I've heard a saying:
"The difference between smart and dumb people is simple: Smart people learn from their mistakes, understand what went wrong, and avoid making the same mistake again. Dumb people, on the other hand, persist in their ways, refuse to learn, and repeatedly make the same mistake."
As someone who has been so proud of being "smart", of course I wouldn't make the same mistake twice. I successfully finished the Saturday morning run, and Hana was very pleased. She even joked about taking me on as her apprentice, making me her "half-running buddy".
"Why only 'half'?" I protested.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56GJz6P2pV
"Well, when you finally become a complete one, you'll understand," she replied smugly.
From then on, we made plans to run together every Wednesday evening and Saturday morning. Hana was a "running fanatic" who had a deep understanding of the sport. Whether it was pre-run preparation, running posture, stretching techniques, types of running shoes, or even wearing matching running outfits, she knew it all and also had her own unique perspective. So every time we finished running, she would turn into a teacher and passionately taught me on the intricacies of running. Today's lesson was about the running shoes we were both wearing.
"As they were marketed, these running shoes are designed with lightweight in mind," Hana said. "For races shorter than a half-marathon, they're perfect, but for a full marathon, they wouldn't be the best choices. In that case, we need running shoes that prioritise on foot protection."154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSJt4CsoIw
"What do you mean by full marathon and half-marathon?" I asked. "I don't understand these terms.."154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXj6VSvxYvz
"Don't you ever read news or watch TV? It's an annual event!" Hana teased. "A full marathon is a 'full-length marathon' race, while a half-marathon is, of course, a 'half-length marathon'. The term 'marathon' is said to originate from a battle between Athens and Persia in ancient Greece, namely the Battle of Marathon. Legend has it that a soldier ran 42 kilometres from the Marathon to Athens to deliver the news of the victory over Persia, then died from exhaustion. Later, the marathon race was established to commemorate this great feat."154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTD3z5gjyt
"I see," I marveled. "Well, for me a 42-kilometre long-distance run is truly unreachable."154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqBrVt8F2Q
"Why is it unreachable? Don't be so timid," Hana's eyes suddenly lit up. "I'll tell you, completing a full marathon race is my childhood dream. One day, I'll achieve it!"
I smiled and said nothing.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlN4To7MCv
As a matter of fact, I do have common sense and of course I know what a marathon is. I just sometimes pretend to be clueless to let her feel superior, which is a kind of "fun".
I like seeing her confidence look, especially when she says things like "you really have no common sense".
As we talked, I received a notification on my phone. I took a quick glance and it reminded me that today was the opening of Penny's second coffee shop. As I was about to text Kevin to ask what time he planned to go, an idea came to me.
"Hana, do you like coffee?" I asked.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQT6EyvsbCM
"Of course I do! Especially on days when the weather is bad and I can't go for a run, going to a coffee shop is one of my favourite activities." she replied.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oGVoy6vVe
"That's great! Are you free this afternoon? A friend of mine's coffee shop is opening today, and I'm going to check it out. Would you like to come with me?" I invited her.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzpl47nrZt
"Oh..." 154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HNIbl8Fzs
Hana blushed a little. It's obvious it surprised her with my sudden and ad-hoc invitation. She frowned and thought for a moment before taking out her phone to check her schedule. During the brief moment while I waited for her response, my heart was pounding like never before.
"Um..... I'm free this afternoon," she finally replied.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOI5BytlWu
"That's great!" I couldn't hide my excitement. "Let's go home and change first, have lunch, and then go to the coffee shop, okay?"154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Hj3W3wkwW
"Sure." she said.
After we agreed on the time and place to meet up, we went home separately. Once I was home, I rushed to the bathroom for a quick shower. After I changed my clothes, I went ahead and tell my mum where I was going.
"Is it Hana?" Mom asked, surprisingly proactive.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2V5B1TUPZV
"Yes, it's her."
Mom smiled and nodded. After saying goodbye to her, I put on my favourite pair of kicks and went out. As I was walking to the meeting place, my mind was filled with thoughts of Hana and the upcoming coffee shop visit.
It was a rare opportunity for me to have a date with Hana other than running together. What's even rarer is that my mom seemed to like Hana so much, which is a stark contrast to the situation with Lolly before.
Perhaps it's a bit premature, but is this what they call "fate" or "destiny"? 154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaNvtKfLod
I sincerely hope so.
When I arrived at the designated bus stop, Hana was looking down and playing with her phone. She was wearing a greyish black hooded coat, a light blue long skirt, and a pair of plain white kicks. She also had a lightweight small-size grey backpack. This was her usual easy-going-and-approachable style by wearing plain colours, with a low-key yet girlish charm. But what I love the most is the small flower hairpin she often wears. 154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotqvvU7EPw
I decided to startle her and exaggeratedly shouted as I approached her.
"Hey! Have you been waiting long?"
She almost dropped her phone. After coming to her senses, she gave me a white-eyed look and stuck out her tongue.
"You're so annoying! If my phone breaks, I'll make you buy me the latest model!"154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwgFPNf67l
"Of course, of course... Haha, sorry, I was just joking with you."
After mumbling a few more silly words, the bus arrived. We got on and we walked to the upper level seats. Fortunately, there weren't many people taking the bus at this time, and we were able to find seats for the two of us to sit together.
We sat side by side. And with everything being so quiet and calm, I could hear the clear sound of heartbeats. 154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqghv8r1vH
My heartbeat was in sync with Hana's.
