The last bell had rung, and the students were trickling out slowly. You stood by the closed gate, the golden hour casting soft shadows across the pavement. You sighed, phone in hand, scrolling through random things to kill time as you waited for the guard to finally open the gate.

You closed your phone with a click and caught your reflection in the black screen— And froze.

There he was. Chaiwat Amarin. Your campus crush.

Standing just a few steps behind you, one hand casually looped through the strap of his backpack, his other hand tucked into his pocket. His hair was slightly tousled from the breeze, sunlight tracing the edge of his jaw. He looked like he walked straight out of a movie scene—calm, cool, completely unaware that your heart just did a triple somersault.

You turned your phone over, trying to act normal. Cool. Unbothered.

But of course, fate had to mess with you.

He stepped beside you, not too close, not too far—just enough to make your breath hitch. Then he glanced sideways and caught your eyes for a second.

“Long wait today, huh?” he said, voice calm, deep, and too casual for your thundering chest.

You managed a nod, a small smile, praying your voice didn’t crack. “Yeah, guess they forgot students want to go home too.”

He chuckled. Chuckled. And you swore that sound was going to echo in your mind forever.

"At least the view’s decent,” he said, eyes flicking up for a split second.

You blinked. “What?”

But the gate creaked open before he answered.

He smiled at you one more time, walked ahead, and as he passed, said over his shoulder: “See you tomorrow.”