3 I Finally Met the Boy (now what?)

"Excuse me, but you are in my way." I accidentally stumble upon a tall, arrogant, handsome looking man-who is also a student of this school. He bumps me on my shoulders as he rushes through the hall. Carrying with him are sheets of papers concealed inside a book.

"You are not looking in your way!" I shout but realise that he is no longer there beside me and dart straight to the hallway without batting me an eye.

"I even have my sleeves rolled up, you jackass!" I grunt while stomping my feet on the concrete ground with agitation by the terrible circumstances I am in right now. If he wants to come, he may do so, and I am ready for battle.

Much to my surprise, I find a piece of paper lying on the floor. The man have not crumpled or tossed the pad but, as luck would have it, flies out from the grip of the scurrying man.

The paper has a sketch of a character-a familiar one that I know. The clothes have the same shades and designs as the protagonist in my book. He even has this unique pose identical to the one I have descriptively written on the book cover paired with the rest of the characters standing at his side.

It is a work of fiction created by an artist that has zoomed out not too long ago. I hate to admit it, but he has beautifully drawn this artwork and pictured the exact scenes of what I have in mind.

"Wait a minute," I mumble to myself while looking at the trail where I last have seem the man in question. "Was he…?"

"No. It must not have been Nick, is he?"

I place the drawing inside my handbag and continue with my life to meet with the young man that keeps ruining my schedule. Nick is the guy who has started all of this frolicsomeness in the first place! If it has not been for the money he earns, then I would not be this hysterical in my life!

I could only approve the salary he makes if he donates it to charity and help others using the money he earns from me.

"Class 1-A," I move on and search for the whole corridor and find the end classroom the guy have mentioned in his email.

By the time I arrive in front of the room, nobody is there to greet me. Not even a single soul is present in the scene. Heck, a ghost is absent there to freak me out despite my vulnerable body standing in front.

It is only me and the set of empty chairs and tables all have organised from the previous students.

I quickly open my smartphone and send him an angry and lengthy text message. You know, like the real mad and craze ones you see on the internet. But it is never like that for me.

{Listen up, you one hell of a dumbass. I am already here outside of your room, yet I cannot see your stupid face out of the window. I am wasting my precious time already, so would you get your ass moving this instant before I can punch you in the face!}

That is what I have wanted to spell out in the box. Instead, I have written something like this...

{Nick, I apologise for the rude behaviour. I could not see you outside of the room. Can I ask where you have been so we can meet already? Time is of the essence, so please be punctual!}

"Always recheck an angry email before sending it to someone," I tell myself while carving a sinister smile on my face, containing all my anger in a sprinkler of water.

"No matter how much of a douchebag he is, Nick is also a student in this school," I whisper to my rumbling brain, knowing what sorcery my school hides.

I do not even bother waiting for his reply and go outside of the school. There is plenty of time left before my writing schedule, so I travel to a park and rest at the vacant bench at the corner near the willow tree.

I recall the illustration I picked up a while ago and the man holding the rest of the documents. The guy has come from the direction of Class1-A, the farthest classroom of the school. There has been nobody there besides him, me, and the quiet ghost sitting in the corner. And now, I look like a lost girl, wandering into the outside world.

"It made sense now!" I stand up from my seat, trying to place the pieces in the puzzle. It is the first time that I feel like a detective in my story.

"But who was that boy, anyway?" No matter how hard I think about the situation, I cannot bring myself to recognise the attractive face inside our entire school. I am not popular with the boys. But there are already a handful of them I have met, even with the upper classes. Yet, I cannot seem to remember his features.

It is like finding a diamond inside a rotten cave.

He is like the embodiment of an enigma, refusing to approach or introduce his name.

But there is one problem that I may have overlooked. The guy who has messaged me via email is apologetic and shy in comparison to the good-looking bloke. Therefore, it cannot be him.

"Argh, for love's sake!" I curse while flailing my hands, hinting at my sign of defeat.

"You know what? I will focus on writing my novel and wait for his reply." I think of it as a good plan and immediately withdraw to my abode.

I stroll down the park for the last time before striding into my street. It is a peaceful afternoon, with all the birds chirping harmoniously through the sound of the whistling breeze. Even with the humping of the vehicles close by, the living nature enchants the world around me.

"Is that you, sister Yuki?" A familiar voice echoes out for my name. I quickly swivel around and notice the young girl from the orphanage that I have been supporting ever since my first payment of being an author.

I will use half of my wealth for my references and the games that I want to play; while donating the rest of my money to the charity and orphanage next door. It is the only thing vibrantly paints my day while seeing the rest of the children smile and feel happy.

That is my promise to myself when I have first received my paycheck.

I have no use for this sizeable amount of money. And even if I do, it would never reach the point of buying something that I will eventually need. Probably be like a dire need where it would kill me if I do not have it.

"Oh, it's you again!" I approach the young girl and bring her the freshly cooked bun I have purchased from the cafeteria. It is my snack before Nick has ruined my appetite.

"I am really sorry that I couldn't give you and the other kids' toys that you really love."

"Don't worry about it, sister Yuki!" The child wags her head while wiggling her feet and carefully grabbing my hand. "There is someone there that I'd like you to meet!"

I raise my eyebrows while trying to guess this mysterious person she has in mind.

"Is it your crush?" I tease. He may be someone younger that took her interest or something along those lines.

The orphan cheerfully guides me to where the church is while pointing her finger at the entrance. I follow her gaze and see a teenage looking man handing out an envelope that the orphanage uses if someone wants to donate.

There goes my sweet little devil, ignoring my questions.

"That's the man who keeps giving us food and toys! So you don't have to worry about that anymore, sister Yuki!"

"Is that so?"

I pinch her adorably puffed cheeks while taking glances at the peculiar young lad. I almost taught that there could be someone out there trying to steal me away from this stubborn-err, jolly kid from me.

The boy is wearing an oversized obsidian coloured hoodie with a knapsack strapped behind his back. I can effortlessly notice the identification lanyard dangling around his neck, showing that he too comes from the same school as mine.

I want to catch his attention, but he looks like he is in a hurry about something. The man keeps peeking at his watch and the racing cars and buses in the streets.

'Maybe he has a part-time job to attend to,' I mumble, thinking it is only natural for him to have a job, as the two of us are living inside the buzzing city.

"He comes here often and gives us delicious foods!" The girl beside me appends and brags while giddily hopping towards the church.

"Even tastier than mine?"

"No." She answers. "I like the food that you make, sister Yuki!"

"Then, I will make some cookies as a reward and bring them here next week," I propose while thinking of sweets that I can make using the remaining ingredients back home.

"Yay! Hehe~" She remarks while skipping at the aligned stones near the building.

"See you again, sister Yuki!"

"Take care!"

We exchange goodbyes and continue on our way. The caretaker even greets me outside and waves her hands while watching me off to the parallel street, with the rest of the kids following her close behind.

"Thank you, Sister Yuki!" They simultaneously pronounce with their lips curling skyward into a beam.

Eventually, I make it back home and continue my work. Four hours have successfully passed by with my best friend Roxanne, still hanging out inside my house. She is always the first one who arrives and even opens up my room and cooks my family a meal. I have almost thought of her as a maid if it is not for her school uniform, still intact with her body.

I have already finished my quota for today and have the rest of the time to do anything that I want right now.

"Get up!" Roxy pulls me by the shoulder and shows me the phone with a notification of the same guy who had ditched meeting this beautiful, one of a kind girl.

"It's him,"

"Give me that!"

I take the phone from her hands and hastily free the box for me to read.

"Is that a picture of…?" Roxy could not even finish her sentence as we both get rattle by the number of sketches he has made (manga) for my novel.

{Do you like it?} He boldly sent the message.

I bring out a similar drawing from my backpack and show it to Roxy, who becomes more nonplus than ever before.

"He. That. What?"

"Yes," I respond to her incoherent reply. "I met him-technically passed by Nick but never talked to him."

"You're not making sense here, Yuki,"

"I know, right?" I sarcastically exclaim. "It's amazing how imprudent this man could be!"