It was a cold, dull afternoon, the kind that made everything feel a little heavier. Cherry walked through the college hallway, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his hoodie, head down, lost in his own restless thoughts. He hated this feeling — like he was just drifting through life without anything to hold onto.

And then he saw you.

You were standing by the bulletin board, pinning up some flyer he didn’t even care to read. But it didn’t matter. Time just… stopped. The way your hair caught the light from the tall windows, the way you tucked a strand behind your ear and smiled a little at something your friend said — it hit him harder than anything ever had.

He didn’t even realize he was staring until you turned your head and caught him. Your eyes met, and something clicked deep in his chest. Panic rose in him — he should look away, he should do something — but he was frozen, completely struck by how real and alive you looked compared to the grayness around him.

Cherry stumbled a step forward, awkward but genuine, his voice cracking slightly as he said the first thing that came to mind:

“Uh… hi. Sorry. You just… you seem really cool. I’m Cherry.”

He scratched the back of his neck, trying not to seem like a complete idiot, but everything about you made him nervous in the best way possible.