"Madilyn, listen to this!" Nadia's eyes sparkled with excitement as she bounced down the dorm stairs, her voice echoing through the hallway. "I've got an amazing idea for my birthday. Let's make it unforgettable. How about a splendid beach getaway? Picture this - a 3-day trip!"

Madilyn's lips curled into a half-smile as she leaned against the stairway railing. "Hold that thought. We'll need Zen's input too."

"Of course. And guess what? Braxy and I have the same birthdays! We're thinking of celebrating together. You don't mind, do you?"

"It's your birthday. Anything you want."

As they strolled towards the university, Nadia's gaze lingered on the sky, a hopeful smile playing on her lips. "I hope we catch Zen coming to class today." Just as she said this, a figure appeared in the distance, pedalling gracefully on a bicycle.

"Is that Zen?" Madilyn's eyebrows shot up as she noticed the two wheels gliding toward them.

Zen's approach confirmed it. With poised ease, Zen brought the bicycle to a gentle halt beside them. "Hey there," she greeted, her cheeks tinged with a rosy hue.

"Wait, what? You never mentioned having a bike," Madilyn exclaimed, her eyes widening in genuine astonishment.

"I don't. This is borrowed. Aunt Elise offered it since her son isn't using it," Zen replied, her lips curving into a sheepish smile.

"Who's her son?" Nadia asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"I don't know. She said he's a student here, just like us, but I forgot to ask her his name."

Nadia's reaction was priceless - her eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. "What? Seriously? Why are you so bird-brained?" With a playful circular motion, she pressed her index finger to Zen's forehead. Why didn't you ask? I'm dying to know! Who is he? Is he good-looking? A junior or senior? What's his major? This suspense is killing me!"

"Shut up, Nadia. This isn't K-drama," Madilyn scoffed, rolling her eyes. "And Zen, I'm surprised you just went along with it. You're usually super careful about borrowing things. The Zen I know wouldn't have agreed so easily," she said, her finger pointing at the borrowed bicycle.

"I protested, honestly," Zen said, her gaze falling regretfully. "But Aunt Elise wouldn't take no for an answer. She felt bad about me walking to campus every day. Guess I couldn't refuse her."

Nadia's eyes suddenly lit up with a triumphant gleam at those words. "That's evidence enough! Aunt Elise is so your mom."

Zen's eyebrows knitted together as her lips parted in a soft protest. "No, stop saying that."

"So, this guy. If he's not at home, where's he staying now?" Nadia asked.

"The dorm, obviously," Madilyn replied.

Zen shook her head and fell in line with her friends, pulling the bicycle alongside her. As they resumed their walk, Madilyn leaned towards her. "Zen, we were just tossing around ideas for Nadia's birthday celebration that's in two weeks. She's thinking of hitting the beach. What's your take on that?"

Zen opened her mouth to respond, but it was quickly shadowed by Nadia's excitement. "Pause the birthday talk. I need the scoop on this guy. Aunt Elise's son, remember? Zen, your situation, it's like a movie plot! What's the term?" Nadia thought hard. "Cohabitation! That's it. Zen, you've got to uncover his identity. Destiny's knocking on your door. It's fate, trust me. You were meant to cross paths."

"And there she goes, lost in Nadia-verse," Madilyn stated dryly." Turning back to Zen, she inquired, "So, you have no clue who he is?"

Zen merely shrugged her shoulders in response. "He'll come around, eventually. I'll get to know then."

"You look so unbothered," Madilyn smirked in admiration. "Well, that's what I like about you, Zen."

"Oh, there's something we forgot to tell you," Nadia suddenly announced.

"Our new roommate, Zen. You won't believe who it is," Madilyn continued for Nadia.

"It's Lin!" Nadia chirped.

"Lin?" Zen asked, surprised. "I didn't expect it to be her. I thought she was a day scholar."

"She said her mom moved out of town or something, so," Madilyn replied.

"Admit it, Zen, you were jealous, weren't you?" Nadia teased. "You thought our new roommate was gonna replace you."

"Fine. I'll admit I was a little jealous."

"A little?" Nadia smirked, squinting an eye.

"A lot. Okay, a lot! But now that I know it's Lin, I don't care anymore," Zen responded, sticking a tongue out at her two friends. "Now, I'll go park this temporarily borrowed fate bicycle," Zen said sarcastically, "and catch up with you guys soon." With that, she veered off to find a suitable spot for the bicycle, leaving Nadia and Madilyn to continue their animated conversation.

-~-

"Are you ready?"

Annoyed was the only word he knew at that moment. Annoyance, pure unparalled annoyance.

The air seemed to thicken with irritation as Raine settled his gaze on Sean. There he was, huddled on the floor, clutching his phone like a lifeline - flashlight on - desperately reaching for something beneath the bed. He resembled a hungry hyena pursuing an escaped rabbit, with his butt raised high, and head lowered in determination.

"We're running out of time," Raine said, his foot tapping impatiently. Dressed immaculately in a formal white shirt tucked into black pants, hair neatly pulled back for a department seminar, he radiated perfection. Yet, his patience was slipping through his grasp like fine sand. Sean's nonchalant attitude was eroding his composure bit by bit. No longer did he feel dashing and self-assured; he felt like an infuriated gorilla, not just in emotions but also in appearance.

"Just hold on for a sec. I can't find my underpants," Sean retorted, his head still hidden beneath the bed.

"You've got one on. Let's get moving. You can find it later." Raine hated it when Sean was like this. A short while ago, they had finished getting dressed and were set to leave, until Sean stepped onto the balcony and discovered his underpants missing from the clothesline where they usually hung their washed clothes.

"I can't remember, dude. Maybe I brought it inside after I washed and dried it out there," Sean explained, wiggling his butt left and right as he continued his determined search for the elusive piece of clothing. "I'm not seeing it," he said, rummaging through the pile of junk stored underneath his bed.

"The wind probably whisked it off. You always forget to bring in your washed clothes from outside," Raine grumbled in annoyance. He wasn't the least bit shocked to find Sean in yet another frantic search for his misplaced belongings. Sean was notorious for being a packrat, holding onto everything and getting agitated over any loss. It was no surprise he was on the brink of losing his mind now.

Realizing that words alone wouldn't do the trick, Raine fastened his backpack on his shoulders and lunged into action. With a firm grip, he hauled Sean upright from the floor and forcefully guided him out of the room, ignoring his cries of protest.

"I can't believe you did that," Sean's voice held a mixture of disbelief, his steps matching Raine's as they walked towards their department. Raine chose to tune him out, captivated by the wall covered in cascading vines that bordered the open ground. As they strolled, he battled the urge to roll his eyes at the girls who were stealing glances at him. The high-pitched squeals from the freshman girls, and the resentful gazes from guys who seemed more interested in blaming him for the attention he had effortlessly garnered than actually working on their own inadequacies to win over their crushes, were all too familiar sights.

"I thought Kai was coming with us. Where is he?" Sean asked in confusion.

"He left because he couldn't wait for you anymore," Raine gritted, his frown deepening as the seconds ticked away.

Raine abruptly came to a halt as the parking area came into view. He glanced sideways at the bicycle parking slot and stood still, a crease forming between his eyebrows.

"What's the matter?" Sean asked as he too stopped right beside Raine.

"Nothing." Raine dismissed it with a shrug and continued walking. That bicycle. Why does it look so familiar? he thought inside.

*beep* *beep*

"My phone," Sean muttered, taking out the device from his pocket. "Sorry, Raine. I need to go. I'll meet you at the seminar. Something just came up," he said hurriedly and dashed away in the opposite direction even before Raine could stage a protest.

What is up with him today? Raine thought, annoyed. His feet guided him towards the heart of the university grounds, where the graceful form of the Lady of Virtue stood, an enduring statue of the campus. He recalled this spot as serene and hushed, often populated by diligent students engrossed in their books beneath the statue's gaze. Situated near the administration office, it was a place where caution prevailed, as students avoided any behaviour that might draw disapproving gazes. Today, however, an inexplicable crowd had gathered under the statue, murmurs and giggles filling the surrounding structure. The puzzling scene left him wondering about the unfolding situation.

"Oi." A textbook landed with a thump on his head, prompting him to whirl around, his anger ready to unleash itself upon the culprit. However, the edge melted from his expression as he recognized who it was. "Took your sweet time," Kai remarked.

"What's happening? Why's there a crowd gathering under the lady of virtue?" Raine inquired.

"Someone's underwear got snagged on the lady's sword," Kai answered, his blue eyes glinting mischievously as he stifled a laugh behind his textbook.

Raine turned, his gaze returning to the statue for a more discerning look. His eyes took in the circular concrete seating encircling the base and brushed over the lively assortment of flowers gracing the broad structure just below the statue's feet. Gradually, his gaze ascended, focusing on the lady's figure swathed in a flowing white gown. His attention shifted to the book cradled in her right hand-an ordinary sight-before travelling further upward. His eyes lingered on the fading hue of her crown perched atop her head before finally settling on the lengthy metal sword she held pointing skyward. And there, he noticed something yellow caught on the tip of the sword-Sean's underpants!

Unconsciously, a faint smile tugged at his lips. "Must be Sean's," Raine remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"He's gonna freak when he finds out." Kai snickered as they continued on their paths.

-~-

Two hours later...

The cafeteria buzzed with its usual activity. Zen stood in line at the food court, waiting to place her order. She felt the weight of eyes on her back-something she had grown accustomed to. She hadn't done anything wrong, yet the rumours that encircled her refused to die down, despite her attempts to ignore them. But as long as it didn't affect her directly, she was cool with it. She could live with the uncomfortable atmosphere. It wasn't like it was the first time something like this had happened. People would get tired of it someday if she gave no reaction to their indirect provocations.

Just as the thought lingered in her mind, a tap on her shoulder brought her back to reality. She turned to find Kai looking down at her with a fond smile.

"Hey! Long time no see," he greeted with a raised hand.

"Kai?" Zen was taken aback. Kai had never openly approached her in public before.

"Why the surprise? It's like you're meeting me for the first time. We're friends, aren't we?" Kai said, his brows furrowing playfully as he pouted like a child.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Zen replied worriedly.

"Relax," Kai patted her arm gently. "I probably caught you off guard. My fault for springing up like that," he said. "You have spider legs, you know that? I could never catch you in class. You attend and dash after the hour's over."

"Hehe." Zen laughed sheepishly. "I didn't want to keep my friends waiting."

"I don't see your friends here now."

"They're running late today."

"I see." Kai casually hunched over, his hand in his pocket. "You know, you missed Friday's class. We were given a project to submit. Did you know about that?" Kai asked as they gradually advanced in the line.

"Yeah, Lin mentioned it, but not in detail," Zen admitted.

The students in front taking their orders departed one by one as Kai's voice remained low, their exchange becoming more private. "I'll help you out. Pass me your phone."

"What?" Zen looked up in surprise for a full second. She then took out her phone, unlocked it and hesitantly extended it to Kai.

"No worries. I won't snoop around your call history," he reassured, taking her phone and typing something on the keyboard. "Done. I saved my number. Text me when you're free, and I'll give you all the details."

"Thanks. That would be a huge help," Zen said, taking back her phone.

Even a casual observer would've noticed the ripple caused by that simple gesture alone. The whispers ignited, and Zen could practically feel the envious glares of girls drilling into her back as they observed her and Kai. Who could blame them? Even if she didn't see Kai as her potential love interest, she would be lying if she said she didn't wish to possess anything akin to his charm, aura, or physical disposition if she were to be reincarnated as a man in her next life. And the fact that Kai stood unfazed, appearing indifferent amidst the murmurs, added to his charm.

Kai exuded a main character vibe, someone whose personality perfectly matched his appearance; his soft exterior was clearly reflected in his gentle nature.

"I got worried when you missed class after our last outing," Kai suddenly began. "I wanted to check in on you, but I didn't have your number. I tried to approach you in class, but never got the chance." A soft blush tinted his cheeks, something Zen dismissed as a reaction to the weather. "I saw you with your friends sometimes, but I was too shy to approach you then," his voice faltered slightly in the last sentence, and Zen strained to catch his words. "Luckily, I bumped into you today."

"I didn't even realize. I should've known," Zen responded with a touch of guilt. "If you ever need help with anything, feel free to ask."

"I'm glad to hear that." Kai nodded, his lips curving into a faint line, making him look even more endearing.

"So, are you free after class today?"

"Mmm, I-"

*Bonk*

"Well, well, well, what a rare sight! Kai's out here flirting in broad daylight."

"Sean?" Kai greeted, rubbing his head where Sean had hit him with his backpack. "Do you carry bricks in there?"

"Engineering textbooks," Sean replied with a grin, opening a juice bottle in his hand. "Raine's here too," he added before taking a sip.

"Hey," Raine greeted half-heartedly, his gaze briefly wandering before settling on a certain someone's figure in the crowd.

Kai turned his attention back to Zen. "The line's moving. Your turn, Zen." He nudged her gently, his fingertips brushing her shirt as he gestured for her to proceed- a subtle exchange that didn't escape Raine's notice.