At 7 a.m., the dormitory floor was cloaked in a sleepy stillness. Outside, the world hovered between night and day, wrapped in the cool hush of early autumn. The sun had not yet cleared the horizon, but its presence was felt—soft amber streaks brushed the tops of distant trees, hinting at the warmth to come.
Mira stepped out of her room on the fifth floor, her camera snug around her neck, fingers adjusting the lens out of habit. She exhaled, seeing her breath in the crisp air of the hallway. This was her favorite kind of morning—when the world felt paused, like nature was holding its breath before waking.
Across the hall, another door opened. Adrian stepped out, earbuds tucked in his pocket, dressed in dark joggers and a slate-gray top. His expression was unreadable as usual, his movements quiet and composed.
They caught each other's gaze in the stillness.
"Good morning," Mira said with a bright smile.
Adrian gave a small nod. "Morning."
"Jogging?" she asked, her tone easy.
He nodded.
She smiled again. "I'm heading out too. Thought I'd try to catch some shots of cute plans while the dew's still fresh—this light's perfect for it."
Adrian met her eyes for a brief second but didn't reply. Just another small nod, his silence not cold, just... Adrian.
They descended the stairs together, the clack of Mira's boots and the soft tap of Adrian's shoes the only sounds echoing in the dorm. The chill outside wrapped around them as they stepped into the open, the world bathed in blue-gray hues, fog curling low near the ground.
For a while, they walked side by side along the quiet path leading toward the forest. Mira occasionally stopped to take photos—leaves catching dew, ivy creeping over stone, a glimmer of mist in a sunbeam that hadn't fully broken through.
At one point, she paused beside a low bush dotted with tiny white flowers. Kneeling, she angled her camera and snapped a shot. As she straightened, she pulled out her phone, opening a plant identification app.
"White Clover," Adrian said, his voice quiet but certain. "Trifolium repens."
Mira blinked, surprised. She glanced at him, phone still in hand, then back at the plant. "Huh." A beat. Then, she smiled faintly. "Thanks."
Adrian gave a small, nonchalant shrug, as if it wasn't worth mentioning.
He didn't say more, didn't rush her either. He walked with the same pace—steady and quiet, like part of the morning itself.
At a gentle hill where the path forked, they stopped. The sun had finally begun to rise, spilling gold over the tops of pine and cherry trees. Everything shimmered with light and moisture—alive, delicate, perfect.
Mira raised her camera, capturing it all with quiet focus.
Adrian glanced toward the trail ahead, then back at her. Without speaking, he gave her one last nod—subtle, almost teasing—and turned to begin his jog, his figure quickly fading between trees and light.
Mira lowered her camera and watched him go, the forest humming softly around her. Then she turned back to her lens, ready to catch the world before it fully woke.
The trail curved gently between tall pines, still bathed in the pale glow of early morning. Mist hovered low over the earth. A few gold-edged leaves danced on the breeze. Mira crouched near a patch of wildflowers, her camera steady in her hands. The dew was just right—sparkling like glass on soft petals. She leaned in closer, focusing on the macro shot, not noticing the dull hum rising near her ear.
(Photo by me)
Then: a crackle.
Her elbow had brushed a lumpy bark-like formation in the low branch next to her—what she'd assumed was part of the tree. It wasn't.
The hive pulsed once, then erupted.
A furious, black-and-yellow swarm poured into the air like a living storm cloud.
Mira's eyes widened.
"Oh no."
She grabbed her camera with one hand, held it tight to her chest—and ran.
Her boots pounded the trail. Leaves were scattered behind her. The buzzing grew louder. She didn't dare look back. It was pure instinct now.
Just as she rounded the corner, lungs burning, she saw Adrian jogging up the trail from the opposite direction.
Calm. Balanced. Earphones in. The shirt was slightly damp from the run. Eyes focused somewhere far ahead.
And then Mira appeared—wild hair, heaving chest, eyes wide like a hunted animal.
She didn't slow down.
"RUN, ADRIAN, THE BEES—"
She barely got the sentence out. Her hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, jerking him mid-stride.
Adrian stumbled, his entire expression shifting to startled disbelief. His pace faltered a second—but then her momentum dragged him forward.
His head whipped around.
"What—?" he started, voice sharp but controlled. Then he heard it. The hum. The very angry hum.
His brows furrowed in disbelief as he caught a glimpse of the dark swarm rounding the corner.
"Bees?" he muttered.
Mira didn't let go. Her right hand clutched her camera like a relic of war, her left hand still wrapped tightly around Adrian's. He was taller, but she yanked him with surprising force, their steps clumsy at first, then syncing into full sprint.
Adrian looked down at her in stunned silence, clearly wanting answers, but Mira only managed, "Don't look back!"
"Wasn't planning to," he deadpanned, picking up his pace.
They ran like that for a solid 500 meters, weaving through the trees, Mira pulling him at first, but then he took the lead slightly, matching her rhythm while keeping close.
At last, the buzzing faded.
They stumbled into a sun-dappled clearing, breathless. Mira stopped first, panting, doubling over with her camera still tight in hand. Adrian came to a halt beside her, chest rising and falling, expression unreadable.
They finally slowed, Mira nearly collapsing onto a mossy boulder, one hand still gripping her camera like a baby bird. Her breath came in sharp bursts—half from exertion, half from laughter that she was struggling to hold in. Adrian stood a few steps away, hands on his hips, not even bothering to hide his disbelief.
He stared at her. His usual calm, unreadable face was now twisted somewhere between What just happened? and I demand a refund for this morning.
"What," he said, voice still measured but incredulous, "did you just make me run from?"
Mira let out a weak, wheezing laugh between breaths. "Ha... ha… sorry... Just a little wild intruding. I didn't think the hive was that close!"
Adrian ran a hand through his hair, eyes scanning the tree line behind them as if still expecting the swarm to appear. "Those were Vespa velutina—Asian hornets," he muttered. "Do you know they chase for up to 500 meters when provoked? One minute later and we'd have become..."
He paused, calculating, then finished flatly,
"...protein shakes with legs."
Mira snorted. "You mean bee smoothies?" She doubled over laughing. "Extra crunchy, forest-flavored!"
Adrian gave her a long look, lips pressed together, trying—trying so hard—not to react. A twitch flickered at the corner of his mouth. He lost. Just a bit. He shook his head and let out a faint, helpless laugh through his nose.
"Remind me," he said, finally, "to never trust your definition of 'cute plants' again."
Mira grinned, wiping a tear from her eye. "Hey, a little motivation makes your jog more efficient, doesn't it?"
Adrian glanced down at his fitness tracker.
"…My heart rate agrees. But so does impending death."
"See? Perfect balance!"
Adrian looked at Mira, his eyebrows raising ever so slightly as he finally relaxed. He shook his head and let out a short, breathless laugh, the edge of disbelief still lingering in his voice.
"Well, if that's your idea of fun," he said, glancing over his shoulder one last time to make sure the bees weren't coming back, "I think I've had enough excitement for one morning."
Mira grinned, catching her breath. "You sure you're not going to keep running? !"
He narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion, then smirked. "If it's all the same, I think I'll skip the punchline. I don't exactly want to run into any more bees today. Maybe... this is enough for one jog."
Mira, still chuckling, thought for a moment, feeling her heart rate finally calm down. Well, the bad side was, she had definitely annoyed a very upset hive—but the good side? That was a definite run, and more than that, she realized. For the first time since she'd known Adrian, they were talking like normal people. Not about projects or work or what they had to finish next. It was just... talking. About nonsense, about bees, about running.
It felt unexpectedly good.
She smiled to herself before looking over at him. "Yeah, I think you're right. No need to add any more excitement today."
Adrian glanced at her, his usual calm gaze a little more relaxed now, and for a brief moment, he didn't seem quite as untouchable as before. He wasn't just Adrian, the brilliant student, or Adrian, the serious one. He was just... Adrian.
"Thanks for the… motivational run," he said dryly, but there was a hint of warmth behind his words. "Next time, maybe you should stick to the plants and leave the wildlife out of it."
Mira laughed, feeling the air between them shift just a little. "Deal. No bees next time, I promise."
As they began walking back toward the dorm, the world around them seemed to slow down, like the moment had shifted into something more serene. The sky above them was soft, the sun barely peeking over the horizon, casting a smoky beam of light that touched the dew-laden grass, making everything shimmer. The cool morning air was refreshing on their skin, still crisp from the night, but the warmth from their run lingered, a reminder of the brief but intense adrenaline they'd shared.
Mira inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of freshly cut grass, a little damp from the morning dew. It was the kind of scent that reminded her of spring mornings back home, when everything felt new and alive. The faint, earthy smell of damp soil mixed with the freshness of the air made her feel grounded and peaceful, and for a moment, she forgot about the chaos of earlier. She smiled, feeling light.
"Nice to finally be able to breathe without running for my life," she said, glancing sideways at Adrian, her hand still slightly wrapped around the camera. Her laughter had subsided into an easy smile, and there was something about this quiet morning, just the two of them walking back to the dorm, that felt... pleasant. Different.
Adrian nodded, his pace slower now as the adrenaline wore off. He was still calm, his expression unreadable as always, but there was a softness to it now, as if the chaos of the bees had, for a moment, peeled away the usual cool barrier he wore. He looked over at her, catching a glimpse of her smiling face, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
As they reached the dorm entrance, Mira winced slightly, reaching for her side. She'd twisted her ankle slightly while running, probably from one of those erratic dodges. It was nothing major, but it was enough to sting. It wasn't enough to slow her down too much, but now that the adrenaline was fading, she could feel the throbbing.
Adrian noticed her stumble and raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"
Mira bit her lip, trying to downplay it. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little... twist. Nothing serious."