Ira was walking along the side path of the campus, the soft afternoon light casting a golden hue all around. Sunlight danced on the leaves above, and the breeze touched the skin like a silent song. Trisha was saying something beside her, but Ira's mind was somewhere else.
Suddenly, from a distance, she noticed a familiar figure approaching.
Onik.
He was walking slowly, not in any rush, yet his eyes were steady—focused. Ira paused for a moment. It felt as if time had slowed. The surrounding noise faded into silence.
Onik's eyes met hers directly. His face carried no pretense—only a quiet, sincere courage.
Ira's heart skipped a beat.
Had anyone ever looked at her so deeply before?
Trisha was still talking, but Ira couldn't hear anything. All she could see were Onik's eyes, locked on hers.
Onik stopped a few steps away and lowered his head slightly before saying,
— "We meet again."
Ira didn't respond right away. She just looked at him, eyes steady. Then a soft smile played on her lips—half surprise, half curiosity.
She gently replied,
— "Yes, we meet again."
The moment was brief, but intense.
Neither of them could have guessed what this single glance, this small smile, would lead to.
---
The Conversation by the Book
The afternoon remained quiet.
In one corner of the campus, Ira sat reading a book. The sunlight was softer now, filtering through the leaves and falling gently on her hair. Her eyes were deeply focused on the pages, like she was in a world far away, separated by an invisible wall of thoughts.
Just then, the light sound of footsteps brought her attention back.
A voice from behind,
— "Hey… Do you… do you read a lot?"
Ira slowly lifted her head. Onik stood in front of her, curiosity in his expression, as if he'd just discovered a hidden world.
A faint smile touched Ira's lips. Calmly, she said,
— "Yes."
— "What kind of book is it?" Onik asked, leaning forward slightly with interest.
Ira raised the book a little so he could see the cover. Onik looked surprised—it was a deep, philosophical title.
— "Wow… you read books like that?" he asked, without thinking.
Ira met his eyes directly this time.
— "Every book is a way to find yourself. Some find it in stories, some in thoughts."
Onik paused for a second. Then he chuckled,
— "You're not just beautiful… you're different."
Ira didn't respond. She simply turned her gaze back to the book. But Onik's words lingered in the air—warm, like sunlight after rain.
And in that moment, Onik realized—
To reach Ira, words wouldn't be enough. He'd have to understand her depth.
---
A Smile and a Name
Though Ira looked back at her book, a mysterious little smile remained on her face. Onik stood there awkwardly, searching for the courage to say something more. Just then, Ira unexpectedly giggled—a gentle, spontaneous laugh that felt rare and real.
Tilting her head slightly, she asked in a soft voice,
— "By the way, you've been talking so much… but you never told me your name."
Onik blinked, caught off guard. Then, smiling with a touch of shyness, he replied,
— "Oh! Right… I'm Onik."
Ira looked directly at him,
— "Onik… Not a bad name."
Onik laughed,
— "If you like the name, then I guess my day just became a lot better."
Ira didn't say anything more. She turned back to her book, but the corner of her lips still held a smile.
And in that small gesture, Onik thought to himself,
"She smiled in front of me… and asked my name. Maybe this is the beginning—a small one, but something special."