Then he stood, as if the moment had passed before she even registered it.
They left the study room together, walking side by side down the hallway toward their dorms. The air outside was cooler now, the weekend night settling in.
Mira said nothing. But her notebook stayed cradled in one arm, fingers lightly curled around the page he'd touched.
From a distance, Mira's friends spotted her. "Mira! What are you doing? Hurry up, we're waiting!"
She had an appointment—tonight was a small campfire gathering with singing and barbecue. A weekend tradition.
Mira waved back enthusiastically, her voice full of energy. "I'll be there soon! Just need to drop these things in my room!"
Adrian's gaze flickered toward her friends, then back to her. For a split second, their eyes met.
"Oh," she said, as if realizing he might be expecting an explanation. "We're having an outdoor party. Perfect timing that we finished early—I hate being late." She grinned.
Adrian remained silent, as if the conversation didn't require his input. But Mira didn't mind.
They continued walking down the hallway. Their rooms weren't exactly close, but she suddenly remembered an important detail—his room was just opposite hers.
"Hey," she said, glancing up at him, "next time, can we just meet at the rooftop botanical garden upstairs? It'll save time since our rooms are close, and the scenery's better."
Adrian nodded. "No problem."
Mira gave him a small wave. "Bye, then."
She slipped into her room, closing the door behind her, not realizing how naturally she had started greeting him.
❧
The campfire burned brightly, sending a warm glow across the circle of friends. Sparks floated up into the night sky, vanishing like tiny fireflies. The scent of roasting marshmallows mixed with the smoky aroma of the barbecue sizzling on the grill. Someone had set up fairy lights around the trees, making the scene feel even more magical.
As Mira stepped into the light, her friends immediately noticed her arrival.
"Elara! Luca! Naomi, Elias, Valeria, Camille!" she called out with a grin, waving at them.
Elara turned first, eyes narrowing playfully. "Mira, were you just walking with Adrian?"
Naomi, who was tending to the skewers, glanced over with sudden interest. "Wait, the Adrian?"
Elias, lounging lazily on a log, smirked. "You mean the human encyclopedia? The guy who never talks to anyone?"
Valeria, who was adding more wood to the fire, raised an eyebrow. "And you were walking side by side?"
Luca, sitting with his guitar resting on his lap, chuckled. "This just got interesting."
Camille, who had been scrolling through her phone, looked up. "Spill. Now."
Mira rolled her eyes, dropping onto a seat next to Elara. "Relax, we're working on a project together for the Rare Plants Greenhouse Club."
Elara scooted closer. "And? How is he? He's famous, you know. Deadly handsome, same level as his cool and cold—and, of course, his ridiculous intelligence, the only heir of the Vale empire. What's it like working with him?"
Mira grinned, shaking her head. "Well… definitely exactly as you described. His memory is insane—he worked so efficiently, didn't waste a single second. Honestly, I could barely breathe the whole time."
Silence.
Then, Naomi gasped dramatically. "Hold on. Did you just say you could barely breathe? Mira, the queen of adventure? The one who climbed that ridiculous tree last month just to get a better shot of a bird?"
Elias whistled. "Wow. That is something."
Valeria crossed her arms, smirking. "So, the mysterious genius finally managed to shake you a little?"
Luca leaned forward, grinning. "I gotta say, this is kinda fun to hear."
Camille laughed, nudging Mira. "Maybe he's not as cold as we thought?"
"You guys are impossible."
The group erupted into laughter, the teasing lighthearted and warm. Naomi handed Mira a skewer with perfectly roasted marshmallows, and she took it with a thankful nod.
Luca finished strumming a few notes on his guitar, then suddenly smirked and asked, "Wait, wait. You said you were walking with Adrian, right? So… why were you two heading the same way?"
Mira, who had just taken a bite of her marshmallow, paused mid-chew. "Oh, uh… our rooms just happen to be opposite each other."
For a second, there was silence.
Then—
"WHAAAT?!"
The entire group erupted into screams, laughter, and exaggerated gasps. Naomi nearly dropped her skewer, Elara clutched her chest as if she had just heard the plot twist of the century, and Camille dramatically fell onto Elias's shoulder.
Valeria grinned mischievously. "No way. So you're telling us that you two—Mira and Adrian—are not only working on a project together but also living literally right across from each other?"
Elias shook his head in disbelief. "That's way too convenient. It's like the setup for every romantic drama ever."
Luca laughed, strumming a playful, dramatic tune. "Two strangers, destined to cross paths… living just a door apart… will sparks fly?"
Mira groaned, covering her face. "Oh my god, you guys are so dramatic!"
Naomi fanned herself. "I live for this kind of setup."
Elara leaned in, eyes twinkling. "So, do you two ever, I don't know… bump into each other in the hallway? Exchange secret glances? Maybe one of you forgets their key, and the other has to help?"
Camille clapped her hands. "Or—plot twist—he starts waiting for you after class!"
Mira threw her hands up. "It's nothing like that! We just happen to live in the same area!"
Elias snickered. "Mira, Mira, Mira… let us dream a little."
She rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help laughing along with them. The teasing continued for a while before Luca finally saved her by switching the subject back to music.
Luca tapped his guitar. "Alright, enough gossip. Who's singing tonight?"
Naomi smirked. "Mira, obviously. Her voice is like a lullaby straight out of a fairy tale."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "Oh? A fairy adventure theme and a voice to match?"
Mira playfully shoved him. "Oh, shut up."
Luca grinned, starting to strum a soft melody. "Alright, alright, let's see if we can make this a proper campfire night."
As the familiar tune filled the air, the group slowly joined in, their voices blending together. Mira's voice stood out—soft, pure, almost ethereal. It was the kind of voice that made people stop and listen.
Elara nudged her. "See? Told you."
Mira laughed but kept singing, the warmth of the fire and the closeness of her friends making everything feel perfect.
The night was filled with music, laughter, and stories. Valeria told a ridiculous tale about getting lost on campus, Elias and Camille argued over which horror movie was the best, and Naomi nearly choked on her marshmallow from laughing too hard at one of Luca's jokes.
The week had been exhausting, full of classes and projects, but tonight was different. It was a night of pure fun, of being surrounded by the people who knew her best. And for now, that was all that mattered.
❧