I grabbed my phone to check for messages from my parents — nothing. No signal at all. Weird. *Maybe I should ask Maxwell…* Then I remembered I hadn't eaten anything from last night. Breakfast! I was already late. The timing was 8:00 a.m., and it was 8:15.
I got ready in eight minutes flat and ran downstairs.
"Excuse me," I asked a girl passing by. "Where's the dining area?"
She pointed down the corridor. "That way," she said, and I followed her directions.
The dining hall was enormous, filled with students of all ages, boys and girls alike, chatting and laughing. I scanned the room, trying to spot Maxwell, but didn't see him anywhere.
I grabbed some bread with jam and a glass of orange juice — simple, nothing fancy — and found a corner where I could sit. And there he was. Maxwell, sitting with his head down, looking like he had been scolded by the universe itself.
I ran over and lightly slapped his head. "Hey!"
He looked up, startled, then his face finally relaxed when he saw me. And, of course, he hugged me.
"Where were you?" he asked, a hint of accusation in his voice. "I waited for you last night in front of your dorm, but you didn't come."
"Oh, I was so tired I fell asleep! You could have called me," I said, rolling my eyes.
"There's no signal," he said bluntly.
"Oh, really? I thought it was just my phone not working." I shrugged. "Okay, now sit and eat."
We had breakfast together, laughing at Maxwell's dramatics, and I finally returned to my dorm to get ready for class. After a few minutes of fumbling with my schedule and maps of the campus, I found the building my class was in.
As I walked toward the classroom, a strange sound came from one of the nearby rooms. *Probably nothing,* I thought at first, but my curiosity got the better of me.
I peeked inside. My jaw dropped. A couple was… clearly not shy. The girl had her back to me, and the guy was pressing close to her neck. My eyes widened — *what the hell? Early in the morning…*
Then, he looked up. Our eyes met.
Dark, intense, and unreadable. There was something about him that made my chest tighten — a quiet, dangerous energy I couldn't place. He wasn't smiling. He didn't move. He just… stared.i can clearly see he is angry.
I panicked, my face burning, and stumbled back. My mind raced. Who was he? Why did he make me feel… strange?
Before I could think any longer, I turned and ran toward my classroom, my heart hammering in my chest.
*First day. First hour. And I already made an enemy.*
By the time I reached the classroom, I was trying hard to calm my racing heart. My cheeks still burned from the encounter, and I couldn't stop glancing over my shoulder, half-expecting him to appear somewhere — the same dark-haired, intense guy from the other room. But there was nothing, just students settling into their seats, murmuring quietly to one another.
I slipped into a vacant chair near the window and unpacked my notebook. The professor hadn't arrived yet, which gave me a moment to look around. The classroom was bigger than I had imagined, with high ceilings and tall windows that let in warm sunlight. I counted at least thirty students, some chatting, some scribbling notes already, and a few quietly observing everyone else.
A girl sitting across from me smiled shyly. "Hi, I'm Lena," she whispered. "First day too?"
"Yes," I replied, forcing a smile. "Aurora. First day and… wow. This place is huge."
"You're telling me," she laughed softly. "I got lost twice just trying to find this room. Are you in dorm 150?"
"Yeah," I said, nodding. "How did you know?"
"Oh, everyone kind of knows each other in passing," she said with a shrug. "Anyway… good luck surviving the first day."
I chuckled nervously. Good luck. That was exactly what I needed.
Just then, the professor arrived, and everyone quieted down. As she began taking attendance, I tried to focus on the lesson, but my mind kept wandering back to him — the man I had seen in that room. Who was he? Why did he make me feel… strange?
*Maybe he's just another student,* I told myself. *Get a grip, Aurora.*
But no matter how much I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was… different.
Halfway through the class, I glanced out the window and saw movement across the courtyard. A tall figure was walking along the path — dark hair, composed posture, walking as if he owned every shadow he passed through. My breath caught, and my heart skipped a beat.
I quickly turned back to my notes, pretending I hadn't noticed. But a small, stubborn part of me didn't stop watching him. Something about him was… magnetic. Dangerous. And I had no idea why my stomach twisted every time I caught sight of him.
After class, I was walking towards the library as I wanted to get some books. Then I noticed him near the library building talking to a small group — two girls and two boys — and I found myself edging closer, trying not to be obvious. They all looked… like they belonged in a novel. Perfectly styled, impossibly handsome. But he… he still stood out.
Our eyes met again the moment I caught a glimpse of him. I yanked my gaze down instantly. *Why am I such an idiot? I saw him with his girlfriend.He's probably taken. How can I even think about looking at him?*
I didn't notice someone standing directly in front of me and bumped into him.
"Watch where you're going," he said, voice calm but commanding.
"Sorry," I muttered, looking at the floor.
He raised a brow. "So… what do you want to say? It's the second time I've seen you staring at me. Thought maybe you wanted to tell me something… or are you a pervert?"
"H-Hell no! I didn't stare at you!" I stammered, face burning.
His gaze lingered, sharp and unyielding, and for a moment I felt like he could see right through me. I opened my mouth to say something else, but no words came.
"Hmm," he said, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Interesting. I'll be seeing you around, I'm sure."
And just like that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, heart hammering, head spinning, and cheeks burning.