I always hated being early.
Not because I was lazy—please, I thrive on being prepared—but because being early meant being forced to sit in a room full of strangers, pretending I didn't care while secretly judging everyone's outfit choices and posture.
And today, of all days, I was fifteen minutes early.
Freshman year. Hospitality Management. New building. New faces. New chaos.
Perfect.
I stopped in front of the classroom door, checking my reflection in the glass like it was a full-length mirror instead of a dusty panel. Hair? Smooth. Lip tint? Still on. Bag? Slung perfectly over my shoulder like I didn't try too hard—which, of course, I did.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room smelled like newly polished floors and cheap air freshener. The kind that tries too hard to be "ocean breeze" but ends up smelling like sad lemons. Sunlight poured in through the wide windows, casting long lines of light across the rows of chairs and desks.
Most of the seats were still empty. A few students were scattered around—some on their phones, some whispering to each other, some already looking like they regretted choosing an 8 AM class.
I scanned the room.
Front row? Too eager.
Middle row? Too normal.
Back row? Too invisible.
I chose the seat near the window, third row from the back. Perfect balance. I could see everything without being seen as the teacher's favorite.
As I dropped into my chair, my phone buzzed.
Bella: zhy, where are you???
I smirked.
Me: Already here. You? Late again, as usual?
Three dots appeared immediately.
Bella: Traffic. And my eyeliner betrayed me. Don't judge.
I rolled my eyes, smiling.
Classic Bella.
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms as more students started to trickle in. The room slowly filled with noise—shoes scraping the floor, chairs being dragged, laughter that was a little too loud for a first day, and the occasional dramatic sigh from someone who clearly didn't want to be here.
I watched them like I was in a movie theater.
Two girls near the front were already taking selfies, angling their phones and whispering about lighting. A guy in a varsity jacket dropped his bag dramatically like he wanted everyone to notice him. Someone else was struggling to open a water bottle, turning red in the face like it was a personal enemy.
Freshmen energy.
I tapped my fingers on my desk, feeling that familiar itch of curiosity and boredom mixed together. New people always fascinated me. Not because I wanted to be friends with all of them—but because everyone had a story.
And sometimes, you could tell what kind of person someone was just by the way they walked into a room.
That's when I felt it.
Not saw. Felt.
That strange shift in the air when someone enters and doesn't try to be noticed… but still is.
The door opened again.
I didn't turn right away. I don't know why. Maybe pride. Maybe instinct. Maybe I just didn't want to look like everyone else who immediately snapped their head toward the sound.
But the room went quieter.
Not silent. Just… lower.
Like someone had turned the volume knob down by a few notches.
I slowly glanced over.
Tall.
That was the first thing I noticed.
He stood just inside the doorway, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a bag slung over his shoulder like it weighed nothing. He wore a plain dark shirt and jeans, nothing flashy, nothing screaming for attention. And yet, somehow, my eyes locked onto him like he was the only person in the room.
He didn't look around. Didn't hesitate. Didn't seem impressed or nervous.
He just walked in.
His steps were unhurried, confident, like he already knew exactly where he belonged—even if this was his first day too.
I frowned slightly, not even realizing it.
Who walks like that?
He passed by my row, and I caught a glimpse of his face.
Sharp jaw. Calm expression. Eyes focused straight ahead.
Cold.
That was the word that came to mind.
Not in a bad way. Just… distant. Like he was present physically but somewhere else mentally.
He chose a seat at the back, far corner. A place where no one would bother him. A place where he could see everything without being part of it.
Interesting.
I looked away quickly, annoyed at myself for staring.
What, Zhyra? You've never seen a tall guy before?
My phone buzzed again.
Bella: Save me a seat, pretty please.
Me: Too late. I picked the best one already.
Bella: You're evil.
I smiled to myself and slipped my phone back into my bag.
The professor hadn't arrived yet, so the room filled with the sound of conversations growing louder. People introduced themselves to seatmates, comparing schedules, majors, and where they were from.
O
I leaned toward the girl beside me, who was nervously flipping through her notebook.
"Hospitality Management?" I asked.
She looked up, surprised, then nodded.
"Yeah. First choice."
"Same," I said. "Good luck surviving group projects."
She laughed nervously. "I heard they're brutal."
"They are," I said confidently, like I'd already lived through them. "But at least we'll suffer together."
She smiled, relaxing a little.
I leaned back again, glancing around the room.
The guy at the back hadn't moved. He sat there, arms resting casually on his desk, eyes forward. He didn't check his phone. Didn't talk to anyone. Didn't even look bored. Like he was waiting.
For what, I had no idea.
The door opened once more, and in rushed Bella, slightly out of breath, hair perfectly styled despite her dramatic entrance.
She spotted me immediately and beelined over.
"Besh!" she whispered loudly, dropping into the seat next to me. "This building is a maze. I almost ended up in Engineering."
I snorted. "You would've lasted five minutes there."
She nudged me. "Rude. But true."
She followed my gaze as I looked around the room.
"Okay," she said, lowering her voice. "First day impressions. Who's cute, who's weird, who's secretly rich?"
I raised an eyebrow. "You're unbelievable."
"And you love me for it."
I sighed dramatically, scanning the room again.
My eyes, annoyingly, drifted back to the back corner.
Bella noticed.
"Oh?" she gave me a teasing look.
I scoffed. "Please. I was just looking."
"At him."
"I was looking at the wall behind him."
Bella leaned to get a better look. "Okay, but why is he sitting like he owns the place?"
"Because he thinks he does," I muttered.
She grinned. "Cold, mysterious type?"
"Or just anti-social," I said.
But I didn't look away.
The professor finally walked in, a middle-aged man with glasses and a kind smile.
"Good morning, class!"
A chorus of sleepy "Good morning, sir" echoed back.
He introduced himself, went over the syllabus, attendance, expectations, and the dreaded words: group projects.
Groans filled the room.
I glanced at Bella. "Told you."
She mouthed, "I'm not ready."
As names were called for attendance, I paid attention, repeating them in my head. Old habit. I liked knowing who was who.
"Verano, Zhyra."
"Here," I said clearly.
"Reagan Matthew Serrano."
A calm voice answered from the back. "Here."
I froze for half a second.
Reagan.
I didn't know why, but the name stuck.
I glanced back.
He didn't look at me. Didn't look at anyone. Just stared straight ahead like nothing around him mattered.
Weird.
The class went on, and I tried to focus, I really did. But my mind kept wandering.
New place. New people. New semester.
New… him.
I hated that my brain even categorized him like that.
When the bell finally rang, chairs scraped the floor as everyone stood up at once.
Bella stretched. "Okay, first class survived. Where to next?"
I checked my schedule. "Same building. Second floor."
We gathered our things and joined the crowd heading for the door.
As we passed the back row, I felt that same weird shift again.
He was standing now, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
For a split second, our eyes almost met.
Almost.
Someone bumped into me, and I stumbled slightly.
By the time I looked back, he was already walking away.
Gone.
Bella didn't notice. She was busy complaining about stairs.
I slowed down for a moment, glancing down the hallway.
Nothing.
I shook my head.
Why am I even thinking about this?
It was just a glimpse.
Just a stranger.
Just the first day.
And somehow, I had a feeling this semester was going to be anything but normal.