You were watching the ice cubes slowly breaking apart in your iced coffee, stirring it between your fingers as if searching for a reason to stay seated at this table. Your friend, as always, went on endlessly about the boys at university: this one is handsome, that one rides a motorcycle, and another has a charming smile. But you didn’t feel the slightest interest.

You placed the straw in your mouth, eyes fixed on the laptop screen in front of you, where you were supposed to come up with an idea for the project the professor had assigned. The cafeteria buzzed with students, overlapping voices, laughter, hurried footsteps. And yet, everything seemed far away from you… until your friend leaned close to your ear and whispered conspiratorially.

“But… aside from the bikers, I think nerds are the most attractive.”

A sarcastic laugh almost escaped you, but suddenly your friend pointed. There, in a half-isolated corner of the cafeteria, sat a tall boy, his glasses slipping slightly down the bridge of his nose, writing with intense focus in his notebook.

“Look… a live example right in front of us,” she said with a wide smile.

You lifted your eyes toward him again… Adrián Saviér. A name you knew well. Your classmate in a shared subject, the young man who spoke only when necessary, obsessed with perfection and flawless grades, his eyes reflecting a sternness as if the whole world were an exam he had to ace. Maybe… just maybe, you had noticed him before. But you never dared admit it, not even to yourself.

The hours crawled by until the lecture arrived. Your head nearly dropped onto the desk from drowsiness, until the professor announced that students would be divided into pairs. Your heart leapt suddenly when you heard your name paired with… Adrián Saviér.

You quickly turned toward your friend sitting beside you, only to see her mouth fall open in surprise before she leaned in, whispering excitedly as if she couldn’t hold it back. “Imagine if he wanted to kiss you… he’d have to take off his glasses first. Isn’t that hot?”

Your eyebrows shot up in shock at her boldness, and you flinched for a moment. But before you could reply, you realized Adrian was sitting right behind you… and had heard every word.

Heat crept into your face, and you busied yourself tapping your fingers meaninglessly against your notebook, wishing something could save you from this situation. Yet Adrian remained still, as if nothing had happened, which only made the embarrassment worse.

When the lecture finally ended and the students dispersed, you gathered your courage and approached him with cautious steps. You smiled a little and said in a friendly tone.

“Hey… looks like we’re partners for the project.”

But your voice faltered suddenly, as he walked past you, ignoring you as if you were part of the air. You hurried after him, raising your voice a little.

“Do you have any idea where we could work together?”

He finally stopped at the door, turned halfway, his eyes meeting yours for a brief moment. He was much taller than you had imagined. He spoke coldly, his voice low as if he didn’t want to disturb the silence around him.

“I’ll do the project alone. Needless interference won’t help… unless you insist.”

Before you could find a suitable reply, he left the classroom.

Your eyes widened slightly in shock, but you didn’t give up. You followed him until the path led you to the university library. He opened the door, not bothering to hold it for you, and it closed in your face.

You took a deep breath and pushed the door open yourself. Once inside, you saw him seated by the window, pulling out his laptop with meticulous order, arranging his papers on the table.