DARK CHEMISTRY
Time Skip — One Year Later
Lizzie stood at the school gate for the last time.
Graduation day.
Her uniform was gone — replaced by simple jeans, a soft sweater, and a quiet confidence she never had before.
Moana hugged her so tightly she squeaked.
"COLLEGEEEEE, LIZZIE!!" Moana yelled.
Lizzie giggled softly. "Yeah… college."
"Are you excited?" Moana asked.
Lizzie hesitated.
Then she nodded, shy but sure.
"Yes… because of where I'm going."
Moana smirked. "Poland, right?"
Lizzie's cheeks turned pink.
---
At Home — Evening
Her parents sat across from her at the dining table.
Dad cleared his throat.
"Lizzie… are you sure about this college?"
Lizzie nodded immediately.
"It's a good university. And… I want to go."
Mom looked at her daughter's face carefully.
"You've been different this year," she said softly.
"Happier. More focused."
Lizzie didn't speak — just lowered her gaze.
Her father sighed.
"You improved in chemistry… and you've grown up a lot."
He exchanged a look with her mother.
Then her mom smiled gently.
"We'll support you."
Lizzie's heart stopped.
"R-Really…?"
Dad chuckled.
"If Poland is where you want to study, we'll help you get there."
Lizzie covered her mouth — tears filling her eyes instantly.
"Thank you… thank you so much…"
She hugged them both tightly.
Her parents smiled, clueless that the real reason for her dream was a man thousands of miles away.
---
Weeks Later — Airport
Her luggage stood beside her.
Her passport in hand.
The loudspeaker announced the flight to Warsaw, Poland.
This was it.
Her chest tightened — with fear, with excitement, with something deep and warm.
She boarded the plane, heart thudding.
She texted him:
"Daniel… I'm coming."
The message turned into Seen instantly.
Then—
Three dots appeared.
Her heart jumped.
He replied:
"Hurry."
---
Poland — Arrival
Lizzie walked through the airport, suitcase rolling behind her, the cold Polish air brushing against her cheeks.
She stepped outside—
And froze.
A man in a long black coat stood waiting near the railing.
Tall.
Sharp jawline.
Black hair messy from the wind.
Piercing eyes she could recognize from anywhere.
Daniel.
He wasn't smiling.
He wasn't moving.
He was just staring at her like he'd been starving for a year.
Lizzie's breath hitched.
Her suitcase slipped from her hand.
She took one tiny step.
He took three long strides.
And then—
He grabbed her.
Pulled her into his chest, breathing her in like he couldn't believe she was real.
Lizzie melted into him, gripping his coat tightly.
"D-Daniel…"
His voice broke against her ear.
"You really came."
Lizzie nodded against his chest.
"I told you… I need you."
Daniel closed his eyes, holding her tighter, trembling slightly.
"Good," he whispered, forehead pressing against her temple.
"Because I never stopped needing you."
Lizzie was already overwhelmed the moment she stepped through the massive college gates.
The buildings were huge. Modern. Echoing.
Students rushed everywhere with confidence like they had lived there forever.
Lizzie clutched her schedule paper.
Chemistry – 10:30 AM
Room C-214 (Advanced Lab)
She checked the clock on her phone.
10:28 AM.
Her entire soul left her body.
"Oh no— no no no—"
She started running.
Down one hallway.
Up another staircase.
Past a group of seniors who just stared as she dashed by like a lost puppy.
She turned left—
Wrong building.
Turned right—
Storage closet.
Turned again—
Cafeteria.
"Why is this college so big?" she cried softly as she jogged, her bag hitting her hip painfully.
She checked her phone.
10:45.
Her heart dropped.
She had been running for almost twenty minutes.
Another hallway. Another wrong turn.
Her breath was quick now, hair messy, face red.
Finally— FINALLY— she saw a sign:
C Block — Laboratories →
Lizzie sped toward it like her life depended on it.
"C-214… C-214…" she whispered, scanning each door.
C-208
C-210
C-212
C-21—
"There!!"
She grabbed the door handle and slipped inside quietly—
But her foot hit something.
Her shoe slid.
"W-WAH—!"
Lizzie slipped forward—
CRASH!!
A beaker shattered onto the floor, the sound echoing painfully across the silent lab.
Every student turned.
And at the front desk, writing something in beautiful neat handwriting, the professor slowly lifted his head.
Lizzie froze.
Her stomach dropped.
Because the professor wasn't a random chemistry teacher.
It was—
Daniel.
He stood there in his white lab coat, sleeves rolled up, hair pushed back, eyes sharp—
Eyes locked directly onto her.
The entire class went silent.
Lizzie stood like a statue, mortified, broken beaker at her feet.
She whispered weakly,
"...Hi."
Daniel stared.
No reaction.
Just those dark, unreadable eyes.
She felt tears prick her eyes.
She ruined her first day.
She embarrassed herself.
He would be disappointed—
But then—
Daniel slowly set down his pen.
Walked toward her.
Stopped just inches away.
He leaned down, picked up a piece of glass, and murmured so only she could hear:
"…Still clumsy."
Her breath hitched.
He looked up at her—really looked at her—and something soft, dangerously soft, filled his eyes.
Then he straightened and spoke to the class in his cold, professional voice:
"This student is late."
Lizzie wanted to die.
But then his tone shifted, still cold but with a hidden warmth only she could detect:
"…She's mine to handle.
Continue your experiment."
Students nodded, whispering.
Daniel turned back to her and leaned close again.
Very close.
"Follow me," he murmured.
Lizzie nodded, heart pounding.
She followed him to his desk, cheeks burning as whispers spread through the room.
Daniel didn't look at her at first.
He grabbed a new beaker, placed it gently into her shaky hands, then finally met her eyes.
Soft.
Dangerous.
Familiar.
"You found the class," he said quietly.
"Y-Yes…"
"And you're not hurt?"
Lizzie shook her head.
Daniel exhaled slowly—relief hidden behind strictness.
"Good."
Then he leaned closer, voice lowering into something that made her knees weak.
"Next time… come earlier."
Lizzie swallowed hard.
"O-Okay."
Daniel's lips twitched—almost a smile.
"Sit in the front row where I can see you."
Her heart exploded.
She nodded quickly and walked to the front desk, hands trembling, face hotter than fire.
She didn't see it—
But the moment she sat down,
Daniel looked at her with an expression he didn't show anyone in that room.
Soft. Possessive.
And full of the warmth he'd waited a year to feel again.
His girl was finally here.
Lizzie clutched her schedule, breathless from the chaos of the chemistry lab incident. Her cheeks were still burning from her embarrassing entrance — and from seeing Daniel there, in that coat, behind that desk, looking at her like she was the only person in the room.
Next class: History. Room 204.
The hallway map made absolutely no sense. Everything looked the same — white walls, brown doors, students rushing past with coffee cups and confidence she didn't have.
Lizzie whispered to herself,
"Okay… Room 204… 204…"
She turned left. Wrong.
Turned right. Ended up near the cafeteria.
Walked up a staircase. Ended up in the art wing.
Somehow she even passed the gym.
Finally, she spotted a quiet corner with a sign reading Humanities Department. Relief washed over her.
She tiptoed to Room 204… only to find it packed.
Every seat taken. The professor already speaking.
Lizzie gulped and slowly pushed the door open.
Every head turned.
Professor Hartman paused mid-sentence, adjusting her glasses.
"Oh. Miss…?"
"L-Lizzie Kim," she whispered.
"You're late."
"I—I know… I got lost… I'm new…"
The professor sighed and pointed to the only empty seat — right at the front.
Lizzie hurried to it, her legs wobbling, her bag slipping off her shoulder twice. She sat down, pulled out her notebook—
And the door opened again.
Someone walked in.
Long strides. Black coat.
A man who shouldn't be here. Not in this class.
Lizzie froze.
Daniel.
He held a stack of books. His voice calm, low, dangerous.
"Apologies, Professor Hartman. I was asked to distribute these to the first-years."
He placed the books on the desk, but his eyes…
Not on the professor.
Not on the students.
Only on her.
Lizzie felt the world tilt.
Professor Hartman nodded.
"Thank you, Mr. Cegielski. You may go."
He turned to leave.
But not before he passed by her seat, so close she could feel the warmth of him.
His hand brushed her table—
Just enough for a folded note to slip out.
So discreet no one noticed.
Then he left.
Lizzie swallowed, her heart thrashing.
She slowly opened the paper under her notebook.
A single sentence in his handwriting:
"History class, hmm? I'll be waiting after this period. Don't run around searching this time."
Lizzie's heart hammered so loudly she was sure the entire class could hear it. She slipped the note under her sleeve and tried—tried—to listen as Professor Hartman lectured about ancient civilizations.
But her mind?
Gone. Whirling.
Spinning around one name.
Daniel.
After thirty painfully slow minutes, the bell finally rang.
"Read pages 10 to 25 before next class," the professor announced.
Students rushed out. Lizzie packed carefully, nervous fingers fumbling with her pens. She didn't want to look too eager. Or too slow. Or too anything.
Once the room emptied, she stepped into the hallway.
It was quiet.
Then—
A hand slid around her wrist.
She gasped as Daniel gently pulled her into an empty staff corridor. The door clicked shut behind them.
Her back touched the wall.
His hand braced beside her head.
His coat brushed against her, smelling like cedar and something dark and familiar.
His eyes…
Siren eyes.
Pulling her in. Always.
"Lost again?" he asked softly.
Lizzie shook her head, breath uneven. "N-No."
He smirked, leaning closer.
"Good. Because I told you not to run around today, didn't I?"
Lizzie swallowed. "I—I wasn't running… only walking fast."
He chuckled under his breath, the sound deep and warm.
"And you slipped into the wrong class earlier. Made the entire chemistry lab think you were a natural disaster."
Her cheeks burned. "I t-tripped…"
He tilted her chin up with one finger.
"Still adorable."
Lizzie's breath caught.
Daniel's expression softened—
Then shifted.
Something weighed behind his eyes.
"I couldn't focus on teaching after seeing you," he murmured.
"I thought leaving you behind two years ago was the hardest thing I'd ever do. But watching you walk into that lab today…"
He shook his head.
"It was worse."
Lizzie's fingers trembled by her sides.
"I—I didn't know you'd be here… I thought—"
"That I'd forgotten you?"
His voice dropped lower.
"Impossible."
He stepped closer. Her knees almost gave out.
Lizzie whispered, "Then… why didn't you tell me earlier?"
He exhaled.
"I wanted your first day to feel normal."
A pause.
"But the moment I saw you, I lost every plan I had."
Her heartbeat fluttered painfully.
"Daniel… I—"
Before she could finish, the college bell rang again—loud, shrill, and startling.
He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes.
"Go to your next class," he whispered.
"But after your schedule ends…"
His fingers brushed hers.
"I'll be waiting at the old library garden. The place behind the fountain."
Lizzie nodded, breathless.
Daniel pushed open the door, letting her go first.
But as she stepped out, he leaned close and whispered against her ear—
"Don't be late, little one."
Lizzie walked out of the corridor on shaky legs, clutching her schedule like it was the only thing keeping her upright.
Her heart was still racing from his whisper.
Don't be late, little one.
She pressed a hand to her chest.
How was she supposed to survive an entire day of classes like this?
She stumbled into her next lecture hall—Sociology—and took a random seat near the back. Students chatted, notebooks rustled, chairs squeaked… all normal.
But Lizzie's world wasn't normal anymore.
She couldn't stop replaying everything.
The way he cornered her.
The way his coat brushed her arms.
The way he said he hadn't forgotten her.
The way his voice wrapped around her like it still owned her.
She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't realize someone had sat beside her until a soft voice said—
"Um… hi? You okay? You look kinda… dizzy."
Lizzie blinked and turned.
A girl with soft brown hair and thick glasses stared at her with concern.
"Oh—I'm okay," Lizzie whispered.
"You sure? Because you walked into class like you were floating."
Lizzie flushed. "I'm fine."
The girl smiled shyly.
"I'm Anna. First year."
"Lizzie," she whispered back.
The professor started speaking, but Lizzie barely heard a single word. Her eyes drifted out the window. Every minute dragged painfully slow.
She checked the clock.
And checked again.
And again.
3 hours until she could see him.
2 hours and 45 minutes.
2 hours and 30—
"Lizzie."
Anna tapped her arm. "Class ended. You okay? You didn't even take notes."
Lizzie jolted upright. The classroom was empty.
"Oh—um—thanks."
"No problem!" Anna waved, gathering her books. "See you tomorrow?"
Lizzie nodded distractedly, rushing out.
She had one more class left.
Then the library garden.
Her feet carried her through the maze-like campus until she reached her last lecture hall.
History of European Politics.
Room 304.
She pushed open the door—
And froze.
Daniel was there.
Standing in front of the blackboard.
Adjusting his sleeves.
Talking to another professor.
He didn't teach this class.
But he was here.
The other professor left.
Daniel turned—and his gaze found her instantly, like a magnet snapping into place.
His expression softened.
But there was something else in his eyes too—
A warning.
A claim.
A quiet hunger.
He walked toward her slowly.
Lizzie's throat went dry.
"Still lost?" he murmured.
"N-No… I'm just… early."
He smirked. "You always were."
Her heart pounded.
Then he leaned close—too close—and whispered, low enough that only she could hear:
"Meet me the moment this class ends."
A pause.
"No friends. No excuses."
His fingers brushed her wrist as he passed.
"I want you to myself."
Lizzie slid into her seat, shaking.
Class hadn't even started yet.
And she already felt ruined.