Ryan shrugged at Evan's shock. "So what? Arden's not exactly the plague. What's weird about sitting next to him?"
"Bro, you're missing the details." Evan pushed up his glasses, a gleam of analytical intensity in his eyes. "Imogen actively invited him over. And after that asshole sat down, she whispered in his ear. That asshole!"
That was... incredibly detailed observation. Ryan was genuinely impressed—and a little creeped out.
"Keep it down, man. Don't go psycho in here." Tyler Shaw looked uncomfortable. "If you're not embarrassed, we are."
Tyler was lowkey enjoying Evan's misery, but he couldn't really celebrate.
Sure, seeing Evan this wrecked was satisfying, but Arden and Imogen did seem way too close for comfort.
Tyler couldn't help wondering: when the hell did those two even meet?
From what he remembered, Arden and Imogen had never exchanged a single word.
So where did this intimate ear-whispering develop? Some secret corner of campus he didn't know about?
The thing was, besides classes, Arden basically just rotted in the dorm on his phone and gaming. He wasn't exactly the social butterfly type hitting up parties.
And supposedly Imogen was the same—her life was a straight line from dorm to classroom to research lab.
So how did this cozy dynamic even happen?
Honestly? Tyler was jealous. A girl as gorgeous and accomplished as Imogen was literally the dream for local guys like him—the demolition-family kids with money to burn.
Problem was, Imogen was too exceptional. Tyler didn't even dare fantasize about her.
He'd never heard of her being close to any guy either.
Yet somehow Arden had speedrun his way to the front of the line?
This was hard to accept. Tyler had to admit Arden was good-looking, but handsome guys weren't exactly rare among Imogen's admirers.
Plus, his financial situation was pathetic. Dude was practically a charity case.
Meanwhile, Tyler got tens of thousands in monthly allowance, drove a Passat as a freshman, and his family owned four properties in the area...
Where exactly did I lose?
Tyler loved showing off, sure, but he wasn't stupid. You don't get into Pennbrook without brains.
After thinking it through, his eyes suddenly lit up, like he'd grasped something cosmic.
"Ryan, did Arden and Imogen meet through gaming?"
"Huh?" Ryan, deep in his mobile game, looked baffled. "You're asking me?"
"Yeah, don't you usually game with Arden?"
"Not always. He does a lot of ranked solo. I mostly play weeb games." Ryan grinned sheepishly, making his meaning crystal clear.
Don't ask me, don't ask me, I know nothing, meow.
"Huh. That's weird."
Middle of the classroom.
Imogen was completely oblivious to the whispers around her—or more accurately, she just didn't care.
Her mind was entirely consumed by one question.
Honestly, Imogen was certain she liked Arden. But did Arden like her back?
If she actively pursued him and then asked him for money, he'd probably think she was a gold-digger. Ugh...
When it came to romance, Imogen had literally zero experience. She'd never even considered falling for someone.
She'd been the responsible kid since childhood—studying, tinkering with computers, grinding ranked solo queue, watching absurd videos on YouTube, diving into Reddit rabbit holes.
Maybe her hobbies were too niche for a girl, because she'd never had close female friends.
Guys always approached her with obvious ulterior motives, and Imogen shut them down hard every time, gradually building her ice queen reputation.
Not until that day at the coffee shop—when she and Arden talked for hours—did she discover there was actually someone in this world whose soul matched hers.
That was love at first sight.
But from a practical standpoint, was she really suitable for dating Arden?
Her dad had divorced and bailed, her mom was seriously ill in the hospital—her family was basically shattered.
"Imi you free this afternoon? I'll send you another boosting order."
Arden's voice cut through her spiral.
She startled, then her expression shifted. "What did you just call me?"
"Uh, I thought 'Imi' sounded nice... If you don't want me to—"
"It's fine. You can call me whatever you want."
"Really?"
"Really. I mean, after all, we're... we're not exactly strangers or anything..."
"Exactly. I think we're like, soulmate-level compatible."
"..."
Imogen found that definition way too ambiguous, but she couldn't summon the energy to argue.
She just... quietly accepted it.
"What kind of boosting?"
"Come with me to buy a computer. Remember we talked about it before? You said you'd explored all the computer shops near campus and knew how to avoid getting ripped off—even get better prices than online."
"Mm, so?"
"Help me build a gaming rig. Budget-wise... just needs to be better value than a Republic of Gamers prebuilt."
"..."
Imogen suddenly remembered—she'd first talked to Arden because she couldn't help warning him when she saw him about to buy an overpriced computer.
In other words, this was her conversation opener with Arden.
Mind-blowing.
If you didn't count the online boosting sessions, their acquaintance literally began with Imogen initiating contact!
For someone with social anxiety, that was completely out of character.
Maybe this really was fate.
"Okay, no problem." Imogen readily agreed.
"Payment's the same as boosting—two hundred an hour."
"Mm..."
Since this was private business that shouldn't be public knowledge—a little secret between just Arden and Imogen—she felt guilty and leaned very close when she spoke.
They were practically whispering intimately.
"Ahem!"
The professor couldn't take it anymore. "Young couple by the window on the right—mind your behavior. No whispering in class."
Every student's mischievous, gossip-hungry gaze swiveled toward them.
Imogen's mind went completely blank with embarrassment. She ducked her head, fidgeting with her fingers, saying nothing.
From her neck to her ears, she flushed a vibrant crimson—absolutely stunning.
Arden just grinned and called out, "Got it, professor! My bad~"
Zero shame whatsoever.
To put it nicely, he had a sunny personality. To put it bluntly, he was a complete shameless bastard.
Maybe that shamelessness was exactly what won Imogen over?
Many students had similar thoughts.
If they were called a couple, honestly? It wouldn't be out of place at all. They looked perfect together.
Plus, even after being called out, Imogen didn't put distance between herself and Arden. Once the attention died down, the two went right back to their quiet conversation.
At the back of the classroom, Evan suddenly clutched his chest and staggered out.
"Yo, you good?" Ryan asked.
"Need... air... bro... chest hurts... can't breathe..."
"..."