Sweet Dreams, Tatiana

Everyone inside the four-walled room, including myself, are all focused on the tick of the wall clock placed right above the whiteboard. Not paying a bit of attention to the professor in front of the classroom, discussing Algebra as the mid-term examination is about to come.

Two minutes...

My seatmate began packing her things up, followed by those who were seated at the back. As if they have had practice it already.

One minute...

And as if on cue, everyone stood up with synchronization and they hurriedly went out of the room without even giving our professor a chance to dismiss the class.

The professor sighed as he roamed his eyes around the empty room, seeing that I am the only left... along with my classmate who doesn't give a care on his surroundings as he is still sleeping despite of the time. "Are you not yet going, Miss Fujiwara?"

I just watched him as he arranges his things, wondering if the students here in California are all like that. I'm not yet getting used to it, actually. I'm having a hard time keeping up with them.

"You haven't dismissed us yet." I answered that made the side of his lip rose up, as he was amused of what I just said.

"Alright," he paused before removing his reading glasses, placing it down on the top of his book. "Class dismiss." he smiled, grabbing his things up from the table then he went out of the room.

That's when I started packing my things up before heading out of the room upon hearing him dismissed the class.

But remembering Esquival, I turned around. Walking towards his seat.

He's leaning on the window with a book covering his face. He must have had fall asleep while he was reading a novel entitled Crime and Punishment written by Fyodor Dostoevsky. He got a wonderful taste in books and I could tell it since I always notice him sleeping with a book covering his face.

Placing my bag down, I tried removing the book from his face but all of a sudden, he caught my arm before it could even hold the book.

"Why are you still here? Why didn't you just left me?" he asked, removing the book using his free hand. It was noticeable from his voice that he just woke up as he sounded groggy.

"Have we met before?" I wanted to ask him with that question, but knowing boys, I am sure he would just laugh at me. Worst, he would take my question as my ways of hitting him up.

Looking back to my hand, I tried taking my hands from his grip but he wouldn't even budge a bit.

"My conscience can not accept that I'm leaving someone who's having a good slumber while everyone has already left." I said, "Will you please let me go?"

He just stared at me upon placing the book down on his desk, still not removing his hand from my wrist.

An awkward silence enveloped the room where we currently are in. None of of us are talking, he's just staring at me— as if studying my whole existence while I'm doing my best to avoid his eyes.

"Were you still sleeping?" I was caught on guard when he asked me that. Was it that obvious?

"I only sleep for a couple of hours," I just said then I successfully got my hand back on my second try.

"Insomnia?" he wore the strap of his backpack then he walks towards the door.

I hurriedly picked my bag up, following him. "Sort of?" I'm not really sure if it's insomnia that I have been experiencing ever since I stepped foot here in America. Or am I just home sick? I've only been here for a week and I still have to stay for almost three months before I could go back to Yokohama— my hometown.

He didn't talked after that. We just walked our way out of the building quietly. Luckily, it was not that awkward unlike the one we had on out classroom.

Out of a blue, I suddenly remembered the man who's always appearing on my dreams ever since I came here in California. For some reasons, I remember Esquival on him. Maybe because of their built? The only thing I'm sure is he's studying on this school as well. But who is he? Why does he keep appearing on my dreams?

I snapped out from my thoughts when I received a text from my dormmate, Mitsume— an exchange student from Yokohama as well, asking the time I'll be home and if we're going to have dinner together. I typed my reply that I am on my way home before placing my phone back on my pocket.

And upon reaching the huge gate of the university where I got to be an exchange student, I faced Esquival. I haven't introduced myself to him yet— although I have introduced myself in front of the class. But I'm a hundred percent sure that he was sleeping by that time.

"Hey," I called his attention. "I'm Ichika, Fujiwara Ichika. Ichika meaning a thousand flowers and Fujiwara meaning wisteria field. But you can call me by my English name— Tatiana," I said, offering my hand for a shake.

He stared at it for a second before accepting it which I don't really expect him to, "Yohan Esquival." he plainly said before taking his hand, placing it back to his pocket.

"It was nice meeting you," I smiled. "So... I'll get going." I added before facing the opposite direction.

I have only taken a few steps when someone grabbed my hand. I turned around to see who it was and I saw Yohan wearing his straight face, his piercing eyes are locked on mine. I looked at him with confusion. Did I forgot something? Or was it him who does?

He stared at me for a moment, taking a deep breathe before speaking.

"Sweet dreams, Tatiana."