A few days later, I was in a garden taking pictures of butterflies.

I looked at the photos I had just taken and scrolled to the next one. Suddenly, my eyes widened and my heart started pounding, because in that picture, I saw the booth girl again.

I looked around the garden, searching for her, but I couldn’t find her. Then, when I turned back, I saw her walking toward me.

She waved at me.

I smiled lightly and waved back.

When she reached me, she asked what I was doing here using hand signs.

I suddenly thought she had seen me taking her picture, so I blurted out,

“I didn’t intentionally take your picture again.”

She gave me a small glare, puffed her cheeks, then made hand signs saying she was leaving, and turned away, starting to walk.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” I said.

Hearing that, she stopped and turned toward me, then signed that if I wanted to take pictures of her, I could do so from now on, but only by asking her first.

“Really?” I said.

She smiled… and signed that she had to go to the library now.

“I’ll walk you,” I said.

I walked her to the library. On the way, she said many things using hand signs. I don’t know whether she was scolding me or saying something else, because I was too lost in her to pay attention to anything. When we reached the library, she went inside, and I stood there watching her until she disappeared behind the doors.

***

Today, I’m standing near the library waiting for her. I don’t know why, but after that day, I haven’t been able to focus on anything. Whenever I try to take pictures, I just think, What if she were here. Maybe I think I’m in...

I was lost in thought when I suddenly saw her coming out of the library.

I hid the camera behind my back and walked toward her and said,

“Hey.”

She looked at me and asked in hand signs what I was doing there while tilting her head to see behind my back.

I didn’t try to hide it anymore and said,

“I didn’t do anything today.”

She laughed softly and started walking, and I followed her.

“What do you do in the library?” I asked.

She looked at me and signed that she listens to loud music there.

“Don’t joke,” I said with a smile.

Then she stopped and signed, “Who started it?”

That’s when I realized how stupid my question was.

She started walking again, and I turned my face, scratching my cheek with one finger. In reality, I just wanted to talk to her, but I didn’t know what to say, so I ended up saying whatever came to my mind.

After a while, she stopped at a road crossing where another street connected. Then she turned toward me and pointed in that direction.

“You’re going that way?” I asked.

She nodded. I stayed silent for a moment, then said,

“Oh, what a coincidence. I live that way too.”

She gave me a small glare and signed that she had never seen me there before.

“Oh… I… um…” 

I didn’t know what to say, but I saw her making hand signs, telling me I should go home as well.

“Oh yeah, take care,” I said and turned toward my way. I stayed there for a moment before starting to walk.

***

After that day, I began waiting outside the library and walking with her all the way to the road crossing. Sometimes she scolded me, saying that I had nothing else to do, but every time I just made excuses that really didn’t make any sense. And sometimes, she didn’t say anything.

And today, I’m waiting again for her.

She came out of the library and glanced at me. I smiled and walked toward her. She didn’t say anything.

As we walked, I looked at her face, and then I realized something important, that she never told me her name.

“Hey, you didn’t tell me your name yet,” I said.

She looked at me and signed that I was the one who never asked.

“Then tell me now,” I said, but she shook her head.

“Why?” I asked.

She signed that she didn’t feel like telling me today.

“Whatever. Then I’ll call you Booth Girl,” I said.

She glared at me and pulled my left ear.

“Oww, that hurts,” I said, and she released my ear.

When we reached the road crossing where she usually went her way, she tilted her head and smiled at me, but didn’t say anything. I sighed as she walked off while I stayed there.

Then I called her,

“Hey.”

She turned back and looked at me.

I stayed silent for a moment... then said

“Can I take your picture?”

She only looked at me and didn’t say anything, so I lowered my head, but then she snapped her fingers. Hearing that, I looked up, she made hand signs saying,

Tomorrow,

11 a.m.,

at that park.

I knew exactly which park she meant. I smiled at her, but then she made hand signs again, saying that,

I’ll also tell you my name tomorrow.

“Hey,” I said again.

“You looked beautiful in that dress. Can you wear it tomorrow?”

She also knew which dress I meant.

She smiled at me and signed for me to go. I nodded, then she waved her hand and began walking.

I stood there for a few moments, watching her, before turning and walking my own way.

***