The morning light spilled across the dormitory windows, chasing away the quiet of the holidays. Adrian stretched lazily, his expression calm, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He moved with the ease of someone who never rushed, never worried.
Aiden groaned beside him, pulling the blanket over his head. "First day back," he muttered. "You could at least look tired like the rest of us."
Adrian chuckled softly, slipping on his jacket. "Why waste energy looking tired when I can look perfect?"
Cassian leaned against the doorframe, already dressed, his smirk sharp. "The whole campus will be waiting for us. Three cousins, three heartthrobs. Try not to disappoint them."
Adrian tilted his head, playful but mysterious. "Attention is a distraction. But sometimes, distractions are useful."
Julian stumbled out of his room, arms full of Amara's books. Cassian laughed. "Not you, Julian. You're not part of the show. You're just her shadow."
Julian flushed. "She trusts me."
Adrian's reply was slow, deliberate. "Trust is fragile. Don't mistake it for love."
Meanwhile, across town, the school cousins prepared for their own first day back.
Amara tied her hair back, her heart already racing. Orion grinned from the doorway.
"You'll wait for him again, won't you? The whole college calls them heartthrobs, and you're chasing the quietest one."
Amara smiled faintly. "I don't chase. I choose. And I choose him."
Lyra packed her bag quietly, her eyes lingering on Adrian's name scribbled in her notebook. She whispered under her breath, "And I choose him too… but no one can know."
Selene, already dressed for work, shook her head as she passed. "You children never change. Holidays end, but your obsessions don't."
By midday, the college campus was alive again. Adrian, Aiden, and Cassian walked through the gates together, heads turning instantly. A group of girls waiting nearby erupted into screams, phones raised high.
"There they are!" one shouted. "Adrian, look this way!" another cried, snapping pictures.
Cassian laughed, tossing his hair back. "I told you, we're the show everyone came to see." He winked at a group of girls, earning louder squeals.
Aiden shook his head, amused. "You enjoy this too much."
Adrian chuckled softly, his tone playful but mysterious. "Attention is noise. But sometimes, noise hides the truth."
The girls pressed closer, snapping photos, whispering about their looks, their charm, their mystery. Adrian's calm presence drew the most eyes — his silence, his measured words, his casual confidence made him the center of every gaze.
Julian trailed behind, clutching Amara's books, unnoticed by the crowd. His jaw tightened as he watched the girls scream for Adrian.
At school, Amara stood outside her classroom, her gaze fixed on the road. Orion teased her endlessly, while Lyra watched in silence, her jealousy hidden behind calm eyes.
By late afternoon, the cousins began to drift home, the noise of the day fading into quiet anticipation. Adrian walked casually, hands in his pockets, his smile unreadable. Aiden matched his stride, steady as ever. Cassian hummed a tune, still amused by the attention.
Julian followed behind, weighed down by books and unspoken frustration.
And somewhere across town, Amara's heart raced, Orion's laughter echoed, Lyra's silence deepened, and Selene's sharp words lingered.
The first day back had ended. The evening gathering awaited.