4 YEARS AGO

The first time Nate had a proper conversation with Mia was a day he would never forget. He was visiting his friend Bryce in college but his friend had been wasted the previous day due to a breakup. Nate could not really blame Amy, Bryce’s ex for breaking up with him. Bryce was a player and though he was in love with Amy, he was not ready to settle down or admit it which made him resort to cheating. Amy had confronted him but Bryce had said all the wrong words which led to the breakup and he was now devastated. When Nate had arrived the previous day, he was surprised to see his friend completely drunk. As much as Bryce loved drinking, he made sure to never get drunk but Nate understood. Being in love with someone could do that to you.

Staying in the room with Bryce was too suffocating. Bryce had been crying since the previous night. He had stopped for some time but continued early in the morning. Nate decided to take a walk in the park that morning and maybe help Bryce talk to Amy. He hated seeing his friend behaving like a zombie.

After some few hours of walking which then turned into a jog, Nate decided to take a rest on a bench when he saw her. She was seated on the bench with her head buried in her phone. Her hair was a fiery red colour with natural coils. She had pale skin also. Nate could not see all her features but as he approached his interest was piqued when he saw what made her oblivious to her surroundings.

“Oh my God”Nate said “Is that solo levelling?”

Mia raised her head to pay attention to the person who had just distracted her. She was reading the latest chapter of a manhwa she loved. She was taken aback by the beauty of the person who was now sliding to sit in next to her. She had seen him around her favourite cafe but she wasn’t sure he attended her school.

He was over six feet tall with captivating brown eyes. The tank top he wore put his muscles on display and she had to admit that they were some fine muscles. There were also tattoos on his hand but it wasn’t enough to make a sleeve. He was really tan and had piercings in his left ear.She noticed his hair must be really long if he was able to weave it and then make it into a bun. He had this bad boy look about him but he did not strike her as a bad boy.

“I’m sorry. Did I make you uncomfortable?”Nate asked her since she had not replied him yet.

“Not really.”Mia replied him with a shrug as she went back to her manhwa.

“I think I did. I’m sorry by the way. My friend says I get overly excited when I find out someone has the same interests as me. He’s not lying you know. I really enjoy seeing someone having the same hobby as me. And it’s rare for females to be interested in manhwas…..”

Mia gave Nate a look that very well spoke the words ‘SHUT THE FUCK UP.’

“I’m sorry again.”Nate replied cheapishly.

Mia let out a sigh. As much as she hated the distraction, she could not deny that the deep tenor of his voice coated with a slight accent was melodious.

“What do you want?” She asked him as she put her phone away.

“I just want to talk. It’s not everyday you get to meet with a manhwa fan . I get that I’m distracting you so I’ll wait till you’re done.”he said with a grin.

Mia looked at him skeptically as she went back to her manhwa.

It was true, what Nate had said. It was not everyday one gets to meet someone interested in manhwas. Mia’s circle of friends were not really interested in it and some people even condemned it. Manhwas are like comics.

For Japans, it is called manga. They had very interesting stories. Reading a manhwa or manga was like reading a novel only with pictures that explained expressions and kept you intrigued and wanting more. Manhwas are also like mangas but instead of the normal black and white colour which mangas used, manhwas had various colours.

Solo levelling was one of the most popular manhwas now and most manhwa readers had either heard of it or read it so Mia wasn’t really surprised when Nate had said the name.

Mia put her phone away as she turned to Nate.

“I’m done. What was it you wanted to talk about?”

“It was nothing serious really. I just wanted to talk a bit about manhwas. Do you read mangas also?” he asked her.

Mia looked at Nate as he gazed at her expectantly. She had come out for a bit of fresh air and to get away from her roommate who had been crying over a breakup. Mia loved her roommate but she just had to leave the room in the morning.

Her roommate Amy was in love with the person she had broken up with. Everybody in school knew Bryce had been cheating on Amy and Mia really wanted to hit him on the head.

It was clear to her that Bryce was in love with Amy but she could not understand why he would cheat on her. Amy was a sweet girl that more than fifty percent of the people on campus liked. She was from Ohio and her southern tang added with her short height made her cute. If one added the curves, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes that shone like the ocean then Amy would be categorized as hot.

While Amy cried because she was in love, Mia had never been in love. Even with the tears, she could not help but be a little jealous of Amy. She wanted to feel what Amy felt even if it was just a little. Not that she was counting the break up though. Mia had two choices. It was either she went back to her roommate or she stayed with this handsome stranger and discuss something she actually enjoyed.

“Oyasumi pun pun, dorohedoro, spy x family,tougen anki, record of ragnarok. There’s more which I’m pretty sure you know about but I’ll stop now.”Mia watched as Nate’s grin spread wider showing his perfect white teeth. She decided she loved his smile.

“Before you ask, yes I watch anime also. One of my favourites would be black lagoon.”

“I loved black lagoon also. The story line and everything was just in place for me. I’m Nate by the way.” He said as he extended his hand for a shake which Mia took.

“Mia”she replied. “You have an English name but your accent……”

“Ah, yes. I’m Italian. My full name is Natale Agosti. Nate is like a pet name of sorts. It was my papa’s name. I look like him.”Nate said and Mia noticed how uncomfortable he was talking about it so she did not press for more information.

“Well I’m from California. Mom is Scottish though. I got my hair from her. Full name is Mia Anderson. I've seen you around. Do you school here?"Mia asked curiously.

"Quite observant are we?" Nate said to her. "I don't. I came to visit my friend but he's wallowing in self pity right now."

"I'm guessing that's why you're out running?"She asked him.

"Yeah. I mean I pity him but he was at fault. Maybe this breakup will knock some sense into him."

"Break up?" Mia asked as she pondered on what the odds were that Nate's friend could be Bryce, Amy's now ex.

"Your friend, does he have brown coloured hair that always looks stylishly messy?" Mia asked Nate who raised an eyebrow.

Mia noticed his brows were perfectly shaped . Not too bushy, just right and his lashes were long. Perfect lashes created to frame his beautiful face.

"Stylishly messy?"Nate asked her with a smile.

"I don't know how he does it but it looks that way. It's like he doesn't put any effort to style it but it still comes out perfect. So?"She asked Nate referring to her previous question.

"He does have brown coloured hair."Nate said as he folded his hands across his chest. He wanted to know where Mia was headed with the questions.

"A business major, about your height, has a brooding nature?"

"Yes, yes, and yes. Although I'll have to point out the fact that I'm taller than him."Nate said with a smile.

"Of course you are."

"Is that sarcasm i detect miss?"Nate asked.

"Sarcasm? Who's that?"

"Very funny."

"I try." Mia replied with a wink which earned a chuckle from Nate.

"Why the questions about my friend? Do you have a crush on him?" Nate asked her.

"He's not my type. And just so we're clear. Your friend is Bryce hernandez right?"

"yes but you've still not given me a clear answer. Why the questions?"

Mia turned and looked him in the eye. Nate caught his breath. Her eyes were a beautiful emerald green and the sunset behind made it sparkle more. He had never felt a rush of attraction towards any girl nor had he noticed how beautiful their eyes were up close. He should have noticed that that was the first sign that Mia would be trouble but he ignored it.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Amy's roommate and I'm about to go kill your friend right now."

Nate could not help but laugh out loud as Mia said that. Bryce was so going to pay for cheating on her friend he thought to himself.

"How is your friend if you don't mind me asking?"

“In a bad state. She has been crying since yesterday and even if she calms down for a moment, she’s crying again the next minute.”

Nate let out a low whistle “that sounds like Bryce.”

“You mean Bryce is crying?” Mia asked incredulously.

“Yup. And he’s also dead drunk. He is behaving like a zombie right now. Nothing I say to him calms him down.”

“But he was the one who cheated on her.”Mia said. She could not understand why Bryce would be crying over his break up with Mia if he was the one who could not admit that he was in love with her in the first place.

Nate stood up from the bench they were sitting on and Mia followed.

“I was planning on talking to Amy maybe they could sort things out with each other.. Bryce is blaming himself for what happened.”

“I blame him too.”

“Yeah me too but don’t tell him I said so. It should be our little secret.”

“Do you trust strangers that much?” Mia asked him.

“Who said you were a stranger? We know each other’s last names. I can assure you that we are now more than strangers. Maybe even best friends.”

Mia laughed as Nate said that. It was like a child making friends with someone he or she had just met.

“Not so fast buddy.”She said with a tap to his shoulder as they started walking.

“We will become best friends before I leave.”

“Yeah sure.” Mia said with an eye roll.