The soft rustle of curtains drew Flora back from her dreams.
Morning light poured through the resort window, painting faint gold over the sheets and her face. For a moment, she lay still, blinking against the brightness, unsure whether the warmth she felt came from the sunlight, or from the memory of the night before.
The balcony, the quiet conversation, the laughter that faded into silence, and then…
That kiss, light as a whisper, pressed to her forehead.
Her fingers brushed the spot unconsciously. It still felt warm.
She rolled over and groaned softly, burying her face into the pillow as if it could muffle her racing thoughts. Why did that tiny gesture keep echoing in her chest like a secret rhythm she couldn't stop hearing?
"Flora! You're late for breakfast!" one of her classmates called from outside.
She jolted up, messy hair and all.
"Coming!" she replied quickly, her voice betraying a fluster she hoped no one would notice.
Her phone left alone on the side flashed, she didn't noticed it.
By the time she reached the main hall, most of the students was done either breakfast and had already gathered around the open area. The air smelled of fresh coffee, toasted bread, and the faint cool scent of the nearby lake.
Groups of friends chatted about plans for the day, while teachers moved around with clipboards, organizing the morning session.
Flora joined her group, still half-distracted by her own thoughts.
Every now and then, she'd catch herself smiling faintly only to shake her head in disbelief. It was just a kiss on the forehead. Nothing more. It shouldn't have left her heart in this mess.
Then, she froze.
Across the open space, beside a teacher typing on computer, sat someone who looked… strangely familiar but different.
He was focused, sleeves rolled up, sunlight brushing the sharp lines of his face.
No glasses. No disheveled hair falling into his eyes.
Just… Shane. Unmasked.
For a second, Flora forgot how to breathe.
The students around her noticed too, and the murmurs started.
"Wait— is that the vice president?"
"His looks can rival school heartthrob"
"And new transfer student's too"
"He's… actually handsome?"
"Why was he hiding that face?!"
"The vice president has decided to join showbiz; he's already laying the groundwork."
Even Austin, lounging nearby with his friends, glanced over with a frown, the faintest crease forming between his brows.
Liam, leaning lazily against a railing, tilted his head slightly, expression unreadable, though his gaze lingered on Shane longer than anyone else's.
Flora blinked rapidly, trying to reconcile the image before her.
Shane the quiet, sharp-tongued boy who always wore that indifferent half-smile looked so different. The sunlight seemed to like him too much, catching in his hair, highlighting every detail that made people whisper.
As if sensing her stare, Shane looked up.
Their eyes met, a fleeting second, but long enough for a familiar smirk to curve at the corner of his mouth.
Flora felt heat rush to her cheeks. She quickly looked away, pretending to look at sky.
When she gathered her courage to approach, he was still standing there, talking with the teacher about a technical glitch. His voice, calm, low, had a certain ease to it. Not forced. Not disguised. Just… him.
"You're full of surprises," Flora said, stepping closer once the teacher moved away.
"Someone finally crawled out of his cocoon."
He turned, one brow raised.
"Cocoon?"
She smiled. "And turned into a confident butterfly, apparently."
Shane's lips twitched. "Confident? Or maybe I just got tired of pretending to be invisible."
"You were pretending?" she asked, teasingly curious.
He tilted his head, voice low. "Maybe. Or maybe I was just waiting for someone to notice."
Her breath hitched a little, caught off guard by the weight of those words. He said them so casually, but the look in his eyes carried something deeper, something that made the echo of last night's warmth return in full force.
Flora quickly masked it with a grin. "Well, congratulations. You've officially become the center of attention. Hope you're ready for a crowd of admirers."
"Hmm," he mused, stepping just close enough for her to catch his quiet tone. "As long as one of them stays the same, I don't mind."
She blinked. "What?"
"Nothing." His smirk deepened. "Just thinking out loud."
Flora narrowed her eyes, half amused, half flustered. "You're enjoying this way too much."
He gave a soft laugh, the kind that wasn't loud but warm enough to pull at her chest.
"Maybe. It's a rare sight to see you speechless."
"I'm not speechless!"
"Right," he said dryly, leaning against the table, arms folded. "You're just turning red for no reason."
She looked away, trying to keep her voice steady. "You should go help the teacher before something explodes."
"Already done," he said. "Computer's fixed. Maybe you should reward me."
Her head snapped toward him, scandalized. "Reward you?!"
"With a smile," he said, pretending to think. "Or kiss. I'm not picky."
Flora rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a small blush. "You're impossible."
"That's not what you said last night," he murmured just loud enough for her to hear.
Her laughter froze instantly. "You—!"
Shane's expression was pure mischief now, eyes glinting with satisfaction as he straightened up. Around them, a few students were glancing curiously at how close they stood, but he didn't seem to care.
Flora, cheeks burning, took a quick step back. "You're, you're shameless."
"Am I?" he asked softly, eyes narrowing in amusement. "Then maybe I should remind you which one of us couldn't stop thinking about last night."
"I did not—!" she started, but he only smirked more.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Her flustered glare made him chuckle quietly, the sound so genuine it disarmed her again.
And before she could come up with a comeback, he looked away, expression settling back into calm neutrality as another student approached with a question.
It was strange, she thought, watching him like that the effortless switch between playful and composed, teasing and serious.
Like he knew exactly which version of himself to show the world, and which one to keep just for her.
She caught herself staring again and sighed, muttering under her breath,
"Why are you so confusing?"
As if he heard, Shane turned his head slightly that same small, knowing smile tugging at his lips.
---
Flora walked toward her roommates, still feeling oddly lightheaded. The air around her buzzed with excitement and gossip, mostly about how the "nerdy vice president" turned out to be distractingly good-looking. But beneath the chatter, a quiet thought stayed with her, the warmth of his words, the soft look in his eyes when no one else was watching.
Last night, she'd fallen asleep thinking about the kiss, he made her forget what's happening in her life, she can finally breath.
Now, she was wide awake, and somehow, he'd left her even more restless.