Interior Design Class - 1
The classroom was lively that afternoon, not because of the lecturer or the material, but because of Larin, the campus belle, who seemed especially radiant that day. Sitting in the middle of her circle of friends, she looked radiant, a smile never leaving her face since morning.
Excitedly, she opened her phone gallery, revealing a photo clearly showing Delson standing side by side with his father and mother in the living room of their home. In the background were Weather and Tanus, Delson's parents, who had also been present at the meeting.
"Look at this," Larin said, almost in a triumphant whisper. "When his family came to my house last week."
"Oh my God, Rin, is Mr. Delson your future husband?" Linea asked with wide eyes and a tone of disbelief.
Larin nodded slowly, but his wide smile seemed unconcealable. His face radiated satisfaction. Victory.
"You're so lucky... to be marrying Mr. Delson," complimented one of her friends sitting next to her. "He's the most handsome, young, and charismatic lecturer on campus!"
"Well... now we can't tease Mr. Delson anymore, it turns out he's going to marry our campus's belle," added another friend while laughing flirtatiously.
Larin blushed, placing a hand to her cheek as if embarrassed, but her eyes clearly showed a deep sense of satisfaction. She knew this day was hers. The stage was hers.
"Rin, your life is very lucky. Besides being beautiful and successful, you can even get a perfect husband like Mr. Delson," said another in an admiring tone.
But the next sentence made the atmosphere suddenly change:
"Don't you have any shortcomings?"
Linea interjected before Larin could answer.
"Yes. Having an older sister like Zeya," he said with a giggle.
Laughter erupted all around them. Larin's female friends giggled, some even repeating the phrase teasingly.
Larin laughed along... faintly. Not like the others. There was a hidden smile of satisfaction, but she maintained her sweet girl image.
"Don't be like that..." he said with a shrug. "Even though he's... always jealous of what I have, he's still my brother."
Her tone was sweet, but her words contained subtle thorns that slipped in sharply.
"You're too kind and protective of him, Rin," commented Linea, which was immediately nodded by the others.
Larin just smiled. Deep down, he knew this day was his. All the spotlight, all the praise, and all the jealousy... were proof that Zeya was already far behind.
---
Interior Design Class - 2
The classroom atmosphere was initially calm. Zeya sat in her seat, busy checking her phone while occasionally engaging in small talk with Tea and Lianne, who were sitting around her. However, that calm was shattered when Lanthe burst into the room, hurrying and breathing heavily.
"This is bad! This is really bad!" he exclaimed, patting his chest.
The three of them immediately turned their heads, confused and surprised.
"Who's chasing you until you're out of breath like you've just run a marathon?" Tea asked with a raised eyebrow as she held out her water bottle.
Lanthe immediately grabbed the bottle, took a quick swig, and sat down. Once his breathing had stabilized, he stared at them with a secretive expression.
"I just passed by the Interior Design class... and do you know what the biggest rumor this morning is?" he said mysteriously.
They all—Zeya, Tea, and Lianne—immediately leaned in, captivated by Lanthe's dramatic expression. Lanthe also bent down, bringing her face closer to the center of their circle, and whispered softly but firmly:
"Mr. Delson... turns out to be Larin's fiancé."
"WHAT?!" Tea and Lianne screamed in unison, causing several other students in the class to turn their heads.
Only Zeya remained calm, though her hand gripping her phone tightened slightly. She took a deep breath, as if the news was nothing new to her.
Lanthe looked at Zeya questioningly, suspicious of her overly calm reaction.
"Is that true? Your brother isn't bragging or trying to get ahead of himself, is he?" Lanthe asked in disbelief, as if still hoping he was wrong.
Zeya nodded slowly without looking back. "Yes. That's true." The answer is short.
Lanthe immediately leaned back in his chair, massaging his forehead in disbelief. "How could she be Mr. Delson's future wife...?"
Tea and Lianne stared at Lanthe, then reflexively turned towards Zeya.
Lanthe turned her gaze to Zeya again, this time in a more serious tone, almost like a defense for her friend.
"Compared to Larin... isn't our friend more perfect and charming?"
Lianne and Tea nodded in unison, wholeheartedly agreeing.
Zeya only smiled faintly. The smile that hung on her lips wasn't one of pride, but of bitterness. In her heart, Lanthe's words felt like a double-edged sword.
"If only you knew the truth..." Zeya thought.
If they had known who Delson had truly chosen that night, they might not have just screamed. They might have cried, screamed, or even been rendered speechless.
Lanthe was still muttering to herself, not stopping. "It doesn't make sense. Larin must have set her up, right? There's no way Mr. Delson would choose her..."
Zeya just curved a small smile, not answering.
Because behind that calm smile... lies a secret that is even more shocking than just the engagement rumors.
-------
Meanwhile, in the lecturer's office, Delson was busy carefully and meticulously reading a student's essay. Finally, there was a knock on his door. "Come in!" he called, opening the door.
It turned out to be Mrs. Went, she walked over to him making Delson take off his glasses, "Yes ma'am. Is something wrong?" asked Delson because seeing Went's presence in his room, something must have happened.
But Went sat across from Delson and took a deep breath before finally saying, "Have you heard the rumors circulating on campus?" Delson frowned.
"Rumor?" Mrs. Went nodded, making Delson shake his head in confusion, wondering what rumor Mrs. Went was referring to.
Mrs. Went sighed and said, "The rumor that you're engaged to one of the Interior Design students, have you confirmed it? The Head of Study Program said that it's best to confirm it quickly so it doesn't spread widely if it's just a rumor. If it's true, it's fine as long as it doesn't tarnish the campus's image." Delson was confused, who was Mrs. Went referring to? Larin or Zeya?
"The student you're referring to is Larin?" Delson guessed the mastermind behind this crazy rumor.
Mrs. Went nodded steadily, making Delson immediately throw his face away with a grunt of annoyance.
Mrs. Went immediately got up from her chair, "I know you are the youngest here and have the charm because of your charm as the youngest here. Please don't take it personally when the female student crosses the line. You just need to confirm the truth and not give the female students a stage so that the campus image is not bad." told Mrs. Went so that Delson could take action.
Delson nodded in understanding of Mrs. Went's instructions.
"Larin, you've gone too far," Delson muttered softly, trying to hold back his anger at the moment.
But what he thought about was Zeya's feelings, this rumor was circulating, it would definitely make Zeya withdraw even more from him.