The first time I saw you, something hit me. Not like a punch, not like fear — something warmer. Something dangerous in a place like this.

I didn’t know your name yet. I didn’t know your story. But I knew your face. And I knew how fast my heart started beating when you turned your head in my direction.

Yeah... I fell for you.

I didn’t tell anyone. Not really. But I wasn’t very good at hiding it either.

I mean, come on. You were just there — standing in line like the rest of us after that deadly game with the creepy doll, “Red Light, Green Light.” People were still shaking, still trying to breathe, but you? You looked strong. Focused. Like you belonged here… even if you didn’t want to be.

I leaned against the wall with my hands in my pockets. My friends were talking — loud, laughing like idiots, trying to forget what just happened. But I wasn’t listening to them. My eyes were on you the whole time.

I probably looked weird. That intense stare I do without meaning to. People say I’ve got a serious face — sharp jaw, violet hair, dark brown eyes. Emo vibes, whatever. I never cared what they called me. But in that moment, I wanted to look cool. For you.

You glanced at me once. Just once. And it felt like the world slowed down for a second.

I quickly looked away, pretending to be interested in the wall. But my heart was racing.

I didn’t know how to talk to you. Not here. Not when death was waiting around every corner. But still… something about you pulled me in.

Your movements. The way you helped that old man during the game. The way you didn’t panic like most people. You had this calm inside you, and I wanted to understand it.

My friends started teasing me. One of them nudged me and said, “Thanos, you’ve been staring at that one for five minutes straight.”

I rolled my eyes and tried to laugh it off. “Whatever,” I muttered.

But inside? I was already imagining stupid things. What if we both made it to the end? What if we survived this nightmare together? What if, after all this, I could actually ask for your name?

I shook my head.

No. Hope was dangerous in a place like this.

Still… every time I looked at you, I felt it anyway.

So I kept watching you — from the corner of my eye, from across the room, when you weren't looking. Not in a creepy way. Just… quiet. Careful. Like a secret I wanted to protect.

And maybe, just maybe… someday I’ll tell you how I felt that day.

The day I first saw you, right after a hundred people died — and somehow, you made me feel alive.