A girl in black shorts and a white top walked briskly across the campus road opposite the Nova Dome, a nude-colored coat hanging loosely over her shoulders. The wind tugged at her loose, wavy hair, strands slipping over her eyes as she moved back and forth between two buildings, phone clutched tightly in her hand. She paused, frowned at the screen, then resumed pacing, muttering under her breath as if arguing with the map itself.
Her brown shoulder bag slid down slightly as she adjusted its strap, her shoes tapping sharply against the otherwise calm, quiet stretch of campus road.
From the Nova Dome, Marcus noticed her first.
He had been leaning back against the stone seating, laughing at something Kevin had said moments earlier, when his expression shifted. His laughter faded, his eyes following the girl's restless movements.
Caroline caught the change almost instantly. She followed Marcus's line of sight, her gaze narrowing slightly as she observed the girl pacing between the nearby buildings opposite the Nova Dome, checking her phone repeatedly as if searching for something she couldn't find.
Daisy noticed too.
Kevin, who had his eyes half-closed moments earlier, opened them fully at the sudden drop in conversation. He traced their attention and squinted.
"Isn't she a fresher like us?" he asked, genuinely puzzled. "What's she doing here?"
All three turned to look at him, their expressions silently questioning whether he recognized her.
"What?" Kevin defended himself quickly. "She was with us in class. Sitting a few benches ahead during the second half."
Daisy raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were very focused during lectures," she teased lightly. "Looks like your focus wandered."
Kevin groaned. "I was focused."
Marcus didn't wait for the banter to continue. He stood up, brushing dust off his jeans, and walked toward the girl before anyone could stop him.
"Hey," he called out calmly. "Are you looking for something?"
The girl halted mid-step. She looked up, startled for a moment, then studied Marcus—and the group behind him—carefully.
"I know you," she said after a second. "You're from Mechanical. You were in the Computer Science classes today."
Marcus nodded once, unsurprised.
"I'm Sophia," she added, extending her hand with a polite smile.
Marcus hesitated for just a fraction of a second before shaking it. "Marcus," he replied simply. "You need help with something?"
Behind him, Caroline, Daisy, and Kevin watched intently. Marcus could feel their stares pressing into his back even without turning.
"I'm trying to find the Arts building for my economics class," Sophia explained, lifting her phone to show the campus map. "It says it's here, but… I can't tell which one."
Marcus leaned closer to glance at the screen, scanning it briefly.
Behind him, Daisy bent toward Caroline, lowering her voice.
"Didn't expect Marcus to approach another girl so casually."
Kevin smirked, eyes still on Marcus.
"Me neither. But… he is a guy."
Sophia shifted her grip on the phone, waiting as Marcus studied the nearby buildings.
Daisy glanced sideways at Caroline.
"You two really aren't together, right?"
Caroline didn't answer right away. Her gaze stayed fixed ahead, unfocused—Daisy's question overlapping with thoughts she hadn't realized she was already having.
Marcus straightened, then pointed to the one beside the Nova Dome.
"That one. I don't know about economics, but that's definitely the Arts block."
Sophia's face brightened. "Thank you. I'm running late." She gave a quick wave and hurried off toward the building, disappearing through the entrance moments later.
"No problem," Marcus replied, already turning back.
"Caroline," Daisy nudged her arm. "You okay?"
"Huh?" Caroline blinked. "Sorry—what were you saying?"
Marcus sat down beside her. "Everything fine?"
Daisy sensed the shift and chose not to press further. "Nothing. Just talking about how friendly you are."
"She was lost," Marcus said plainly. "Looking for the Arts building."
Kevin nodded exaggeratedly. "Alright. If you say so."
"Bro—" Marcus started, but Caroline interrupted gently.
"Let's refocus," she said in a calm, lowered voice. "Today's first task is understanding club requirements and joining them. We'll need to split into two groups."
Everyone leaned in instinctively.
"After five, we go back to the council room and meet Chester," Caroline continued. "Kevin and Marko—if there aren't restrictions—you join immediately. We need to know what they're hiding, how many people are involved, and how much they know."
She paused, looking directly at Kevin now, deliberately avoiding Marcus's gaze.
"Do you think you can manage that without getting on their bad side?"
Kevin and Marcus exchanged a glance, then nodded together.
"We'll try."
"If it feels risky," Caroline added, "skip it. We'll find another way."
She exhaled softly before continuing. "Next—we need information and allies. This won't happen in a day. That's why joining clubs matters. Daisy and I will stay together. Kevin and Marcus, you stick together."
She paused again, this time longer, letting the weight of her words settle.
"And for tonight," she added quietly, glancing at Daisy, "We're going to have company tonight."
Daisy, Kevin, and Marcus all stared at her, waiting.
Caroline didn't elaborate.
She stood, stepping away from the stone steps, folding her hands behind her back and tilting her head slightly, her tone suddenly brighter.
"Do you trust me?"
All three nodded without hesitation.
"Then don't ask more questions," she said gently. "Just remember—be careful who you make friends with. And never talk about our plans to anyone."
Kevin frowned. "You're really not going to explain what 'company tonight' means?"
"It means we'll have company," Caroline replied lightly. "Don't worry. I'll try to make it fun."
That only confused them more.
"What clubs are we joining, then?" Daisy asked, changing topics.
"That's up to you," Caroline replied. "I didn't insist on clubs just for allies. I want us to enjoy college too. If you like football—join it. If you want ballet and badminton—join both. Just don't strain yourself."
"What about you?" Daisy asked. You play guitar and piano. Marcus mentioned singing, too. Are you both planning to join the same club—music, maybe?
"Nope," Caroline said with a small smile. "Media club. And maybe student council."
"That suits you," Daisy said immediately. "You'd be great at interviews."
"Now that I think about it," Caroline added, tilting her head slightly, "how about trying new things too? KITS has over a hundred clubs. We don't have to lock ourselves into one—we can explore different clubs each year."
"That actually sounds like a nice idea," Daisy said slowly, already thinking it over. "But… I'll need some time to decide."
"I'm sticking to football," Kevin said without hesitation, a grin spreading across his face. "Nothing beats the satisfaction of scoring a goal."
Marcus stayed quiet, watching Caroline closely.
"It's almost five," Caroline said, glancing around as the area began filling with students. "We should move."
Caroline finished speaking. The other three looked around, nodded in agreement, and reached for their bags.
A guy passing by slowed for a moment, noticing Caroline standing and speaking as if she were giving counsel, while the others listened and nodded like obedient children. He lingered just long enough to take it in, then walked on.