The days slipped by in their familiar rhythm—classes, coffee, the quiet hum of campus life—but something had shifted, soft as falling snow.
Valen, the one who used to bury himself in books and silence, now carried a small, almost secret smile. Cindy was the reason. Watching them together felt like seeing a door I hadn't known was closed finally swing open. I wasn't entirely sure it would last—no one ever is—but it worked, in the gentle way some things simply do.
Ryan, meanwhile, had found his own orbit. He and Yuna met between classes more often than chance should allow, their neighboring lecture halls turning coincidence into habit. I'd catch glimpses: Ryan leaning against a wall, talking with his hands, Yuna listening with that quiet sunshine smile tucked behind her glasses. They fit in a way that made the rest of us feel quietly happy for them.
And me?
I wandered.
With more alone time than I knew what to do with, I let my feet carry me across the courtyard, along the tree-lined paths, past the café windows glowing warm against the cold. No destination. No hurry. Just the faint hope that I might turn a corner and see her again—the girl from the library who had vanished like a half-remembered dream.
I returned to those shelves more times than I cared to admit, tracing the same aisles, breathing in the scent of old paper and polished wood, waiting for a silhouette that never reappeared.
She was still a ghost.
And I was still looking.
***
Ryan couldn't stop smiling, and it was starting to scare him.
It had been half a month since the courtyard tea, three days since Yuna's quiet laugh had settled somewhere behind his ribs like a secret he wasn't ready to tell anyone.
He caught himself checking the hallway between classes more often than he checked his phone.
When the door to the neighboring lecture hall opened and she stepped out—long black hair, round glasses, pale yellow sweater like a patch of sunlight—he forgot whatever he'd been saying to Valen mid-sentence.
Valen noticed.
Of course he did.
"You're doing it again," Valen said, adjusting his glasses with the smugness of someone who had very recently been in the exact same position.
"Doing what?" Ryan asked, too fast.
"Staring like the rest of the world just paused."
Ryan groaned, but he didn't look away.
Yuna glanced up, saw him, and offered that small, shy smile that made the entire hallway feel warmer.
Ryan waved—like an idiot.
A big, overenthusiastic wave.
She waved back.
Valen leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching the whole thing with quiet amusement.
"So," he said once Yuna had disappeared around the corner, "when are you going to admit it?"
"Admit what?" Ryan muttered, already knowing he was doomed.
"That you like her."
Ryan opened his mouth to deny it—some automatic reflex about "just being friendly"—but the words stuck.
He rubbed the back of his neck instead.
Valen's expression softened. "You don't have to say it out loud yet. But you're not fooling anyone."
Ryan exhaled, long and slow.
"She's… different," he said finally, voice lower than usual. "Quiet. But not in a boring way. In a… I-want-to-hear-everything-she-has-to-say way. And when she laughs—" He stopped, cheeks warming. "It's stupid."
"It's not stupid," Valen said. "It's exactly how it starts."
Ryan glanced at him. "You sound like you know."
Valen's mouth curved—just a little. "I do."
They walked in silence for a moment.
Ryan kicked at a small pile of stones. "I keep thinking about asking her to the café. Properly. Not as an apology."
Valen nodded. "Then ask her."
"What if she says no?"
"Then you'll know," Valen said simply. "And if it's real… you'll find the courage to ask again."
"You seemed to have changed after you got a girlfriend." Ryan eyed him with scrutiny.
Ryan stopped walking.
He looked back toward the building Yuna had disappeared into, as if she might still be there.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "You're right."
Valen smiled—small, knowing.
"Welcome to the club, Ryan."
Ryan laughed under his breath. "Guess I'm officially cooked."
"Completely," Valen agreed.
And for the first time, Ryan didn't mind at all.
***
Ryan caught up to Yuna as she stepped out of her classroom, her books tucked neatly against her chest. The hallway was quieter than usual, most students already heading off in clusters.
"Yuna," he called, slowing his pace to match hers.
She turned, a little surprised, then smiled when she saw him. "Oh—Ryan."
They walked side by side for a moment, neither of them speaking, the silence comfortable but slightly charged. Ryan scratched the back of his head, clearly working up the courage to say something.
"So… um," he began, glancing ahead instead of at her. "Are you busy this weekend?"
Yuna blinked. "This weekend?"
"Yeah," he said quickly. "I mean—if you are, that's totally fine. Just thought I'd ask."
She thought for a second. "I don't have any plans. Why?"
Ryan let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "I was wondering if you'd like to grab a coffee. There's a place near campus. Nothing fancy—just coffee."
Yuna slowed her steps slightly, then nodded. "That sounds… nice."
Ryan grinned, the tension melting from his shoulders. "Really?"
She smiled back, softer this time. "Yeah. I'd like that."
They continued down the hallway together, the conversation drifting to lighter topics, both pretending their steps hadn't become just a little lighter than before.
Soon the weekend arrived.
Ryan arrived earlier than he needed to.
He stood near the café entrance, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket, pretending to scroll through his phone while glancing up every few seconds. He had actually put some thought into what he wore—a dark navy hoodie layered under a light gray jacket, clean jeans, and sneakers he only wore on occasions he considered important. His hair was slightly damp, clearly styled in a hurry, and he kept smoothing it back whenever he felt nervous.
Get a grip , he told himself.
A few minutes passed.
Then he saw her.
Yuna approached from the stone path leading from campus, walking at an unhurried pace. She wore a soft cream blouse tucked neatly into a modest, knee-length pleated skirt in a muted sage color. A thin cardigan rested over her shoulders, and her round glasses caught the afternoon light as she adjusted them absentmindedly. Her long black hair was half tied back, the rest falling straight down her back, swaying gently with each step.
She looked… calm. Gentle. Effortlessly herself.
When she noticed Ryan, her steps slowed slightly, and she gave a small wave.
"Sorry," she said softly as she reached him. "I kept you waiting."
Ryan was lost in her beauty. He forgot to reply her.
"Umm..Ryan ?" Yuna asked again. Ryan came to his senses.
He shook his head quickly, a grin spreading across his face. "No—no, I just got here."
It was a lie.
But as they stood there, the café door warm behind them and the quiet afternoon stretching ahead, neither of them felt the need to point it out.