind, asking,
"Good morning, everyone. Is this the classroom of HUMSS-1, Grade 11?"
I slowly turned around and saw the same girl—the one whose eyes had met mine.
Wait… is she the new transfer student!? I must answer her calmly so I don't frighten her.
"Ah, yes. This is indeed the classroom of HUMSS-1, Grade 11," I answered, trying to sound calm.
After saying that, I thought I could finally relax. But what I heard next sparked something inside me.
"Oh, is that so? Then it's nice meeting you all. I'm Alisha, your new classmate. I hope we can get along," she said with a cute voice and a beautiful smile.
That short introduction of hers—while smiling and looking toward me—seemed to have ignited something within me that I had never experienced before.
I was still caught in my own thoughts when I noticed that she was looking at me. After our eyes met once more, I quickly shifted my gaze back to Cedrick in hopes of dispelling the awkwardness—but as I looked at Cedrick, I understood why Alisha was looking at me so intently.
Behind Cedrick stood a mirror—I could vividly see the reflection within it. It was a blushing face—it was as red as a ripe tomato.
Crappp! I yelled inwardly after seeing my own face.
"Hmm, it seems our cold-hearted and study-first class president is experiencing love at first sight," Cedrick said in a teasing voice.
"No, it's not..." But before I could explain myself, the first-period teacher and our classroom adviser, Ms. Felicitas, quickly rushed into the room, immediately ordering everyone to sit down and announcing that Alisha would be joining our class starting today.
"Alisha, please sit in the vacant chair at the back near the window," she said.
Alisha quickly nodded and proceeded to walk toward the chair.
Once she had managed to sit down, the teacher immediately asked if anyone could explain the previous topic we had discussed and what we had learned from it.
After hearing the teacher, I immediately raised my hand.
"Teacher, our last lesson was about humans having intellect and free will, which makes humans the top of the animal kingdom."
"Good. Does anyone have more ideas?" asked the teacher.
I was about to sit down when I heard a small but clear voice from beside me.
"Ahhhh, sir, humans are at the top of the animal kingdom because we have free will and intellect. That means we can make our own choices, think deeply, solve problems, and create new things—unlike animals that mostly rely on instinct."
After she finished explaining, some of my classmates started clapping, including the teacher, who was amazed by how well she articulated every word she had just said.
She's not just beautiful and cute—she's gifted muttered by some of my classmates.
Four hours had gone by, with three subject periods finished and lunchtime just around the corner.
During those hours, we were like a duo—reciting and answering the questions asked by each subject teacher with eagerness and flawlessness.
"Phewww, finally it's lunch time. Wanna have lunch with me, Cedrick?"
I looked at his seat, but he was nowhere to be found. The only person my eyes could see was Alisha.
The room was dead silent. Only the sound of the air conditioner could be vividly heard—the atmosphere was filled with awkwardness.
I looked at Alisha, who was busy drawing something on her paper, but she seemed to be feeling lonely. Right before lunch, she didn't accept the other girls' offers to eat together.
Seeing her in such a state, I mustered the courage to approach her.
"Hello Alisha, I'm Alfred. I noticed you seem to be lonely. Would you like to have lunch with me? It's my treat for today since it's your first day at this school. I promise I have no ulterior motives."
She looked at me and smiled.
"I have no appetite for now, but seeing you muster the courage to talk despite those awkward moments earlier… I shall accept your offer," she said with a calm voice.