Tuesday
Tuesday brought rain again—steady, persistent, the kind that made everything feel gray.
Luca sat in his Operations lecture half-listening to Professor Martinez explain inventory management systems, his mind wandering to the group project, to finals looming in the distance, to the strange sensation of time moving both too fast and too slow.
His phone buzzed silently.
Noel: this lecture is putting me to sleep
Luca: which one
Noel: cross-cultural management. we're discussing hofstede's dimensions for the third week
Luca: riveting
Noel: I'm dying
Luca: don't die. I need you for dinner plans
Noel: romantic
Luca: I'm practical
Noel: you're using my word
Luca: it's a good word
After class, Luca met with his project team at the library—not the usual study room but a corner table on the second floor with better natural light.
Emily arrived with her laptop and three color-coded folders, already looking stressed despite it being only 10 AM.
