The morning sun poured over the university courtyard like golden honey, spilling warmth across the buzzing crowd of students. Laughter mingled with the sound of hurried footsteps, and Raye adjusted the strap of her bag as she and Jane made their way up the long stretch of stairs toward the main building.
Jane was in the middle of a rant — as usual.
"I swear, if Professor Donnelly assigns one more surprise quiz, I'm dropping out and becoming a street poet," she muttered, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder.
Raye laughed softly. "Oh, sure. Because you can totally rhyme under pressure."
Jane placed a dramatic hand over her chest. "Excuse me? I'm brilliant under pressure. I once rhymed 'disaster' with 'semester' during a breakdown."
"Mm-hmm," Raye teased, "and how'd that go?"
"I cried right after," Jane deadpanned.
Raye burst into laughter, shaking her head as they passed through the courtyard filled with students chatting about weekend parties and overdue assignments. It felt like a normal day — almost peaceful — until a familiar voice cut through the chatter.
"Hey!"
Raye and Jane turned in unison. Danielle was jogging toward them, waving, her ponytail bouncing with every step.
Jane's smile faltered slightly. "Oh… look who's back."
Raye elbowed her lightly. "Be nice."
"I am nice," Jane muttered under her breath. "Just… cautiously optimistic."
Danielle caught up, a little breathless but grinning brightly. "I thought I saw you two from across the gate! I was hoping I'd bump into you before class."
Raye forced her surprise into a smile. "Oh, hey. Yeah, it's been… a while."
"Too long," Danielle said quickly, brushing invisible lint from her pastel pink blouse. "I missed you guys. It's been weird not hanging out."
Jane nodded slowly, her lips curving into something between polite and skeptical. "Yeah, weird's one word for it."
Raye gave her a sharp side glance, then turned back to Danielle. "Well, we're glad you're back."
The tension eased — a little. They started walking toward their building together, the sound of their shoes tapping against the marble floor echoing faintly. Danielle talked about how things were going in her department, the new professor she didn't like, and how she was finally catching up on her missed assignments.
Raye smiled along, though her thoughts flickered to the memory of Danielle's sudden apology days earlier. She wanted to believe it was real. She really did.
Jane, however, stayed quiet most of the walk — her eyes darting toward Danielle every now and then, like she was waiting for something to go wrong.
By the time they reached their classroom, the hallway was alive with chatter. A few students waved at Raye; others were too busy gossiping near the lockers.
Danielle held the door open for them. "After you," she said sweetly.
"Wow, she's polite now," Jane muttered.
"Jane," Raye hissed.
"What? I'm just observing personal growth."
Inside, the classroom buzzed with energy. A few guys at the back were laughing too loud, and someone had connected a Bluetooth speaker that was playing something vaguely romantic. Raye and Jane took their usual seats near the middle, Danielle sitting just one desk behind.
They'd barely settled before the door opened again — and Joshua strolled in.
He looked like he'd stepped out of a magazine ad. Dark hair slightly tousled, black hoodie, confident smirk — the kind of guy who knew exactly what his effect was. The moment he entered, a few girls near the window giggled.
"Oh, great," Jane muttered under her breath. " University Casanova has arrived."
Raye bit back a laugh. "Don't start."
But before she could say anything else, Joshua's eyes found Danielle. And then — with no hesitation — he walked straight toward her.
"Hey, you," he said, grinning.
"Josh!" Danielle exclaimed, standing up quickly.
The class went silent for a beat as Joshua wrapped his arms around her in a hug — not a polite one either, but the full, close and drop a lingering kiss on her lips, "everyone-look-at-us" kind of hug. Then, before Raye could blink and regain from the whole kiss , he leaned down and pressed another quick kiss to Danielle's cheek.
The room erupted.
A mix of cheers, laughter, and dramatic "oooohs" filled the air. Someone at the back even started clapping like this was a soap opera.
Jane stared blankly. "Did we just walk into a telenovela?"
Raye blinked, jaw tight, unsure whether to laugh or roll her eyes. "I think so."
Joshua looked amused by the reaction, giving a little bow to his imaginary audience before flashing Danielle that same mischievous grin. "See you later," he said smoothly, heading back out of the class as fast as he'd appeared.
Danielle sat down, cheeks slightly flushed, though the proud little smile on her lips didn't go unnoticed.
Raye exchanged a look with Jane. They both rolled their eyes — perfectly in sync.
"Unbelievable," Jane whispered. "He's like a walking headline."
"'Flirt of the Year Award,'" Raye murmured back, biting down a smile.
Their teacher entered moments later, cutting through the noise with her usual sharp tone. "Settle down, everyone. I'd like to actually teach today."
The class quieted, though whispers still fluttered around Danielle's corner. A few students threw curious glances her way, and Raye caught the flicker of pride in her expression.
Halfway through the lecture, Danielle raised her hand suddenly. "Um, ma'am? I have a class in the next building. Can I leave early?"
The teacher nodded distractedly, scribbling something on the board. "Go ahead."
Danielle smiled, gathering her books. She waved at Raye and Jane as she left. "Catch up later?"
"Sure," Raye said, though her tone carried hesitation.
Once she was gone, the silence between the two friends stretched. Jane leaned forward, lowering her voice. "So… do we tell her?"
Raye frowned. "Tell her what?"
"That Joshua's a flirt. A massive one. You saw how he acted, right? He probably has a list of girls' names saved under different emojis."
Raye hesitated. "Yeah, but if we say anything, it might sound like we're jealous or trying to control her. Danielle's already sensitive about that."
Jane sighed, tapping her pen against the desk. "True. If we warn her, she'll think we don't want her to be happy. If we don't… we might watch her crash and burn again."
Raye's lips pressed into a thin line. "Then we just… don't interfere. Maybe she will change and realize things for herself . Maybe he's not as bad as people say."
Jane gave her a look. "Bestie, the day Joshua stops flirting will be the day I stop talking."
Raye couldn't help but laugh softly. "Then it's never happening."
"Exactly," Jane said smugly, leaning back. "But fine. We'll play it cool. For now."
As the teacher continued her lecture, Raye tried to focus — but her mind kept drifting to the image of Joshua's smirk, Danielle's proud grin, and that wave of uneasy guilt swirling in her chest.
Something about it didn't sit right.
She tried to shake it off, scribbling notes half-heartedly, but Jane's quiet mutter brought her back:
"i still feel like we should tell her ...just saying maybe she has changed and the least we could do for her as her friends is to support her and offer useful advice "
Raye sighed. "Yeah," she whispered. "I know."