Beyond The Gaze: A Love Unseen

Chapter 23

Just as I focused on my phone, a loud voice from across the road caught my attention. I looked up to see an elderly woman was gesturing for me to move back or do something. Confused, I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to decipher her signals. Before I could figure it out, someone forcefully grabbed my shirt, yanking me a few steps backward. Not expecting that at all, I almost stumbled but managed to regain my balance just as a speeding car rushed past the spot where I had been standing seconds earlier.

Startled, my mouth hung open, and my eyes widened as I watched the car zoom away. The second thought that crossed my mind was the person who had pulled me out of the way. Instantly, I turned my head to look the other way and there I saw someone at a few meters of distance, swiftly moving away, as if in a hurry.

At that very moment, the person turned their head and cast a quick glance back at me while running, revealing her identity; it was a girl, donned in a grey hoodie with a black mask covering her face. Our eyes locked for just a few seconds before she turned her gaze forward and continued to walk away.

The eye contact lasted only for a few brief moments, but in that fleeting second, I thought I saw a mix of fear, desperation, and relief in her eyes all at once. Dazed, I couldn't help but keep staring at the spot where she had been standing just moments ago.

"Boy, are you okay? You need to be more careful when crossing the road and avoid using your phone while walking. If that girl hadn't acted, you could have been seriously hurt," a concerned voice brought me back to reality. It was the same woman who had gestured for me to move earlier.

"I'm fine, thank you for helping me, and I'll definitely be more cautious," I replied with gratitude, offering a thankful smile to the lady.

She patted my shoulder and advised me to stay vigilant in the future before walking away. I turned my attention back to the direction in which the girl had disappeared just moments ago.

Maybe if I go that way, I could find her and thank her? It hadn't even been five minutes since she had turned left. With that thought in mind, I hurriedly followed the same path, weaving through alleys, streets, passing by cafes, shops, and people. But my search proved fruitless; she had vanished without a trace...

•••

I sighed softly, reminiscing about that day a year ago. It could very well be my overactive imagination, my desperate attempt to find a trace of that girl in the hoodie in every girl I encountered throughout my life.

I found myself constantly searching for that same look in their eyes, the one I had seen in hers. I couldn't even explain what was happening to me anymore. Perhaps I was becoming a bit foolish, but a few days ago when I first saw Elysia and she turned around, her eyes locking onto mine as she hurried away, I felt as though my heart might stop beating.

Describing the emotions I experienced in that moment was nearly impossible; it was like experiencing a déjà vu. That's why I felt the need to confirm whether she had crossed paths with me before.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I noticed Elysia entering the school premises, clutching her bag straps and making her way toward the main building - which was where I was waiting. She appeared somewhat lost in her own world until she suddenly looked up and locked eyes with me. Her steps came to an abrupt halt, and she stared at me with wide eyes and slightly parted lips, a clear look of shock on her face.

Um, what's with the reaction?

It felt as if I had stolen something precious from her, given the incredulous look she was giving me. Then, she did something unexpected when someone catches you looking at them - she turned around and started walking in the opposite direction.