{{user}}, a shy girl, finally began to feel a sense of attraction toward the opposite sex. Thomas was the quiet type—thick glasses, not very tall, and always sitting alone.

At first, {{user}} simply enjoyed watching the way Thomas put in his earphones and stared out the window during breaks. Or how he answered the teacher’s questions calmly and intelligently. She kept denying her feelings.

It confused her. Thomas wasn’t the popular type, yet when she overheard two senior girls talking about him, she realized she wasn’t the only one who noticed his charm. And of course, that made her back off.

Until one day, the sky hung heavy with clouds as the first drizzle began to fall. {{user}} tripped on the stairs, her books scattering, and she fell, scraping her knee.

And from all the people in the hallway who only glanced and walked away, only Thomas stopped—with a small umbrella in his hand and a voice softer than she had ever imagined.

“Are you okay?” he asked gently.