The Day I Waved Enthusiastically at a Stranger

One day after school, I was on the train platform and spotted a figure on the opposite platform who looked like my friend.

"Wait, that's definitely so-and-so!"

Excited, I waved with all my might, almost dropping my bag in the process.
For some reason, I even added a jump. My smile was a perfect 100. What did the people around me think? I didn't care!

The person on the opposite platform noticed and looked over at me.

It was a stranger.

For a split second, the world went into slow motion.
Our eyes met.
The person on the other side also had a look on their face that said, "Wait... who?"
My hand was left dangling in mid-air.
My landing from the jump was also kind of awkward.

And to make matters worse, the fact that they gave me a slight nod made me feel so incredibly guilty that I wanted to die.

The time until the train arrived felt like the longest in history.
Not knowing where to look, I unlocked my phone screen about 50 times.
In my heart, I prayed, "Someone, please erase the memory of this moment from everyone's minds."

……But ever since that day,
I have made sure to "double-check" before waving at anyone with all my might.

Also, I've come to think that if even a stranger waves back, "this world isn't such a bad place after all."

I look forward to working with you as well.

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