Lina and Evan strolled out of the lecture hall, their footsteps dragging along the paved path that cut through the center of campus. The sun was beginning to soften, casting a golden glow across the lawns. Lina threw her hands up dramatically and groaned.
"Well, I am so tired, I am so, so tired I can't even breathe. It's been classes after classes since last week," she complained, sighing as though the weight of the world had settled on her shoulders.
Evan glanced at her and chuckled. "Okay, how about I treat you to some cotton candy? That should fix your mood."
Lina wrinkled her nose. "Meh. I don't really like cotton candy."
Evan raised a brow. "Really? Why?"
"It's too sugary, it stains anything it touches, it's ridiculously hard to wash off, and it's super sticky," she replied with the seriousness of someone giving a lecture.
Evan laughed. "Okay, fair enough. If you don't want one, it's fine, but I'm still getting mine."
"Suit yourself," Lina said, waving him off.
They strolled toward the small sweet shop near the campus gate. Evan ordered cheerfully, "One cotton candy, please... the white one."
As the man behind the counter packed it up, Lina distracted herself by scanning the street, watching other students pass by. Evan, however, found himself staring at her absentmindedly, the way she tapped her foot and hummed quietly under her breath.
"Here you go," the man said, handing over the cotton candy.
Evan paid, and the two of them continued walking. He tore off a piece of the sugary fluff and popped it into his mouth before glancing at Lina. "So… what's up? What are you thinking about?"
Lina shook her head quickly. "Oh, it's nothing."
"Come on, tell me."
She hesitated before admitting softly, "Well… I just wish I could talk to Kai."
At that, Evan nearly choked on the candy. He coughed violently, bending forward as if he'd swallowed fire.
"Evan!" Lina gasped, patting his back in alarm. "Are you okay? What happened?"
He coughed a few more times, waved his hand, and forced out, "I'm good, I'm good."
"Seriously, you scared me," Lina said, guiding him toward a bench nearby. "Sit down before you collapse from sugar overload."
When they both settled, Evan managed a weak laugh. "I'll live. But… why do you want to talk to Kai?"
Lina leaned back, a soft smile spreading across her face. "Because he's been my crush since freshman year of college. Now you may not believe this... but I wasn't always a social butterfly."
Evan tilted his head, smirking. "You? Not a social butterfly? You don't say."
She rolled her eyes. "Don't tease me, I'm serious. Back then, I was shy, timid, scared of everything. But then at the freshman welcome party, I heard his music. It was his first album, Dreaming Freedom. And when those lyrics played..." she paused, her voice softening as if she were repeating sacred words...
'I was also searching for freedom in a world that wasn't mine,I'm not a villain but I wish to change my mind.No one knows because I can't outshine,Everyone doesn't see me as a threat because I'm beneath.But now I shine, you hear my voice,I've been shouting for freedom and now I've got it.'
Her eyes glimmered as she continued, "The moment I heard those lines, I knew it was time to change. So I pushed myself out there. I became more confident, more social. And if I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to win all the competitions I've won. I owe that to Kai. Even if I don't know his face, his voice and his lyrics touched me first. That's what made me fall for him."
Evan didn't answer. He just stared at her, completely taken in by the sincerity in her voice. Before he realized it, a tiny tear slipped down his cheek.
Lina turned and gasped. "Boy, why are you crying? Was it that pathetic?"
Evan wiped his cheek quickly, shaking his head. "No, no, it wasn't pathetic. It was… beautiful."
Lina laughed awkwardly. "You're too emotional."
He straightened and cleared his throat. "You should text him on social media. Tell him how you feel. I bet he'd want to hear it."
She scoffed. "Oh, please. He probably wouldn't answer. Celebrities are always busy. They don't have time for commoners like me."
"Don't think that way," Evan said firmly. "What if he's also just a regular guy? Maybe even a college student like us."
"Still," Lina muttered, shaking her head. "He wouldn't have time for my message."
"You won't know unless you try," Evan said, leaning forward. "Text him. I promise you, he'll answer."
Lina gave him a suspicious look. "Why do you sound so confident?"
"Because I just know," he said, smiling faintly.
She sighed. "Fine, I will. But if he leaves me on read, I'm blaming you."
"Deal."
She chuckled and leaned back. "You're a really great friend, Evan."
"We're friends?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
Lina narrowed her eyes. "We've been hanging out for almost a month now. You've been to my hostel, I tell you everything about my day, we eat together. What do you think we are?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks flushing pink. "Friends," he said with a small smile.
Lina groaned. "You're a weird dude. Crying over my speech and all." She burst into laughter and playfully smacked his shoulder.
Evan laughed too, though quieter, his gaze lingering on her longer than she noticed.
Later that day, Lina was sprawled across her bed, phone clutched in her hands, her face a mask of nerves. She stared at the glowing screen, muttering to herself.
"You got this. Come on, Lina. Just a text."
She tapped into Kai's social media DMs and began typing furiously.
Hi Kai, it's me, Lina, your biggest fan.
She groaned and immediately backspaced. "No, no, scrap that out. Too cringe."
Her fingers danced again.
Hey Kai, I've been your fan for a long time and you helped me with my anxiety.
She winced, dropping the phone on her stomach. "Ew, way too personal."
Flopping dramatically against her pillow, she buried her face. "I will text him today, I will text him today…"
Determined, she grabbed the phone again and typed something short.
Hey Kai, I really love your music and I wanted to ask how you're doing.
She hovered over the send button, her thumb trembling. "Too much? Should I… oh, forget it!" With a small squeal, she pressed send, then instantly threw her phone aside and yanked her blanket over her head.
"I wonder if it was too much," she mumbled from under the covers. "Should I delete it? Yeah, I should delete it."
She bolted upright, snatched her phone back, and unlocked it, only to see a new notification.
I'm good, thanks for asking. And how are you doing?
From Kai.
Lina froze. Then her eyes widened. And then...
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed, bouncing up from her bed like a firecracker. "He replied to my text! Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, OH MY GOODNESS!"
The door slammed open and Jessie appeared, eyes wide. "Girl, what's wrong? Why are you screaming like someone proposed to you?"
Lina stood in the middle of the room, smiling so wide her cheeks hurt. She waved her phone like a trophy. "Kai replied to my text message!"
Jessie leaned against the doorframe, unimpressed. "Girl, please. Can't you be less delusional for one second?"
"I'm serious!" Lina said, practically skipping across the room. "Look, look at it!"
Jessie snatched the phone, glanced down, and blinked. "Wow… he actually did reply."
Lina crossed her arms, nodding proudly. "Told you."
Jessie handed the phone back with a teasing smirk. "I guess artists don't have better things to do these days."
"Jessie!" Lina snapped, glaring.
Jessie laughed, backing out of the room with her hands raised. "Okay, okay, fine! I'm leaving. Congrats, girl."
The door closed, and Lina collapsed onto her bed again, clutching her phone to her chest. She reread the message over and over, her cheeks flushed, her heart racing like she'd just won the lottery.
The next morning, Lina woke up glowing with happiness. She hummed to herself as she got dressed, her mood so light it felt like even her shoes skipped along with her.
On her way to class, she spotted Evan walking across the courtyard.
"Hey," Evan called, lifting a hand in greeting.
Lina broke into a grin and jogged over to him, nearly bouncing with excitement.
"Someone seems happy," Evan said, amused.
Without warning, Lina threw her arms around him in a hug. His entire face turned red. "Lina, what's going on?"
She pulled back, beaming. "You're the best, Evan! If you hadn't told me to text Kai yesterday, he never would've replied."
Evan blinked. "He… he replied?"
"He did!" Lina clapped her hands together, her smile stretching from ear to ear.
Evan managed a small smile. "I'm so happy for you. See? I told you he would."
Lina nodded eagerly. "I'll tell you all about it later. Right now, I've got to run to class."
"Yeah, sure," Evan said softly.
Lina waved and practically skipped the rest of the way, her joy spilling into every step. Evan stood watching her for a moment, his smile faint but warm, before turning toward his own class.