Cian leaned against the wall just outside the dormitory, arms crossed, eyes narrowed as he stared at Ivan.
"Adian is coming?" he repeated, slowly and skeptically.
Ivan nodded with an eager grin. "Yup. Tomorrow morning. TME."
Cian's brows pulled into a deep frown. "Why now? He works for a major company. He hasn't shown up at a TME event in years."
"I know," Ivan admitted, shrugging. "But someone close to the organizers said he might make a surprise appearance."
"Might?" Cian tilted his head, voice dry. "So you're not even sure?"
Ivan laughed, a little too nervously. "Okay, yeah, not one hundred percent. But come on, Cian—this could be your shot."
"My shot for what, exactly?" Cian raised a brow.
Ivan stepped closer, dropping his voice like he was sharing a secret. "Aidan respects talent. He likes skilled people. If he sees your work, he might actually talk to you. Maybe even… want to be friends."
Cian stared at him flatly. "Aidan doesn't make friends, Ivan. And even if he did, I doubt he'd look at my project and suddenly decide we're best buddies."
Ivan grinned, unbothered. "You never know. You've been obsessed with that guy for years. Don't you want him to finally notice you?"
Cian went quiet.
Ivan's grin faded a little. "Wait… are you actually nervous?"
"Shut up," Cian muttered.
"You are!" Ivan laughed. "Look at you. You're about to meet your idol and you're freaking out."
"I'm not freaking out," Cian said, folding his arms tighter. "And he's not my idol."
"Sure," Ivan teased, leaning casually against the wall beside him. "Then explain the posters. The interviews. The time you nearly passed out when we saw a blurry photo of him online."
"That was one time," Cian grumbled, then added quietly, "And it wasn't blurry."
Ivan snorted. "Just admit it, Cian. You love him."
Cian turned to him, face serious. "I don't love him. I admire him. That's different."
Ivan raised a brow. "Really? Because I've never seen you admire anyone like that before. Not even your own dad."
Silence hung between them for a second.
Cian let out a breath. "You wouldn't get it."
"Try me."
Cian looked away, his voice softer now. "You know when I finished college, I felt like a complete nobody. A boy from an orphanage trying to make a name in a world that doesn't even take kids like us seriously. Everywhere I went, people looked down on me. Like I didn't belong. Like my dreams were too big."
Ivan stayed quiet.
"I got a job," Cian continued. "Worked hard. Day and night. But no matter how far I pushed, I never felt like I'd get anywhere. I didn't feel proud. I didn't feel seen."
He paused.
"Then I heard about him—Aidan. Just a few months older than me. Also from an orphanage. But he was already making waves in tech. Quietly, efficiently. No noise, no attention-seeking. Just brilliance. And suddenly, it didn't feel so hopeless anymore."
Cian's voice grew steadier, deeper. "If someone like him could do it… maybe I could too. I started working differently. Not just harder. Smarter. Better. I started believing that I wasn't cursed to be overlooked. That I could be someone."
Ivan blinked, taking that in. "So he's like your… spark?"
Cian nodded. "Exactly. He lit something in me when the world was dark."
Ivan gave a low whistle. "Man. I didn't know it was that deep."
"It is," Cian said, his voice steady. "But you wouldn't understand. You've never needed someone to believe in before you could believe in yourself."
Ivan glanced at him. "Maybe not. But I get why it matters now."
Cian pushed off the wall. "It's not about being friends with him. It's not about fanboying. It's about… facing the person who unknowingly pulled you out of the mud."
Ivan smirked. "And maybe getting him to say, 'Nice work, kid,' wouldn't hurt."
Cian rolled his eyes. "I'm not holding my breath."
"But you are hoping," Ivan said softly.
Cian didn't reply.
They stood in silence for a while, the cool air brushing against them.
Then Ivan nudged him. "You know… all this time, I thought you were just being dramatic."
Cian snorted. "I usually am."
Ivan grinned. "But I see it now. Why he means so much to you."
Cian glanced at him. "He doesn't mean anything to you?"
Ivan shrugged. "He's cool, I guess. But I don't feel what you feel. And that's okay. Not everyone will understand."
Cian gave a small nod, the corners of his lips twitching. "Yeah. That's okay."
Ivan bumped his shoulder playfully. "But hey. If he does show up tomorrow… don't freeze, alright?"
"No promises," Cian said, finally allowing a small smile.