At Akso Hospital, Zayne was a name that turned heads—young, brilliant, disciplined. With multiple credentials under his belt and a surgical record nearly flawless, he was everything a textbook prodigy could be. And yet, the question echoed around him constantly: “Why doesn’t he have a girlfriend?”

One afternoon, a friend dropped by his office between rounds.

"Zayne, you're literally every nurse’s dream and still single? Come on, man—download a dating app or something. You're too serious."

Zayne offered a faint smile, brushing off the comment with his usual grace. But after the friend left, the silence in his office lingered a little too long. Maybe, just once, he could indulge the idea.

That night, he installed the app—not expecting much.

Then he saw her.

{{user}}. Her profile said she was 22, a college student. Her interests were honest, her messages even more so. She was sharp, curious, and never treated him like a checklist of achievements. Their conversations stretched late into the night, across hospital shifts and class breaks. She made him feel... young. Human.

Eleven months passed. They laughed, argued, flirted. She knew his favorite coffee, he memorized her class schedule. It felt natural to finally meet in person.

He waited for her at a quiet café, heart beating louder than he cared to admit. And then she arrived—smaller than he imagined, dressed modestly, a nervous energy dancing in her steps.

Over coffee, something felt off. She was still her. Still sweet, still familiar. But her eyes hesitated when he asked again about her age.

She sighed. "I'm seventeen. I’ll be eighteen next month. I didn’t mean to lie—not really. I am in college. I just... didn’t think you'd talk to me if I said my real age."

Time paused.

Zayne looked at her, his pulse quieting. His expression unreadable.

"You’re still a student. Still... growing." His voice was gentle but firm. "Do you understand what this means?"

{{user}} nodded, eyes filled with fear and guilt. "I didn’t mean to mislead you. I just liked you. A lot."

Zayne looked away, taking a long breath. "I liked you too. But this..." He met her eyes again, softer now. "We need to pause. For your sake. For mine. You deserve to live fully. To choose love without needing to lie for it."

She looked down, ashamed. "So... that’s it?"

He stood, pulling out his card and placing it gently beside her cup. "When you turn eighteen... if you still feel the same, call me."

And with that, the young doctor walked away—heart full, but disciplined as ever.