Chapter 5

Malek

I got home, and quietly closed the door behind me…and threw myself on the couch without even changing my clothes.

Something happened…but I couldn’t describe it.

She was there.

She saw me.

And I saw her.

But no words.

No greeting.

Not even a smile.

Just a moment… a moment when the whole world went silent.

How do her eyes hold all that calm?

And how did my heart get so tangled like that?

I thought I had gotten used to being alone,

but when I saw her… I felt emptier than I ever imagined.

I grabbed my phone, opened the front camera, and looked at myself:

“Malek, are you going crazy? She’s just a tennis player you saw in a match… so what?”

But inside, a voice whispered:

“She’s not just anyone… she’s the piece you were missing.”

---

Jana

I got to my room, slammed the door quickly,

and leaned my back against it like I was running away from something.

But there was nothing behind me it was all inside my heart.

He…was he the one I saw a moment ago?

Wasn’t he the one watching the match?

He stood in front of me, close, so close, and his eyes locked with mine.

I forgot the fatigue, the crowd, even the match result.

All I could think about was him.

No words.

But I felt something…something that hit my heart, soft… but strong.

I sat on the edge of the bed, gathered my hair in my hands,and rested my face on my palm.

“Who is he? Why was he looking at me like that?

And why… did I feel so comfortable?”

This isn’t just admiration.

It’s not just that he’s handsome , it’s like he saw me…not my body or my game…he saw me from inside.

I’ve never seen anyone look at me like that…

not even when I was winning championships.

---

Malek

I started searching for her name…

“Jana – Tennis player – Berlin Championship 2025.”

I found photos, videos, but it wasn’t enough.

I don’t want to see her playing.

I want to know who she is when she sleeps early…when she laughs from her heart...when she cries alone.

Karim came in and said:

“Hey star, you look lost.”

I laughed:

“Thinking about the match… not mine, hers.”

Karim said:

“The player? Looks like you like her.”

I replied:

“I don’t know… but something happened, and I can’t forget it.”

---

Jana

The match ended… but my heart was still playing.

I couldn’t sleep.

I tried reading, listening to music, anything to distract myself…but every time I closed my eyes, I saw his eyes.

I don’t know his name,

but I feel like I’ve known him for years.

He’s not a stranger…he’s like a dream waiting for the right moment to come true.

---

At the same time…Malek stood on the balcony, looking up at the sky,and Jana sat on a chair by the window, putting tiny headphones in her ears.

The night was calm,the whole world was silent,but two hearts…were quietly crying inside:

“I saw you… and I will keep remembering you.”

---

Malek

The clock struck 2 after midnight…everyone was asleep,except him.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, the light dim,

scrolling through the photos taken at the match—not really looking at them,

but wishing to see her again… even if just a fleeting moment.

“Who is she, really?”

he thought, holding his head in his hands.

“I’m scared I got attached to something unreal.”

But his heart answered:

“What you feel is real enough.”

He remembered the moment he saw her,

the way she looked around after the match,

as if she sensed something…as if she was looking for him!

He opened his laptop, typed a small note on the notepad:

“I haven’t seen you much… but I felt like you’re mine.”

And he closed the device, afraid to be reckless and sent the message to anyone.

---

Jana

The night was long…

and every time she tried to sleep, the moment of their meeting kept repeating in her mind.

“That’s him… he’s the one from the championship.”

She remembered his features, how he stood,

the calm that surrounded him as if the world fell silent when he entered.

She opened a small wooden box beside her bed, filled with personal things…a small card with handwriting that said:

“If you ever meet someone who shakes your heart without words…don’t let them pass by.”

Her mother had given her that note before leaving their country.

She smiled sadly and said to herself:

“Okay, Mom… but what if he doesn’t want to talk? What should I do?”

Then she opened Instagram,

started searching… searching a lot,

and finally…she spotted his picture in a post about the championship.

His name: Malek Hassan.

Her heart jumped.

“That’s him… that’s the one.”

---

Malek

The next day, he woke early, but his body felt heavy.

Karim came in and said:

“Malek? You don’t look like you slept well.”

He replied:

“Not really… I was thinking.”

Karim:

“About the player?”

Malek grabbed his coffee cup and said:

“I don’t understand myself… but she’s strange.

I felt like I saw something pure amid the chaos.”

Karim laughed and said:

“Listen… if you like her, check her Instagram, or try to meet her.

We’re still here for two days.”

Malek nodded, but inside, his heart wanted that.

---

Jana

She had a light practice after the match,

but her mind wasn’t on the ball…it was on “Malek Hassan.”

Every move she made, she tried to remember how he stood,

was he calm or nervous?

Was he smiling?

Were his eyes searching for something?

Could he have felt it too?

After practice, she opened her phone,

visited his account,

and saw an old post where he wrote:

“Words don’t always explain… sometimes a look is enough.”

She stared at that sentence for half an hour…

and finally, her heart told her:

“Wait… maybe he felt it too.”

---

At night…Malek was walking with Karim on the promenade near the stadium,

and she was walking from the opposite direction with her coach.

And once again…their eyes met.

But this time…she smiled.

And he…smiled back.

But no one spoke yet.

Hearts spoke… tongues stayed silent.

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