At the start of the day, on a clear and sunny August morning, Armin had just walked through the gates of the high school and sighed. He looked down at his phone as he entered the school grounds, scrolling through his social media - Instagram. He saw a photo on his news feed - it was an update from Annie.
He found it strange because the Annie he knew typically wouldn't post or update anything on her social media (if she did, she would keep it private and hidden). But his thoughts quickly shifted when he saw her picture.
It was a quick selfie she had taken in the mirror with a small smile on her lips.
Armin stared at the photo, memorizing every detail of her face like a lovesick fool (which, in truth, he was): from her bright blue eyes to her warm, gentle smile, her simple black t-shirt, blue jeans, and the white headphones draped over her shoulders. She wasn't the type to show off her appearance or anything else like most girls her age, and he liked that about her. But he was stunned as soon as he saw the photo. It was the first time he had seen her with her blonde hair down, and she looked absolutely adorable.
And then the caption under the post appeared.
It was an innocent question, but to him, it meant so much more.
“How it could be as sweet as candy?”
“How it’s like flying in the sky?”
“I wanna know, what is love?”
“How it keeps you smiling all day?”
“How the whole world turns beautiful?”
“I wanna know, what is love?”
“Will love come to me someday?”
Smiling softly to himself, Armin was about to click the heart icon and leave a comment, writing a response to her question. "Love is you." Yeah, he sounded like a fool because he was a fool when it came to her. Quickly, Armin deleted it before hitting post, and wrote a different response before posting it.
"Love is the feeling of deep affection, care, and strong attachment to someone. It includes desire, passion, and emotional connection."
He stared at the screen, feeling the butterflies he usually felt rising in his chest. With a small, satisfied hum, he slipped his phone into his pocket and continued on his way to class. His first period was Chemistry, and she would be in the same class with him.
....
Annie was in the classroom along with a few other students: some were reviewing their lessons, some were chatting about the latest drama topics - but she didn't care, some were fiddling with their phones - just like Annie, and a few had their heads down on the desk, sleeping. It was rare for her to arrive 30 minutes early, probably because she had been reprimanded many times for being late and sleeping in class, so she had forced herself to wake up early. Taking advantage of the time before class started, Annie pulled out her phone and scrolled through her social media, from Facebook to Instagram. Suddenly, she saw a few notifications from Facebook and Instagram and decided to check them out.
A few people - she didn't remember who - had liked her first post, accounts that might be strangers or within her small circle of friends. Some unfamiliar accounts had even followed her on Instagram, but she ignored them. She had posted simply to show that her account still existed and wasn't dead. Or perhaps it was a prelude to some future trouble. Who knew?
But there was one notification that particularly caught her attention: it was from Armin's Instagram account. An open-hearted guy who had befriended her from the very first days of high school, both online and in real life. More importantly, unlike the comments complimenting her appearance, he had commented directly on her caption: "What is Love?"
Initially, she had chosen the caption randomly based on the title of the song "What is Love?" by the Korean group band - Twice. The melody of the song, its cute and dreamy lyrics, didn't really match Annie's gloomy personality, but she knew she was oddly drawn to it.
And it was Armin's comment that made Annie think more deeply about love: "Love is the feeling of deep affection, care, and strong attachment to someone. It includes desire, passion, and emotional connection."
Finally, before seeing Armin walk into the classroom, Annie replied to his comment, not realizing her lips were curling up into a smile.
"Can love come from family, romantic relationships, or friendships, right?"
....
Armin stopped as he neared the classroom door, noticing a social media notification. He couldn't help but smile a little, feeling slightly bashful about his comment. After all, he was surprised and delighted that she responded, as he hadn't expected much.
He took a deep breath before messaging her back.
"Yes, you're right. Love can appear in many different forms. There's family love, romantic love, and friendship."
He put his phone in his pocket before entering the classroom. He noticed a few students were already there, but his eyes were always drawn to Annie, the blonde girl who sat quietly by the window. She was scrolling through her phone, seemingly uninterested in her surroundings. He smiled a bit more and walked to his seat, "coincidentally" right next to hers.
He sat down at the desk beside her, his backpack hanging off one side. He didn't try to be sneaky or anything, but he glanced at her while she was looking at her phone, possibly reading the comment he had left for her.
"Good morning." Annie stared at her phone screen, scrolling through social media, avoiding Armin's gaze.
He looked at her when she spoke. It was unusual for her to greet someone so early in the morning, but he appreciated it. A small, warm smile appeared on his lips as he responded.
"Good morning, Annie," he said in a gentle, soft voice. "I'm surprised to see you here so early."
"It's not as surprised as you leaving a comment on my post," Annie murmured softly, only for herself to hear, but it was a complete failure as Armin heard every word.
He flashed a bright smile and decided to lean back comfortably in his chair.
"What's wrong with that? You asked a question, and I answered," he teased.
"Nothing… Just found it strange," Annie replied shyly, still avoiding his gaze.
He nodded, a hint of amusement in his eyes. The way she was embarrassed and shy was as adorable as a small teddy bear. And he liked seeing her like this.
"No need to find it strange," he said, his voice softening. "I just answered your question. You asked 'What is Love,' and I gave you my definition."
Annie's blue eyes suddenly met Armin's, ready to explain why she had used that caption. But in the end, she gave up and took out her headphones to listen to music. She rested her head on the desk to listen.
Armin clearly noticed how she looked straight into his eyes, but her shyness prevented her from explaining. It was endearing how she tried but ultimately gave up. As she put on her headphones and laid her head on the desk, he smiled to himself. He thought she looked so cute with her head resting on the desk like that. However, he couldn't help but feel a bit curious about what she had been about to say to him but then decided not to. He wanted to know.
Suddenly, her voice interrupted his curiosity.
"When the teacher comes, wake me up. I'll take a nap." Annie said before closing her eyes and slowly drifting off to sleep in front of Armin. She didn't need to wait for his reply because she knew he would agree without hesitation.
He chuckled softly when she asked him to wake her when the teacher arrived. He found her endearing (for the nth time) for trusting him so much. Especially when she believed he would listen to her request. He watched her close her eyes and slowly drift off to sleep in front of him. He could see how relaxed and comfortable she was. And that made his heart feel warm, like spring had come.
He leaned down gently to look at her face, his expression tender and uniquely gentle.
He thought she looked so cute sleeping like that. He couldn't help but reach out with a small, gentle motion and softly tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. He knew she probably wouldn't notice since she was sleeping so soundly, but he still felt a bit nervous doing it.
His gaze lingered on her for a moment, but then he sat back in his chair and continued watching her. He knew a few other students were starting to look at them curiously, but he didn't pay them any mind. All his attention was focused on the small girl sleeping on the desk in front of him.
A few more minutes passed as he continued to watch her, memorizing every detail of her face, every little feature. Her soft, smooth skin. Her beautiful blonde hair is like the morning sunlight in the early dawn. Her beautiful and perfectly unique nose. Her long, fluttering eyelashes gently closed.
He quickly shook his head when he realized he was staring at her lips. He didn't want to become a weirdo and stare at her too much, even if she was asleep and couldn't notice.
He took a deep breath and looked down at his desk. He knew their Chemistry teacher, Hange Zoe, would be in soon, but he didn't want to wake her up because she was still sleepy. However, she had asked him to wake her up when the teacher arrived, so he had to comply. Gently placing his hand on her shoulder, he shook her a little to wake her from her sleep.
Out of reflex, Annie lifted her head before her eyes were fully open. And unconsciously, she rubbed her eyes like a kitten.
"Mmmm..." She groaned in frustration because her beautiful dream had been shattered, but she understood why it had to be.
He felt his heart flutter when he saw her rubbing her eyes like that. She had no idea how adorable she was. He swallowed hard, trying to control the emotions that were rapidly surging in his chest. He silently gave himself a small lecture, reminding himself to act normal, not to get too attached like hugging her tightly and kissing her right in front of the class...
He smiled gently, his hand still on her shoulder, and softly said, "The teacher is coming."
Still rubbing eyes, Annie nodded before fully waking up.
Seeing this, he quickly withdrew his hand from her shoulder and leaned back. He glanced away, his heart still fluttering at how cute she looked as she woke up. He mentally shook himself, trying to calm his emotions.
He observed the other students settling into their seats, while their Chemistry teacher, Hange Zoe, stood at the front of the class, ready to begin the lesson.
....
That evening, Annie Leonhart asked Hitch on Instagram:
“Hitch, if a boy who suddenly brushes a girl's hair back while she’s sleeping, what does that mean? Is it a sign that he’s preparing to take advantage of?”
Hitch Dreyse replied with a confused emoji: "???????"
