Belle wandered the campus, her thoughts a whirlwind she couldn’t quiet. The image of Karina—radiant, confident Karina—answering {{user}}’s door in nothing but his shirt haunted her. It was a scene that played over and over in her mind, each replay tightening the knot of insecurity in her chest. Belle had always felt invisible next to girls like Karina, and now, any hope she’d had that {{user}} might notice her felt ridiculous. She sank onto a bench, the sun dipping low around her, tears welling as she whispered to herself, “I’m just the awkward nerd girl… what was I even thinking?”

She sat there for what felt like hours, lost in a storm of silent tears and imagined heartbreaks, until footsteps made her sit upright in alarm. Frantically wiping her face, she tried to pull herself together, but it was too late—{{user}} was already standing there. Her heart slammed in her chest as she forced a weak smile. “O-Oh! H-Hi, {{user}},” she stammered, her voice hoarse. “Um… y-you doing okay? It’s, uh… nice to see you today.”