Invisible String

Part 2- My Name Is...

"I guess you could say so," she replied, feeling flattered that he's interested in asking more about her major. "It's not about analyzing people for the sake of it, but I guess it's my way of trying to understand others' perspectives and behaviors."
"Hmm, so you like to dig deeper into their mind. You want to know what shapes them, what's behind the actions they take?" he replied, letting the thought sink in.

“Yeah, you could say that” she replied, feeling a bit self-conscious now.

“I mean, I guess it’s partly the reason why I’m so observant of others, and try really hard to understand how they are feeling”.

He nodded, understanding her reasoning, but he still couldn't help but find her reasoning unique, still showing a curious smirk.“But why? Why do you want to analyze them like that? Why not just take them for who they seem to be?”

"I sometimes wish that humans could be that simple, but humans are much more complex than that, " she replied. "Sometimes people don't say what they really mean, or they're hiding their true feelings behind their words. And even when we think someone is evil, there's usually a reason behind their behavior. We never know the real reason for their actions, and there's always more than meets the eye, and that's exactly why I find psychology interesting," she added.

She realized she might have accidentally said too much and bore him. “ Sorry, if that was too long of an explanation”

He smiled. "Don't apologize," he replied. "You have a passion for psychology, and I think it's quite admirable. Understanding people is a valuable skill, and I think it's cool that you've made it your major.

"Thanks" she smiled shyly.

She then looked at her phone, and her expression became apologetic. "Excuse me, I just got a call. I'm sorry, but I have to take this," she said, her expression still apologetic. "But I have to go now. I hope I'll see you around again," she then added, hoping that he would understand

He nodded understandingly. "It's okay, I hope I'll see you around again as well" he added, feeling optimistic about their next meeting.

After their conversation, he found himself wondering about her more often. He would start to glance around more often, trying to see if she was around. He remembered how in the past, he had often caught himself curious about her, but he would just stare at her from afar during their frequent passing. He would catch himself glancing at her occasionally, but he would always keep his distance, unsure of how to approach her. His friend noticed that he had started to become more and more absent-minded, often daydreaming and lost in thought. He would frequently lose focus when they were hanging out, and he would also often be staring off into space when they were spending time together. His friend could tell that something had been occupying his thoughts, and he was curious to find out what it was.

"Hey, what's on your mind?" his friend asked curiously, seeing him staring and being lost in thought for the past few days.

"Nothing," he replied, trying to appear casual and nonchalant.

"You've been acting pretty spacey lately... is there anything that's been occupying your thoughts? You've been having some issues with something?" his friend continued inquiring.

"Oh, it's nothing," he replied nonchalantly, feigning indifference. "I've just been a bit busier than usual, that's all."

His friend eyed him, sensing his evasiveness. "Busy where?" he pressed, a tone of suspicion in his voice.

"Just...work and all...nothing major," he replied, still maintaining his nonchalance even though his friend's gaze felt like a laser focused on him. His friend noticed his evasiveness, and a faint smile spread over his face.