ALORN POV:
My sister woke me up early in the morning because it was Keith's birthday, who happens to be my best friend and partner in mischief.
We always get scolded by my mom for our mischievous acts, but my dad would just laugh at us.
He has always encouraged me to enjoy life and supported my decisions. Since I don't have many friends, I'm usually seen with Keith, who lives with us since his parents are abroad.
Although Keith is my relative, we consider ourselves brothers, and we all love each other.
My mom loves him as much as she loves me. I attend MISALE for high school, and sometimes guys give me strange looks because I haven't dated any girls.
Girls often glance at me and smile, but I don't pay much attention to them. It's not that I'm uninterested in girls, but they seem to be interested in me only for my looks, and I don't want that kind of girl.
I've received many date proposals, but I've declined them. Yesterday, Keith was happy to hear from his parents, but he misses them a lot, and it makes him feel sad. Today, we are celebrating his birthday, and as his best friend, I need to make all the preparations.
After taking a shower, I put on black pants and a white t-shirt and went downstairs. My mom was praying, my dad was having his tea, and my sister was preparing her special lemon tea.
Meanwhile, the birthday boy was still sleeping. I had my breakfast in the kitchen and checked my mobile. On Facebook, there were many comments and wishes for Keith.
Then, I went to his room and woke him up. It took him five minutes to fully wake up because he was overwhelmed by our conversation from the previous day.
I planned to go and buy things for the party. We were having a small gathering with our neighbors and some friends. Keith's room was filled with posters of singers since he is a talented singer himself and is influenced by Korean dramas.
He spends most of his time at home watching dramas and listening to K-pop. Personally, I find it a waste of time and couldn't understand his fascination with Korean dramas.
One day, due to his constant praises, I decided to give it a try, but I couldn't differentiate between the male and female characters.
They all had the same style, so I stopped watching it from that day onward. Looking at the time, I realized the shops were about to open, so I went outside to start my shopping.
While walking, I couldn't help but recall the girl who had caught my attention earlier.
Flashback:
As I was walking, I noticed a girl in a school uniform who appeared to be running late.
She wore glasses and had no makeup on, yet she looked pretty. I shook off the thought and continued walking.
Surprisingly, the girl was also going in the same direction as me. She walked faster, probably trying to make up for lost time. I watched her as she moved away.
Suddenly, I saw her helping an old man cross the road. She seemed genuinely happy to assist him, and the old man expressed his gratitude and gave her his blessings.
Despite being late and missing her bus, she remained content with helping others. Her smile made me feel good, and I wanted to see her smile like that always.
After a couple of minutes, the bus arrived, and she boarded it. She was the first girl I ever really noticed, and she was different from the others. Lost in my thoughts, I continued on my way.
Present:
That night, we celebrated Keith's birthday, and he was extremely happy. As time went by, I started seeing the girl more often, even if it was just for a few minutes.
I couldn't directly interact with her, but I caught glimpses of her. Unlike other girls who seek attention, she doesn't pay much attention to others and walks confidently in her own direction.
Her simplicity sets her apart and makes her beautiful. Beautiful?
Did I just describe someone as beautiful?
I'm not sure where that came from, but it feels nice. A whole year has passed, and now I'm in the next grade, my final year of high school.
I hope she is also in her final year.