Chapter 1:The Girl Who Hated Being Touched
“Please…”
Vanessa’s voice trembled as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Vanessa: “Please… don’t do this. I don’t want this.”
She backed away until her shoulders hit the wall. Her breathing became faster as she looked desperately toward the door.
Vanessa: “Please… just leave me alone.”
A shadow moved closer.
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Vanessa: “No…”
Everything went black.
Four Years Earlier
“Are you lost?”
Vanessa looked up.
A cheerful girl was standing in front of her, holding a university map in one hand.
Vanessa: “No.”
The girl looked at her for a moment and smiled.
Lily: “You’ve been staring at that building for five minutes.”
Vanessa glanced at the building behind her.
Vanessa: “I was just thinking.”
Lily: “About where you’re supposed to go?”
Vanessa looked down at the map in her hand.
Vanessa: “Maybe.”
Lily laughed.
Lily: “So you are lost.”
Vanessa couldn’t help smiling.
Vanessa: “A little.”
Lily extended her hand.
Lily: “I’m Lily.”
Vanessa looked at her hand but hesitated.
For a moment, her expression changed.
Lily noticed the hesitation and quietly lowered her hand without asking questions.
Lily: “And you’re Vanessa, right?”
Vanessa looked surprised.
Vanessa: “How did you know?”
Lily pointed toward Vanessa’s folder.
Lily: “Your name is written right there.”
Vanessa looked down.
Vanessa: “Oh.”
Lily: “You’re quiet.”
Vanessa: “So I’ve been told.”
Lily smiled.
Lily: “And I’m probably going to annoy you.”
Vanessa raised an eyebrow.
Vanessa: “Probably?”
Lily laughed.
Lily: “Okay, definitely.”
For the first time that morning, Vanessa laughed.
Neither girl knew that this simple conversation would become the beginning of a friendship that would last for years.
By lunchtime, Vanessa and Lily were sitting beneath a large tree near the cafeteria.
Lily: “So, why did you choose Software Engineering?”
Vanessa opened her lunch.
Vanessa: “I like creating things.”
Lily: “Like apps?”
Vanessa: “Websites. Designs. Things people can interact with.”
Lily nodded thoughtfully.
Lily: “So you’re one of those intelligent people.”
Vanessa shook her head.
Vanessa: “Not really.”
Lily: “You’re already making me feel stupid.”
Vanessa laughed softly.
Vanessa: “You’re not stupid.”
Lily: “Then you have to help me survive this degree.”
Vanessa: “Deal.”
Lily smiled.
Lily: “Good. We’re officially friends now.”
Vanessa looked at her.
Vanessa: “We just met.”
Lily: “Exactly. It’s the perfect time.”
Vanessa laughed again.
She didn’t know it yet, but Lily would become the person who knew almost everything about her.
Almost.
Their friendship grew quickly.
They studied together, ate together, worked on assignments together, and spent hours talking about their dreams.
Lily soon discovered that Vanessa loved painting.
Lily: “You painted this?”
Vanessa nodded.
Vanessa: “Yes.”
Lily stared at the painting.
Lily: “Vanessa, this is beautiful.”
Vanessa smiled shyly.
Vanessa: “Thank you.”
Lily: “You have to show me more.”
Vanessa: “Maybe someday.”
Lily: “I’m going to remember that.”
Vanessa smiled.
There were many things Lily knew about Vanessa.
But there were also many things she didn’t know.
She didn’t know why Vanessa became frightened whenever someone touched her.
She didn’t know why Vanessa avoided relationships.
And she didn’t know why Vanessa sometimes seemed to disappear behind her own eyes.
Vanessa never explained.
She simply kept moving forward.
Until the second year of university brought someone new into her life.
Albert.
Their professor assigned them to the same project group.
Albert walked toward their table with his laptop bag over his shoulder.
Albert: “Hi. I’m Albert.”
Lily smiled.
Lily: “We know. Professor just introduced you.”
Albert laughed.
Albert: “Right. Sorry.”
He looked toward Vanessa.
Albert: “You’re Vanessa?”
Vanessa nodded.
Vanessa: “Yes.”
Albert: “Nice to meet you.”
Vanessa: “You too.”
Albert pulled out a chair.
Albert: “Looks like we’re going to be stuck together for the next few months.”
Lily laughed.
Lily: “Hopefully we survive.”
Albert: “I’m already worried.”
Vanessa smiled quietly.
At first, Albert was simply another classmate.
But slowly, he became something more.
He noticed the little things.
The way Vanessa became completely focused while coding.
The way she smiled when Lily made a stupid joke.
The way she sometimes hummed while working.
And the way she became uncomfortable whenever someone came too close.
One afternoon, Albert accidentally reached across the table for a notebook.
His fingers briefly touched Vanessa’s hand.
Vanessa immediately pulled away.
Her face went pale.
Albert froze.
Albert: “I’m sorry.”
Vanessa looked down.
Vanessa: “It’s okay.”
But Albert knew it wasn’t.
From that moment on, he became careful.
He never touched her unnecessarily.
He gave her space.
He waited for her to move first.
And Vanessa noticed.
She never thanked him.
But slowly, she began trusting him.
Months passed.
Albert’s feelings grew stronger.
One evening, while Vanessa was working on her laptop, Albert watched her quietly.
She suddenly looked up.
Vanessa: “What?”
Albert looked away.
Albert: “Nothing.”
Vanessa narrowed her eyes.
Vanessa: “You’re staring.”
Albert: “Sorry.”
Vanessa: “Why?”
Albert smiled nervously.
Albert: “I was just thinking.”
Vanessa: “About?”
Albert hesitated.
Albert: “You.”
Vanessa stopped typing.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Albert quickly looked back at his laptop.
Albert: “Forget I said that.”
Vanessa smiled slightly.
Vanessa: “Okay.”
But Albert couldn’t forget it.
And neither could Vanessa.
A few days later, Albert finally told Lily how he felt.
They were sitting outside the cafeteria.
Albert: “I think I like Vanessa.”
Lily nearly dropped her drink.
Lily: “You think?”
Albert laughed.
Albert: “Okay. I know.”
Lily became serious.
Lily: “Albert, you need to understand something.”
Albert: “What?”
Lily: “Vanessa is afraid of relationships.”
Albert frowned.
Albert: “Why?”
Lily shook her head.
Lily: “I don’t know.”
Albert: “She never told you?”
Lily: “No.”
Albert looked toward Vanessa, who was sitting alone beneath a tree.
Albert: “Does she hate men?”
Lily: “No.”
Albert: “Then what is she afraid of?”
Lily sighed.
Lily: “I don’t know. But whatever happened to her… she isn’t ready to talk about it.”
Albert remained silent.
Then he nodded.
Albert: “Then I won’t ask.”
Lily looked at him.
Lily: “You mean that?”
Albert: “Yes.”
Lily: “Even if she never tells you?”
Albert looked toward Vanessa again.
Albert: “If she trusts me enough someday, she’ll tell me herself.”
Lily smiled faintly.
Lily: “Then maybe you’re exactly the kind of person she needs.”
Albert didn’t know what Vanessa was hiding.
He didn’t know what had made her afraid.
And he certainly didn’t know that the secret behind her fear would eventually change all of their lives.
For now, he only knew one thing.
He wanted to stay.
Even if Vanessa never loved him.
Even if she never held his hand.
Even if she never told him why.
He wanted to be the person who never made her afraid.
Across the courtyard, Vanessa suddenly looked up.
Their eyes met.
Albert smiled.
Vanessa smiled back.
Neither of them knew that their story had already begun.
