Chapter:1 Our first meeting

Leona was just an ordinary college girl — tomboyish, shy, and nowhere near the kind of beauty that turned heads. She preferred comfort over style, sneakers over heels, and quiet corners over crowded spaces. That day, she was scrolling through Instagram, as usual, when she saw it — a post from a local artist she liked, Sono Lem. His songs had been her comfort lately.

Curiously, she tapped on a featured song. Her ears caught a voice — smooth, sincere, and oddly captivating. It was Leon, singing alongside Sono Lem. Without thinking, she followed him on Instagram. His voice lingered in her head for days.

One evening, on a whim, she texted him a short encouragement. To her surprise, he replied. From then on, they started chatting. Numbers were exchanged. No phone calls, though — Leona was too shy to speak on the phone.

They even tried to meet once, but fate had other plans. A vehicle problem stopped them cold. Leon returned to Bomdila, and they stopped chatting for nearly two months.

Then one day, Leona saw it — Leon would be performing in Itanagar at the Artisan Cum Exhibition. Entry was free. She decided to go, dragging a friend along. Just in case she bailed, she also invited another classmate, who agreed. Before leaving, she messaged Leon to confirm. They chatted briefly, teasingly — enough to make her heart skip a beat.

The day arrived. Leona called her bestie, but she was busy. Her other friend came with her. Tomboy Leona dressed simply, sneakers and all. They arrived early. The performance was set for 4 PM, but it got delayed. Hours passed — two, maybe three — waiting outdoors in the rain. Still, they stayed.

Between texts, she asked him when his performance would begin. Playfully, he replied, "I can stay if you want me to." She wrote back, "WTH, please don’t go, I want to meet in real," but deleted it moments later when he was slow to reply.

Finally, at 9 PM, his time arrived. Leon stepped onto the stage with his friends, including a guy named Ash. Leona admired quietly — too shy to make herself obvious. But then a sound system problem broke the mood. After the performance, she left with her friend.

Partway out, she realized she wanted a picture with him. She hesitated. Her friend insisted, “If you don’t call him now, you’ll regret it.” So she did.

When Leon answered, her voice faltered. Her friend took over, asking if they could take a picture. He agreed. They returned.

Standing near him, Leona froze. Her gaze fell to the ground. He thanked them for staying late and apologized for not performing well. She muttered something about being shy.

“Don’t be shy,” he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

When her friend took her picture, he did not place his hand on her shoulder again — just her. Afterwards, he asked their names. Leona admitted she was the one who had texted him before. He smiled knowingly, “I already recognized by the way you’re being shy.” They shook hands. His touch was softer than she imagined.

They said goodbye, but in her heart, something had already changed.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***