A fluttering heartbeat

Anna tiptoed into the room, whispering softly, "She likes to go to bed early, so I try not to make too much noise. Do you want a drink?"

Jacob awkwardly followed behind Anna. He hadn't realized it due to his nervousness, but he now found himself stumbling and unsure. His movements were stiff, resembling a penguin's waddle. He dared not glance around, his eyes fixed on Anna's figure, afraid of appearing too disoriented.

Suddenly, Anna turned around and softly asked, "I only have whiskey."

Jacob was caught off guard, falling into Anna's eyes. The room was dimly lit with only two bedside lamps on the nightstand and desk. Though the lighting was slightly dim, her eyes shone brilliantly. Like morning dew reflecting the first light of dawn at five o'clock, they glowed with a glistening warmth.

Jacob blinked in a daze and nodded slightly. A smile gradually crept onto his lips. "Alright." It was an automatic response, but Anna seemed not to notice. She tossed her small backpack onto the bed and turned to fetch the whiskey. At this moment, Jacob finally realized that his gaze had been fixed on Anna all along. He felt a bit uncomfortable and lowered his eyes, looking at the deep beige carpet on the floor, trying to conceal his fluster.

He caught Anna's movement from the corner of his eye. His brain only processed this later. Awkwardly, he admitted, "I don't drink much... actually." He tilted his head slightly, raised an eyebrow, and lightly touched his brow bone. It seemed a bit itchy, but he realized the gesture was inelegant and quickly withdrew his hand, not knowing where to place them. Finally, he awkwardly stuffed them into his jeans pocket.

Anna's room lacked proper wine glasses. There was a ceramic cup for Japanese sake and a glass cup for regular water. They each took one. Jacob looked at the glass in his hand and couldn't help but have a thought: Was he the first guest in this room?

Raising his eyes, Jacob covertly observed Anna's eyes. However, he found Anna gazing right back at him. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips and then quickly faded, masking her joy. Jacob hesitantly raised his glass. "Cheers."

Accidentally, his voice was too loud and echoed in the bedroom. Jacob and Anna suddenly froze, becoming wooden figures. Their muscles were rigid, eyes shifting, breaths held. After a while, with no sign of complaints, they both let out a sigh of relief. Subsequently, a sense of amusement bubbled up, causing them to involuntarily chuckle.

Anna gently bit the inside of her lower lip, suppressing the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. Nonetheless, her lowered eyelashes still surreptitiously glanced at Jacob's shy and nervous smile. Like pink bubbles of teenage affection, her heart couldn't help but flutter. She hurriedly lifted the glass and took a sip of whiskey.

Unexpectedly, due to her nervousness, one sip turned into a big gulp, and before she knew it, two-thirds of the glass was gone. Putting down the glass, Anna finally realized that Jacob had only taken one sip. Anna remembered: Jacob had said he didn't drink much. Her cheeks began to burn. She looked up and observed Jacob's expression, noticing a light blush at the base of his eyes, like a layer of gauzy mist.

She was witnessing a man who wasn't adept at drinking for the first time. Was he doing it for her? Choosing whiskey as his beverage? Or perhaps... was this his first time drinking whiskey?

"Hehe." Anna felt her heart lightly leap. She saw Jacob raise his right hand in confusion, noticing the glass for the first time. He seemed awkward and inexperienced—neither sitting nor standing. Her smile gently lifted. She heard Jacob murmur awkwardly, "It's strong."

Anna lowered her head, gazing at her own toes, concealing the smile that lifted her lips. She nodded with effort and simply replied, "Mhm." At this moment, Anna realized they had been standing all this time, awkwardly and stiffly. Jacob seemed more like an obedient student, standing at attention. She quickly sat down on the bed, attempting to ease the atmosphere and make Jacob more comfortable.

Jacob sneakily glanced at Anna who had sat down. His tension eased slightly, but he still hesitated to boldly survey the surroundings. He could only gaze at the least girlish corner of the room, the desk. "Is that the chair where you write?" He carefully walked over with the glass of whiskey, sitting down on the chair with restraint. Yet, his muscles remained tense. He twisted his lips and semi-jokingly complained, "It's not very comfortable."

"Pfft." Anna burst into laughter. She had never heard such a skillfully pent-up topic technique. She suppressed her smile and nodded solemnly. "It does the job."

Jacob also felt his own clumsiness. He raised his left hand again, touched his brow bone, concealing his gaze, using this as an opportunity to shift his line of sight. He curiously observed the items on the desk, and he quickly noticed a stack of vinyl records placed beside it. "You like Paul Simon?"

"Yeah, do you?" Anna looked at Jacob's childlike expression, watching quietly like this.

Jacob's lips curled up, his emotions unconsciously relaxed. "Yes, I love Paul Simon." He cautiously pulled out the record from the stack of things, accidentally causing some postcards to fall. His eyes widened, and he turned to Anna, conveying his apology through his clear gaze.

Anna waved her hand, indicating not to worry. Her expression lifted with delight. "Really?"

Jacob successfully held the record, gesturing with his eyes. Anna immediately understood and nodded repeatedly. "Yeah, I love "Graceland"."

Anna placed the album "Graceland" on the turntable. In the gentle music, the two finally relaxed a bit. Jacob took off his coat and, upon Anna's invitation, found a place on the left side of the bed. The room was too small; apart from the uncomfortable chair, there was only the bed to sit on. There wasn't even enough space to sit on the floor.

Jacob sat cross-legged on the side, his posture upright, as if he were attending a lecture by a Buddhist master. Anna propped a pillow against the headboard and leaned against it, sitting gracefully. She watched Jacob before her, just quietly sitting like this, allowing tranquility and silence to slowly spread through the air. She could enjoy it too.

Jacob could catch the faint smile at the corner of Anna's lips. His peripheral vision couldn't help but try to capture the radiance in Anna's eyes. However, he worried that his hidden thoughts might be exposed, so he awkwardly changed the subject. "Would you mind reading me something?"

"What do you want me to read?" Anna, fearing her gaze was too intense, had to lower her eyelids. Her gaze landed on Jacob's feet clad in black socks. She liked his outfit today: a light gray shirt matched with black jeans. On his feet were low-top black Converse sneakers. The simple attire exuded cleanliness, even more refreshing than a white shirt.

Anna lifted her gaze and met Jacob's eyes. They exchanged a fleeting smile. "Something you wrote," Jacob said softly, the curve of his lips unconsciously tracing a gentle arc.

Anna hesitated. She wanted to say "no", but the words transformed on her lips into, "Ok." How could she refuse that smile?

Anna stepped down from the bed, found her notebook on the desk, and turned back with a serious expression. "You're not allowed to laugh."

Jacob laughed softly, like a spring breeze carrying the scent of the sea and the dryness of sunlight. He shook his head, his voice near a whisper. "I'm not gonna laugh."

Unable to resist, Anna joined in Jacob's laughter. She sat back down, took a deep breath, and mustered her courage. "I haven't read it out loud yet." She raised her head, gazing into Jacob's deep brown eyes. "So you'll be the first person. You sure you want to hear it?" Anna noticed a hint of indulgence in Jacob's smile. He didn't speak, just nodded slightly. She bit her lip and nodded too, solidifying her determination.

"I thought I understood it, that I could grasp it. But I didn't, not really." An uneasy Anna read aloud, "Only the "smudgeness" of it. The pink-slippered, all-containered, semi-precious eagerness of it.…." She felt the scorching gaze and hesitated for a moment. Lifting her gaze, she collided with the deep, tranquil depths of Jacob's eyes. They rested on her with unyielding attention, tinged with a hint of greed, desire, and indulgence. His gaze was unwavering, as if the entire world had stopped spinning at this moment, leaving only those brimming eyes. Even the soft music disappeared completely from her ears.

Thump, thump, thump.

Anna could distinctly hear the sound of her heart racing and pounding. The uncontrollable palpitations felt like a warm halo enveloping her.

Anna's mind blanked out. In that radiant and brilliant gaze, she gradually descended. The gentle and beautiful sensation of falling seemed to rob her of all perception. Those eyes were so deep, so focused, so innocent yet so consuming. They ignited like a moth drawn to flames, as if in freefall, plummeting from the skies into a realm of softness. All barriers were torn apart, and the defenses between performance and reality were shattered in this instant. The sound of her heartbeat became a fierce pounding against her eardrums—thump, thump, thump—each beat following the other.

In that moment, she succumbed, she fell into love, she... experienced a heartbeat.