It wasn't even eight o'clock when she slipped inside. Rose and Jasmine were still out cold, but Isabella was up at her desk, brushing her hair.
"You went running?" Isabella asked, raising her eyebrows. Emily's shirt was still damp with sweat.
"Yeah," Emily said, and after a pause, "With my boyfriend."
The girl just hummed and kept brushing.
"I'm taking a shower," Emily said, grabbing her towel and clothes before heading into the bathroom.
-------
Boys' dorm
Evan found Jack, Ryan, and Nathan still sprawled out, dead to the world. He left them alone and headed straight for the showers.
Five minutes later, he was back—hair dry, fresh clothes on. He sent Emily a quick text: Ready when you are.
He hesitated, then opened another chat and typed,
Good morning.
No answer.
He shrugged, slipped his phone away, and was about to step out when Jack cracked one eye open.
"You're back already? Where you off to?"
Jack mumbled.
"Out," Evan said, not missing a beat.
Jack snorted. "Yeah, right. Got a secret date or something? Not buying it."
Evan just shrugged. "Think what you want."
He left without another word.
Jack rolled over, grumbling, "Yeah, sure…"
But then he jerked upright. "Damn, gotta pee."
He stumbled to the bathroom. On his way back, he spotted Nathan still dead asleep. Grinning, Jack raised his hand and smacked Nathan's thigh.
"What the hell?!" Nathan shot up, wild-eyed.
Jack looked serious. "Saw a mosquito. Handled it for you."
Nathan squinted at him. "…Seriously?"
"Obviously." Jack flopped onto his bed, humming to himself. Nathan just stared at the ceiling, halfway awake and not buying a word.
I just finished showering, but I still need to blow-dry my hair. So, it'll be a bit.
She tossed in a kitten emoji—paws up, all cute.
Evan saw Emily's reply pop up as he walked out of the boys' dorm. He grinned at his phone and typed back: No rush, take your time.
Emily answered right away. Mmm. And then, a second later: My boyfriend is so thoughtful, sending love.
Evan couldn't help but smile. He didn't bother replying, just put his phone away.
Back in her own dorm, Emily set her phone down by the sink and grabbed her hairdryer. Five, maybe six minutes later, she checked herself out in the mirror and dabbed on a bit of powder and lipstick. That was it—simple, but she looked stunning anyway.
When she finished, Emily packed up the dryer and stepped out of the bathroom. Jasmine and Rose were both still asleep, sprawled in their beds. Isabella had already done her hair and was quietly reading books.
The bathroom door creaked open. Isabella looked over and saw Emily come out.
Going out? she asked, noticing Emily's fresh makeup and styled hair.
Yeah, breakfast with my boyfriend, Emily said, smiling. That was it for the conversation.
Isabella went back to her books. Emily opened her closet, picking out clothes for the day. The two of them weren't exactly close, but they got along fine—chatted here and there, nothing deep. Maybe it was because they were both pretty, and pretty girls just don't always click. Or maybe that was just how things shook out.
Emily picked a white short-sleeved shirt and a black skirt. She tucked the shirt in, checked her reflection in the half-length mirror she'd bought herself.
She glanced at Isabella, who had this calm, cool beauty. Still, Emily felt confident
In a good mood, Emily left the dorm, grabbed her phone, and texted Evan: All packed up, heading out now!
He replied right away: I'm downstairs at your dorm.
She slipped her phone away and headed down the stairs.
The door closed softly behind her. Inside, Isabella paused, looked at the door, then went back to her book.
Bella, you're studying again? Rose mumbled, eyes half-open. So hardworking. What time is it?
Isabella glanced at her phone. It's only eight. Still early, you can sleep a bit more.
Eight, huh? Rose nodded. I'll sleep a bit longer. She didn't go right back to sleep, though. Instead, she looked over at Isabella. Seriously, bella, you're amazing. You're beautiful, and you're always working so hard. Whoever ends up with you is gonna be so lucky.
She really meant it. In the month since school started, she'd watched Isabella hit the books every morning—so pretty, and yet always working.
Go to sleep, Isabella said, flashing a rare, gentle smile. That smile, paired with her usually cool vibe, made her even more striking.
Hehe, I mean it, Rose muttered, then rolled over and drifted off.
Isabella sat at her desk, but instead of jumping right into her books, she just stared off, looking lost and a little defeated.
When she was a kid, she really believed that if you just worked hard enough, you'd get the life you wanted. Simple as that.
But growing up changed everything. Now, hard work feels kind of pointless.
Seriously, just look at it—old guys sweeping the streets at dawn, construction workers hauling bricks, food delivery guys racing around the city. Aren't they working hard? And did they get the life they dreamed of? Not even close.
So, what's the point of trying so hard?
Still, habits die hard. Isabella couldn't help it—she'd been working hard for so long.
She shook off those thoughts, glanced down at her book, and tried to focus.
Sunlight spilled through her window, lighting up her cool, striking face and giving her this quiet, magnetic beauty.
...
...
After Emily walked out of the girls' dorm, she spotted Evan standing by the entrance, eyes glued to his phone.
She almost called out, but changed her mind. Why not mess with him a little? So, Emily crept up behind Evan, stood on her toes, and covered his eyes with her hands.
"Hey, guess who? If you get it wrong, you gotta keep guessing."
She even tried to roughen her voice, hoping to throw him off.
But let's be real—how could Evan not know?
For one thing, Emily's shampoo and shower gel had this sweet, unmistakable scent. And really, who else would sneak up on him and pull something like this?
Even her "deep" voice couldn't hide who she was.
Of course,Evan figured it out instantly. But he decided to play along.
"Is it Sophia?" he said, just making up a name.
"Nope!"
Emily hesitated for a second, then raised her voice a little.
"No? Then let me guess again. Is it… Eva" Evan tossed out another random girl's name.
"No!!" dropped her hands, stepped out from behind him, and faced him.
"It's me. Now tell me—who are they?" She gave him a suspicious look.
But Evan didn't answer right away. He just stared at her.
Emily's skin looked flawless in the sun, her whole vibe bright and fresh. Long hair spilled over her shoulders, framing her slender neck.
She'd tucked a crisp white tee into a black skirt, showing off her slim waist and those long legs.
Honestly, she looked like she'd just walked out of a campus romance movie—a real school beauty, and she didn't even have to try.
"How is it? Isn't it beautiful?"
Emily caught Evan staring at her, eyes a little wide. There was that look—genuine amazement. She couldn't help herself; pride bubbled up and she spun around, showing off a little.
He just nodded, reached out, and took her hand. "You look great," he said. "Let's grab something to eat at the cafeteria, then we'll have to go to class."
"Okay," she replied, quick and easy. They'd planned this already, but her mind had started to wander—she really wanted to know about Eva and sophia.
So she just blurted it out.
Evan laughed, shaking his head. "Who else would it be? I was messing with you. Did you really think I didn't know? You told me you were about to come out, and then boom—my eyes get covered."
Emily felt her cheeks heat up. But at the same time, she relaxed. She had to admit, ever since they'd made things official, a weird insecurity had crept in.
And honestly, who could blame her? Evan had it all: looks, smarts, style, money—he was the whole package.He checked every box that made her nervous. There'd always be other girls trying to get close to him. She had to accept that. She'd chased him herself, after all.
Still, she'd gotten there first. Who knew what would happen down the road?
"What's going on in that head of yours? You look miles away." Evan glanced over, breaking her train of thought.
She shook it off, smiled. "Nothing. Just thinking about what to eat."
He grinned, easy as ever. "Let's go."
"Deal," she said, and just like that, they walked into the cafeteria, hand in hand.
—
Evan ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke. Emily went with creamy pasta and an iced coffee. They found a spot by the window. As soon as they sat down and Emily took her first bite, a voice called out.
"Emily!? What are the odds? You're eating here too?"
She looked up to see Michael. He looked sharp, wearing Nike sneakers that probably hadn't been on many feet. Three guys trailed behind him—his dorm buddies, by the look of it.
Then Michael's eyes flicked to Evan. "Hey, who's this?" he asked, like it was nothing, but his eyes said otherwise—sizing Evan up, a little stiff in the shoulders.
Michael and Emily were in the same class. He'd set his sights on her from day one, but a month into the semester, he still couldn't even get her to agree to dinner. Not just him, though—she turned down every guy. That made him feel better, at least. No one else was getting any closer.
But now? Now he saw her having breakfast with a guy. They looked comfortable, chatting and laughing. The sight made his chest tighten.
He glanced over Emily again, more carefully this time. Not some model, but good-looking, calm, that clean-cut vibe. His clothes stood out too—nice stuff, Italian brand, not cheap. Michael knew the price tag. He could afford it himself if he wanted, but it still stung.
His three roommates stayed quiet behind him. They all knew he liked Emily. Truth was, they liked her too—how could they not?
Sure, they liked Emily too. But none of them had the guts to actually go after her. Michael came from good background, so he could take his shot. The rest of them? Just regular folks, not in the same league.
"This is my boyfriend." The words hung there for a second—felt huge, but really, the moment passed in a blink. Emily spotted Michael, and her brows knitted together for half a second. She didn't hesitate. She just said it.
"Your boyfriend? This guy? You already have a boyfriend?"
Michael couldn't keep up the calm act anymore. He looked stunned, totally thrown off, and asked again, like he hadn't heard her right.
"Yeah, this is my boyfriend." Emily nodded. She looked right at Michael and didn't bother sugarcoating it. "Look, we might be classmates, but we barely know each other. Can you leave? I just want to have dinner with my boyfriend, no interruptions."
She didn't dance around it at all. Honestly, she was saying all this for Evan's sake—making it clear there was nothing going on between her and Michael. She really didn't want Evan to get the wrong idea.
Michael scowled. He got what she meant, but he just couldn't let go. He liked her too much.
He forced a smile, turned toward Evan, and tried to play it cool. "Hey man, you're from our school, right? You look like a freshman. Let's be friends. Come on, shake hands. I'm with the Student Union, so if you ever need anything—little stuff, you know—I can help out. Makes campus life easier."
He stuck out his hand, hoping Evan would take it. Really, he just wanted to figure out who this new guy was. He wasn't giving up on Emily that easily.
The Student Union bit? Yeah, he dropped that to show off. He took a lot of pride in it.
Emily just sat there, watching Michael acting all friendly with Evan, trying to impress everyone —refusing to leave. Her face went cold. She was done with him.
Emily cooled off in an instant. She stayed silent, just reached under the table and slipped her fingers into Evan's. Simple move. No drama, but you couldn't miss it.
Evan finally looked up. He seemed laid-back, maybe even bored, but something about his eyes made Michael's smile freeze. Evan didn't bother with Michael's offered handshake. Didn't even glance at it. Instead, he tugged Emily's hand a little closer and said, all casual, "We're in the middle of breakfast."
He wasn't loud or rude. Just dismissive—like Michael barely registered.
Michael's hand just dangled there. The guys behind him traded awkward looks. You didn't need to be a genius to see this wasn't what Michael pictured.
Emily leaned toward Evan, her shoulder brushing his arm. She spoke softly, like the rest of the world had melted away. "Can we go sit somewhere quieter after this?"
Evan nodded. "Sure."
That was it. No threats. No chest-puffing. And honestly, that made it sting more.
Michael's jaw tightened. He glared at their hands, eyes dark. Finally, he forced out, "…We'll see," and turned away.
Evan took another bite of his burger, calm as ever. Emily glanced at him, her heart still racing a little. Then it clicked. Michael wasn't the issue anymore.
What really got to people? Evan didn't have to try. That's what scared them.
*****