Luka stepped out through the transparent glass doors of the café, stopping just beyond the threshold.
"I know you're there," he called out, glancing toward a line of vending machines.
Duke let out a defeated sigh. "How long did you know I was following you?" he asked, stepping out from between the machines and walking over.
"I knew you were watching me inside the café," Luka replied, pulling his headphones out of his bag. "Where you were hiding out here was just a guess."
"So... who was that?" Duke asked, his voice stern.
"I don't think you need to know," Luka said, slipping the headphones around his neck.
"That's the answer you're going with? I don't know about you, but she seemed pretty happy talking to you."
"That's a given. I just helped her out with some guys who were harassing her," Luka said, scrolling through a music playlist on his phone.
Duke let out a long breath of relief. "For a second there, I thought you were actually attracted to her or something."
"Only someone out of their mind would be attracted to a girl on a date and not tell her to change her clothes first," Luka noted calmly. "She was obviously roughed up from the incident, even if she tried to clean herself up before following me."
Duke flushed with embarrassment. "Now that I think about it, you're right. What was I thinking?"
Luka pulled his headphones over his ears and began to walk away.
"Hey, Luka! Brianna's been looking everywhere for you! Luka! Hey, Luka!" Duke called out, but Luka was already out of earshot. "Ugh, what am I going to tell Brianna now?" Duke muttered, turning back toward the campus grounds.
Meanwhile, standing in a quiet corner near the café, Jason dabbed at his swollen, bloody nose with a stained handkerchief.
"Luka... that bastard," Jason growled through grit teeth. "I'm going to make sure I pay him back for this."
The Next Day...
"Luka!"
Brianna's voice rang out as she sprinted toward him near the front gates of the college.
"Where were you yesterday?" she asked, catching up and lightly tapping his shoulder. "You straight-up ditched us out of nowhere."
"You really should learn how to address someone without physical contact. I find it rude," Luka replied, his expression as calm as ever.
Brianna smirked. "Does that mean I made your heart race?"
She fell into step beside him as they walked toward the School Art Gallery, where Duke and Brittney were already waiting.
Brittney pounced on Brianna the moment they arrived. "There you are! I thought you guys were going to be late for sure." She glanced at Luka in surprise. "Hi, Luka. I'm actually surprised you two showed up together."
Luka's face remained completely unreadable. "We simply met at the gate and walked over," he said with a quiet sigh.
Duke leaned in close to Luka, dropping his voice to a whisper. "I didn't tell them about yesterday. I just told them someone saw you leaving campus grounds."
"I didn't particularly care whether you told them or not," Luka whispered back. "But since you didn't, what do you want me to do?"
Duke smiled, secretly relieved that Luka was cooperating. "Brianna can get a bit terrifying when she's mad. I don't even want to think about what would happen if she found out I saw you with another girl. So please..."
Brianna cut him off, narrowing her eyes with a mischievous smirk. "And what, if I may ask, are you two being so hush-hush about?"
Duke froze, immediately trying to turn toward the gallery entrance, but Brianna grabbed his arm. "Tell me, Duke. Is it something we aren't supposed to know?"
Duke turned back slowly, silently praying for a miracle.
A gentle morning breeze blew past, rustling Luka's dark blue hair. "I don't think it's your place to pry into private conversations between guys," Luka interjected smoothly. "Besides, aren't we supposed to be heading to class?"
What an absolute savior, Duke thought in relief.
OMG, that sounded so cringe, Brianna thought, biting back a laugh.
Brittney simply stood by, completely dumbstruck. Having rarely socialized with people his own age, Luka's conversational skills—largely gleaned from books and the occasional film—could be absurdly formal at times.
"He's right, though," Duke added quickly. "We should get inside."
"Fine, let me off the hook this time," Brianna relented as they stepped into the gallery.
Inside, a professor was already addressing the gathered crowd of students. "These are pieces created by upperclassmen and alumni," he explained, gesturing to the framed artwork along the high walls. "While most were completed during their sophomore year, a few exceptional first-year works are on display as well..."
He paused, letting the class admire the collection before dropping his main announcement. "Because of the high caliber of talent this year, the faculty has organized an exclusive first-year project."
Gasps and excited whispers broke out across the room.
"Over the next month, alongside your regular coursework, you will be divided into five groups to produce a collaborative visual presentation," the professor continued. "It will be presented before a full audience. Detailed guidelines will be handed out after class. Let us move on..."
As the crowd moved deeper into the exhibition hall, Luka lingered near the back, silently taking in the displays.
Brianna slowed her pace to match his. "You really are a big fan of art, aren't you? I don't fully understand what you see in all these paintings, but watching you admire them actually makes me happy."
Luka glanced at her. "I admire art because I see a reflection of people in it—what they felt while creating it, the effort they poured into every stroke... their emotions."
"I respect that," she said, offering a warm smile. "You really appreciate other people's work."
For a fleeting second, something sparked in Luka's posture before settling back into his usual reserve. "It's easy to appreciate color in the world when you live in black and white yourself."
Brianna looked at him, her smile softening into genuine concern. "I've been wondering for a while now, Luka... why do you act like you don't care about anything around you, even when you clearly do?"
Luka shrugged, turning his gaze back to a nearby canvas. "What do you mean?"
"The other day, when you—"
"Everyone, please stay together with the group," the professor called out from the front of the hall. "Those in the back, move up."
Luka used the interruption to step away. "We should join the rest of the class," he said quietly, leaving Brianna standing in the gallery as she watched him walk away with a look of deep concern.