THE DAY I MEET YOU

chapter 1 (love at first sight) The day started like any other, quiet and ordinary, the kind of morning that never promises anything special. Tomi walked through the busy street, earbuds in, eyes half-focused on his phone, thinking only about getting to his destination on time. The world around him was noise—cars honking, people rushing, life moving too fast to notice anything unusual. Until he did. At the corner of the road, just outside a small bookstore, someone stood under the soft shade of an awning. The person wasn’t doing anything dramatic—just flipping through a book—but something about them made Tomi slow down without realizing it. It felt strange… like the world had paused for a second. The sunlight caught their face in a way that made everything else fade into the background. Not loud beauty, not attention-seeking—just calm, effortless, unforgettable. Tomi told himself to keep walking. He didn’t even know this person. It didn’t make sense to stop. But his feet didn’t listen. As he got closer, the stranger looked up. And for a moment, neither of them moved. It wasn’t fireworks or music or anything dramatic like in movies. It was quiet. But it felt like something had changed. Like a door had opened inside Tomi’s chest that he didn’t know existed before now. The stranger gave a small, uncertain smile, as if they felt it too—that strange pull in the air. “Sorry,” Tomi finally said, surprised by his own voice. “I think I… know you?” The stranger laughed softly. “I don’t think so. I’d remember.” And just like that, the moment passed… but not really. Because as Tomi walked away minutes later, he already knew something was wrong. Or maybe something was right. He didn’t just see someone today. He met someone he would never forget.