Favour sat at the far end of the class with Daniel, the guy who had confessed to her weeks ago. He was talking animatedly about his upcoming project, and she nodded along, smiling politely. Their conversation flowed easily, but in the back of her mind, Samuel lingered like a shadow.
The door opened, and Samuel walked in. His eyes found her instantly, narrowing ever so slightly when he spotted Daniel beside her. Without hesitation, he crossed the room and slid into the empty seat on her other side.
"Hey," Samuel greeted, his voice calm but his gaze fixed on her face.
"Hi," she replied shortly, her eyes still on her notes.
He glanced at Daniel, then back at her. "You've been spending a lot of time with him."
Favour shrugged, keeping her tone light. "We're classmates. We read together sometimes. Is that a problem?"
Samuel didn't answer right away. He studied her for a moment, then shook his head. "No… forget it."
She turned back to Daniel, effectively ending the exchange.
For the rest of the week, she continued spending time with Daniel. Samuel kept his distance, but the sight of them together gnawed at him more than he cared to admit.
Across campus, Ariel had been giving Divine more and more of her attention. She found herself laughing at his jokes without trying to hide it, noticing the thoughtful little things he did — remembering her favorite snack, holding doors open, walking on the side closer to the road.
One late afternoon, as the golden light softened the day, Divine walked her home. They stopped at the corner near her street, their conversation still warm and playful.
"You know," Divine said with a hint of shyness, "I like how you smile when you're trying not to laugh out loud. It's… cute."
Ariel's cheeks warmed. "You've been watching me too closely," she teased.
"Maybe," he grinned, "but I like what I see."
She bit her lip, lowering her gaze for a second before looking back at him. "I like what I see too."
They stood there for a moment, the air light yet charged with something unspoken.
But as they began walking again, Ariel froze. A few meters ahead, she saw a familiar figure — David. And clinging tightly to his arm was Joy, smiling up at him like she belonged there.
Her chest tightened.
Divine followed her gaze, his jaw tightening. "Ariel…" he began, but the words faded as the weight of the moment settled over them.
She kept walking, her steps steady but her thoughts in turmoil. David, with Joy wrapped around his arm, smiling as if nothing was wrong — the image burned into her mind.
Divine caught up to her. "Hey… are you okay?"
She met his eyes, her face composed but her voice quiet. "It's nothing. I'm fine."
"You don't look fine," he said gently.
A faint, almost tired smile touched her lips. "Really… it's alright."
But it wasn't. It wasn't losing David that hurt — she didn't even want him anymore. What stung was the betrayal, the mockery of her trust. And somewhere along the way, her heart had shifted toward Divine.
That night, lying in bed, she made up her mind. She wasn't going to hold back anymore. She would tell Divine how she felt.
Meanwhile, Favour was scrolling through her phone when a message lit up her screen:
Samuel: I'm sick.
Her fingers paused before typing back: I'll come visit tomorrow morning.
She set the phone down, but the heaviness in her chest stayed. She told herself it was just concern for a friend… yet deep down, she knew it was more than that.