A FEW YEARS LATER
Lukas and Elliene were now studying at a prestigious university.
"Hey, Lukas!" Elliene shouted, waving at him from across the campus.
"Oh, hey, Elliene! I'm staying at the dorms," Lukas replied.
"Oh, I don't stay in dorms. My house is nearby, so I don't really need to," she said casually.
"Apparently, I have a roommate. Isn't that exciting?! I hope we can be friends," Lukas said cheerfully, almost bouncing with excitement.
"What if he's a total weirdo?" Elliene teased.
"Uh… he won't be. Trust me," Lukas said proudly.
The Next Day
Lukas was finally moving into his dorm. He wondered if his roommate was already there.
"Ugh, why didn't I ask for help? These bags are so heavy… I'm going to be late because of this," he muttered, struggling down the hallway.
"Now I have to walk around and find my room. A3… B1… C6… B7… Finally—Room C4."
He noticed a printed name beside the door.
"Lukas Ashford. Yep, that's me. Okay, let's see who my roommate is…"
He leaned closer.
"Heath Legaspi… Why does that name feel so familiar?"
He paused for a second, frowning slightly.
"Nah… never mind."
But for some reason, his heart beat just a little faster.
"I'll go change into my school uniform," Lukas thought as he stepped inside the dorm room.
The room still smelled faintly of fresh paint and unopened luggage. It didn't feel like home yet — just a temporary space filled with unfamiliar silence.
He set his bags down and quickly pulled off his shirt, rummaging through his backpack for his neatly folded uniform.
Then—
The door suddenly opened.
For a split second, time froze.
A pair of eyes met his.
And just as quickly—
**Bang!**
The door slammed shut.
Lukas stood there, stiff as a statue, his uniform halfway out of his bag.
"Oh shi— that must be my roommate," he thought in horror. "He probably thinks I'm some kind of weirdo just standing here naked!"
His ears burned red as he hurriedly put on his uniform.
After composing himself, Lukas walked toward the door and opened it with forced confidence.
Standing outside was a tall boy with slightly messy hair and sharp, calm eyes.
"Oh, hi! You must be my roommate — Heath, right? Nice to meet you!" Lukas said brightly, pretending nothing embarrassing had just happened.
Heath looked slightly stunned by the sudden warm welcome.
"…Yeah. I'm Heath."
"Oh, come in, come in—" Lukas stopped mid-sentence.
Now that he was seeing him clearly…
He's really handsome.
The thought slipped into Lukas' mind before he could stop it.
His features were sharp yet soft at the same time. Effortlessly cool. The kind of face that looked like it belonged in a campus magazine.
If we become friends… maybe I can ask him how he became that handsome, Lukas thought innocently.
Heath tilted his head slightly. "What?"
"N-nothing!"
The tension lingered for a moment before Lukas grabbed his bag.
"I have to go. The entrance ceremony's starting."
The campus auditorium was crowded and noisy.
"Excuse me, excuse me," Lukas muttered as he squeezed through students, trying to find Elliene at their agreed meeting place.
"There you are!" Elliene crossed her arms. "You idiot, why are you late?"
"My bad! I've been carrying so many bags. They're so heavy — it's like I'm carrying the whole house," Lukas complained dramatically.
Elliene rolled her eyes. "Dang, alright, alright. Let's just listen."
The ceremony passed in a blur of speeches and applause. When it finally ended, students and parents flooded the open space outside.
"Hey, Elliene, let's take a picture," Lukas said, his earlier embarrassment completely forgotten.
"Oh sure! My parents are here anyway, let's ask them," she replied.
After a few minutes of searching through the crowd, they found her parents.
"Mom, can you take a picture of me and Lukas?" Elliene asked.
Her mother smiled warmly. "Of course. You two have become so close — it's like you're brother and sister."
Lukas laughed
"Say cheese!"
They both smiled brightly.
Then Lukas quickly added, "You should take a picture with Elliene too, ma'am and sir."
Her father chuckled. "What a thoughtful fellow."
"Alright, 1… 2… 3… say cheese!"
The camera clicked again.
"Bye, Elliene! Also, bye, ma'am and sir. Thank you for having me!" Lukas said politely.