In the weeks that followed, Kwabena and Manda found themselves orbiting around each other like perfectly synced planets quietly, confidently, and without crashing.
They weren't flaunting anything.
No matching outfits.
No Instagram stories.
No unnecessary public "babe" this or "babe" that.
But behind closed doors or under campus trees, far from the eyes of business Lecture Block. they were poetry
Midnight Calls & Library Notes
At night, they'd talk.
Not just about math or assignments.
They talked about life.
Her love for sketching random cartoons.
His quiet dream of opening a community learning centre one day.
The time she nearly failed BECE because she forgot to label a graph.
The way he still feared his mom's voice more than his landlord's.
Sometimes they argued.
Sometimes they laughed till their ribs hurt.
And sometimes, she just fell asleep to his voice on the phone, mumbling formulas mixed with "I miss you but sleep please".
A Hidden Spot Behind the Library
There was a small shaded bench behind the UEW North Campus Library where the Wi-Fi was terrible but the silence was perfect.
That became their place.
She'd sketch in her notepad.
He'd mark scripts with his red pen.
And in between…
He'd sneak in a kiss on her cheek.
She'd casually rest her head on his shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"If we ever get caught, we'll blame it on the angle of elevation," he joked once.
"I'll blame your loud laugh," she replied.
Sundays at His Place
Sundays became their little bubble.
They'd cook together or attempt to.
He'd burn rice.
She'd laugh and take over.
They'd lie on the couch, legs tangled, watching movies that neither of them paid much attention to.
One time, while grading quizzes, he sighed loudly:
"Ei! These students want to kill me. Someone wrote that 4 + 4 = 9 because the 'teacher said so'."
Manda: "Hmm. Same student who called me 'TA's future' last week."
Kwabena: "I'm honoured. And terrified."
They were still a secret, yes.
But it was a secret that felt sacred not hidden out of shame, but protected like something rare.
And even though the campus chatter hadn't caught up yet…
Love had.