The sun rose bright over the campus, but today it felt different. Instead of sleepy faces dragging to class, there was energy everywhere. The corridors buzzed with chatter, notice boards were crowded, and posters shone under the morning light.
Arjun was the first to notice. He pulled Yeshwanth and Keerthi along, his usual grin plastered across his face.
"Oi, what's happening? Is there some festival? Don't tell me I missed free food," he said, craning his neck.
Keerthi rolled her eyes but followed him. "You'd only come running if someone announced samosas."
They finally reached the crowd. Yeshwanth stood quietly, watching. His friends pushed through students until Keerthi stopped in front of a large poster pinned in the center.
Her eyes scanned the bold letters, and she read aloud:
"Inter-Department Hackathon: Build a Data Solution for Real Problems. Teams of 3–5. Mixed departments encouraged. Winners receive scholarships and project funding. Eliminations are final."
Arjun whistled dramatically. "Hackathon! That's big. Look at the prizes—scholarship money, internships… Bro, this is like jackpot."
Keerthi turned to Yeshwanth immediately, her lips curving into a sly smile. "This is your zone. Numbers, codes, analysis… all that nerdy stuff you love."
Yeshwanth's stomach twisted. Sure, he loved data. He could spend hours solving puzzles, finding patterns in messy numbers, even predicting outcomes. But being part of a competition? With students from all over the campus? That was something else.
He shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know… Maybe it's too soon."
Arjun clapped his back hard enough to make him cough. "Too soon? Come on, man. This is your battlefield! Everyone has their talent—mine is eating, hers is gossiping—yours is data. Own it."
Keerthi smirked. "Also, mixed teams mean you need members from other departments. Guess who's from Electronics?"
Yeshwanth followed her pointing finger—and froze.
Across the hall, Meera stood with her friends, reading the same poster. Tall, confident, her ponytail swinging lightly as she scanned the details.
Yeshwanth's chest tightened. His mind flashed back to their awkward first meeting. She had laughed, teased him, and somehow, that memory had been replaying in his head for days.
Arjun noticed instantly. "Oh-ho, look at him. Eyes locked, heartbeat skipping."
"Shut up," Yeshwanth muttered, but his ears turned red.
Arjun cupped his hands and whispered theatrically, "Meeeraaa, come save our shy hero!"
Keerthi burst into giggles. "Imagine him trying to code while staring at her. We'll lose in the first round."
Yeshwanth buried his face in his notebook. "Why am I even friends with you two?"
Registration Time
By afternoon, the registration desks were set up. Students lined up, filling forms, scribbling team names, chatting about ideas.
Arjun and Keerthi were halfway through theirs when a voice spoke from behind.
"Hey… you're Yeshwanth, right?"
He stiffened. Slowly turning, he saw Meera standing there. Confident smile, form in her hand.
Keerthi's jaw dropped slightly, and Arjun's grin spread like wildfire.
"Uh… y-yeah," Yeshwanth stammered.
"I heard you're good at numbers," she said casually, as if it were common knowledge. "Want to form a team? I need someone strong in data."
For a moment, he thought he was dreaming. She… she asked me?
His brain blanked. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Arjun elbowed him from behind. "Say yes, idiot!" he whispered.
"Y-yes, of course," Yeshwanth blurted out.
Meera's smile widened. "Great. Then it's settled. We'll work together." She handed over her form, then walked off toward the desk.
Arjun grabbed Yeshwanth by the shoulders, shaking him. "BRO. Do you realize what just happened? The queen bee of Electronics asked you to join her team."
Keerthi shook her head dramatically. "Forget coding. This is officially a love story."
Yeshwanth groaned, covering his face. "Can you two not?"
But despite his protests, a strange warmth filled his chest. Someone like her… wanted to work with him.
Team Announcement
By evening, lists were pinned up on the notice board. Students crowded again, checking team names and challenges.
Arjun scanned quickly and shouted, "Here! Team 17!"
They read together:
Team 17
Yeshwanth (Data Science)
Arjun (Computer Science)
Keerthi (Information Technology)
Meera (Electronics)
Arjun fist-pumped the air. "Dream team assembled!"
Keerthi smirked. "And imagine the drama."
Yeshwanth just shook his head, but secretly, his heart thudded with nervous excitement.
Then they read the challenge:
Round 1 Task: Analyze real-time city traffic data and design a solution to reduce congestion.
Arjun blinked. "Traffic? Are they serious? They want us to fix the entire city? What are we, superheroes?"
Keerthi laughed. "Well, Yeshwanth is our superhero."
Arjun added quickly, "And his secret power is… Meera."
"Stop it," Yeshwanth muttered, face buried again.
But deep down, he couldn't deny it. For the first time, something exciting awaited him—not just books, not just classes, but a challenge where he could actually prove himself.
A Hint of Rivalry
As they left the board, another group of students passed by, smirking. A tall guy from Mechanical Engineering sneered, "Traffic solutions? Better drop out now. Leave it to the pros."
Meera's eyes narrowed. "We'll see who drops out."
Arjun whispered, "Oh man, she's scarier than any teacher. I like her fire."
Yeshwanth glanced at her. She wasn't just pretty—there was sharp confidence in her voice, like she knew she belonged wherever she stood. He wondered how he could match up.
Evening Banter
Later in the canteen, the team sat together for the first time.
Arjun leaned back. "Alright, Captain Yeshwanth, tell us the plan. You're the data wizard."
"Plan?" Yeshwanth blinked. "We haven't even seen the dataset yet."
Keerthi laughed. "That's his way of saying, 'Don't disturb me until I check the numbers.'"
Meera leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "So you're the quiet type, huh? Let's see if you're as good with data as they say."
Yeshwanth swallowed. "I'll… try my best."
Arjun leaned toward Keerthi, whispering loudly enough for everyone to hear, "He's not trying his best. He's trying to impress his best."
Keerthi nearly choked on her juice, laughing.
"Both of you will be the death of me," Yeshwanth groaned.
But even as they teased, the group laughed together, and something clicked. Maybe this team would actually work.
The Cliffhanger
At night, the official message popped into their student portal:
Dataset Released: Real-time traffic feed from city sensors.
First round deadline: 24 hours.
Arjun stared at the screen. "They're not kidding. This is massive. Live data, crazy patterns, thousands of rows."
Keerthi clapped her hands. "Well, genius, time to shine."
Meera smirked at Yeshwanth. "Show us what you've got."
Yeshwanth stared at the dataset, his nerves battling excitement. This wasn't just a project. It was his chance—maybe to prove himself, maybe to grow closer to the people around him, maybe even… to her.
The hackathon had officially begun.