Autumn Lake

After feeling confident, I continued my steps through the small forest behind the campus dormitory which I didn't expect to be this beautiful. A small smile spread across my lips. "Not bad either," I thought.

However, 10 meters in front of me, I saw a man standing with his back to me in front of a lake and seemed to be doing something. Realizing that I accidentally saw someone, I spontaneously hid behind a tree while peeking at the man.

"Who is he? What is he doing here?" I thought. I tried to observe what the man was doing.

Dark brown cardigan and black jeans. Dark hair with broad shoulders. That body and type of clothing felt familiar to me. I'm sure that I saw a man with that appearance today.

"I think I recognize that look, but who?"

Suddenly, the moments where I had to feel awkward all day came back into my head. Suddenly, I almost screamed. But I quickly covered my mouth before the man realized that behind him there was a girl watching him.

"Oh my, I almost let out a scream. It could be bad if he caught me peeking." I thought. Bad thoughts and feelings raced through me. I felt like I was in a thriller full of suspense.

After his mood began to calm down, I continued my actions to peek at the figure that had made my heart beat fast today.

"What is he doing here?" My eyes were fixed on hand movements that I knew exactly as those of a painter.

The man stopped moving his hands, he froze for a few moments as if he was aware of the presence of someone nearby. I, who knew that it seemed like the man could feel my presence, felt the same anxiety again.

Without warning, the man lowered his hand which was holding a brush. His head turned slightly, as if to signal that he already knew someone was watching him.

I, who knew that I had been caught red-handed, stayed where I was, not moving at all. I didn't expect that I would be this scared just because I accidentally saw "Someone" who was my lecturer painting alone in the forest behind the dormitory.

"Come out! There's no point in hiding!" How exciting. His voice was deep and cold. Making anyone who hears it feel fascinated and scared at the same time.

I swallowed hard, holding back my hands which were shaking uncontrollably. I tried to move my body and get out of the hiding place. With my head lowered, I stepped past the big tree where I hid for three minutes.

"You huh? What are you doing here?" he asked in a threatening tone. I, who is timid, am increasingly afraid of questions like that.

"I-I, I was walking down the street and accidentally saw you here, sir! I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" I stammered. I didn't expect that this man was so sensitive that he could find me so easily.

I lowered my face, I was really embarrassed until my legs felt hard to move. In front of me, Levi William Stanley was still looking at me with a flat gaze that was very difficult to understand.

"What makes you so brave to sneak around and watch me like that?"

"I-I wasn't sneaking around and I wasn't watching you at all, sir!" I said defending myself. I don't want to be seen as bad, especially if my lecturer accuses me of being a stalker.

"Is it true?" Her shining blue eyes looked sparkling. I, who accidentally saw it, immediately lowered my face again in shame.

I heard the sound of my heart beating quite loudly again. I felt an unusual atmosphere. The autumn breeze blows and the dry leaves flutter around me. The atmosphere I felt made me think that I was dreaming.

Levi saw the blush on my cheeks and how I looked so nervous that I kept looking down like that made him understand that I felt awkward and scared very easily.

"Come here!" he said. I turned my gaze to the canvas and also the lake in front of me. Aki, who heard his order, immediately raised her head and looked at the back of this strange, mysterious man who was difficult to understand.

"O-okay, sir!" Feeling it was impossible to refuse his call, I hurriedly stepped over to him who didn't move where he was with the brush still held in his hand.

Realizing how my height only reached his shoulders made me feel inferior. I don't know how tall this man is, but he certainly looks very striking with his dark hair and shining blue eyes.

"It turns out he's very tall. How much do you think? Looks like he's more than 190 cm, could it be 195 cm?" I thought. Even in awkward moments like this I still have time to think about other things.

"Stand there!" Levi said. He pointed towards the lake with his brush.

"S-standing there? What should I do?"

"You don't have to do anything! Just stand there!"

"O-okay!" I, who was confused, could only follow his orders while scratching my head.

I stood two meters in front of Levi William Stanley, right in front of the lake which was almost filled with orange leaves. Even though I didn't understand what he wanted from me, I, who had a very hard time saying 'no', could only surrender and follow everything he was told.

Levi looked at me very sharply and coldly, to be honest, the look in his eyes always made me feel scared and stunned. My cheeks, which were already red, were getting redder. I became embarrassed.

"Why does he keep looking at me? How is this?" I thought. I don't know whether I should feel scared or happy because I was noticed by the most popular handsome lecturer on campus.

***