Chapter 9: Chapter 9: The Caramels Included A Ribbon Hair Band

Taking a step outside in an unfamiliar place by myself did feel slightly discomforting… But it wouldn’t hurt to get familiar with the town, would it? 

I’ve already gotten this far, and there is no going back, is there? 

Looking at the GPS on my smartphone, I followed the recommended route, which went past a park not too far down from our apartment. 

Looking at the map, I could also see that this was the way to my new school too. Well, I’m sure I’ll walk this path to school every day when school starts. 

After a few minutes of walking, I finally reached the city center. Where all the stores are located. It wasn’t too far from where I lived, but it took around 20 minutes to get there due to my unfamiliarity with the city. 

I looked down at my phone to check where the store mom and I had visited last time. 

Suddenly a stranger grabbed my wrist. I panicked and turned around to see a guy. 

He was my age, had long black hair, blue eyes, and a grocery bag. 

He noticed that I had frozen and released me. 

Instead of looking apologetic, he started to scold me. 

“Jeez, look. You need to pay attention, maybe there was something on your smartphone screen that was too hard to look away from, and I can understand that, but you have to look at the lights, see? They’re red now.” 

Looking where the pedestrian lights were, I saw they had turned red when I wasn’t paying attention. 

“.....” 

“There are also those who drive too fast. What if you got into an accident if they don't manage to stop in time?” 

He was right… I needed to be more careful, especially since I had just moved here. 

Feeling slightly depressed rather than scared, I stared at the ground while feeling ashamed of myself. 

This was the first time I’d been scolded in a while. And it was from a guy, and one I didn’t even know. 

I then saw his hand in my field of view. And on his palm were caramels wrapped in a bag with a cute ribbon hair band. 

And looking up, I could see a still expression on his face rather than the previously angry one. 

“Sorry… anyways, you can have this, and don’t forget to pay attention.” 

He handed me the cutely wrapped caramels and crossed the road without looking back. 

I just stood there in a daze, hearing my own heartbeat while my chest felt tight. 

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A few days after the incident, I walked around the neighborhood and stopped at where the park. I sat down on the swing to rest since I'd been exploring the area to familiarize myself more. 

Done with my break, I headed to the bridge where I previously saw a bunch of stray cats. 

To my surprise, I saw the same boy who had stopped me many days ago. 

Instinctively hiding, I watched from a distance. 

He seemed happy as he played with the cats while also sneakingly feeding them. 

I couldn’t help but chuckle as he looked around to ensure no one was watching. 

“Hehe~ what a strange guy.” 

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Not too long after that… literally the day after in the morning.

As I looked out my window, I saw someone familiar-looking, but this time he had his hair tied, and I could see his face. 

When I first saw him, I thought he had a rather cute face for a boy. But seeing him with his hair tied, he looked… rather handsome. 

No, wait, what am I thinking!? 

I would see him many more times during the summer vacation, but that is for another story. 

But as the new semester started, it turned out we were in the same class and seatmates. Nonetheless, this is my chance. 

“N… nice to meet you. My name is Lilly.” 

As I introduced myself to him, he turned my way, and for some reason, he looked above my face. 

Did he realize I used the ribbon from the cutely wrapped caramels he gave me? 

If so, that’d make me happy. 

As I was thinking those thoughts, he had a soft expression on his face, in contrast to the uninterested one he had when entering the classroom. 

He had a really cute smile on his face before opening his mouth. 

“Nice to meet you too, Lilly. My name is Luke.” 

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