As the morning sunlight filtered through the classroom windows, Claire sat in her usual seat, absentmindedly doodling in the margins of her notebook. The lecture hadn’t started yet, and the chatter of students filled the room. She twirled her pen between her fingers, her thoughts drifting aimlessly when the sound of the door opening drew everyone’s attention.

Their professor walked in, followed closely by a tall young man dressed in a crisp white shirt and black jeans. His presence immediately caught the class’s interest—new students were rare in their final year.

The professor cleared his throat. “Everyone, we have a new student joining us today. Please welcome—” He paused, allowing the newcomer to introduce himself.

The young man’s deep voice resonated through the room."Ryan Evans.”

A few whispers broke out in the classroom. New students were rare in their final year, and Ryan had an aura that naturally drew attention.

Claire, however, was too distracted to care. She twirled her pen between her fingers, lazily doodling in her notebook. That was until she heard footsteps approaching.

She felt someone settle into the seat behind her. A faint shift of air, the sound of a chair scraping—it was enough to pull her out of her thoughts.

Curious, she turned around and found herself face-to-face with the new guy. Ryan Evans.

A polite smile formed on her lips as she extended her hand. “Hey, I’m Claire.”

Ryan stared at her outstretched hand for a second. His expression didn’t change, but instead of shaking her hand, he simply gave her a small nod and lowered his gaze, as if uninterested.

Claire raised an eyebrow. Seriously?

Scoffing lightly, she turned back around, mumbling under her breath, “How rude.”

Sophie bit back a laugh, leaning closer. “Looks like Mr. New Guy isn’t the friendly type.”

Claire huffed. “Well, that’s his problem, not mine.”

Ryan, who had been pretending not to listen, low-key chuckled at Claire’s words, the sound so faint that it almost went unnoticed. Almost.

Claire, who was about to flip the page of her notebook, narrowed her eyes slightly. Did he just… laugh? She turned her head just a little, catching the briefest glimpse of amusement on Ryan’s face before he masked it again, staring at the board like he hadn’t just reacted.

Hmph. Whatever. She shook her head, dismissing it.

After Class

Claire stretched her arms, feeling relieved as the lecture finally ended. She grabbed her books, ready to head to the canteen where Sophie was already waiting for her.

But just as she stepped out of the classroom, a familiar voice stopped her.

“Miss Claire.”

She turned back to see Professor Whitman standing there with none other than the new guy—Ryan.

Her gaze briefly flickered to him before she focused on the professor. “Yes, Professor?” she asked politely.

Professor Whitman placed a hand on Ryan’s shoulder and then turned to Claire. “I want you to show him around the campus and help him catch up with the syllabus.”

Claire blinked. “Him?” Her gaze shifted to Ryan, who stood there, completely unbothered, his hands tucked into his pockets. He didn’t even look at her, staring somewhere off in the distance, as if this entire situation was beneath him.

Professor Whitman smiled. “Yes, I trust you can handle it?”

Claire hesitated for a split second before nodding. “Of course, sir. I will.”

The professor patted Ryan’s back before walking away, leaving the two of them standing there.

A short silence settled between them.

Claire cleared her throat, shifting her bag higher on her shoulder. “Ah… so, let’s go.”

She turned to walk, expecting Ryan to follow.

Instead, he remained where he was.

Claire stopped and turned back to him, raising an eyebrow. “Are you coming or not?”

Ryan finally looked at her—really looked at her. His deep-set eyes held no emotion, just quiet scrutiny, as if he were assessing whether she was worth his time.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, he exhaled sharply through his nose. “Lead the way,” he said flatly.

Claire rolled her eyes. What’s with the attitude?

Deciding to ignore it, she turned on her heel and started walking, her pace brisk. Ryan followed behind her, his footsteps steady but unhurried.

As they moved through the campus, Claire pointed out different buildings, occasionally explaining their purpose. “That’s the library—students usually hang out there to study or just nap, honestly.”

Ryan said nothing.

She glanced at him, expecting at least some reaction, but he just kept walking beside her, his expression unreadable.

Claire sighed. “And over there is the auditorium, where all the major events take place—”

“Is this necessary?” Ryan cut her off, his tone cool.

Claire stopped mid-step, turning to face him fully. “Excuse me?”

Ryan looked down at her, his gaze unwavering. “Do I really need a tour? I can find everything on my own.”

Claire crossed her arms. “Wow. You could’ve said that five minutes ago and saved us both some time.”

Ryan shrugged, clearly indifferent. “You seemed eager to help. Didn’t want to ruin your moment.”

Claire let out a sharp laugh. “Oh, trust me, you’re not that important.”

Ryan smirked, but it was fleeting. “Good to know.”

Claire took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. Why did she have to get stuck with Mr. Ice Cube over here?

Shaking her head, she turned away. “Fine. If you don’t need the tour, then let’s focus on your syllabus.”

“Finally,” he muttered under his breath.

Claire shot him a glare. “You know, for a new guy, you sure have a lot of attitude.”

Ryan tilted his head slightly. “And for someone showing me around, you sure talk a lot.”

Claire opened her mouth, ready to fire back, but then snapped it shut. Not worth it.

She inhaled deeply, then exhaled, forcing a tight-lipped smile. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Ryan chuckled under his breath, shaking his head.

And with that, they continued walking.

After College;

Claire hugged her books tightly against her chest, her coat doing little to shield her from the rain as she walked down the empty pathway. Sophie had left early due to a family emergency, and now she was alone, her footsteps splashing against the wet pavement.

The rain poured relentlessly, soaking through her shoes and dampening her hair. She sighed, tilting her head up to the sky. Great. Just great.

But then—

The sensation of raindrops abruptly stopped.

Confused, she blinked and looked up.

An umbrella hovered over her, shielding her from the downpour.

Her eyes trailed from the umbrella’s handle to the person holding it.

Ryan.

He stood beside her, his usual expression unreadable, his posture relaxed yet composed. His dark hoodie contrasted with the dull gray sky, and his sharp features remained impassive as if standing in the rain with an umbrella over her was nothing out of the ordinary.

Claire stared at him for a second before looking ahead. “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice laced with skepticism.

Ryan didn’t immediately answer. He just kept walking beside her, his pace effortlessly matching hers.

“Walking,” he said simply.

Claire scoffed. “No kidding, Sherlock. I mean, why are you here? With me?”

Ryan barely spared her a glance. “You looked like a lost puppy in the rain.”

Claire stopped in her tracks, turning to him with narrowed eyes. “Did you just compare me to a puppy?”

Ryan, still unfazed, shrugged. “It was either that or a drenched cat.”

Claire huffed, shaking her head. “Unbelievable.”

She picked up her pace, but Ryan didn’t seem bothered. He just continued walking beside her, holding the umbrella over both of them.

After a moment of silence, Claire sighed. “I can walk on my own, you know.”

“I know.”

She frowned. “Then why are you still here?”

Ryan was quiet for a second before finally responding. “You talk too much.”

Claire turned her head sharply. “Excuse me?”

Ryan exhaled as if this conversation was exhausting him. “If I let you walk alone, you’d probably keep mumbling to yourself about how unfair life is, how wet your socks are, and how much you hate the rain.”

Claire’s mouth parted in disbelief. “I—I do not mumble!”

Ryan gave her a pointed look. “Sure.”

Claire groaned. “You are insufferable.”

Ryan smirked slightly, barely noticeable, but she caught it.

She exhaled sharply, deciding to drop the argument. “Whatever. Just don’t expect me to say thank you.”

Ryan didn’t respond, but he didn’t need to. The small, amused tilt of his lips said enough.

They continued walking in silence, the only sound being the rain hitting the umbrella.