The afternoon classes ended with the usual rustle of papers and scraping of chairs. Students poured out of the lecture rooms in clusters, talking about assignments, weekend plans, or nothing at all.
Ryan stood waiting near the doorway of the room next to his.
He shifted from foot to foot, trying to look casual but failing miserably. He kept adjusting the strap of his bag, then his hair, then his shirt, as if each second made him more aware of how ridiculous he probably looked.
Just apologize. That's it. Simple. Easy, he told himself.
But his heart still thumped a little harder than usual.
The classroom door opened.
Yuna stepped out, holding her books neatly against her chest. Her glasses caught the light for a moment, and she blinked as her eyes adjusted to the hallway brightness.
Ryan straightened instantly.
"Hey!" he called, waving awkwardly.
Yuna paused mid-step, then offered a gentle smile. "Oh… hello."
Ryan hurried over—but slowed down halfway, remembering the morning collision a little too vividly. "Uh—I just wanted to apologize again. You know… for earlier. The whole… accident. Crash. Disaster."
A faint laugh escaped her. "It's alright. Really."
"No, no," Ryan insisted, raising both hands. "Let me at least make it up to you. How about a can of cold tea? My treat. As an official apology."
Yuna blinked, surprised by the offer. She looked down at her books for a second, thinking. She didn't have work today. No urgent tasks. And something about his earnestness made it easy to say yes.
"Okay," she said softly. "Tea sounds nice."
Ryan's eyes brightened immediately. "Great! There's a vending machine near the courtyard. Come on—I promise I won't run this time."
Yuna followed beside him, her steps quiet and composed.
And for a moment, Ryan felt oddly nervous— not from the running but from walking next to her.
They walked toward the courtyard vending machines, the breeze shifting lightly through the leaves overhead. When they reached them, Ryan bought the cold tea with exaggerated focus, acting as if pressing the right button required absolute precision.
He turned and offered the can to Yuna with both hands.
"Peace offering."
"Thank you," she said softly, accepting it.
Ryan glanced toward a nearby bench under the oak tree.
"Um… do you… want to sit for a bit? Only if you're not busy."
Yuna hesitated for a second, weighing her schedule. She had no urgent tasks today.
"Alright," she said.
They sat down, leaving a polite space between them. Yuna opened the can with a soft click and took a small sip. Ryan fiddled with the zipper of his bag before deciding to speak.
"So…" he began, then immediately frowned. "Wait—this is embarrassing, but— I don't even know your name."
Yuna blinked, then laughed very gently. "Oh. It's Yuna. Yuna Lee."
"Yuna…" Ryan repeated, trying it on his tongue as if testing the sound. "Nice name. I'm Ryan. Ryan Hale."
"I know," she said quietly.
Ryan's head snapped toward her. "You… do?"
Yuna tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're in the class next to mine. And you're… kind of noticeable."
"Noticeable?" Ryan blinked.
"Is that good noticeable? Or, like… 'he causes chaos everywhere he goes' noticeable?"
Yuna smiled shyly. "A little of both."
Ryan groaned into his hands. "Great. So my reputation precedes me."
"It's not a bad thing," Yuna said softly. "You seem… lively. Friendly."
Ryan looked up, slightly stunned by the sincerity in her tone.
"Well… I'm glad I at least seem friendly. I promise I don't usually tackle people in the morning."
She laughed again—soft, light, the kind that made his chest feel strangely warm.
Ryan leaned back a little, relaxing more than he expected. "So, Yuna Lee. What year are you in?"
"First year of graduate studies," she replied. "Humanities department."
Ryan grinned. "Same department, different class. Maybe that makes us neighbors."
Yuna nodded, gaze dropping shyly to her tea. "Maybe."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence—just a gentle one, carried by the rustling leaves overhead.
Ryan scratched his cheek. "Thanks for… not being mad about this morning."
Yuna looked at him, her eyes warm behind her glasses.
"I told you. It's alright. And… I'm glad you came to apologize."
Ryan felt something tighten—softly, quietly—in his chest.
He didn't know what it was. But he didn't mind it.
***
The courtyard buzzed with its usual after-class noise—chairs scraping, conversations drifting, footsteps scattering across the stone paths. Solace and Valen stepped out of the building together, books in hand, heading toward the dorms.
Valen stretched his shoulders. "Man, I'm starving. Let's grab something on the way ba—"
"Wait," Solace said quietly.
Valen paused. "What?"
Solace nodded toward the vending area near the benches.
Ryan was there, sitting beside a girl they had never seen before—short black hair, glasses, soft features. She held a can of cold tea in her hands while Ryan talked, his gestures awkward but earnest. The girl listened politely, nodding with a small, shy smile.
Valen blinked. "Uh… who's that?"
"No idea," Solace replied.
They watched for a second longer.
Ryan said something. The girl laughed—soft, quick, almost surprised at herself. Ryan straightened immediately, like he'd been rewarded with a medal.
Valen stared, eyes wide. "…Is he flirting?"
Solace gave a slow, thoughtful nod. "Looks like he crashed into her. Literally."
Valen squinted. "Wait. That's how they met?"
"That would be my guess."
Valen shook his head in disbelief. "Man, he oversleeps one day and suddenly he's unlocking side quests."
Solace exhaled through his nose, amused. "I'm more surprised he apologized properly. That's new."
They drifted a little more to the side to avoid being spotted.
Ryan, meanwhile, tried to open his can of tea and failed twice. The girl offered to help. He turned scarlet.
Valen whispered, "Bro… look at him."
Solace crossed his arms. "He's trying."
"…and failing," Valen added.
"But trying," Solace repeated.
Valen cracked a smile. "Think this is serious?"
Solace shrugged lightly. "Too early to tell. But he looks… interested."
"And she looks… not terrified," Valen added. "So that's a good start."
Solace nudged him with his elbow. "Come on. Let's leave them. If Ryan sees us staring, he'll combust."
Valen snorted. "Yeah, and blame us for it."
They turned away, heading toward the dorm path, leaving Ryan and the unfamiliar girl to whatever new chapter was beginning for them.