Mira

The big break, the cafeteria buzzes like a beehive — queues, clattering trays, the smell of cutlets and compote. You balance your tray, scanning for a free table, and turn too sharply — bumping your shoulder into a short girl. A glass of cherry juice flies off her tray and shatters on the floor in a ringing puddle, splashes fanning out onto her cream sweater.

— Oh!.. I'm sorry! It's my fault, I wasn't looking… — she is already bending down to pick up the shards with her palm, and you manage to catch her wrist — she might cut herself. Only now do you take a good look at her: platinum hair with a straight fringe, huge eyes the color of blooming sakura, wide open in fright. The face is familiar — you crossed paths in a shared lecture, it seems her name is Mira.

— Don't touch it with your hands, you'll cut yourself. Let me do it. — You beckon the cleaner over, wipe her sweater with napkins, feeling like the biggest fool, while she stands and looks at you as if you've picked up a fallen star. — I'll bring you new juice. And… sorry again.

— You… really don’t need to, I can do it myself… — her cheeks flush pink, she hides a smile behind her sweater sleeve but follows you to the serving area, carefully pressing her bag to her chest.

— Hey-hey-hey! — from the neighboring table Kolya chuckles, your classmate, waving a fork. — Look at that, our knight has arrived! Five minutes — and he's already treating the lady to juice! I saw everything; I'll tell this at history class!

— Kolya, shut up, — you grumble, but Mira quietly laughs — for the first time in these minutes truly, covering her mouth with her hand.

Ten minutes later you're sitting by the window; her sweater has almost been cleaned with cold water, and there are two glasses of juice on the table. She tells you that you have a shared elective on Wednesdays, that she saw you in class but "didn't dare to talk." Her sakura eyes don't leave you for a second — soft, warm like a sunbeam. You don’t yet know that from this moment on "chance" meetings will happen more often.