The walk back to her dorm after class felt different. Lighter. The usual weight of dread had lifted, replaced by a strange, buzzing feeling. Elara replayed the Marketing presentation in her head. Professor Davies's praise, the scattered claps, even the surprised looks on her classmates' faces – it was all so unexpected. And that tiny green leaf... She rubbed the spot on her laptop where it had been, wondering if it had been real or just her imagination.
She pulled out her phone as she walked, her thumb hovering over Kael's chat. Should she tell him? He'd said, "Maybe a little 'luck' will find its way to you today." And it had. Or at least, something had. The thought brought a small, private smile to her face.
Just as she was about to type, her phone buzzed with an incoming call. It was her mom. Elara sighed, the lightness fading a little. Her parents usually called right after her classes to check in, which often meant checking up on her studies.
"Elara? How was your day? Your Marketing presentation, was it?" her mom's voice came through, a mix of concern and expectation.
"It was... fine, Mom. It went okay," Elara mumbled, trying to keep her voice even. She didn't want to make a big deal out of it. If she said it went great, her mom would probably just say, "See? I told you Marketing was a good choice for you."
"Just 'fine'? Elara, this is an important subject for your future. Are you sure you're focusing? Your grades last semester weren't as strong as your father and I hoped," her mom continued, her tone shifting. "You really need to apply yourself. This isn't about hobbies, it's about building a stable life."
Elara's shoulders slumped. There it was. The familiar pressure. "I know, Mom. I am trying," she said, her voice small. She wanted to scream, to explain how much she hated the numbers, the theories, the endless corporate talk. How her mind drifted to sketches of new outfits, to imagining herself confidently owning a runway, to the vibrant world of creativity that felt miles away from her current reality. But she knew it was pointless. They wouldn't understand. They never did.
"Good. We just want what's best for you, dear. Now, have you had lunch? Don't skip meals, you need your energy for studying."
The conversation ended a few minutes later, leaving Elara feeling deflated. The small victory of her presentation was almost completely overshadowed by the usual talk. It was like her parents saw only the empty spaces where her passion for Marketing should be, never the burning desire she held for something else.
Back in her dorm room, Elara kicked off her shoes and dropped her backpack. The small green leaf flashed in her mind. A little 'luck'. Was it really just a coincidence? Or was Kael somehow… orchestrating these tiny moments? It was a wild thought, but with Kael, everything felt a little bit wilder, a little more possible.
She opened Instagram again. Her finger hovered over Kael_Writes. She typed quickly this time, the words pouring out before she could second-guess herself.
Elara_Dreams: You won't believe what happened today.
She hit send, a nervous flutter in her chest. She needed to tell him. He was the only one who truly listened, the only one who seemed to see her, not just as a college student studying a 'practical' subject, or a short girl who couldn't model, but as Elara. The girl with dreams, even if they felt out of reach.