Back then, he was a proud, spirited young man. Despite the lectures from teachers and parents, he insisted on holding my hand and running freely across the school grounds.
I remembered... Conrad was waiting in line to buy me a Pretzel, his ears turning red from the cold, but he kept it warm in his jacket to ensure it wouldn't get cold for me.
He said, "I can't let it catch a bit of cold, not for my dear Sharon."
I thought those moments would last forever...
When the driver informed me we had arrived, I was still lost in my memories, tears streaming down my face.
I thanked him, opened the door, and got out, only to trip over the steps.
I felt a sharp pain in my knee, sure that I had scraped it badly.
The pain was so intense it felt like my bones might have fractured.
Turned out I was not sober.
That was the day when I first met Hugh Mackintosh.
A pair of polished men's shoes appeared before me, and a deep, pleasant voice sounded above me. "Can you stand up?"
I looked up at the sound.
He was tall, bathed in the first light of dawn, with a halo of silver radiance surrounding him like a deity descending to earth.
I was entranced, forgetting my disheveled state as I sat on the ground.
He crouched down, and only then did I realize this was the man from the plane, the one whose pristine suit I had ruined. His entire demeanor radiated nobility.
"What a coincidence, meeting again," I murmured, not sure if he heard me.
"You've been drinking?" he asked, though it sounded more like a statement. "And quite a lot, it seems."
Before I could respond, I suddenly felt myself being lifted.
Looking up, I found our faces were now only inches apart.
He cradled me in his arms, and to steady myself, I had to wrap my arms around his neck.
His features were striking—high-bridged nose, sharp jawline...
Perhaps it was the lingering effects of the alcohol, but I couldn't stop my gaze from drifting downward, oblivious to how intrusive it was.
"You look so familiar..." I slurred.
He paused briefly before continuing to walk. "You should update your pickup lines."
"You remind me a bit of..." I waved my hand in the air as if trying to capture the memory, "a childhood neighbor..."
I dug through the fragments of my past and shook my head.
"No, not quite. He wasn't nearly as handsome as you. Just a little troublemaker... He even stole my love letters back then. It still makes me mad when I think about it, huh!"