The One

05

THE SUN was shining on my eyes so I blocked it with my hand while walking.

A group of high school students were playing on the road side and one of them bumped into my shoulder making me take a step back from the impact.

"Sorry." The boy said and I only nodded.

I was heading to the university and it was my luck to run into these playful kids on the road. I had a scholarship in a popular university, even though I wasn't that intelligent but I always study not because I love it but because I have to. From high school until college, I only relied on my scholarships but unlike high school, college only catered eighty percent of the fee. Mom worked in a house for the aged as a caregiver. She had enough salary to sustain both of our daily needs. My father was long dead when I was still young and I never knew any other relatives because my mom was a runaway teenager and my dad was not from that state and I never had a chance to meet his family.

On the first day of college, mom bought me my first phone and also a new set of white polo shirts and black pants and sneakers. It made me shed a tear because I know how hard it was for mom to earn money. She didn't want me to get a job and wanted me to focus on my studies.

It was a prestigious university, and almost all of the students had their cars or had their chauffeur drive them to school. I could only count the number of students with one hand who walked to the gate with me while luxurious cars were lining up at the entrance gate.

The university was so big that we had to ride shuttle cars to go to different buildings. It also has its track and field, Olympic-sized pool, stadium, and even a golf course field. I got lost on my first day but after a month, I already knew what shuttle car number to ride for every building.

I went inside the lecture room and a few students were still there, either chatting or with their earphones and laptops or tabs. All of the students there use their tablets and laptops for note-taking in class and I think I was the only one on the campus to take notes with pen and notebook.

Lunch there was enough to fill my stomach up until the next day. The menu was complete, from soup to vegetables, meats, fish, and fruits, and there was even a pastry section. Servers were assigned to each menu. I wish I could bring some of the food at home for mom.

After lunch, I had an hour of free time and I would spend it in the library, the only building which was next to the administrative building. It was no wonder that the tuition fee was so expensive. Not to mention it would double if one availed the dorm. I heard that everything you needed was already in the dorm, including their own grocery and department store, and also gym.

I was rushing to my last class and went inside with half of the students already waiting for the professor. All the lecture rooms were designed like a theater with more than ten rows of leather seats. I usually sit on the fourth row, beside the side aisle. I noticed someone was walking behind me so I rushed and took a seat then heard a thudding sound after I felt something slide out from my pocket and then I heard a crack.

I felt like thunder had struck me when I saw that it was my phone and someone stepped on it. I was speechless at the man as if he never noticed what happened and only continued climbing the stairs.

My ears were ringing as I picked up my broken phone. The screen has this cobweb crack in the middle and spreading to the sides. It only lit up and the cracked areas were black. The screen was broken. I couldn't listen to the lecture until the class was done because my thoughts were only on my broken phone that mom painstakingly earned the money to buy it. It has been only a month since she gave it and now, it was already broken. I didn't even have the money to repair it. I didn't know what to do or what to tell mom.

I was preoccupied with the thoughts of my broken phone the whole day and at the time when classes were over, I was tearing up already. I walked to the university park beside the parking lot area and sat on one of the benches there as I checked the phone.

It was totally damaged.

"Fvck." I muttered, rubbing my face with my hands trying to think how I could tell mom.

"It was your phone?"

I was startled when someone suddenly showed up. I blinked my eyes fast trying to get rid of the tears that were warning to fall before glancing at the man. I couldn't even appreciate how handsome he was because all I could think about was my mom and my broken phone.

"You're crying because of your broken phone?"

I frowned as I slowly tucked the phone inside my bag.

"I'm not crying." I said and avoided the man's eyes.

"It's an old model anyway. You can have my phone instead." He said and I frowned at his phone.

It did look brand new and bigger compared to mine.

"It's not like that. It was given to me by mom." I muttered with my head down. " I can't replace it. "

I heard him sigh. "Then come with me if you want it repaired. "

I looked up at him and watched him walk to the parking area. Is he taking me to a repair shop? I stood up and walked after him. I know I didn't know him but I also didn't know what to do.

"But I don't have money."

"I do." He said and stopped in front of a two-seater dark gray luxury car and opened the passenger seat.

I stopped in front of him and looked at his shiny car. Is he asking me to go inside his nice car?

"What are you waiting for? It's not like I am your driver." He said and I nodded as I carefully slid inside the car.

Whatever. I just need to repair this even if I pay the guy through installment.

Mom has an old car that father left behind, but it wasn't as new as this one and this beautiful car smelled so good, it had this masculine scent. I was hugging my sling bag and I couldn't help but silently scan the interior design of the car. It has a monotone color, gray black, and white. It looked so new that I could not see a speck of dust, I didn't dare to move that much because I was afraid I would dirty or break something.

I looked at the man when I heard him chuckle and I saw him looking at me making my face heat up. His face just sank in after my mind was diverted from the problem. He was so handsome. Handsome like he came out from those prices in a fairytale movie handsome.

"By the way, I'm Zhenya." He said.