The Bookstore Boy

For the next few days, Suhani kept seeing him near the bookstore. Sometimes he arranged books outside. Sometimes he sat quietly reading near the window while soft music played inside the shop.

She never spoke to him.

But somehow, noticing him became part of her routine.

Every evening after work, her eyes searched the bookstore before she even realized it.

One particularly exhausting day,

Suhani left the convenience store later than usual. Her head ached from lack of sleep, and she had skipped lunch to save money. The station was less crowded than normal, and the cold evening wind made her pull her sweater tighter around herself.

As she waited for the bus, she suddenly heard a voice beside her.

“You look tired.”

Suhani turned in surprise.

It was him.

Standing there with two warm coffee cups in his hands.

For a second, she forgot how to respond.

Then she quickly looked away. “I’m fine,” she replied softly.

He smiled a little, as if he already expected that answer.

“People who are fine usually don’t look like they’re carrying the whole world,” he said calmly.

His words caught her off guard.

Not because they were dramatic.

Because they were true.

He held out one of the coffee cups toward her.

“You’ll get sick standing in this weather,” he added.

Suhani hesitated before taking it carefully. “Thank you.”

“It’s just coffee,” he said.

Still, the warmth of the cup slowly relaxed her cold hands.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Cars passed by while the station lights flickered softly above them.

Then Suhani finally asked, “Do you work at the bookstore?”

He nodded. “Part-time.”

“You study too?”

“Sometimes,” he replied jokingly.

For the first time, Suhani laughed quietly.

A small laugh.

But real.

The boy noticed it immediately.

And somehow, seeing her smile seemed to make him happier than the conversation itself.

After that evening, the bus station no longer felt as lonely to Suhani. Although nothing dramatic had changed in her life, she slowly became aware of how small moments could affect a person’s heart. Every day still followed the same routine of college, work, and responsibilities, but now there was also the quiet expectation of seeing the bookstore boy again.

A few days later, Suhani arrived at the station earlier than usual because her college classes had ended sooner. The evening sky was painted with soft orange colors as the sun slowly disappeared behind the buildings. She noticed the bookstore was less crowded than before, and through the glass window she could see the boy arranging books carefully on the shelves.

For a moment, she stood outside without entering. She did not know why she felt nervous. It was only a bookstore, and he was simply someone she had spoken to once. Yet her heart reacted differently whenever he was near.

Before she could leave, the shop door suddenly opened.

“You’re just going to stand there?” he asked with a small smile.

Suhani looked embarrassed after being caught staring. “I was waiting for my bus,” she replied quickly.

“The bus stop is on the other side,” he said calmly.

She had no answer for that.

For the first time in a long while, Suhani felt something unfamiliar inside her chest. It was not happiness exactly, nor excitement. It was softer than that. A feeling that slowly appeared without asking permission.

As she stepped into the warm bookstore filled with the smell of paper and coffee, she unknowingly crossed the first line between strangers and something more.

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