The next few weeks on campus felt strangely different.
After that afternoon in the garden, Samantha and Chloe began spending more time with Ariel. What started as a simple conversation slowly turned into something more natural.
They studied together in the library.
Shared lunch in the cafeteria.
Walked across campus between classes.
Ariel fit into their group easily. She had a warm personality and a calm presence that balanced Chloe's bold attitude perfectly.
Before long, it felt like she had always been part of their circle.
But one thing became very clear to Chloe almost immediately.
Ariel had a serious crush on Nathan.
It started with the small things.
Whenever Nathan entered the cafeteria, Ariel noticed instantly.
Whenever he sat nearby, her voice softened slightly and she became more aware of everything he did.
Sometimes she tried to hide it.
But Chloe noticed everything.
One afternoon in the library, Chloe leaned closer to Samantha and whispered quietly.
"She's got it bad."
Samantha looked up from her notebook.
"Got what?"
Chloe subtly nodded toward Ariel.
Ariel was pretending to read a book, though her eyes occasionally drifted toward the window where Nathan and Alex were talking outside.
"…Oh," Samantha said calmly.
Chloe studied Samantha carefully.
"You're not bothered?"
Samantha shrugged lightly.
"Why would I be?"
Chloe smirked.
"Just checking."
The truth was, Samantha wasn't bothered.
Because the person she kept noticing wasn't Nathan.
It was Alex.
Across the courtyard, Alex was talking animatedly while Nathan leaned against the railing beside him.
Alex was always full of energy. Always laughing. Always turning even the most boring moment into something entertaining.
Samantha couldn't help smiling slightly whenever she watched him.
Chloe noticed that too.
"You like him," Chloe said casually.
Samantha rolled her eyes.
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
Later that afternoon, the girls sat together in the campus garden again.
Nathan and Alex were nearby at the basketball court.
Alex spun the ball on his finger dramatically before tossing it toward Nathan.
"Try to keep up!"
Nathan easily stole the ball and scored.
Alex groaned loudly.
"Cheater."
"You're just slow," Nathan replied calmly.
The girls laughed from the bench.
"They act like children," Chloe said.
"They're actually both geniuses," Ariel said suddenly.
That caught Samantha's attention.
"What do you mean?"
Ariel looked toward Nathan.
"He's here on scholarship for a reason."
Samantha frowned slightly.
"He doesn't look like someone who studies all the time."
"He doesn't," Ariel replied. "But he's incredibly smart."
Chloe leaned forward with interest.
"Smart how?"
"He builds things," Ariel explained.
"Machines. Devices. Small inventions."
Samantha blinked.
"I didn't know that."
"He doesn't talk about it much," Ariel said. "But some professors already know about his work."
Chloe whistled softly.
"So the mysterious fighter is secretly an inventor."
"There's more," Ariel continued gently.
"Nathan didn't grow up with much."
Samantha felt a small knot form in her chest.
"What do you mean?"
"He's an orphan," Ariel said.
For a moment, both Samantha and Chloe went quiet.
"He grew up moving between orphanages and community homes," Ariel continued. "Most of the things he builds come from scrap parts and things people throw away."
Samantha remembered the bruises she had seen that day.
The tired look in his eyes.
"…That explains a lot," she murmured softly.
Chloe crossed her arms.
"So what about Alex?"
Ariel smiled faintly.
"Alex grew up in the complete opposite world."
Samantha leaned forward.
"His father is the CEO of Tech Corp."
Chloe's eyes widened.
"The Tech Corp?"
One of the biggest technology companies in the country.
Ariel nodded.
"Both of Alex's parents are famous scientists."
"So he's basically tech royalty," Chloe said.
"Pretty much."
"But Alex doesn't want that life."
Samantha tilted her head.
"What does he want?"
Ariel smiled.
"Arts."
"Movies. Music. Storytelling."
"He wants to create things that make people feel something."
Samantha glanced back toward the court where Alex was laughing loudly after missing a shot.
"That actually sounds exactly like him."
"He still knows how to build things," Ariel continued. "His parents made sure he learned everything."
"But it's not his dream."
"So basically," Chloe said, "we've got one genius who loves machines and another genius who'd rather be a movie director."
Ariel laughed.
"That's actually accurate."
Samantha watched the two boys again.
Nathan looked focused, calm, calculating every move on the court.
Alex was relaxed, turning the game into a performance.
Two very different personalities.
Yet somehow…
They worked perfectly together.
Over time, Ariel grew even closer to the group.
She and Chloe started studying together more often.
Sometimes they even competed over who could solve problems faster during study sessions.
But something else slowly began to change.
Chloe had started paying more attention to Nathan.
At first it was subtle.
Then Ariel noticed it too.
One afternoon Chloe leaned back in her chair and watched Nathan working on something mechanical at a nearby table.
"…You know," Chloe said casually, "genius inventor isn't a bad look."
Ariel raised an eyebrow.
"Oh really?"
Chloe smirked.
"I'm just saying."
Samantha glanced between them.
And suddenly realized something.
The tension wasn't between her and Ariel.
It was between Chloe and Ariel.
Both of them were beginning to develop real feelings for Nathan.
Meanwhile, Nathan remained completely unaware.
He simply enjoyed Samantha's company like a close friend.
The two of them spent hours talking about random things—ideas, inventions, life.
Their friendship grew stronger every day.
Across the courtyard, Alex suddenly noticed Samantha watching him.
He waved dramatically.
Samantha laughed and waved back.
Chloe rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, you definitely like him."
Samantha didn't bother denying it this time.
High above them, hidden among the branches of a tree…
A small bird watched everything.
Its eyes glowed faintly.
Not natural.
Mechanical.
Far away, inside a dark room filled with glowing monitors, a man observed the footage carefully.
Nathan.
Alex.
Samantha.
Ariel.
Chloe.
The pieces were beginning to connect.
The man leaned back slowly in his chair.
And smiled.
"Very interesting…"