Carter looked him up and down for a moment before tilting his head with confusion.
“…Who are you again?” he asked honestly, making no effort to hide that he had completely forgotten the student’s existence.
Kingsly blinked.
For a moment, his confident smile actually faltered.
“I just introduced my self to you.”
Maya let out a sigh before pinching the bridge of her nose.
“He’s Kingsly Cmore,” she explained patiently while gesturing toward the student standing beside them.
“Captain of the Newspaper Club, head of the campus media page, and the person responsible for covering everything that happens around the university.”
She paused for a second before adding “…Whether it’s good or bad.”
Kingsly immediately placed a hand over his chest as though Maya had personally wounded him.
“Come on, girl,” he complained dramatically.
“Don’t introduce me like I’m some campus menace.”
He turned toward Carter with a smile.
“Mr. Vance, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me already.”
Carter rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
“I mean…”
He studied Kingsley’s face again.
“…Honestly, I thought the newspapers were written by one of the professors.”
Kingsley’s expression froze.
“You…” He pointed at himself in disbelief.
“…Thought I was a teacher?”
“I did.” For long seconds, complete silence settled over the table.
Then Maya quietly looked away, hiding the smile threatening to appear.
Kingsly finally let out a sigh.
“You know,” he muttered, “that somehow hurts more than people leaving comments.”
Carter shrugged apologetically.
“Sorry.”
Kingsly shook his head before laughing.
“Now that you mention it, though, you’ve probably seen me around.”
Carter nodded slowly.
“Actually…” He snapped his fingers.
“Yeah. I’ve seen you carrying a camera after our games.”
Kingsly pointed at him triumphantly.
“Exactly!” He grinned proudly before adjusting the camera hanging around his neck.
“I’m ever outside unless I’m covering something important. Most of the work is handled by my club members. I usually stay behind editing articles, reviewing photographs, and deciding what deserves to make the page.”
“Apparently, ” Maya added while folding her arms, “spreading unnecessary rumors.”
Kingsly gasped.
“I don’t spread rumors.” He smiled mischievously.
“I report interest.”
“There’s a difference?” Maya asked.
“A legal one.”
Carter laughed.
“I like this guy.”
“I don’t,” Maya answered immediately.
Kingsly ignored her completely.
Instead, his eyes drifted toward the papers spread across the table before returning to the pair sitting beside one another.
A slow grin spread across his face.
“You know…” He lifted his camera slightly.
“Since both of campus’s celebrities are already sitting together…”
He looked between them expectantly.
“…How about I get a picture of the happy couple?”
“No.” At the time…”Sure.” The two answers overlapped.
Maya slowly turned toward Carter.
He smiled innocently.
“What?”
“What do you mean, ‘sure?'”
“We’re supposed to be convincing people, remember?” Carter whispered
She stared at him.
“…I already regret this arrangement.”
“Why are we whispering?” Kingsly whispered
“Oh, nothing; we will do it,” said Carter
Kingsly clapped his hands together excitedly.
“Fantastic!”
Before Maya could object again, Kingsly carefully placed his tablet in the center of the table.
Adjusted its stand until the camera faced them perfectly.
Carter didn’t hesitate.
He picked up his chair.
Dragged it across the floor until it rested directly beside Maya’s.
The scraping sound echoed softly through the library.
Several nearby students looked over curiously.
Maya looked at him in disbelief.
“…What are you doing?”
“Following Rule One.”
“You are sitting in my space.”
“Exactly.”
“Carter.”
“What?”
“We don’t have to sit this close.”
“We do.”
Kingsly pointed enthusiastically toward them.
“Perfect! But why are you two whispering? I can’t even hear you”
“That’s the plan,” said Maya
“What?”
“Nothing don’t listen to her” said Carter.
He gave Carter a thumbs-up.
“Closer!”
Maya, looked horrified.
“There is no reason for us to be closer.”
“There definitely is, ” Kingsly replied.
“The fans love chemistry.”
“We don’t have fans.”
Kingsly simply raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
He turned the tablet around for a second, revealing the article he had posted that morning.
Thousands of likes.
Hundreds of comments.
The numbers were still climbing.
Maya’s eye twitched.
“…I stand corrected.”
Kingsly stepped back a few feet before pressing a button.
A small timer immediately appeared on the screen.
“Ten seconds,” he announced cheerfully.
“Come on, guys. Don’t be shy.” The timer reached three seconds.
Carter glanced sideways at Maya.
She was sitting straight, hands folded neatly in her lap, wearing the exact expression she always wore before an important exam.
“…Relax,” he whispered.
“I am relaxed.”
“You look like you’re attending a funeral.”
“I don’t know how couples pose.”
“I noticed.”
The timer reached one.
Without giving her any warning, Carter gently wrapped one arm around her shoulders.
Before Maya could react, he leaned in.
Softly pressed a quick kiss against her cheek.
Click.
The camera flashed.
For one heartbeat, Maya forgot how to breathe.
Her entire body became still.
Slowly…
Slowly…
She turned her head toward Carter.
He was already looking back at her.
A satisfied grin spread across his face.
Kingsly took up his tablet, pulled it out, and looked at the photo.
His eyes widened.
“Oh…” A slow smile spread across his lips.
“Oh, I love this one. You two have to see this.”
He placed the screen in front of them.
The photograph appeared natural.
Carter’s arm was comfortably resting around Maya’s shoulders.
His expression carried a smile instead of his usual cocky grin.
Maya’s wide eyes and flushed cheeks made her look completely caught off guard.
It seemed like two people pretending and more like a boy stealing a quiet moment with the girl he liked.
Maya stared at the picture for long seconds.
She said, “I don’t like it.”
Kingsly looked at her in complete disbelief.
“What are you talking about?”
He pointed excitedly at the screen.
“This is what I needed!”
Carter couldn’t stop smiling as he looked at the picture again.
Yeah…”
He nodded.
“It’s actually cute.”
Maya looked at both of them as though they had collectively lost their minds.
“You are both unbelievable.”
Kingsly carefully hugged the tablet against his chest before taking a step.
“Well…” He adjusted the camera around his neck.
“I’ll let the happy couple get back to studying I hope.”
He flashed them one grin.
“Carry on.”
Kingsly turned around and disappeared between the towering bookshelves, already humming happily to himself as he reviewed the photograph again.
Neither Maya nor Carter noticed his smile.
He had come looking for a story.
Instead, he captured the perfect front-page photo.