I take a break from work at the computer and, to clear my head, I start to look through the Erasmus photos I had organized before. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder from behind. The owner of this hand is the me who went to Erasmus. I recognize him by the green fisherman's hat that he used to wear with pleasure. He looks at me with the confidence and arrogance of youth. His hand is still on my shoulder, and the place where he's holding on is starting to warm up. I tense up.

"Okay," I say.

"Okay?" he asks. At that moment, my eyes wander to his bushy mustache of me from the back then. I suddenly remember that I didn't know how to trim my mustache for a long time after deciding to grow one.

"Okay, thank you. You left me with very beautiful memories," I say.

He finally withdraws his hand, pleased, and goes to fill his cup from the jug behind me. I steal a glance behind him, sensing that there's something I miss about him.

He comes back with his cup of water and we look at the photos together. "A virus called Corona broke out after you left," I say. "And the exchange rate went through the roof." He doesn't understand what I'm saying, and he doesn't care as well. "I am still paying off the KYK loans you got from...", putting two fingers to my lips. "Shh. Don't worry about the little details." I consider biting his two fingers at once so he won't touch me again while talking. Then I decide not to hurt him and hold myself back.

He starts looking at me again with a smile, this time more genuinely. I understand everything he wants to say without a single word. When I look at the clock, I realize I need to get back to work. Me from back then is leaving. I love him...

Semih Akgül☕