The cafeteria emptied in waves of chatter and laughter, but Ishitha's gaze lingered for a brief moment. Across the room, seated among a circle of boys, was the Korean guy she had crossed paths with earlier. His posture was effortless yet commanding, his cold expression unreadable as he ate, while all the eyes in the room seemed to be drawn to him.
Something about that calm arrogance rubbed her the wrong way. She could almost sense his pride in the unspoken title of Mr. Popular. A sigh escaped her lips before she even realized it.
How can they all not see through him? she thought, watching the way a group of girls leaned too far just to catch his attention. So stupid, fawning over someone who doesn't even bother to care. Cold face, smug aura. Probably enjoying every second of it too.
She shook her head and pushed away the thought. If she wanted peace this semester, the last thing she needed was to give that smug guy even a shred of attention.
Yet as she left the cafeteria, she caught herself thinking about him again. The memory of their brief encounter in the corridor replayed itself—his sharp gaze, the seconds of eye contact that had felt like a silent standoff. She had looked away first, true, but not in defeat. She hadn't flinched, hadn't melted, hadn't played into his game.
That thought made her lips curl faintly. Let him keep his little kingdom of admirers. He won't get the satisfaction of mine.
---
In another wing of the college, James was already seated in his next class, his bag casually placed on the chair beside him. He kept checking the doorway, tapping his pen nervously against the desk. And then she walked in.
Emma.
James waved her over immediately, his grin boyish and unrestrained. "Hey, over here!"
Emma blinked in surprise before a blush crept up her cheeks. Snapping out of it quickly, she forced her face into a casual smile and walked toward him. "Well," she said, slipping into the saved seat, "at least having a familiar face in this crowd is nice. My friends are scattered in other classes."
James nodded eagerly. "Same here. My group's all in different schedules. But I figured… maybe you'd come. That's why I saved the seat."
Emma's cheeks warmed again, but she busied herself pulling out her notebook, hiding the small flutter in her chest.
---
By the time the class ended, Ishitha walked out quietly, adjusting her bag strap. A familiar voice made her pause—Emma's, cheerful as ever.
"Ishi! See you tomorrow!" Emma waved, walking beside James.
Ishitha lifted a hand in return, offering a small smile before slipping away down the corridor.
James glanced at Emma, brows raised. "Was that your friend?"
Emma nodded quickly. "Yeah. That's Ishitha. We just met today, but she's nice."
Before James could respond, Sofia appeared, walking up with her usual playful energy. She spotted James and Emma together and instantly smirked. "Well, well… what do we have here?"
Emma rolled her eyes, cheeks tinting pink again. "Don't start."
Sofia only chuckled, introducing herself to James, who seemed more than happy to oblige. "And Where's Ishi?" she asked Emma casually.
"She left earlier," Emma explained. "Waved at us before heading off."
The three of them fell into step, walking toward the exit together. Sofia, of course, couldn't resist tossing knowing glances at James and Emma, her teasing grin unshakable.
And as they disappeared down the pathway, Ishitha walked a different road alone, her thoughts drifting unbidden back to the unreadable gaze of the boy in the cafeteria.
---