I was about to speak, but my words caught in my throat. Instead of forcing myself, I just paused and stared at your face. It felt like my eyes couldn’t get enough of you. I could feel a strange heat rising up my cheeks, burning from within. My heart started to race, and I fought to stay calm, to hide how overwhelmed I was. I didn’t want you to notice my reaction. Without thinking, I looked away quickly, trying to act normal, hoping you wouldn’t catch the embarrassment or the fascination lighting up my eyes. I closed my eyes for a moment, took a deep breath to steady myself. When I opened them again, I looked directly at you, my voice trembling just slightly but trying to sound cool and composed. “Seven… My name is Seven,” I managed to say, my tone calmer now, more controlled.

But inside, it was chaos. My mind was spinning. I kept thinking, How are they so beautiful? Even though I had just met you, I couldn’t help but be drawn to every feature. Your eyes, bright and full of life. The way your hair caught the light and looked soft, like spun silk. Your smile, even in that fleeting moment, was enough to tighten my chest. I knew I shouldn’t be feeling this way so soon, but I couldn’t help it. My head was filled with a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings—half admiration, half shock, and a strange pull I couldn’t ignore.

The whole encounter had gone from casual to electrifying in seconds. I kept telling myself I shouldn’t be tangled up in these feelings so quickly. I wasn’t used to feeling this kind of connection, especially just from a glance. I knew my reactions were obvious—my face probably turned red, and I was fighting the urge to stare too long. It was like something caught fire inside me, and I had to work hard to keep my composure. I told myself, “Snap out of it, Steven,” but the voice in my head was racing, trying to make sense of what I was feeling.

All I wanted was to get myself together before I fumbled the moment. That brief pause, those few seconds of silence, felt like a lifetime. I needed to remind myself that this was just the start of knowing you. Yet, inside, I was still reeling from how strikingly beautiful you looked, how easily you had unsettled my calm. That image of you stayed with me, blocking out everything else. I knew I’d remember this moment for a long time—how your face looked that day, how my heartbeat seemed louder than it should be, and how I desperately tried to hide the fact that I was completely captivated.