By Wednesday, Damian had almost forgotten about the message.
Almost.
He was sitting in the back row of a computer lab, staring at a screen filled with code that refused to cooperate.
He frowned.
"Why isn’t this working?"
Ethan leaned over from the next seat.
"Because you’re doing it wrong."
Damian looked at him.
"You don’t even know what I’m doing."
"I don’t need to."
"That makes no sense."
"Confidence."
Damian shook his head and returned to the screen.
Their lecturer walked between the rows, occasionally stopping to check students’ work.
Damian eventually found the mistake.
A missing character.
He fixed it.
The program ran.
"There."
Ethan glanced over.
"See? I helped."
"You did absolutely nothing."
"Emotional support."
"Also nothing."
Ethan grinned.
Their lecturer called for everyone’s attention.
"Before you leave, remember that the practical assessment is next week. Make sure your work is saved properly."
A collective groan filled the room.
Ethan leaned back.
"Next week?"
Damian packed his laptop.
"Apparently."
"I hate this school."
"You say that every week."
"And every week they give me another reason."
They left the lab together.
At the hallway, Ethan checked his phone.
"I’m heading to the student center."
"Why?"
"Food."
"You’re always hungry."
"That’s because I’m alive."
Damian laughed.
"I’ll catch up with you later."
"Where are you going?"
"Library."
Ethan gave him a suspicious look.
"Emily?"
Damian paused.
"What?"
"You heard me."
Damian rolled his eyes.
"I’m actually going there to study."
"Sure."
"I am."
"Whatever you say."
Ethan walked away before Damian could respond.
Damian shook his head.
He needs a hobby.
He headed toward the library.
But halfway there, his phone vibrated.
A message from Emily.
Emily:
Hey, are you free later?
Damian smiled.
Damian:
Depends. What’s up?
The reply came a minute later.
Emily:
Entrepreneurship club is having a planning meeting. I need to drop something off afterward.
Damian:
And you need me because...?
Emily:
Because you’re useful.
Damian stared at the screen.
Damian:
I’ll take that as a compliment.
Emily:
You should 😂
He put his phone away.
For some reason, he was looking forward to seeing her.
He didn’t think too much about it.
At least, he tried not to.
The entrepreneurship club meeting ended shortly after four.
Damian waited outside the building while Emily finished speaking with Claire.
A few minutes later, Emily walked out carrying a folder.
"Sorry."
"You’re fine."
"Claire wouldn’t stop talking."
From inside the building, Claire’s voice carried through the doorway.
"I heard that!"
Emily laughed.
"She hears everything."
Damian smiled.
They started walking.
"You said you needed to drop something off?"
"Yeah. At the business building."
"Want company?"
Emily looked at him.
"I thought you were going to study."
"I can study later."
She smiled.
"Okay."
They hadn’t made it far when a familiar voice came from behind them.
"Emily."
She turned.
Adrian approached.
He was dressed casually today, but even his casual clothes looked deliberate. Clean sneakers, dark jeans, fitted shirt. Nothing excessive.
He stopped beside them.
"Heading somewhere?"
Emily nodded.
"Yeah. Just dropping something off."
Adrian looked at Damian.
Then back at Emily.
"I was actually going to ask if you wanted to grab coffee."
Emily hesitated.
"Today?"
"If you’re free."
Damian immediately took a step back.
"You two can go. I need to—"
Emily looked at him.
"Wait."
Damian stopped.
Adrian noticed.
For half a second, something flickered across his expression.
Then it disappeared.
Emily looked between them.
"I already made plans with Damian."
Adrian’s smile remained.
"No problem."
He didn’t sound bothered.
But his eyes briefly returned to Damian.
"Maybe some other time ."
Emily nodded.
"Sure."
Adrian gave Damian a polite nod.
"See you around."
"Yeah."
He walked away.
Damian watched him leave.
Emily glanced at him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You’re making a face."
"What face?"
"That one."
Damian smiled.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
Emily laughed.
"You two are weird."
"You two? how?"
"You act like you’re competing."
"We’re not."
"Okay."
She clearly didn’t believe him.
Damian looked back toward Adrian.
The guy hadn’t done anything wrong.
That was the annoying part.
He was polite.
Confident.
Socially comfortable.
And clearly interested in Emily.
Damian couldn’t fault him for any of that.
Still, something about the interaction had felt different.
Not hostile.
Just... deliberate.
Adrian walked across campus alone.
His expression remained calm.
But his thoughts were less relaxed.
Emily had turned him down.
Not harshly.
Not even really.
She had already made plans with Damian.
That distinction mattered.
Adrian wasn’t used to being the second option.
He wasn’t arrogant enough to believe every girl should like him.
But he knew what usually happened.
He was confident.
His family was well-known.
He was socially connected.
People generally noticed him.
Emily did too.
Just not in the way he wanted.
And Damian?
Adrian couldn’t figure him out.
He wasn’t trying to impress anyone.
He didn’t chase attention.
He didn’t brag.
He didn’t seem particularly interested in Adrian’s money or social position.
That irritated Adrian more than he expected.
He’s not even reacting...does he not find me intimidating?.
Adrian stopped near the stairs.
Maybe that was exactly why Damian was becoming difficult to ignore.
Most people changed when they realized who Adrian was.
Damian hadn’t.
Adrian smiled faintly.
Interesting.
He pulled out his phone.
A message from one of his friends appeared.
Marcus:
You coming to the entrepreneurship event Friday?
Adrian typed a reply.
Adrian:
Yeah.
He paused.
Then added:
Adrian:
I’m entering.
He sent it.
The university entrepreneurship competition suddenly seemed more interesting.
Damian and Emily reached the business building.
Emily dropped the folder off at the club office.
When she returned, Damian was waiting outside.
"Done?"
"Yep."
"Good."
They started walking again.
Emily glanced at him.
"You have been quiet."
"I was thinking."
"About Adrian?"
Damian looked at her.
She smiled.
"Got you."
"Not really."
"Sure."
"He seems fine."
"He is."
"Then what’s the problem?"
"There isn’t one."
Emily looked ahead.
"Adrian’s been asking me to go out with him for a while."
Damian’s expression remained neutral.
"Oh."
"I haven’t said yes."
"Why?"
Emily shrugged.
"I don’t know."
She kicked a small pebble across the pavement.
"I just don’t feel like I know him well enough."
Damian nodded.
That made sense.
"You could get to know him."
"I could."
She looked at Damian.
"But I don’t have to."
"True."
There was a brief silence.
Then Emily smiled.
"Besides, I’m having fun hanging out with you."
Damian looked at her.
She said it casually.
Like it wasn’t a big deal.
But it stayed in his head.
"Yeah," he said. "Me too."
Emily smiled.
They continued walking.
Neither noticed the slight change in Damian’s expression.
He wasn’t thinking about Adrian anymore.
He was thinking about something else.
She could have gone with him.
But she hadn’t.
He wasn’t sure why that mattered.
And he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out yet.
Friday afternoon arrived quickly.
The university entrepreneurship competition had turned into one of the biggest talking points on campus.
Students from different departments were preparing presentations, business ideas, and startup proposals.
Damian wasn’t planning to participate.
He had enough on his plate.
But when he walked into the student center, Ethan was already there.
"You’re entering."
Damian stopped.
"What?"
Ethan pointed across the room.
Adrian stood near the registration table.
A small group of students surrounded him.
One of them laughed at something he said.
Another shook his hand.
Adrian looked completely comfortable.
Ethan leaned closer.
"Your boy is competing."
"He isn’t my boy."
"You know what I mean."
Damian glanced toward the registration desk.
Adrian happened to look over.
Their eyes met.
Adrian gave him a small nod.
Damian returned it.
Then Adrian looked back toward the registration form.
Ethan grinned.
"You should enter too."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I don’t want to."
"You’re scared."
Damian looked at him.
"Of what?"
"Losing."
Damian laughed.
"You’re an idiot."
"Maybe."
Ethan grabbed his drink.
"But you thought about it."
Damian looked toward the registration desk again.
He hadn’t.
At least, he hadn’t before now.
Adrian had clearly entered for his own reasons.
Maybe it had nothing to do with him.
Maybe it did.
Either way, Damian wasn’t going to let someone else dictate what he did.
He turned away.
"I’m not entering."
Ethan shrugged.
"Your loss."
They started walking.
Behind them, Adrian watched Damian leave.
He hadn’t expected Damian to register.
Part of him had wanted to see what Damian would do.
Whether he’d avoid the competition.
Whether he’d step forward.
Damian had chosen neither.
He’d simply walked away.
Adrian smiled slightly.
So that’s how you are.
Fine.
He’d stop waiting for Damian to react.
If Damian wanted to stay out of the competition, that was his choice.
But university wasn’t a small place.
Their paths were going to cross again.
And next time, Adrian intended to make sure Damian noticed.
That evening, Damian sat at home reviewing his notes.
His phone buzzed.
Emily:
Did you hear about the competition?
Damian:
Yeah.
Emily:
Are you entering?
Damian smiled.
Damian:
No.
Three dots appeared.
Emily:
Why?
Damian thought for a moment.
Damian:
Not really my thing.
Her response came quickly.
Emily:
That’s a shame.
Damian frowned.
Damian:
Why?
A few seconds passed.
Then:
Emily:
I think you’d do well.
Damian stared at the message.
A small smile appeared.
Damian:
Maybe next time.
Emily replied:
Emily:
I’ll hold you to that.
Damian put his phone down.
For a moment, he stared at the ceiling.
The entrepreneurship competition didn’t interest him.
Not really.
But Adrian did.
Not because Damian saw him as an enemy.
Not yet.
It was simpler than that.
Adrian was becoming a presence in his life.
And Damian had a feeling their paths were going to cross a lot more often.
He just didn’t know how much that would change things.