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Maybe the rush was Mina’s biggest enemy.
She thinks she bumped into at least 15 people while running to catch the train. She was late, and needed to get home as quickly as possible or her mother would kill her. Her haste, however, wouldn't make the subway arrive at her station any faster, so she contented herself with sitting in one of the seats and watching the people who she shared space in that wagon.
At first she noticed those sitting next to her. A lady was knitting what looked like a scarf, her hair was very dark, which aroused Mina’s curiosity, as the lady seemed to be her grandmother's age. Did she dye it? Or maybe it was genetic, like that condition that some people have, where gray hairs appear when they are still young... Her fingers moved quickly, intertwining the wool thread with an agility that surprised Mina. Her fingers, trembling from the cold, seemed not to be bothered by the repetitive movement. The lady looked at Mina and smiled, Mina didn't know how to react when that happened so she escaped her gaze.
On Mina’s left there is a young woman who appears to be returning from school, her fingers were moving quickly across the screen of her phone, she seemed to be exchanging messages with someone. Mina allowed herself to spy a little on the conversation, but the girl’s phone screen was protected in some way so that only she could see what was happening on her device, technology is increasingly advanced.
In front of Mina there is a tall man in a suit, he seems angry about something, his hand resting on the support that prevents him from falling due to the train's movements is whitened by the pressure exerted on the metal. Had he fought with his wife? Or was he fired from his job? Mina thought the coffee stain on his blouse was to blame. Maybe he was walking towards a job interview after a long time without working and someone, who is walking towards their first day at their new job with some coffees in hand, perhaps intending to please their colleagues, bumps into him, spilling all the coffee on his clothes.
Well, at least that would be a bad day for both of them.
How will he get that stain out, though?
The train stops at the station, Mina still has time. The man moves, leaves the train, some people follow him, then other people enter, one of them a very old lady, Mina offers her seat to the lady.
Now standing next to the door, Mina can get a better view of the people. She sees a woman sitting in front of her, her hair is as dark as the night, maybe even darker than that of the lady who was knitting. Her eyes, hidden by long bangs that were probably already bothering her, were scanning what looked like a comic book. She tried to see the cover but couldn't.
A man bumps into her and knocks over the book, she will probably have trouble finding the page she was on since she wasn't using a bookmark. For the first time her eyes leave the letters and go to the man, to the book on the floor, which she promptly picks up, to the man again, then to the window next to me, perhaps to see if it was close to her station, and then her eyes stop on Mina, catching her stare. I think it's fate that we collided right now, I wonder if she feels the same thing too .
She’s so pretty that it makes me wanna die.
I swore that she smiled and I felt my heart drop.
Mina thinks to herself, she’s confused, very confused, but mostly embarrassed. She tries to look at her shoes, escaping from those beautiful eyes that perhaps shine brighter than the nights in Kyoto. Mina feels her cheeks heat up, oh my god, I'm blushing.
I swear it’s just an innocent crush.
The train stops once again and some people get out of the wagon. There is an empty seat next to the woman, if I were brave enough I would sit there, maybe I would try to start a conversation.
Mina gathered all the courage she never had before and sat down next to the woman.
“Hi… What are you reading?”
“Spy x Family, is a manga about a family of spies.” She responds smiling. “I thought it was kind of you to offer your seat to that lady,” she pointed to the place where Mina was sitting before. “People aren’t that kind anymore.”
“My mother taught me from a young age to always offer my seat to the elders, I owe my education to her.”
She nods and remains silent.
Mina is nervous. She feels like she needs to say something that will keep the woman talking. She can't miss this chance to talk to this stunning woman. She asks if she likes animals and receives a positive answer, Mina then talks about Ray and the pretty woman smiles.
The woman tells her what's happening in the comic and Mina listens intently. They talked about everything and nothing, but Mina didn't have much time until she gets to her station.
The train stops again, Mina says goodbye with a heavy heart. The woman nods and says she hopes they’ll meet again. Mina wishes she could talk to her a bit more, maybe invite her to have coffee at the café near the next station, get to know her better, but she doesn't do that, she doesn't have the courage, Mina is not brave enough to.
She stepped out of the wagon and looked back, allowing herself to look at that beautiful stranger one last time and see her still sitting, reading, the same way she was when Mina’s eyes first met her figure. What if I didn’t leave?
What if I would've stayed on the train? Dared to sit by her side and ask for her name. Maybe we would have exchanged a few words, a fairy-tale moment could have occurred. But my beautiful stranger will have to remain a stranger until I see her again.
She will have to remain a love that came and left with this train.