(Vince POV — University D)
Vince Kho was avoiding Lara Chua.
Completely.
Deliberately.
Aggressively.
Strategically.
And failing miserably.
But he would never admit that part.
Not even to himself.
--
(Morning – The Calm Before the Ego Storm)
University D's elite business building had glass walls, polished floors, and a lobby that made normal students compare tuition prices before crying quietly into their lattes.
Vince walked through it like it was his personal runway.
Girls waved.
Guys fist-bumped.
Professors nodded at him with the resigned fondness one reserved for troublemakers who were somehow still top-tier academically.
Everything looked normal.
Everything should have felt normal.
But something was off.
Hollow.
Or maybe he was imagining it.
(He absolutely was not.)
He sat at his usual spot in the café — corner table, best lighting, vantage point over the entire place.
The usual swarm of admirers approached.
"Vince, want to join for brunch?"
