Morning broke over Evermore University with a sky washed in pale gold, the kind of light that softened everything it touched. Banners fluttered along the gates—deep blues, bright reds—announcing the week-long sports events. The campus buzzed with early energy: whistles echoed, balls thudded against the ground, students jogged in warm-up loops, and the air thrummed with excitement.
Reina walked across the central field, her shoes brushing the dew-slick grass. She pulled her jacket closer, the early chill settling on her skin—but inside, something warmer stirred. There was movement everywhere, laughter and shouts carried in the wind. It felt different from the days she used to move through campus quietly, unnoticed, weighed down by thoughts she never voiced. Today felt alive. And she felt present.
Her steps slowed near the courts as she spotted the boys' team practicing. The coach barked instructions, the sound sharp and commanding. And there—right at the center of it—was Adrian.
Focused, fast, and impossibly composed.
Reina found herself lingering, drawn in by the ease in his movements. He sprinted effortlessly, the sharp cut of his steps making the grass shift beneath him. His hair caught the sunlight as he pivoted, weaving between cones with a natural grace that made the others seem slightly out of sync beside him.
He didn't notice her at first.
But then—mid-drill—his gaze flicked toward the sidelines. It landed straight on her.
A beat passed.
Then he deliberately kicked a stray ball, letting it roll—slow, lazy—until it bumped against Reina's foot.
He lifted his chin slightly, smirking.
"Keep that safe for me?"
Reina blinked, taken off-guard. She nodded without meaning to, her heartbeat stumbling into a strange rhythm. Adrian's smirk widened just enough to make her chest warm.
Then he jogged away, as though nothing had happened.
Reina let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
She turned—and saw a group of girls waving her over from a patch of grass. Girls she'd only spoken to in passing before. Today, they smiled openly, invitingly.
"Reina! Come here! You're early for once!"
She walked over, a small smile tugging at her lips. Sitting with them felt strangely natural. Someone shoved a packet of snacks toward her; another lightly scolded her for always looking too serious.
"You need to loosen up," one teased, gently fixing a strand of Reina's hair that had come loose."You look like you're about to solve the mysteries of the universe."
Reina laughed—a real one, light and unguarded.It startled her a little. She had forgotten how laughter felt when it wasn't forced.
While the girls talked about their upcoming matches, about class gossip and which professor was secretly terrifying, Reina found herself slipping into the conversation without thinking. Jokes passed around like shared secrets. When she teased one girl about tripping during warm-ups, the group erupted in laughter.
It felt warm. Safe. Soft.
For the first time in a while, she felt like she belonged somewhere.
Adrian jogged past them again, this time slower than necessary.
He looked directly at Reina.
"You're actually social today," he teased, raising an eyebrow.
Before she could reply, the girls beside her burst into giggles, nudging her like they had suddenly discovered a secret.
Reina turned away, cheeks warming.Adrian chuckled—soft, amused—and continued running.
Her chest fluttered with something she refused to name.
Later, as she crossed toward the track, Adrian miscalculated the last sprint of his drill—or pretended to.
He stopped right in front of her.
Close enough that she felt the warmth radiating off his skin, close enough to see the quick rise and fall of his breath.
"You're lucky," he said, still catching his breath. "One wrong step and I'd have crashed straight into you."
Reina froze, every nerve heightened.
He didn't step aside immediately.
He watched her for a heartbeat too long.
Then, with a low laugh, he stepped around her and jogged off.
Reina stood there, pulse racing.The girls across the field whistled at her dramatically.
She shook her head, trying—and failing—to hide her smile.
By lunchtime, the cafeteria buzzed with energy. Reina sat with her new friends at a sunlit table. Someone stole fries from her tray; someone else threw a napkin at her. She laughed, joining their chaos, letting the warmth spread through her like sunlight in cold water.
"Heads up," someone whispered, nudging her subtly.
Across the room, Adrian sat with his teammates.
He didn't interrupt.He didn't call out.
But every time Reina glanced his way, she found him already looking at her.
Not intensely.Not obviously.
Just a subtle glance.A small smirk.A look that said he was aware of her in the room—and didn't mind being caught.
Reina felt her heartbeat skip in a way she couldn't control.
After eating, she walked past his table.
Adrian's knee brushed lightly against hers.
He didn't move it immediately.
"Ready for practice later?" he asked casually, but there was a spark beneath the words.
"Trying to be," she replied.
He leaned slightly closer. "Good. Because I run faster when you're in my line of sight."
Reina froze.
Was he joking?
Teasing?
Flirting?
He gave her no time to figure it out.
He stood, finishing his drink, and left her standing there with her pulse still tripping over itself.
The afternoon sun warmed the fields again as everyone returned for sports prep. Reina and her new friends practiced their drills, laughter threading through the air. She felt lighter today, her movements fluid, her mind clearer.
And all throughout practice, she caught glimpses of Adrian—sometimes focused entirely on the field, sometimes looking straight at her.
Once, when she stumbled slightly on a turn, she heard him call out from across the field:
"Careful—don't go falling before the rally even starts."
She shot him a glare.He just grinned.
Later, during a relay prep meeting, Adrian approached with a clipboard.
"You're on the second lap with me," he announced.
Reina frowned. "Why me?"
Adrian shrugged.His lips curled in a slow, confident smile.
"Because you make me run better."
Her breath caught—but before she could react, he moved toward the coach, his posture calm, unaffected.
The girls grabbed her arm the moment he walked away.
"Oh my god, Reina.""He's totally—""No way he says that to everyone."
Reina's ears burned.She pretended not to hear.
But her heart beat too loudly to ignore.
As the sun dipped low, the entire campus buzzed about the upcoming rally. Adrian would be participating, and Reina felt a restless, giddy excitement stirring inside her. Just imagining him on the field—focused, intense, unrestrained—sent a small thrill through her chest.
She didn't know when admiration had blurred into something more.All she knew was that the thought of watching him at the rally made her pulse race.
After practice ended, Reina sat on a bench overlooking the amber-lit fields. Students packed up around her, laughter fading into the cool air. The grass shimmered gold beneath the sunset. Adrian walked across the field, towel draped around his neck, illuminated by the dying light.
He saw her.
Changed direction.
Stopped right in front of her.
"You're coming to watch the rally tomorrow, right?"
Reina nodded, her throat suddenly tight.
"Good," he said softly.Not teasing this time.Not playful.
Just… sincere.
"Then I'll actually have a reason to win."
The words hit her like a warm jolt.
Before she could respond, he walked off—leaving her with a racing pulse and a heart that felt too full for her chest.
Reina leaned back slowly, letting the breeze lift her hair as she watched him disappear down the path. The campus glowed around her, alive and humming.
Today had been simple—fields, laughter, warm glances, small touches.
But Reina felt something profound threading through all of it.
Healing.
Lightness.
A subtle shift.
Something in her was changing, softening, opening.
And as she sat beneath the fading sky, letting the last warmth of the sun rest against her skin, she realized something:
She was chasing light again.
And the world was finally letting her.