"Hey Casey, have you finished the report?"
"The report?"
"What? W-wait… you don't know?! Miss Charlotte assigned it last week, and it's due today! Hello?!"
"Oh, that report. Don't worry. I already submitted mine."
"You submitted your report and didn't tell me? Some friend you are!"
"Don't be so dramatic. Besides, weren't you the one pestering me nonstop about that assignment until my ears nearly fell off? And now you're upset that I actually submitted mine? Or… did you just want to copy my answers?"
"Um… maybe a little…"
"See? That's so lame. Seriously, so lame. How are you this unmanly? Change the channel."
"S-Shut up! What does assignments have to do with my masculinity?!"
Casey Taylor looked at his buddy, Jasper, with a strange mix of amusement and disbelief.
They were both first-year college students in the Department of Applied Sciences.
The two had met during orientation week. While most freshmen were busy awkwardly introducing themselves, Casey had been quietly organizing his schedule in the corner of the common hall. Jasper had tripped over a backpack, nearly face-planting into a display table, and Casey had calmly caught him. That was the beginning of their unlikely friendship.
Despite their differences, they simply clicked.
Casey's lazy demeanor balanced Jasper's energy, and Jasper's chaotic enthusiasm often pulled Casey out of his comfort zone. Together, they had survived the first semester of college, which felt more like surviving a warzone than attending classes and somehow, they were still managed to remain friends.
Or, perhaps, this was just their fate.
"Honestly, I don't know how you're still in one piece after all the deadlines you've ignored. Your GPA is going to take a massive hit, you know."
"My GPA is fine, thank you very much. And what do you mean by all the deadlines I've missed? I was simply… unfortunate enough not to meet them on time. Wouldn't you call that an unfortunate misfortune?"
"Careless."
"Suck a*s, man. Why don't you try living a little?"
"Living a little?"
"Yeah. Like, I don't know… talk to someone, ask out a hot girl, or maybe even—"
"Or maybe even what?"
"Or maybe finally stop hiding behind your books and spreadsheets for once. You know… live a little, like I said."
"I live a little every day. It just doesn't involve… social experiments with..."
Jasper laughed, cutting him off.
"Oh, come on man. Don't act like you haven't noticed the new girl in our Applied Sciences lab. You've been staring at her notes longer than I've stared at pizza menus."
"I stare at her notes because I can't see the damn board, you idiot!"
Caseys heated response came out much louder than he intended. Heads turned, and a few students glanced their way, eyebrows raised.
How could he have forgotten?
They were walking along the university courtyard. Naturally, such a lively space was filled with students from different departments. People moved in groups and some clustered around benches, the unpleasant noise echoing across the open area.
Casey felt a flush creep up his neck as he realized how conspicuous he and Jasper must have seemed. The latter, of course, only grinned wider, clearly enjoying the moment.
"See? Everyone knows you're flustered now. You're practically glowing."
"Shut up"
Casey adjusted his backpack strap and quickened his pace, as if silently declaring that he wanted nothing to do with Jasper or the attention he was drawing.
Realizing what Casey was doing, Jasper sprinted to catch up.
"Oi! Wait up a second!"
"Stop following me! Aren't you supposed to be somewhere?"
"You think I don't know? But before I go, at least give me the answer to question number three!"
"Do it yourself!"
Growing irritated, Casey picked up the pace some more and weaved through the bustling courtyard with ease. Jasper's long legs struggled to match him, his voice trailing behind.
"Hey! I said wait! Don't make me—!"
Casey ignored him and ducked past a group of young wanderers clustered around a fountain.
The courtyard was the heart of the university. Or more accurately, a sprawling open area lined with lecture halls, cafés, and student lounges. Pathways branched in every direction, some leading to administrative offices, others to classrooms or quiet spaces.
On most days it was almost overwhelming but it had its nooks.
For example...
'This way!'
Casey veered down one of the narrower stone paths, deliberately leaving Jasper behind. The sound of the crowd faded as he approached a quieter part of campus, where an older, ivy-clad building cast a long shadow.
Here, the hustle of the main courtyard softened into distant murmurs, and sunlight spilled in patches between the branches of overhanging trees.
"Hah... did I leave him?"
He slowed his pace, allowing his gaze to drift.
The place was mostly empty and there was no one else here apart from him. Luckily, he had escaped from that idiot so he could rest a little.
Or so he thought.
Against one of the brick walls in the secluded corner, a white canvas stood on an easel, angled perfectly toward the sunlight. A female student crouched in front of it, brush in hand, utterly absorbed in her work. She was sketching something intricate, so focused that Samuel barely registered in her mind.
'Someone's here? More importantly… she's painting?'
A flicker of curiosity made Casey tilt his head, and after a moment's hesitation, he decided to move a little closer to get a better look at the mysterious girl.
She appeared to be around his age, or perhaps slightly older, give or take a year. Her hair was reminiscent of silk, cut short so it barely reached her chin. She wore a simple yet stylish outfit, consisting of a fitted white blouse with rolled-up sleeves and dark pants that allowed her freedom to move as she painted.
Even from a slight distance, Casey could tell there was a quiet intensity about her that seemed both calm and magnetic.
He couldn't find the right words to describe what she was painting on the white canvas, so he simply watched, captivated, from where he stood.
"Hmm… should I go this way, or would it look better like this?"
Her voice was soft, thoughtful, and deliberate, carrying only faintly through the quiet corner. Casey's curiosity deepened and he felt drawn not just to the painting, but to the careful, precise way she drew that portrait.
Wait... wasn't that a...
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the mysterious girl turned and her eyes met his own ordinary eyes.
For a moment, neither of them spoke and all the distant noise in the surroundings receded from their worldview.
"Oh! I… didn't see you there."
Muttering that, she glanced back at her canvas, as if checking whether he had been paying attention to her work or merely intruding.
Casey cleared his throat and replied,
"Uh… sorry. I didn't mean to… I just… noticed your painting. It's… uh… impressive."
Her smile widened slightly, though her expression remained the same.
"Thank you. Most people don't take the time to notice something like this."
She's… not just talented, she's focused, intent and different from anyone I've met here.
He took a tentative step closer, then said,
"I'm Casey. Casey Taylor. I'm in Applied Sciences. Nice to meet your acquaintance.*
She tilted her head slightly, studying him as if weighing whether to answer.
"I'm Rin Ayase. I'm in Visual Arts, and I suppose you can call someone like me an artist."
"Visual Arts, huh? I didn't expect to see someone… painting… out here. It's pretty secluded."
Rin glanced at the sunlit canvas, then back at him.
"Well, I like it here. It's quiet and helps me think when I draw. By the way, what brings you to this place?"
"Ah... that..."
Casey scratched his cheek awkwardly.
Just how was he going to explain his situation to this gal?