KuchiKuchikuu

On my morning routine's third day, he was there too.

The morning greeted me with wet pavement from the rain that precipitated before dawn. I went down at past 6:30 am. I brought with me a borrowed book, my phone, a mug wih spoon, and a bag of tea. As I walked down the stairs, I assumed that the common area was all on me. Not until my peripheral view allowed me to see the entire area. Voila, there he was. He had his black earphones on and a blue mug.

My eyes met his as fast as our eyes changed direction. When he looked at the person entering the area (me), he wide-openly smiled. I recognized that smile because I also used to smile just like that. Haha.

I walked behind him to reach the watee dispenser. I opened a bag of tea. I was nervous. I can't figure out how to break free the end string. It snapped. The paper-end was isolated to the string. I smiled. What is happening to me?

I filled my cup wih hot water and walked towards my usual post. There were three tables in the common area. Two tables were of the same size and positioned vertically to each other. The other table was the largest and positioned behind the two adjacent same-sized tables. He was at the end of the the same-sized tables while I was on the farthest end of the largest table.

The morning ws gloomy due to heavy clouds. I enjoyed the sound and wind breeze. The warmth of the mug on my hand transcends the heat and aroma of tea towards my face. And of course, a sight of his back.

I turned the book to page 56. Then, he stood up and sit in the garden. This time, he was behind me at my farthest right. As I continue to read, I used the book to cover my face. I can't help it but smile. What are the odds of enjoying a morning with him and I. I just could not believe it.

I checked on him for the 3rd time and he sits his back away from my direction. God knows how much I wanted to get my phone and capture his back. I got afraid. What if he faced my direction and suddenly see me doing that?

I mimicked his position. Then, he stood up. I smiled at him. Oops. I forgot to use the word "awkwardly". He did not smiled back. To save myself from humilition, I asked him.

"Hindi ba basa dyan?"

He shooked his head sideways and said, "Hindi. Pero umuulan na eh."

"Ah okay," I said. "Naabutan mo ba ung ulan?"

He shooked.

He sat near the dispenser. Then his roommate peaked towards his direction with a morning face. I smiled at his roommate but he just looked at me with a scrunched eyebrows and a morning face before going away. Shortly afterwards he stood up and left.

I'm normally a morning person.

Today, I woke up early, unlike to what I expect to be. We had a movie night last night. We watched two movies, Boy Erased, and Downfall, at our dormitory's common area. There were 10-15 people joining us. Some are playing computer games, chatting, moving from one place to another, etc. It started at 9:00 pm and ended up at 1:30 am. Afterwards, my roommate and I went to our room and chatted for quite some time. I remember going to sleep at 2:00 am (following HIMYM's nothing good happens after 2am). I woke up at 6 am.

I decided to have a morning session at the common area. I struggled to bring my thesis draft, but put it down. Instead, I grabbed things that will help me enjoy the light, sound, and breeze the morning has to offer me.

Phone, earphones, big yellow fan, and a cup of coffee - this is how I normally enjoy my morning. As I watched and listened to collision of my rotating spoon and the insides of my cup, I heard gears of bicycles approaching my direction. When I looked back, I saw a glimpse of him. Jimboy walking with the bicycle, holding its handles. His wet hair and a green face mask covering his nose and mouth - that was all I remembered in that short span of time.

And it was enough to consider my morning as beyond normal.