Nathan couldn't stop thinking about the silver-haired girl.
Nova.
The name echoed in his mind long after she disappeared.
He walked beside Yelena through the university campus in silence. Students laughed around them. Some hurried to lectures while others gathered beneath the trees.
Everything looked ordinary.
Yet it didn't feel ordinary anymore.
Yelena finally broke the silence.
"So..."
Nathan looked at her.
"So?"
"You really feel familiar."
He smiled awkwardly.
"I was thinking the same thing."
She laughed.
"Good. I was worried I'd sound crazy."
For reasons neither could explain, the conversation flowed naturally.
They talked about classes.
Their favorite books.
Music.
Childhood memories.
It felt less like two strangers meeting.
More like two old friends finding each other again.
By lunchtime they were sitting beneath a large tree near the engineering building.
Nathan frowned.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You already are."
