ASI'S POV
The computer lab was my sanctuary. Always had been since freshman year.
While other students complained about programming assignments and debugging errors, I found peace in the logic of code. Lines of instructions that made sense, that followed patterns, that didn't lie or change their minds or confuse you with mixed signals.
Unlike people.
Unlike him.
"Yo, Asi! Can you check my code? "My classmate, Jerome, rolled his chair over to my workstation.
"I've been staring at this error for an hour."
I glanced at his screen, immediately spotting the problem.
"Line forty-three. You forgot to close the bracket."
"Are you serious?" He scrolled down and groaned. "Man, I'm an idiot."
"Yup." I saved my own work and stretched.
"But at least you're a consistent idiot."
Jerome laughed, used to my bluntness. That was the thing about the IT department—everyone here got me. We spoke the same language of dark humor and brutal honesty. No need to soften your words or play nice.
"Hey, you cutting class again this afternoon?" he asked.
"Maybe. Why?"
"There's this new game café that opened near campus. We could check it out."
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and felt my stomach flip.
Radeus: You still coming over to study later? Chess tournament prep.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard. This had been our routine since freshman year—every Thursday afternoon, I'd go to his place, and we'd hang out.Sometimes we actually studied. Mostly we just talked, played chess, ate whatever snacks his family's cook prepared. Those were my favorite days of the week.
Me: Yeah, I'll be there. Same time?
Radeus: Cool. Bring food, I'm starving.
Me: Bring your own food, I'm not your delivery service.
Radeus: But you love me.
My heart did that stupid thing where it felt too big for my chest. He didn't mean it the way I wanted him to mean it. He never did.
Me: Whatever. See you later.
"Earth to Asi?" Jerome waved his hand in front of my face. "You good?"
"Yeah, sorry. Can't do the game café today. Got plans."
"Let me guess. Chess guy?"
I shot him a look. "His name is Radeus."
"Right. Your 'friend' who you're totally not in love with." Jerome made air quotes with his fingers.
"Shut up."
"I'm just saying, everyone knows—"
"Well, everyone should mind their own business." I stood up, shoving my laptop into my bag.
"I'm out. See you tomorrow."
As I walked out of the lab, I tried to ignore the truth in Jerome's words. Was it really that obvious? Did everyone see what I tried so hard to hide?
Did Radeus see it?
No. He couldn't. Because if he did, things would get weird. And I couldn't lose him. Not when he was the best part of my day.
RADEUS POV
"Mr. Villafuerte" , care to share with the class why you're smiling at your phone instead of paying attention?"
I looked up sharply to find Professor Santos staring at me, arms crossed. The entire Criminal Law class had turned to look at me.
"Sorry, sir. Won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't." He turned back to the board, continuing his lecture on felonies and penalties.
I slipped my phone into my pocket, but I couldn't wipe the slight smile off my face. Asi was coming over later. Good. I needed the distraction.
Ever since Krystal broke up with me six months ago, Thursdays with Asi had become my anchor. She didn't ask probing questions about my feelings or try to give me advice about moving on. She just existed beside me, solid and uncomplicated, making sarcastic comments about my chess moves and stealing half my snacks.
"Dude, you're doing it again," whispered my classmate, Marcus. "The smiling thing."
"I'm not smiling."
"You are. It's creepy. Stop it."
I forced my expression neutral and tried to focus on the lecture. But my mind kept drifting.
Krystal had texted me this morning. Just a simple "good morning" with a smiley face. Nothing significant, but it was more than I'd gotten from her in months.
Maybe she was finally ready to talk. Really talk. About us. About what went wrong.
Maybe there was still a chance.
"Mr. Villafuerte!"
"Yes, sir?"
"The case I just mentioned. What was the ruling?"
I had no idea. I hadn't heard a single word.
"Uh..."
"See me after class."
Great. Just great.
Marcus snickered beside me, and I shot him a glare. This was what Krystal did to me—made me lose focus, made me forget everything else that mattered.
I needed to get it together. Law school wasn't going to wait while I pined over my ex-girlfriend.
After an excruciating lecture and an even more excruciating conversation with Professor Santos about "maintaining academic focus," I finally escaped to the chess club room. I was the club president, and we had a regional tournament coming up in three weeks.
But when I opened the door, someone was already there.
"Thought I'd find you here."
Krystal sat on one of the tables, legs swinging, looking at the chess sets arranged on various boards. She wore her Tourism department jacket and had her hair down the way I always liked.
My heart jumped. "Krystal. Hey. What are you doing here?"
"Wanted to see you." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Is that okay?"
"Yeah. Of course." I set my bag down, suddenly hyperaware of everything—the way I was standing, how my hair looked, whether I smelled okay after walking across campus in the afternoon heat.
"I've been thinking," she started, and my pulse quickened. "About us. About how things ended."
"Okay..."
"I miss you, Radeus." She looked at me directly, and I felt like I was drowning. "I miss what we had."
This was it. This was the moment I'd been waiting for. Six months of hoping, of checking my phone obsessively, of lying awake wondering what I'd done wrong.
"I miss you too," I admitted.
"I know I hurt you when I ended things. I was confused about what I wanted, about where my life was going." She slid off the table and walked closer. "But I've had time to think. And I think... maybe I made a mistake."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I want to try again. Slowly. See if we still work."
Everything I wanted to hear. So why did something feel off?
"There's someone else, isn't there?" The words came out before I could stop them.
Krystal's expression flickered. "There's someone interested. But nothing's official. I wanted to talk to you first before I made any decisions."
"So you're asking me to... what? Compete for you?"
"No. I'm asking if you still feel the same way about me. If you do, then..." She reached out and touched my arm. "Then we can figure this out together."
My phone buzzed in my pocket. Probably Asi, asking what snacks to bring.
"I need time to think," I said, even though every fiber of my being screamed to just say yes.
Krystal's smile tightened slightly. "Okay. Take your time. But not too much time, yeah?" She kissed my cheek, light and quick. "I'll text you."
She left, leaving me standing alone in the chess room, feeling like I'd just played a game I didn't understand.
I pulled out my phone.
Asi: Stop at 7-Eleven. Want anything?
Something about the message made me relax. Asi never played games. She never said one thing and meant another.
Me: Gummy worms. And those spicy chips you hate.
Asi: You have terrible taste.
Me: You're still buying them though.
Asi: Yeah, yeah. See you in 20.
I pocketed my phone and started setting up the chess board. Whatever confusion Krystal brought into my life, at least I had Thursday afternoons that made sense.
At least I had Asi.