Chapter 2 TWO

Dave's gaze was fixed on the girl a few feet across from him. Ayu had captured his entire attention since their first meeting. Her beautiful face, sculpted with big round black eyes and a small nose and lips, mesmerized him. Her tanned oval face enhanced her complexion. She represented natural beauty, which he had never seen before. As his attention was drawn to the girl, he smiled.

Every time Ayu's name came to mind, his heart beat faster than usual. During class, that girl didn't say much to him. Even so, her silence enchanted him.

He received no response to his questions about her scars in Math class. To be honest, the scars on her hands piqued his interest in what she had been through. However, that girl seemed uninterested in discussing it, as if it were a secret she didn't want anyone to learn about. Inquiring about it with her would be futile. It only served to distance her from him.

A group of students entering the library interrupted his reverie. He sealed his surprise at their sudden appearance by covering his eyes with the standing book. He looked over at Ayu every now and then. Nothing but the books and the pen piqued her interest.

"Is this seat available?" Dave was approached by a doll-like girl with wavy brown long hair who pointed to the chair opposite him. Despite its small size, the library provided enough space for visitors to sit comfortably. There were also some empty chairs on the other side of the room. He was perplexed by this girl's desire to sit near his table. But he didn't seem to mind.

"Yes," Dave said, shifting to another seat as the girl blocked his view of Ayu. He didn't even glance at the girl who had now introduced herself to engage in conversation with him.

"Hello, my name is Nita. May I ask what your name is?" Her hand stretched slyly. He didn't respond because he didn't notice her extended hand. His gaze remained fixed on Ayu. "What's your name?" she asked again. Dave was taken aback when he realized what she was asking.

"Dave," his brief response prompted the girl to inquire further.

"Are you a transfer student? What country are you from?" Dave's gaze returned to Ayu. Someone, a tall boy, spoke to her. She seemed ecstatic as she spoke to him.

"Who is the young man?"

"What?" Nita became perplexed and wondered what Dave was asking her. When she turned around, she saw Ayu and Ali sitting across from each other. "He is Ali, the smartest student at this school. Why?"

"Do they go on dates?" It was too late for Dave to retract his remarks.

"I'm not sure. They are close, but as far as I know, they are just friends. Why are you interested in them?"

"Nothing...I'm just curious." He pretended to read from the book he was holding.

"You haven't responded to my questions."

"What inquiries?" Dave raised his head from his book.

"Where do you come from?"

"I'm Canadian."

"What is its location? Is it a long distance away?" To keep the conversation going, she kept asking him questions.

"It is far away, on another continent. How should I put it? I recommend looking for it on a map." Dave was unable to locate Ayu in her seat. That girl and that boy had left the library. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave."

"Hey! What are your plans?" Dave bolted from the library.

"Would you mind being quiet?" A librarian's warning silenced that girl's mouth.

Dave swept through the corridors, inspecting every nook and cranny. Instead of Ayu or the boy with her, he found only the scrutiny of other female students. He then returned to his classroom, albeit reluctantly. In five minutes, the next class would begin.

When he saw Ayu in her seat, his heart skipped a beat. The lesson grew the chasm between him and Ayu. Their communication was hampered by her reserved demeanor. The class surrounded them even more in silence. Dave had the opportunity to speak with Ayu only after the teacher assigned them a task.

"As an assignment, you must work in pairs to interview market vendors," the teacher stated. You can make a list of the questions you want to ask them right now in this class. But first, I'll reveal who will collaborate with whom."

"May we select our partner, Miss?"

"I'm sorry, Adele, but you won't be able to." The students were paired by the teacher.

Dave couldn't hide his delight when the teacher announced that Ayu had been chosen as his partner. There was no indication of Ayu's reaction to the announcement she displayed. She took the book from her bag without thinking about who her partner was.

"So, do you have any idea who we're going to interview?" Dave shifted his weight to the girl next to him. He would later thank the teacher for giving him the opportunity and reason to speak with Ayu.

"We'll consider it later. Now is the time to make a list of questions." Ayu was speaking in long sentences for the first time. However, it was not a large sum.

"You are correct. Do you have any ideas for questions we should ask?" Dave continued to try to engage Ayu.

"How about I write a question first, you do next, and I do after you, and we keep going until we have enough appropriate questions?"

"Wow.. that's an amazing idea." Dave's compliment may have sounded exaggerated to Ayu, but who cared?

Ayu scribbled a question on the sheet of paper provided by the teacher. After she finished, she shoved the paper to Dave. Dave did the same thing, slipping that paper back to her. That moment went on without them communicating verbally.

"Are you finished with your questions?" The teacher stepped in. Yes, all of the students said. The class was finished in an hour.

Ayu hurriedly stuffed her belongings into her bag. Dave was just standing there observing without doing anything. One of his hands was resting on the desk. His head was resting on his palm, and his lips formed a smile.

"She's such a beautiful girl," he murmured.

"What? You're not leaving?" Ayu's words drew his attention away from her.

"I will...but only after you...yeah...after you," he mumbled.

Ayu bolted from the classroom. Dave grabbed all of his stationery and stuffed it into his bag in an instant. He pursued Ayu, who had vanished. Fortunately, he still saw her striding down the street. That girl was moving so fast he couldn't keep up.

She turned left at the intersection to go to the market. Did she live near the market? Or was she planning on doing the interview today? But how did she manage without him? Didn't they say they'd do the interview together this weekend, even though it was still five days away? He couldn't help but follow her from a distance.