he wanted it comfortable, i wanted that pain

 "nur right?"

"yeah, hi! how are you?". she had no idea who's that, but she has facial blindness and her memory sucks.it's always safe and respectful to play pretend, she learned enough to get by.

"fine. eh do you know who i am?"

"hi so sorry i can't recognize you with mask on. you're from where ya?"

"haha no worries we never met. i'm al's friend, sally. yeah you're pretty."

"erm sorry what did you just said haha". she faked laugh as always, but it's more than that. she grew up believing she's ugly, even till now she finds it hard to accept if people told her she's pretty. because to her eyes she's not. she can play pretty and she enjoys it, but she knows she's not. so to hear it from a total stranger with no agenda whatsoever, it was just, absurd, unbelievable and suspiciously weird. she thought hard of hidden agenda.

"i'm his batchmate. he told me to look for you but didn't show me your picture. he said just search the prettiest girl with tudung and talk to her, keep her accompany coz she comes alone.". 

the prettiest girl with tudung, huh? that's definitely the first for nur. she may not be ugly but she's way far from pretty-est. the words from a total stranger with no string attached. sally had nothing to gain from nur, she basically had no logical reason to blandish nur. is it true then?

****

was it supposed to be sweet? 

what normal people would do, in nur's position? what she supposed to feel? what's social protocol for this? she's stunned to say the least, she loved it for a moment, but then, what? what should she say to al? why is al doing this? is it, that, you know, like those in movies? 

nur and al were supposed to have dinner later that day but there was the pants drama, so nur cancelled it. she still visited al at work later that afternoon for brisk catch-up but al was busy so it's just a coffee run.

and at midnight like this, nur thinks of it. al and all.

she got scared so she will pretend like it never happened, as always.

(may and may not be a true story)

Update May 2023: and nur caught covid from al that day wtf