You had me at hello

Mijo walked through campus, books in hand, eyes scanning the bustling quad for that familiar face. There she was - Anne. Her dark curls bounced as she laughed, head tilted back, eyes squinting in the sun. His heart fluttered at the sight of her smile.

Ever since their first study date at the campus cafe, Mijo was smitten with Anne. Her quick wit, compassionate heart, and fierce intellect all called to him. She challenged him, encouraged him, and believed in him in a way no one else did.

As Mijo made his way over, Anne turned and her eyes lit up. "Mijo! I was hoping I'd run into you."

Mijo grinned, feeling his cheeks grow warm. "Hey you. I was looking for you too."

They fell into easy conversation, as always. Both were so engaged that neither noticed the figure crossing the quad toward them until he spoke.

"Well don't you two look cozy."

Mijo's stomach dropped as he looked up to see Ziyan, Anne's longtime boyfriend. Though they'd been dating since high school, Ziyan always felt threatened by Mijo's close friendship with Anne.

"Oh, hey Ziyan! Mijo and I were just chatting about our literature class," Anne said breezily, though Mijo noticed her smile fade slightly.

"Don't you have your own friends to chat with, Mijo?" Ziyan said, eyes cold. Anne shot him a look.

Mijo just shrugged, feigning nonchalance to mask the unease building within. "I'll catch you later, Anne."

As he walked away, he heard Anne chastise Ziyan for his rudeness. Mijo sighed, wishing he could tell Anne how he really felt. How being around her was like seeing in color. How the thought of her kept him up at night. But as long as she was with Ziyan, he'd stay silent.

Over the next few weeks, Mijo buried himself in schoolwork to keep his mind off Anne. He avoided their usual hangouts, worried he'd run into her with Ziyan. His heart ached at the distance between them, but he knew it was for the best.

One night, while studying at the library, his phone buzzed. Anne.

"Are you free? Can we meet? I have something I need to talk to you about."

Mijo's pulse quickened. "Of course. I'll come to you."

They met under the oak tree where they'd first become friends freshman year. In the moonlight, Anne looked distraught.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Mijo asked gently.

Anne shook her head, eyes glistening with tears. "It's over between me and Ziyan."

Mijo stared, shocked. They'd been together so long. "What happened?"

"I saw a text pop up on his phone from some girl. He swore it was nothing but...it made me realize I haven't been happy for a long time. We want such different things."

Mijo's instinct was to comfort her. But a small, selfish part of him tingled with hope.

"I'm so sorry," he said, taking her hand. "You deserve someone who truly appreciates you."

Over the next few weeks, Mijo and Anne grew close again, though neither spoke of their growing feelings. They studied together, wandered the town talking, stayed up late whispering secrets under the stars.

One night at a party, emboldened by one too many drinks, Mijo confessed, "You have no idea how much I care about you."

Anne gazed up at him, cheeks flushed. "Mijo..."

Heart pounding, Mijo drew closer. But just before their lips met, Anne pulled back, looking conflicted.

"I'm sorry, I can't...it's too soon..." She turned and hurried off, leaving Mijo cursing himself for rushing things.

The next day, Mijo spotted Anne getting coffee on campus. Taking a deep breath, he approached.

"Can we talk?"

Anne nodded hesitantly. Mijo spoke first.

"I'm sorry for last night. I never should have put you in that position. I value our friendship so much and would hate to jeopardize it."

Anne exhaled, relief washing over her face. "Thank you, Mijo. It means the world to me to have your friendship. After being with Ziyan for so long, I need time to figure myself out again."

Though it stung, Mijo understood. He cherished Anne deeply, with or without romance. For now, her friendship was enough.

Over the next year, the close bond between them only grew. They learned to communicate openly, trusting each other. Mijo dated other people, as did Anne. But at the end of each day, it was their late night conversations that centered them both.

On graduation day, Mijo spotted Anne, beaming in her cap and gown as her parents fussed over photos. Catching his eye, she excused herself and came over.

"Can you believe we actually made it?" she said.

Mijo chuckled. "Honestly, no. Probably because I didn't sleep the last four years for all our late night talks!"

Anne's eyes softened. She gazed up at Mijo, smiling gently. "Thank you for being my constant through it all. You've come to mean so much to me."

Heart racing, Mijo lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. This time, Anne didn't pull away.

"We've taken the long road, haven't we?" he murmured.

Anne tilted her head. "It brought us here, didn't it?"

As their lips finally met, Mijo was certain of one thing: Every winding mile of the journey had been worth it for this one perfect moment with Anne. The one who'd had his heart from the very first hello.