By the time they arrived at Mia's house, the sky had already darkened into deep navy blue. Mia was sitting beneath the front porch light with a backpack slung over one shoulder and a bag in her hand while casually eating a chocolate bar. The moment she noticed the car pulling in, she immediately jumped to her feet and ran toward them excitedly.
As soon as she climbed into the back seat, she waved dramatically.
"Brother Julian! Long time no see properly. You've been monopolizing our Rosalie ever since the trip ended."
Julian chuckled softly while starting the engine again.
"I could say the same thing about you girls spending every hour together at university."
"Hah! That's because your girlfriend is a genius student. We commoners need her tutoring to survive."
Rosalie rolled her eyes while handing her the snack bag.
"Here. Your precious snacks."
Mia instantly brightened.
"Ahhh, this is why I love you."
"You say that every time food is involved," Rosalie replied dryly.
Mia shamelessly opened the chips immediately while continuing to speak between bites.
"So… how was your romantic dinner date? Candlelight? Hand-holding? Eye contact? Dramatic movie scene?"
"Mia," Rosalie warned.
Julian laughed quietly beside them, clearly entertained.
"See? She's shy now," Mia teased even more. "But honestly, Brother Julian, please keep taking care of our Rosie properly. She looks smart and mature, but she forgets to eat when she starts working."
Julian's gaze softened instantly.
"I know," he answered quietly. "That's why I worry."
Rosalie turned toward the window to hide her expression, but the faint warmth spreading across her cheeks didn't escape Mia's sharp eyes.
"Aww… disgusting. You two are too sweet."
A comfortable laughter filled the car.
Soon, their conversation drifted naturally toward university matters. Mia leaned forward from the back seat while chewing on chips.
"Oh right, Ro. About the theory I asked you about yesterday… Lily and I still can't solve it. We almost died trying to understand the equations."
"The actuator response theory?" Rosalie asked.
"Yeah! The force distribution thing for multi-joint movement systems."
Rosalie nodded thoughtfully.
"I think your calculation model is wrong from the beginning. You're treating the shoulder and elbow joints independently when they actually influence each other dynamically."
Mia blinked.
"…See? This is exactly why I need tutoring."
Julian glanced at Rosalie briefly, amusement and admiration mixing in his eyes. Whenever she spoke about engineering or robotics, she transformed completely. Her calm demeanor became sharper, brighter, almost untouchable. It was the same expression she wore inside the laboratory while creating impossible things with her own hands.
Yet moments later, she would cling to his arm like someone who simply wanted affection and warmth.
The contrast was unbearably adorable to him.
Their conversation soon shifted again when Mia suddenly lowered her voice.
"Oh right… about Ethan."
The atmosphere changed slightly.
Mia continued carefully, "I think he's really connected to Eagle Wings somehow. The guys I saw that night… they definitely looked like gang members."
Rosalie's expression hardened slightly.
"Just stay away from them. Don't get involved no matter what."
Mia nodded.
"I know. Honestly, they give me creepy vibes."
Julian finally spoke, his calm voice carrying a hidden warning.
"If anything strange happens, call immediately. Don't try handling it yourselves."
Mia saluted jokingly.
"Yes, sir."
Eventually, the car reached the university dormitory. The building stood quietly beneath the night sky, its windows glowing softly with warm yellow lights. Mia gathered her bags before stepping out.
"Thanks for the ride, lovebirds."
Then she leaned toward Rosalie dramatically.
"And don't stay up all night flirting on the phone again."
"Mia!"
Laughing loudly, Mia escaped before Rosalie could hit her.
After she disappeared into the dormitory building, silence returned to the car.
Neither Julian nor Rosalie moved immediately.
The quietness between them felt heavy and tender at the same time.
Julian slowly reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers before lifting her knuckles gently against his cheek.
"Ro… don't stay awake too late studying, okay?" he murmured softly. "And stay away from Ethan and Eagle Wings as much as possible. Promise me."
Rosalie looked at him quietly.
Even now, he still looked at her like she was something fragile and precious.
Something he was terrified of losing.
"You worry too much," she whispered with a small smile.
"Because it's you."
The simple answer made her chest tighten painfully.
She lifted both hands and gently held his face.
"Then you should take care of yourself too, Doctor Julian. Don't spend every night sleeping at the hospital. And don't forget you have exams too."
Julian smiled helplessly.
"Yes, ma'am."
He brushed his thumb softly against her cheek before leaning closer and pressing a slow kiss against her forehead. His embrace tightened around her as though he wanted to memorize her warmth before letting go.
"If anything happens, call me first," he whispered against her hair. "No matter where I am, I'll come to you immediately."
Rosalie's heart trembled slightly.
In both lifetimes, this man had always been her safest place.
"…Okay," she answered quietly.
Julian finally stepped out of the car and opened the door for her. He carried her bag while walking beside her toward the dormitory entrance like a devoted guardian unwilling to leave until the very last moment.
Rosalie turned back several times while climbing the stairs, each time finding him still standing there beneath the dim streetlight, watching her carefully.
Only after she reached her room window and waved at him did Julian finally smile and return to his car.
Before driving away, he glanced up one last time toward the room where the love of his life now stayed.
Then, beneath the quiet embrace of the night, he finally drove away.
Inside the dorm room, Mia tossed her bag onto the floor before collapsing dramatically onto the bed. Meanwhile, Rosalie remained standing beside the window, quietly watching Julian's car below. Even after he drove away, she still stood there for a few more seconds, absentmindedly waving toward the empty road with a soft smile lingering on her lips.
Mia stared at her friend with an exaggerated grin.
"Rosie… seriously. You two only separate for a week at a time, but you act like tragic lovers in some romance movie. I can't stand couples."
Rosalie finally turned around while suppressing a laugh.
"Says the girl who literally blushes every time Jordan texts her."
"Hehe… that's different," Mia replied shamelessly before lifting a small container from her bag. "Anyway, look what I brought. Mixed fruit jam. Homemade. Come taste it. Your overprotective boyfriend has probably reached home already, so stop staring out the window."
Rosalie walked over and sat beside her.
"You really don't have a heart sometimes."
Mia placed a hand dramatically against her chest.
"Excuse me? I do have a heart. His name is Jordan."
Rosalie rolled her eyes while opening the container.
The sweet scent of fresh fruit immediately filled the room.
"Oh right,"
Rosalie said after tasting a spoonful.
"That theory you asked me about yesterday… did you try applying it yet?"
Mia instantly groaned.
"No. Lily and I nearly lost our minds trying to figure it out. Tomorrow afternoon, let's go to the lab together, okay? When you explain things, they somehow make sense. Without you, we'll probably build something illegal by accident."
Rosalie laughed softly.
"Fine. We'll go together. Erika said she wants to come too."
"Perfect. Then tomorrow morning we'll go to the library first, and after lunch we'll head to the lab."
"Deal."
Mia grinned victoriously before shoving another spoonful of jam into her mouth.
"Whoa… your mom's cooking is still incredible. This tastes so smooth. Not too sweet either. The fruit tastes super fresh." She suddenly looked up. "Wait… are these from your family vineyard again? The one I visited before?"
Rosalie nodded.
"Yeah. The caretaker uncle asked about you, actually."
"Huh? About me?"
"He said, 'Where's that tiny pale girl who kept stealing grapes?'"
Mia burst into laughter.
"I was not stealing them! I was taste-testing."
"Mhm. Sure."
Rosalie smiled before continuing,
"He told me to bring you again next time. The grapes are almost ready for harvest too."
Mia immediately sat upright excitedly.
"Wait— really? Then let's go during the next school break!"
Rosalie's eyes brightened slightly.
"We should. They're preparing wine this season too. Fresh natural wine that's been aging for years already."
Mia gasped dramatically.
"Ohhhh… now you're speaking my language."
"But don't mention the wine in front of Julian,"
Rosalie warned while laughing softly.
"He'll start lecturing me again about alcohol not matching my condition."
Mia snorted.
"As if he won't come with us anyway."
Rosalie paused briefly before smiling unconsciously.
"He definitely will. He actually loves wine.
Especially grape wine."
"Then why doesn't he drink much?"
"Because I can't tolerate alcohol well,"
Rosalie answered quietly.
"So he stopped drinking often too."
Mia stared at her for a few seconds before collapsing backward onto the bed again.
"Oh my god. You two are impossible."
"What now?"
"That wasn't even romantic on purpose, but somehow it became romantic anyway."
Rosalie laughed softly while continuing to eat the jam.
Outside the dormitory window, the campus lights glowed peacefully beneath the quiet night sky. The distant sounds of students chatting and laughing echoed faintly through the evening air. Meanwhile, inside the small dorm room, the two girls continued talking about classes, experiments, theories, and meaningless little stories until the night slowly deepened around them.