Started by the Pen

"A Glance that Skips a Beat"

It's Hard to Unsee What You've Already Witnessed. Curiosity sparked the moment I glanced at her. She was just another person, someone like me, yet for some reason, I felt a connection—something I couldn’t explain. But I brushed it off, convincing myself it was nothing.

I’ve never been comfortable around girls, and sometimes, I wonder why. Even now, that brief moment lingers in my mind. We rarely talk, only when it’s about our lessons—but even that feels like progress, like I’m slowly stepping out of my fears. What a coward I am, I think to myself.

Then, in the middle of class, the teacher announces a quiz. In the rush to prepare, she realizes she has lost her pen. Without hesitation, I offer my extra one. She smiles at me, and just like that, the feeling returns—an unexplainable warmth that I don’t understand.

As we hurry through the quiz, she accidentally drops my pen. Turning to me, she politely asks if I can pick it up. It’s such a small moment, insignificant to anyone else. But as I lean down to retrieve it, I can’t ignore the strange happiness that fills me. Why does this feel so good?