The lecture theatre was already filling up. A few students lingered near the back, angling for seats in the corners where they could disappear. Others stood in the aisles, eyes scanning the rows for a familiar face or a free seat beside someone they could stand. The sound of shifting backpacks, muted chatter and the occasional ringtone not quite silenced filled the air.
Bella slid into a seat next to Emily, careful not to bump the oversized tote on the floor. She kept her gaze forward, observing the gathering crowd without drawing attention to herself.
Emily, on the other hand, was impossible to overlook. She sat with the easy confidence of someone entirely comfortable in her own skin, shoulders relaxed, posture perfect, every movement casual but composed. Her long, dark hair fell in sleek waves down her back, catching the light just enough to draw eyes without meaning to.
Her outfit was unapologetic: a cropped tee and shorts that were daringly short, balancing just the right amount of sexy with a subtle vulnerability, the kind of look that had guys stealing glances even when she wasn't trying. She didn't dress to impress; she dressed like she already knew she'd won the room. That kind of quiet self-assurance didn't ask for attention, it owned it.
Emily had taken it upon herself to be Bella's unofficial guide to campus life and campus boys. "So," Emily said, turning to Bella with a smirk, "how are you holding up?"
Bella gave a half-smile, still adjusting to the chaos of college. "It's... a lot. New classes, new faces. I'm trying to figure out who's who."
Emily tucked her hair behind one ear, already in gossip mode. "Oh, give it two weeks and you'll have the whole social food chain memorised."
Bella laughed. "You already have, haven't you?"
"Please," Emily said with a wink. "Half of them hit on me during club day. The other half pretended not to stare."
Bella shook her head, amused. "How do you deal with that?"
Emily gave an exaggerated sigh. "It's a burden being this fabulous. But someone's gotta do it."
Then she leaned in, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Okay. So, you've already met Jason, right?"
Bella nodded. "Yeah. On the bus, actually."
Emily's brows rose. "Ooh. You're already riding buses together? Cute. He's the tennis captain, super reliable, sweet, a little competitive. Definitely a campus favourite. Lots of girls have tried, but he's... picky."
Bella remembered his easy grin and warm, steady voice. "He seems nice."
"He seems," Emily agreed, then grinned slyly. "But then there's Yunho."
Bella glanced at her, trying to stay casual. "What about him?"
Emily tilted her head, lips curling into a knowing smile. "Captain of the swim team. Tall, broody, ridiculously attractive. Like... long lashes, perfect jawline, brooding-on-purpose levels of attractive. Honestly, if someone wrote a romance novel, he'd be ML."
Bella tried not to react too much, though her face betrayed the flicker of recognition. Emily noticed.
"Ohhh," she said, grinning wider. "You've seen him."
Bella looked away, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "We... met. At the pool."
Emily's eyes lit up. "Girl, I need details."
Bella laughed, shaking her head. "It wasn't like that."
"Yet," Emily corrected playfully.
As the teacher walked in and the class settled, Bella leaned back in her chair, her thoughts already drifting between two very different boys, and the very new world she'd just stepped into.