The 0.001% Chance

The boy was in his drop year, preparing for one of the toughest competitive examinations of his life.

His name was Raj Patel.

At first glance, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about him. He had an average face, an average build, and an ordinary appearance that made him blend into every crowd he walked through. He wasn’t the kind of person who attracted attention. In fact, most people barely noticed him.

Raj was an introvert.

He was painfully shy, especially around girls. Throughout his entire school life, he had almost never started a conversation with one. Whenever a girl spoke to him, he would become nervous, overthink every word, and later replay the conversation in his head hundreds of times.

Like many boys his age, Raj had several crushes during school.

But they all remained secrets.

No confessions.

No love letters.

No messages.

No one ever knew how he truly felt.

His feelings always stayed locked inside his heart.

Although Raj was intelligent and had great academic potential, there was one problem...

He never studied seriously.

Not because he was lazy...

But because his heart had never been in that competitive examination.

Everyone around him wanted him to succeed.

His teachers believed in him.

His family believed in him.

Even his friends believed he could crack the exam if he worked hard enough.

But Raj...

...had a completely different dream.

His dream wasn’t to build a career through that examination.

His dream was to study in Japan.

Not just visit it.

He wanted to earn a scholarship and enter a Japanese university through his own hard work.

That single dream quietly lived inside his heart every single day.

Ironically...

His daily routine looked nothing like someone chasing such a dream.

He lived like an otaku.

Anime had become his escape from reality.

Whenever life became overwhelming, he buried himself in another series.

He had watched countless masterpieces.

Every emotional ending...

Every inspiring protagonist...

Every unforgettable soundtrack...

They made him feel alive for a while.

But when the screen turned black...

Reality returned.

Assignments remained unfinished.

Books stayed unopened.

Mock tests reminded him how little time he had left.

Slowly...

He began to feel as if he were dying from the inside.

Not physically.

Mentally.

He hated wasting time.

More than that...

He hated knowing he had the potential to succeed, yet never bringing himself to use it.

Every single night, he promised himself that tomorrow would be different.

Every single morning...

Nothing changed.

For a long time, Raj had another dream.

He wanted to find someone who would stay with him forever.

A loyal girlfriend.

Someone who would never betray him.

Someone he could trust with his entire heart.

Someone he would eventually marry.

It was a simple dream.

Or at least...

It used to be.

During his drop year, Raj witnessed something that slowly shattered his belief in love.

One story after another...

Stories of cheating.

Stories of betrayal.

Relationships ending overnight.

Friends being betrayed by the people they trusted most.

Even worse...

Some boys were betrayed by the very people they trusted the most...

Their girlfriends choosing their own best friends over them.

Promises disappeared.

Trust collapsed.

Every new story made Raj’s heart feel heavier.

He wasn’t mentally strong enough to ignore them.

The mere thought of being betrayed terrified him.

It wasn’t heartbreak that scared him.

It was the feeling of giving someone your complete trust...

...only to watch them destroy it.

That fear slowly consumed him.

Eventually, Raj made a decision.

He would never chase love again.

He would never fall for a girl.

He would never marry.

At least...

That was the promise he made to himself.

Still, somewhere deep inside his heart, there remained one tiny exception.

If, by some impossible miracle...

A girl genuinely fell in love with him...

Accepted him for who he truly was...

And willingly accepted his 4 conditions...

Then...

He would give love one final chance, and marry her.

Otherwise...

He would walk through life alone.

To Raj, the possibility of such a girl existing was almost impossible.

Maybe...

Just a 0.001% chance.

So small...

That he never expected fate to test that belief.

It was the last month of his grueling preparation, a period of intense pressure and constant self-doubt. Raj had just finished giving a mock test in a bustling city located an hour away from his hometown.

The weight of the paper was still fresh in his mind as he kicked his motorcycle into gear. Heading back toward home, he navigated the streets, letting the rhythm of the bike soothe his thoughts. He was deep in calculation, desperately brainstorming how he could pull off a miracle and secure a presentable score with only one month left on the clock.

Then, he arrived at a crowded intersection. The traffic light flushed a bright, solid red.

Raj pulled up to the side and stopped at the signal.

Right there, standing on the pavement, was a girl. It seemed as though she was standing there, frozen in time, just waiting for him to arrive.

When Raj looked at her, his breath caught entirely in his throat. She was so incredibly beautiful—it felt as if an angel had literally descended from heaven right into the middle of the chaotic city street. Her hair caught the sunlight, her face was flawless, and her dressing style was absolutely top-notch.

Raj couldn’t take his eyes off her. He stared, completely mesmerized, his mind short-circuiting under the spell of her presence.

Lost in his awe, he thought to himself: She is damn cute.

But his filter failed him. In his dazed state, he didn’t just think it—he accidentally said it out loud.

The words echoed clearly over the idle hum of his bike.

She heard it.

Her head snapped toward him, her expression hardening as she snapped back, “Excuse me? What did you just say, you creep?”

The sharp word jolted Raj right back to reality. Panic coursed through his veins, but instead of retreating, his introverted shyness gave way to pure, unvarnished honesty. He desperately shook his head, leaning forward to explain himself.

“I’m not a creep. I... I’ve never complimented a girl before. This is honestly the first time I’ve ever said something like that. I’m really sorry if I made you uncomfortable. But what I said... I truly meant it. It came straight from my heart.

“The sheer sincerity in his voice struck her. Sophie’s defensive walls crumbled instantly. Hearing that this was the first time this shy boy had ever complimented a girl, she became completely flustered, a soft crimson tint rising to her cheeks.

She looked at him, then down the long road, and finally back at his motorcycle.

For a brief moment, she studied his face, as if trying to decide whether she could trust him.

“If that’s really true...” she said softly, “could you drop me at the nearby bus station? It’s about two kilometres from here.”

Inside his chest, Raj’s heart did a violent backflip. “Yes! I can actually drop her!” Raj screamed inside his head, while his inner otaku celebrated like he had just won the lottery.

This was the first time in his entire life he was ever going to give a lift to a girl.

Raj tightened his grip on the handlebars.

His heartbeat refused to slow down.

For the first time in his life...

A girl was sitting behind him.

Not just any girl.

The most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

He carefully started the motorcycle and slowly pulled away from the traffic signal.

The ride had barely begun...

Yet his mind had already become a battlefield.

And the overthinking began.

" “If I brake too suddenly, she’ll definitely think I did it on purpose!”

“And if anyone sees me with her, what will they think?”

He was especially afraid of her father. If her father misunderstood the situation, Raj was convinced he’d be beaten before he could even explain himself.

Behind him, Sophie quietly watched the nervous boy in front of her.

Breaking the silence, Sophie asked, “Do you have a girlfriend?”

He smiled and said,

“From my look, you think I have a girlfriend?”

She asked, “Crush?”

“I have several last year,” Raj said, “but now you are.”

For a brief moment, he fell silent, realizing he had admitted something he had never told anyone so openly.

His ears turned slightly red.

Trying to hide his embarrassment, he quickly changed the topic.

“A-Anyway...”

“What about you?”

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

The moment the words left his mouth, his eyes widened.

“Ah... what am I even asking?”

He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head.

“I mean... you really don’t have one?”

He glanced at her for a second before looking back at the road.

“Because... you’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”

Sophie froze.

A faint blush slowly spread across her cheeks.

“I don’t have one,” she replied shyly.

Raj couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Really?”

She nodded.

“Because I’ve never found anyone who is my type.”

Sophie looked at him curiously.

“And what about you?”

“If you ever had the chance to marry someone...”

“Maybe a celebrity crush... or someone you have a crush on...”

“Who would it be?”

Raj fell silent for a moment.

His fingers tightened around the handlebars.

“I... didn’t have one before.”

He paused.

“But now...”

“I have one.”

Sophie blinked in surprise.

“Really?”

“Who is it?”

Raj took a deep breath.

“...It’s you.”

Silence.

The sound of the motorcycle engine was the only thing that could be heard.

Sophie’s eyes widened.

Her face slowly turned crimson.

She looked away immediately, unable to meet his eyes.

After a few moments, she finally spoke.

“You lied to me.”

Raj looked confused.

“About what?”

“You said you’ve never complimented a girl before.”

A shy smile appeared on her lips.

“But the way you’re complimenting me now...”

“You sound like a professional.”

Raj smiled awkwardly and shook his head.

“No.”

“I’m only saying what I truly mean.”

“My heart has never made me say anything like this to any girl before.”

The remaining distance passed in comfortable silence.

Neither of them realized it yet.

For everyone else...

It was just a two-kilometer ride.

But for Raj...

It felt like fate had quietly begun writing a completely new chapter of his life.

The motorcycle slowly rolled to a stop in front of the bus station.

Raj switched off the engine.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

The journey had lasted only a few minutes...

Yet somehow, it felt much shorter than either of them expected.

Sophie stepped off the motorcycle and adjusted a few strands of hair that the wind had scattered across her face.

Raj smiled politely.

“Well... this is your stop.”

She returned the smile.

“Thank you for dropping me.”

“It really helped.”

Raj scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“It was nothing.”

“I was going this way anyway.”

He knew he was lying to himself.

His heart wanted to keep talking to her.

But his mind reminded him that this was probably where their paths would separate forever.

“There’s no way she’ll ask for my contact,” he thought.

“She’s beautiful... and I’m just an ordinary guy.”

Forcing a small smile, he started the motorcycle again.

“Alright then...”

“Bye.”

Just as he was about to leave—

Sophie watched Raj start the motorcycle.

For a brief moment, she simply stood there.

“Is this really it?” she wondered.

It was strange.

She had only known this awkward boy for a few minutes...

Yet something about his honesty made her hesitate.

Before she could overthink it any further, she took a step forward.

“Wait!”

Raj immediately squeezed the brake and turned around.

Sophie was looking at him with an amused expression.

“We forgot something.”

Raj blinked.

“Huh?”

“We never introduced ourselves.”

For a second, he simply stared at her.

Then he laughed nervously.

“You’re right.”

“We actually forgot.”

She extended her hand with a warm smile.

“My name is Sophie Faith Davidson.”

Raj repeated the name quietly in his mind.

Sophie... Faith... Davidson.

It was a name unlike any he had ever heard.

Curiosity got the better of him.

“You’re not from here... are you?”

She gently shook her head.

“No.”

“I’m from America.”

Raj’s eyes widened slightly.

“America?”

He had guessed she wasn’t from India, but hearing it confirmed still surprised him.

“So...”

“How long are you staying here?”

She thought for a moment.

“About a month.”

Raj hesitated.

Then, gathering every bit of courage he had, he smiled.

“If you’d like...”

“I could show you around the city sometime.”

“I do have practice exams, though.”

“So...”

“Maybe next Sunday?”

For a brief second, Raj wondered if he had been too bold.

Sophie looked at him quietly.

Most boys she had met tried too hard to impress her.

But Raj was different.

Awkward...

Honest...

Almost painfully sincere.

Without realizing it, she found herself smiling.

“Yeah,” she said.

“I’d like that.”

Relief washed over him so suddenly that he almost laughed.

“Oh...”

“And my name is Raj.”

“Raj Patel.”

She smiled as if repeating it in her mind so she wouldn’t forget.

“Nice to meet you, Raj.”

Sophie looked at Raj for a moment.

He was awkward.

Nervous.

Yet his honesty made him strangely easy to trust.

,she spoke.

“Can we exchange contact numbers?”

Raj’s heart nearly skipped a beat.

“Did she really just ask that?”

Inside, he felt like celebrating.

“I was praying for this!”

He somehow managed to keep a straight face.

“Of course.”

The two exchanged their phone numbers.

Raj carefully saved her contact, checking twice to make sure he hadn’t typed a single digit incorrectly.

She did the same.

When everything was done, Sophie slipped her phone back into her pocket.

“See you next Sunday.”

Raj smiled.

“See you.”

This time, as he rode away, he couldn’t stop smiling beneath his helmet.

His mind immediately began creating countless possibilities.

“Maybe she’ll become a good friend.”

“Maybe we’ll never meet again.”

“Maybe next Sunday will change everything.”

Hope and uncertainty battled inside his heart all the way home.

For the first time in a long while...

The ride back home felt completely different.

The same roads...

The same trees...

The same evening sky...

Yet everything looked brighter than before.

Raj couldn’t stop smiling beneath his helmet.

His mind replayed every single moment from the traffic signal.

“She’s... damn cute.”

“You creep.”

“I’m really sorry...”

“My name is Sophie Faith Davidson.”

“Can we exchange contact numbers?”

Every word echoed inside his head like a song he never wanted to end.

His heart refused to calm down.

For someone else, exchanging phone numbers might have been an ordinary thing.

But for Raj...

It was something he had never imagined would happen.

She was the first girl he had ever shared his contact information with.

As excitement filled his heart, another familiar feeling quietly crept in.

Overthinking.

“What if she only gave me her number to be polite?”

“What if she forgets about me tomorrow?”

“What if she changes her mind about meeting next Sunday?”

“Or...”

“What if this is actually the beginning of something?”

Hope and fear fought a silent battle inside his mind all the way home.

As Raj parked his motorcycle in front of his house, the sun had almost disappeared behind the fields.

He walked inside, still wearing the same smile.

His mother looked up from the kitchen.

“Oh, you’re back.”

“How was your mock test?”

Raj paused for a second.

“No...”

“It didn’t go very well.”

His father looked at him with surprise.

“Then why are you smiling?”

Raj was caught off guard.

“N-Nothing.”

“I’m just... happy.”

His parents exchanged a confused glance.

Neither of them understood what had happened.

His mother walked closer.

“You’ve been out all day.”

“Go take a bath first.”

“Dinner will be ready soon.”

Usually, Raj would nod and do exactly that.

But today...

He wasn’t thinking about food.

Or bathing.

Or the exam.

His mind was somewhere else entirely.

“No, Mom.”

“I’m not hungry right now.”

Without another word, he hurried straight toward his room.

His mother watched him disappear.

A worried expression crossed her face.

“Is everything alright?”

His father chuckled softly.

“Relax.”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

She looked at him in confusion.

“Then why is he acting so strangely?”

His father smiled knowingly.

“He’s at that age.”

His mother blinked.

“I don’t understand.”

His father simply laughed and returned to his work, leaving her even more puzzled.

Raj closed the door to his room and threw himself onto his bed.

He stared at the ceiling.

A wide grin slowly spread across his face.

He covered his eyes with one arm.

“I actually met her...”

He whispered to himself.

“I really met her...”

He couldn’t stop smiling.

For someone who had spent years believing love wasn’t meant for him...

Today felt almost unreal.

It was as if fate had quietly smiled back at him for the very first time.

His thoughts drifted back to Sophie once again.

Her smile.

Her blush.

Her voice.

The way she had looked at him before asking for his number.

Every little detail had already found a permanent place inside his heart.

Every tiny memory replayed over and over inside his head.

Outside his room, life continued as usual.

His mother, a loving housewife, prepared dinner for the family.

His father divided his time between farming and running his business, carrying responsibilities that never seemed to end.

Raj also had an elder brother.

To Raj...

His brother was more than just a sibling.

He was someone he admired deeply.

Someone who cared for him almost like a second father.

Although his brother chose not to help with their father’s work because he wanted a life filled with freedom instead of endless responsibilities, his love for the family never changed.

Raj often thought that no matter where life took him...

He could never imagine living without his family.

Especially without his brother.

A soft smile appeared on his face.

“What am I even thinking?”

He laughed quietly.

“I should get some sleep.”

Tomorrow was another day.

Another step toward his examination.

Another day closer to next Sunday.

With that thought...

Raj slowly closed his eyes.

Within minutes...

A gentle breeze carried the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers through a beautiful garden. The sky was painted a soft blue, and the warm sunlight filtered through the leaves of the tall trees.

Raj sat quietly on a wooden bench.

Beside him...

Sat Sophie.

Neither of them spoke for a while.

Somehow, the silence between them wasn’t awkward.

It was comforting.

Peaceful.

As if words weren’t needed.

Raj stole a quick glance at her.

She looked even more beautiful than before.

The sunlight gently touched her hair, making it shimmer like gold.

Her eyes sparkled with happiness, and the soft smile on her face made Raj’s heart race.

“Is this really happening?” he wondered.

Before he could think any further...

Sophie slowly leaned closer.

Raj froze.

His heartbeat became louder with every passing second.

Then...

She gently rested her head on his shoulder.

His entire body stiffened.

His face turned bright red.

He could hear his own heartbeat echoing inside his ears.

“She’s... she’s leaning on me...”

“Stay calm, Raj.”

“Don’t panic.”

“Act normal.”

“How do people even act normal in a situation like this?”

His thoughts were completely out of control.

Sophie looked up at him with a shy smile.

Her cheeks were slightly pink.

She hesitated for a moment before speaking in a soft voice.

“Raj...”

“Hmm?”

“I... need a kiss.”

Raj’s eyes widened.

“A... a kiss?”

She nodded slowly.

“Yes.”

His mind went completely blank.

“Is this really happening?”

“No way...”

“This has to be the happiest day of my life!”

He looked at her.

She looked back at him.

Both of their faces were glowing red with embarrassment.

Slowly...

Very slowly...

They leaned closer.

Raj could feel his heart pounding so hard that it almost hurt.

Their faces moved closer and closer.

Sophie slowly closed her eyes.

Raj swallowed nervously.

Just a little closer...

A little more...

Then—

“Raj!”

A distant voice drifted through the peaceful silence.

He frowned.

Who... was calling him?

“Raj...”

“Wake up!”

“Who is calling me?”

Again, the voice came.

“Raj!”

“Wake up!”

Everything around him began to shake.

The beautiful garden...

The bench...

Even Sophie...

Everything started disappearing.

“No...”

“Not now...”

“Just one more second!”

The shaking became stronger.

“Raj!”

“Wake up!”

Raj slowly opened his eyes.

The garden was gone.

Sophie was gone.

Standing in front of him...

Was his mother.

She was gently shaking his shoulder, looking completely worried.

Raj stared at her in shock before quickly sitting up.

His mother blinked.

“What happened?”

“You were making such a strange face.”

“I got worried.”

“What happened?”

“You were making such a strange face.”

“You looked frightened.”

Raj’s eyes widened.

“How can I tell her the truth?”

“Mom... I was just about to kiss your future daughter-in-law...”

“And you woke me up!”

Of course...

He couldn’t possibly say that.

Instead, he forced an awkward smile.

“It’s... nothing.”

His mother folded her arms.

“Then why do you look so upset?”

Raj pouted like a little child.

“I’m upset with you, Mom.”

She looked completely confused.

“With me?”

“Why?”

“You woke me up.”

His mother sighed in relief.

“I thought you were having a bad dream.”

Raj almost laughed.

“If only you knew...”

He quickly hid his disappointment behind another smile.

“Thank you for waking me up.”

“It really was...”

“A very... bad dream.”

His mother smiled, satisfied with the answer.

“Good.”

“Now get ready.”

“It’s already morning.”

She left the room without realizing what she had interrupted.

The door quietly closed behind her.

Raj let out a long sigh and fell back onto his pillow.

He covered his face with both hands.

“So close...”

“So unbelievably close...”

A few seconds later, he couldn’t help but laugh at himself.

“What a way to start the day.”

Was today going to be a lucky day...

Or an unlucky one?

He had absolutely no idea.

End of Chapter 1