Meeting your 10 years,but you don’t recognise him and he doesn’t remember you

The back row of the classroom was always quiet, and she liked it that way. Today, her textbook was open to the same page for the last twenty minutes, but her eyes weren’t on the words. They were on Levi. He was leaning against the edge of a desk near the front, surrounded by his usual crowd. Two girls — pretty, confident ones — were laughing at something he’d just said. Levi’s messy dark hair fell over his forehead as he grinned, that bright, effortless smile lighting up his whole face. His white t-shirt stretched across his shoulders when he gestured wildly with his hands, the red ruby pendant on his black chain necklace catching the light every time he moved. “And then I told him — bro, if you’re gonna steal my lunch again, at least bring me something better than that sad sandwich!” Levi’s voice carried easily across the room, warm and full of laughter. One of the girls playfully shoved his arm, and he dramatically clutched his chest like he’d been wounded. “Hey, easy! I bruise like a peach.” The girls dissolved into giggles again. Levi winked at them, light and teasing, the kind of flirty gesture he tossed around like confetti — harmless, fun, never lingering too long. She bit her lip behind her book, heart squeezing. Of course he wouldn’t notice someone like me. Quiet, nerdy, always buried in notes. Boring. The thought stung, but she couldn’t stop staring. The way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, the easy confidence in his posture, the way that stupid necklace looked so perfect against his skin… Suddenly, Levi turned his head just a little, still mid-joke, scanning the room for something. His dark eyes locked directly onto hers. For one heartbeat, the world stopped. Her breath caught. Heat flooded her face so fast she felt dizzy. She snapped her head down, yanking the textbook up like a shield, hiding behind the pages. Her mind went into full panic mode — Oh god, he saw me staring. He definitely saw. I’m such an idiot. Why did I— Her cheeks burned. She could practically feel steam coming off her face. She risked a tiny peek over the top of the book. Levi had already turned back to the girls, continuing his story as if nothing had happened, laughing again like the brief eye contact was just another random moment in his day. Of course. To him, it was nothing. She slumped lower in her seat, heart still racing, knees pressed together under the desk as she tried to calm the fluttering in her chest.

Later that evening, the sun was dipping low, painting the sidewalk in soft orange light as she walked home alone. The neighborhood was quiet — until it wasn’t. Two older guys stepped out from the narrow alley between houses, blocking her path. One grabbed her wrist before she could react, his grip tight and rough. “Hey, pretty thing. Where you going in such a hurry?” the taller one smirked, leaning in too close. His friend laughed, circling behind her and grabbing her other arm, pinning her in place. “Let go—” she started, voice shaking, trying to pull free. “Aww, don’t be like that. We just wanna talk.” Her heart hammered. She opened her mouth to shout when a familiar voice cut through the air, casual but edged with something sharper. “Yo. Hands off.” Levi strolled up like he was just passing by on his way home, white t-shirt slightly rumpled, backpack slung over one shoulder, red ruby necklace glinting in the fading light. He didn’t look angry at first — just mildly annoyed, like someone had interrupted his playlist. But his eyes had gone dark, the playful glint replaced by a cold, steady warning. The thugs turned, still holding her. The taller one sneered. “Mind your own business, kid.” Levi stopped a few feet away, tilting his head with a lazy half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “See, that’s the thing. She lives next door. That makes it my business.” He dropped his backpack to the ground with a soft thud. “And I really don’t like it when people touch what they shouldn’t.” One of the guys laughed and stepped toward Levi, letting go of her arm to shove him. “What are you gonna do about—” He didn’t get to finish. Levi moved fast — faster than she expected. He caught the guy’s wrist mid-shove, twisted it sharply, and drove his shoulder into the man’s chest in one smooth motion. The thug stumbled back with a grunt, crashing into his friend. Before they could recover, Levi planted himself between them and her, shoulders squared, voice low and dangerous now. “Touch her again, and I won’t be this nice next time.” His tone was calm, almost conversational, but there was steel underneath. “Walk away. Now.” The two thugs exchanged a look — Levi wasn’t big, but the way he carried himself, the quiet threat in his stance, and the fact that he’d already dropped one of them without breaking a sweat made them hesitate. After a tense second, they muttered curses and backed off, disappearing down the alley. Levi waited until they were gone, then turned to her, the fierce expression melting instantly into his usual easy grin. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish. “You okay?” he asked, voice back to its normal warmth. “Those idiots didn’t hurt you, right? Sorry if I scared you — I just hate that kind of crap.” He leaned in slightly, tilting his head to hear her better as she murmured something under her breath. The red ruby pendant swayed gently between them. She tried to speak, but her voice came out in a nervous stutter. “Th-thank you…” Her face was burning crimson. She couldn’t let him see her like this — not when her heart was pounding so loudly she was sure he could hear it. Without taking his offered hand, she ducked her head and bolted past him, running down the sidewalk toward home. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire, and she didn’t dare look back. Levi stood there for a second, hand still outstretched, watching her disappear around the corner. He blinked, then let out a small pout, lips pushing forward in genuine confusion. “Man… she’s the only girl who won’t even talk to me or look at me,” he muttered to himself, scratching the back of his head. “What did I do wrong this time?” He shrugged it off with a sigh, picked up his backpack, and continued walking home, the red ruby necklace bouncing lightly against his chest — completely oblivious to the real reason she had run away.