Joseph couldn't believe it.

'Of all the bookstores in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine,' Joseph thought to himself, adapting the quote from the Casablanca movie.

That's what it felt like right now.

The fact that she actually lived in this part of the world didn't matter. The context of the quote was.

He had managed to avoid her for two years.

He had been at the bookshelf, casually looking for a book for revision, when something just made him look up. For no reason. Look up towards the entrance when something seemed to be at his peripheral vision.

It was pure curiosity and instinct.

He regretted it.

Regretted it utterly.

She walked through that open door to enter into the bookstore.

His breath caught in his throat.

She brought sunshine into the warm bookstore, lighting it up even more. Her wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders, like some soft curtain swaying in the light breeze, the tips of her hair just above her chest. She had gotten rid of her bangs, while the sides of her hair being slightly shorter and framed her oval face.

Her sparkling blue eyes, her perfectly arched eyebrows, button nose, and lips that weren't too full nor too thin was lifted up in a slight smile and was graced with a light trace of pink gloss just made it so much more kissable.

She was dressed simply but yet, she still looked so elegant. It was a white turtleneck sweater with a black pleated mini skirt that was mid-thigh. Her long, shapely legs were covered with black stockings and she wore dark beige ankle boots.

In her hand, she was carrying a small black handbag casually.

Joseph gulped, his adam's apple bobbing up and down as he looked at the vision of loveliness that he had naively thought he had gotten over.

Just seeing her right now, made all of those pent-up feelings he had resolutely buried and pushed aside came crashing down upon him. Worse, the feelings were far stronger than it had been two years ago.

How was that possible?!

Joseph quickly turned away, lest she noticed him. Before she realised he had seen her, and before she knew that he was here. He could somehow still run away, right?

He gripped the book hard as he pushed it back onto the bookshelf, his heart in pain and he felt like there was this huge lump in his throat. He closed his eyes briefly, taking deep breaths and he felt his heart beating so hard and fast in his chest.

Kay's eyes fell upon that person she had been pining for, for the past two years.

Watching him through the lenses of the camera was hardly the same as seeing him in the flesh. She was both so excited and so scared that the soft smile on her face almost faltered.

She had taken absolutely ages in choosing this outfit.

She wanted to appear fresh and young, but not like she was trying to look like a teenager - but not 'old' like a working woman that she is. She bit her lower lips subconsciously, her nervousness at its peak.

She had seen him looking up as she walked in and to her dismay, he looked rather indifferent and unaffected, before turning back to his book like she was just another person in the crowd.

Did he not recognise her?

They hadn't met for two years because she had wanted to leave him alone.

She had wanted him to explore and experience his life as a normal teen, and to meet other girls.

Still, showing up now, was something that she herself acknowledged to be too soon. How could a teen boy have had enough of 'sowing his oats', so to speak? Though she knew very well that he wouldn't be that wild like most guys.

He had always been respectful towards girls, which made her love him even more. Despite his popularity, he never used it to get girls or anything of that sort. He was still the pure, helpful and kind Joseph that she knew.

Kay's original plan was to wait until he was in his 20s, at least; but she could not wait any longer. These two years had been torture and now that he's reached the legal age of maturity in Country Tz, Kay felt she should make her first move.

Establish contact.

No, to be more accurate, to re-establish contact.

If she waited until he was 20, anything could happen.

He would have graduated from high school and meet other women. Not girls, but young women that would be more open than the high school girls. Worse … they would be young adults and things, well, could happen.

Rather than staying out of the picture while all of this happened, Kay surmised that it's best she put herself in the picture. This way, she would be able to have a healthy competition. This was far better than suddenly dropping out of the blue while he may be establishing a relationship with someone else.

Kay wanted Joseph to consider her as one of those 'potential relationship' goals.

Even if she was older.

If she kept away, there is no way he would even put her into his eyes. At least, this way, he might.

Re-establish contact, make herself a part of his routine somehow and see how it goes.

She was going to be the typical 'best friend who secretly stabs you in the back' sort of thing. Something like a 'childhood sweetheart' (minus the sweetheart) that all of his potential girlfriends would be wary of - and should be, because she would get rid of them.

Kay sighed.

Of course, all of that was wishful thinking.

It wasn't as if she was actually going to stab his back or ruin his relationships. However, she did want to be the one that was closest to him. Be his best friend, or someone he is always with.

She wouldn't do things blatantly, but certainly, she wanted to be a part of his life.

This was the first step but it was such a hard, first step.

The moment she saw him, she got flustered.

The all too familiar face, that posture, that figure.

Not sparing her any interest.

It hurt.

Still, she pretended not to have noticed him seeing her and she walked over to him.

"Joseph? Is that you?"

She saw that he was about to turn and walk away, so had hurriedly walked over (while pretending not to have done so).

Joseph turned and tiled this head, "Oh! Kay! Hi."

"Wow, it really is you," Kay said, smiling warmly, "How long has it been? Two years?"

'Two years, 1 month and 25 days,' Joseph said in his mind, 'but who's counting?'

"About that, I guess," Joseph replied nonchalantly, looking utterly uninterested when in truth, he was trying hard not to look like he was too mesmerized by her.

It would be too embarrassing to be lumped together with the tons of admirers that surround her all the time.

Like, right now.

It was obvious how much attention she attracted and he could feel the jealous stares of people on him. She, the Goddess, had come to him, the nobody kid.

Well, tough.

Be jealous!

That thought made him smile, completely catching Kay unawares.

Oh, my kokoro!

It took a lot out of her not to put her hand over her heart, but darn, was his smile lethal.

He could charm just about anyone with that smile.

So why hadn't he gotten hooked up yet? Kay was puzzled about that.

"Are you done?" Kay asked, seemingly curious, "Want to grab lunch?"

"Huh?" Joseph reacted, "Aren't you here to get a book or something?"

Oh, crap!

Kay was ready to hit herself. She had been too eager to spend time with him that she had forgotten completely about her cover storey. Now what?

Her mind whirling in full speed, she couldn't think up of any excuse, so she decided to tell him the truth.

Well, semi-truth.

If she took too long to respond, Joseph would clearly think she was thinking up of lies to tell him.

Of course, what Kay didn't know is that Joseph wouldn't have thought that at all. He was too caught up in trying hard not to be caught staring at her with hearts in his eyes.

[If Lianne had been around, she would have just rolled her eyes and feel that Kay was so unlike what she portrayed herself to be, for she put too much credit about Joseph's intelligence or rather, his simple thought process.]

"OH RIGHT," Kay said, snapping her fingers, "I was so excited at seeing you that I totally forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me."

Joseph's heart nearly burst at those words. Although he knew that she meant 'meeting a person she had known', he couldn't stop his wishful thinking for it to have a deeper meaning.