I stood in front of the library once again, hoping—no, determined—to run into my pretty boy.

Although he wasn’t mine yet, he soon would be. This is my story, after all.

My eyes scanned the room, searching, and—YES! There he was, seated at the same desk as before. Without bothering to pick up a book, I hurried over to him. Moments like this weren’t meant for thinking.

I slid into the seat across from him. He looked up, amusement flickering in his dark eyes.

“Aren’t you the upside-down reader from yesterday?” he asked, a small, teasing smile playing on his lips. That’s when I noticed it—a dimple on his left cheek.

Oh no. Dimples? I was officially doomed.

“Uh, yeah, but that was a mistake,” I stammered, mentally kicking myself.

“Right, mistakes happen,” he said easily. “And today’s mistake is reading an invisible book?”

I glanced down at the empty table in front of me. Oh.

“Oh! Another mistake, another mistake,” I blurted out, letting out a nervous giggle. My face burned as I shot up from my seat and all but sprinted to the shelves.

This was so embarrassing.

This routine went on for days. We barely spoke, just sat across from each other, stealing glances and sharing quiet smiles. And yet, even in silence, those moments were enough to make my day.

I stopped borrowing books to read at home. Instead, I read them right there in the library—just to be in the same room as him.

But then, suddenly, he stopped coming.

At first, I told myself it was temporary. Maybe he wasn’t feeling well, or he was busy. He’d be back. But as the days passed, the empty seat across from me remained empty.

I even stopped by the ice cream shop where we’d first crossed paths. Nothing. No sign of him.

So, I took a break from the library. Maybe it was silly, but it hurt to sit there alone. I focused on finishing the books I’d borrowed instead.

Then, finally, the day came when I had to return them. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t secretly hope he’d be there.

I placed the books back on their shelves, sighing to myself. Just as I turned to sign the register, my eyes caught a familiar figure walking past.

My breath hitched.

Him.

Before I could overthink, I hurried to my usual seat. As soon as he returned with his book, I greeted him with a smile.

He returned it effortlessly before sitting down.

I hesitated for only a moment before scribbling a note on a spare piece of paper:

“Where were you these past days?”

Sliding it across the table, I watched as a small, knowing smile tugged at his lips. He picked up his pen and replied:

“Did you miss me?”

I scoffed, half-joking as I wrote back: “Was it that obvious?”

He chuckled softly but wrote instead: “That’s not an answer to my question.”

My heart did an unexpected flip.

Taking a deep breath, I hesitated before writing:

“I missed you.”

The second I finished the words, I regretted it. Not because it wasn’t true, but because it suddenly felt too real. My eyes lingered on the page for a moment before I dared to glance up at him.

He was already looking at me.

My cheeks burned, my stomach doing backflips.

Still grinning, he gently took the notebook back and scribbled something else.

“There’s a fair downtown. Care to accompany me?”

I blinked.

A date? Was he asking me out on a date?

But—I didn’t even know his name!

Before I could spiral further into my thoughts, he knocked lightly on the table, pulling me back.

“Yes! I would love to!” I blurted out, far too loudly.

The librarian’s sharp glare cut through the air. My excitement instantly deflated.

And just like that, we were promptly kicked out of the library.

We stood outside, the silence between us stretching, thick with unspoken amusement.

“I guess we made quite the impression in there,” he said, chuckling.

I looked up at him, and there it was again—that smile. The one that made me forget how to function.

“I—I didn’t mean to yell,” I mumbled.

“It’s fine.” His voice was playful. “You gave me an excuse to leave early. Libraries are great, but fairs? Way better.”

He tilted his head toward the street. In the distance, colorful lights from the fair peeked over the buildings, flickering like tiny stars.

“Shall we?” he asked, eyes twinkling.

I blinked. “Right now?”

“Well, we can stand here awkwardly, or…” He started walking, glancing back with a knowing smirk.

Before my brain could catch up, my feet had already decided for me.

“Wait—what’s your name?” I called, jogging to catch up.

He stopped, turning to face me.

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out.”

I groaned, though I couldn’t hide my smile. “Mysterious much?”

“I guess.” He smirked again and kept walking, and I followed, already knowing—

This was going to be one of those moments I’d replay in my head for the rest of my life.