Prologue
The autumn breeze blows away the dry leaves. The sound of birds chirping and the wind blowing, I really enjoyed it. Reminds me of home, family and my hometown.
I realized that my steps had taken me to the middle of a forest surrounded by orange trees. I looked up at the sky, white clouds moving slowly, followed by black clouds far behind me.
"It looks like it's going to rain tonight." I muttered. I knew exactly this situation after I observed the sky.
However, even though I know it will rain. I felt reluctant to return to my room now. I knew that Kerry and her boyfriend took a little longer to finish their hot session.
My eyes glanced at the clock on my hand which showed 4.30 in the afternoon. I took a deep breath, thinking maybe I could wait another 10 minutes before finally returning to my room.
Once I was sure, I continued my steps through the small forest behind the campus dormitory which I didn't expect would 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 brown 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?"
The moments where I had to feel awkward all day came back into his 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 God, 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 my mood started 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, I froze for a few moments as if aware of the presence of someone near me. 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 discovered, froze in my place, 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 come 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 w-was walking around and accidentally saw you here, sir! I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" I stuttered. I didn't expect that this man was so sensitive that he could find me so easily.
I lowered my face, I was so embarrassed that it was hard for me to move my legs. 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 this lecturer accuses me of being a stalker.
"Is it true?" His shining blue eyes looked sparkling. I, who accidentally saw it, immediately lowered my face again in shame.
Deg-
I heard my heart beat quite loudly again. I felt an unusual atmosphere. The autumn breeze blows and the dry leaves flutter around me. This atmosphere that I felt made me think that I was dreaming.
This man saw the blush on my cheeks and how the young woman looked so nervous that she kept looking down like that made him understand that young woman are very easy to feel awkward and afraid of many things.
"Come here!" He said. He turned his gaze to the canvas and also the lake in front of him. I, who heard his order, immediately raised my 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 Levi, who didn't move where he was with the brush still clutched 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 more than 190 meters." I thought. Even in awkward moments like this I still have time to think about other things.
"Stand there!" Levi said. He pointed at the front of 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 2.5 meters in front of Levi right in front of the lake which was almost filled with orange leaves. Even though I didn't understand what my lecturer wanted from me, I, who had a very hard time saying 'no', could only surrender and follow everything he ordered.
Levi looked at me coldly and to be honest, the look in his eyes always made me feel scared and stunned. My red cheeks are 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.
Levi, who was originally just silent and observing me for three minutes, now started moving his brush as if painting something on the canvas in front of him.
"I-could it be possible that he painted me? How could I be a model for a painting by a great painter like him? What dream did I have last night?" I thought. My chest heaved, I couldn't hold back the smile on my face.
"Stop smiling weirdly like that! You disgust me, stalker!" Levi said coldly.
As he wished, I immediately stopped smiling. I thought that I just heard wrong, what he said just now made me a little shocked.
"I-I'm sorry-" I froze, frozen in my place. From initially feeling happy because I thought that I would be used as a painting model, in an instant I felt like I was falling with just one sentence.
The atmosphere became very quiet, the only thing that could be heard was the sound of the wind blowing and birds chirping. This silence somehow makes me feel even more afraid.
Levi pulled out his brush and glanced at me, who was frozen stiff for a glance. This strange man seemed to be aware that he had just made his students feel very afraid of him.
"Seems like you're very easy to shut up with just words, huh?"
"Huh? W-what? I-I just-" I stammered my answer. My eyes started to get wet and I felt confused.
Levi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, he tidied up his painting tools as if he wanted to finish his activity.
"I'm done with my business! I'll be leaving soon. You too, better go back to your house because it's going to be dark and rainy soon!"
"O-okay, I'll-"
"Listen! Forget what I said earlier. I didn't mean it, except for the stalker part!" He said flatly without emotion.
Again I was silent, my mouth open. I don't understand what this man actually said, but one thing I understand is that he is a strange man, stiff and cold. Maybe he meant it as a joke and just scared me.
"Is he kidding?" I thought. I swallowed several times.
"D-did you paint me, sir?" I asked. I'm quite curious about this one. Remembering that Levi acted as if he wanted to make me the object of a painting.
"Yeah, do you mind?"