The day you were accepted into the Graphic Design department felt like your life had been split cleanly in two. On one side were the familiar streets you grew up on, the smell of your mother’s cooking drifting from the kitchen, and the quiet comfort of home. On the other side was a new city, unfamiliar faces, and a life you would have to build on your own.

Packing your suitcase had been a strange mix of excitement and fear. The first few weeks were difficult. Being miles away from your family felt heavier at night, especially when you were alone in your dorm room. But time has a quiet way of softening things. You quickly grew close to the girls in your dorm—late-night snacks in the shared kitchen, whispered conversations that lasted until dawn, laughter echoing down the hallway. Little by little, the city stopped feeling foreign.

Alongside your university classes, you started working part-time at a bookstore. The scent of old pages, the soft rustle of paper, and the small wooden stool behind the register became part of your daily rhythm. That was around the time you also met Rean, who worked part-time at a cookie shop nearby. He was a year older than you and worked with Kylen.

Kylen… you had known him for years. You went to the same high school and survived some of your most complicated teenage moments together. Seeing a familiar face in a new city was comforting. So when he called and asked you to come downtown on Friday night to meet his girlfriend, Aria, you agreed without hesitation. You needed to socialize anyway.

Traffic, however, had other plans. The bus crawled forward inch by inch while you kept checking the time, sighing in frustration. When you finally reached the café, you pushed the door open in a hurry. The warm scent of coffee and the soft glow of dim lights welcomed you. Your eyes searched the room until you spotted Kylen waving his arm high in the air.

You smiled and walked over, slipping your bag off your shoulder as you spoke, slightly out of breath. “I’m so sorry. The traffic was insane. I thought I was close to my stop at least three times…”

Aria and Kylen were sitting side by side. Aria immediately stood out—her dark brown wavy hair framed her porcelain-like skin beautifully. Her warm brown eyes shimmered gently under the lights, and her smile seemed to brighten the entire table. Next to her, Kylen—with his jet-black hair and lip piercing—carried a slightly rebellious yet gentle aura that complemented her perfectly.

Touching the piercing on his lip, Kylen smiled at you. “You should’ve told us you were taking the bus. We would’ve picked you up. Why didn’t you say anything?”

You shrugged lightly and took the seat across from them, only then noticing there was someone else at the table. Kylen had mentioned it before—Rean was coming too.

Your eyes slowly drifted toward him. His hair wasn’t purely blonde; subtle brown shades showed at the roots and underneath, making it clear the color was natural. His bangs fell slightly over his forehead, while the rest was loosely tied back into a small half-ponytail. His eyes were a striking grayish blue—almost shifting between the two shades depending on the light. Tiny freckles rested just beneath his eyes. His well-shaped brown eyebrows sharpened his features, giving his face a naturally defined look.

When Rean realized you were studying him, he brought a hand to his chin and turned his gaze directly toward you.

“Hey"

His voice was calm—neither overly warm nor distant.

A brief silence settled over the table before Aria let out a soft laugh, gently breaking the tension. “Kylen’s told me so much about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Kylen leaned back in his chair. “She was the most talented designer in high school,” he said proudly. “If she becomes a famous artist one day, I get the right to say I knew her first.”

Aria nudged his arm playfully. “Don’t exaggerate.”