With a small glimmer of hope, Felix had set his alarm a little earlier today. With one last glance in the mirror, he checked his outfit. His hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. Some strands still hung in front of his face. He had applied a light layer of powder, just enough to not cover his freckles. He had chosen a simple white long-sleeve shirt and was just putting on his black coat. His gold earrings and slightly more noticeable necklace completed the outfit. Quickly, he rushed back to the bathroom because he had forgotten something important. With three quick sprays, he applied his favorite perfume, Diesel, and made his way to the train station.

With long, steady steps, he headed towards the station and glanced at his watch. Five minutes until the train came. As always, he positioned himself at the same spot to board the train. Slightly jittery, he checked the time again—one minute had passed. It seemed to Felix as though time couldn't go fast enough for him to finally see the stranger again.

After a few minutes of staring blankly into the air, the train finally arrived. Everyone squeezed through the door, and Felix even managed to get a free four-seat compartment. He opened his coat and sat down facing the direction of travel. Of course, the window seat, naturally. His gaze drifted outside as the train started moving, silently watching the passing houses, gardens, and cars.

The small house with the cute garden signaled that the next stop was near, and the loudspeakers soon echoed:
"Next stop..."
Not yet, Felix thought. The stranger would board at the second stop after his.
A couple sat across from him in his compartment, and he immediately became nervous. That meant only the seat next to him was free.
Restlessly, he started tapping his foot up and down. After a while, he received an irritated glance from the woman sitting diagonally from him, and immediately stopped his foot.
His gaze drifted back outside, and there it was—the long-awaited log cabin, signaling the next stop.
His heart suddenly raced, and as they entered the station, he almost twisted his neck trying to spot the handsome man. He didn't see him.
The doors opened, and one person after another entered the train and walked past him. But no sign of the stranger.
When no more people walked through the train's aisle, his hope sank.
Maybe he had boarded further up, Felix thought. But either way, he probably wouldn't see him.
Resigned, he put on his headphones, selected his Lonely Sad Mix, and listened to music until he arrived at the university. He opened the door to his office and was immediately greeted by Jeongin.
"Hey, Felix!"
A low grumble escaped his chest, causing his office mate to ask in confusion:
"What happened to you? And why are you so dressed up today?"
Felix wasn't in the mood to talk about his disappointment, so he just replied,
"Didn't sleep well," and that silenced Jeongin.
He had imagined the day completely differently, but life had other plans for the blonde.
Irritated, he grabbed his teaching materials and started preparing for the next seminar. But his thoughts kept drifting, and secretly, he thought that tomorrow would be another day, and maybe he would see the stranger again.
With that thought, he headed into his class in slightly better spirits.

But Felix was wrong. The stranger did not appear the next day, or the day after, or on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.
Totally hopeless, he started his weekend and called his best friend Jisung in the evening.
"Hey Lix! Everything alright?" came the lively voice of Han Jisung, his childhood best friend.
"Yeah..." Felix stretched his answer too long, which, of course, didn't go unnoticed by Jisung.
"Tell me!"
"There's nothing to tell," Felix replied casually, but he knew he couldn't fool his best friend.
"Well, actually, there is. On Monday, there was this guy on the train. I had never seen him before. Anyway, he was really cute, so I thought I'd see him again in the train over the next few days. But he didn't show up...," Felix explained.
Jisung whistled through the phone.
"Someone actually caught your eye? That's a first! What did he look like? Tell me every detail!"
Of course, Felix had to describe everything in detail to the curious one, and the phone call lasted over two hours.
"Want to grab a drink?" the young man on the other end of the line asked, and Felix hesitated for a moment, wondering if he was in the mood for it or not.
"Nah, I'll pass. I think I'm just taking it easy this weekend."
"Oh, come on! You're not thirty yet! Don't be such a buzzkill!" protested Han, but Felix wouldn't be convinced.

The weekend passed by too quickly, and before he knew it, it was Monday again. Sleepily, Felix peeled himself out of his pajamas and shuffled into the bathroom.
Ready for work, he grabbed his bag and left his apartment. Yawning, he took the elevator and walked the short way to the station.
As soon as he arrived, the train pulled in. He boarded the same part of the train and sat down in the aisle seat. The two window seats were already taken by the young student who always stared at his phone and an older woman with black hair, who, as far as he knew, didn't always take the same train.
As usual, he took out his headphones and listened to music—today, some of the latest pop songs.
With a blank stare, he looked ahead, letting the music play. His gaze drifted to the end of the aisle as people boarded, and suddenly, two familiar chocolate brown eyes were staring directly at him.
Felix instantly became wide awake, and his gaze fixed on the stranger, scrutinizing him.
Today, he wore black pants and a long black coat.
Was that a smile, Felix wondered, as the stranger's eyes slightly squinted and the corners of his mouth seemed to twitch.
Immediately, Felix's heart began to race in his chest. He watched as the young man walked down the aisle with long strides, silently hoping that he would sit next to him. But before the stranger could reach his compartment, a man in a suit sat down in the last seat, shattering Felix's hopes.
The stranger briefly furrowed his brows, then walked past Felix without looking at him.
Felix's heart sank because he had hoped the stranger would glance at him again, their eyes would meet once more, and he would get a smile. But that dream was shattered, and the stranger sat down further back in the compartment. There, where Felix couldn't see him, and frustrated, he closed his eyes.
Would he grab his notepad again, Felix wondered, and throughout the ride, his thoughts swirled around the handsome young man.
A small seed of hope bloomed in him when he thought about how he could just take the exit in the opposite direction when they arrived, and instantly, he couldn't wait to get off the train.
The announcement came, and Felix waited for some people to stand in the aisle so he could take his time exiting. He walked in the opposite direction, and immediately, he saw the stranger sitting on the aisle seat facing the direction of travel.
While Felix stood there waiting for the right moment to exit, he could secretly study the stranger's face once more. His flawless skin was smooth and even, his features like those of a model. That was all he could make out, as the stranger had lowered his head. Of course, he had his notepad with him and was writing something. Then, people moved in front of Felix, and he followed behind them.
Like last time, the handsome guy was too absorbed, and Felix managed to glimpse into his book as he passed by.
To Felix's surprise, it wasn't a notepad where he wrote texts; no, it was a sketchbook where masterpieces were coming to life.
So not only did he look good, but he was also creative!
Felix's interest grew even more, and when he exited the train, he looked once more through the windows into the train. To his surprise, the stranger had raised his head and was staring directly at Felix, smiling.
What a presence, Felix thought, as he gazed longingly at the train as it pulled away, or rather at the stranger.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

I hope you enjoy the story so far?

Thanks for reading :3