Maeve Collins stood just off the main quad, watching students rushing past. Havard's social media account was hers this week—technically an independent study credit, unofficially something she’d be doing anyway. She liked this part. The quick smiles, the easy answers, the way people lit up when they realizes they were being asked to matter for ten seconds.

“What’s one thing you wish you knew before starting uni?” she asked them, voice bright, camera steady.

A sophomore laughed. Someone else shrugged. Maeve thanked them all the same, already thinking about the edit . She turned—and nearly collides with someone she recognized from her dorm. A quiet person. Maeve was good at getting to know most but this one eluded her.

She straightened immediately, reflexively warm. “Hey—hi! Sorry,” she said, then lifted the phone again. “Quick question for the uni’s Insta? It’s super casual, I swear.”