🎬 SETTING 1: THE INSIDE OF THE CANTEEN (Seth & Lest)
Seth: (Stares intensely down at my half-eaten bowl of cup noodles, my heart still hammering against my ribs after that sudden eye contact. My cheeks are still burning a light pink color under my hoodie, and I nervously grip my chopsticks tightly.)
Lest: (Frowns deeply, leaning across the table and tapping his knuckles right on top of my open thesis binder to get my attention.) “Okay, cut the act, Seth. Your face is completely red and you look like you just saw a ghost. You can’t blame a sudden headache for making you freeze like a statue.”
Seth: (Exhales a shaky breath, frantically pulling my research papers closer to my chest as a defensive shield.) “I told you, I’m fine, Lest. My brain is just fried from working all night. I keep getting this… weird, tight sensation in my chest whenever I look up from my desk, and it’s making it hard to concentrate. I probably just need to sleep.” (I mutter, completely misinterpreting the intense butterflies from her glance as a physical symptom of academic burnout.)
Lest: (Sighs softly, his expressive face softening with genuine concern as he reaches over and gently closes my heavy binder for me.) “That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you for weeks. You’re trying to survive this entire semester completely on your own, and it’s physically taking a toll on you. Look at you, you’re practically trembling. No more work today. Let’s get out of this loud room.”
Seth: (Nods slowly, my fingers tracing the edge of my thesis papers.
I let out a long, heavy sigh as I gather my things.) “Fine. Let’s go. I can’t think straight in here anyway.” (I mutter, packing the messy stack into my backpack.
I stand up, carefully looking anywhere else but the food counters, terrified that my eyes will accidentally wander back to her and cause my heart to flare up in total confusion all over again.)
Lest: (Grabs his own backpack and slings it over one shoulder, throwing a reassuring arm around my neck as we start walking toward the exit.) “That’s the spirit, man. First step: fresh air. Second step: making sure you don’t touch a single research paper for the rest of the day.”
🎬 SETTING 2: THE CAMPUS COURTYARD OUTSIDE (Seth & Lest)
Lest: (Walks along the concrete path outside under the warm afternoon sun, keeping his arm over my shoulders to force me to keep moving. He looks over at me, keeping a close eye on my unusually quiet behavior as students bustle past us.) “See? Isn’t the fresh air way better than that stuffy canteen? You look a little less pale already, but you’re still way too quiet.”
Seth: (Walks slowly next to him, clutching my backpack straps tightly against my chest. My eyes automatically wander across the crowded campus courtyard, completely distracted. Even out here in the fresh air, my mind keeps drifting back to the image of her flowing dress and that sudden eye contact. The sheer grace of her presence still feels like a shield protecting me from my heavy sorrow, and it completely bewilders me.)
Lest: (Notices me looking around aimlessly and sighs, shaking his head with a small groan.) “Hey, man, are you even listening to me? Where is your head at right now? You’re physically here, but mentally you are completely on another planet.”
Seth: (Blinks out of my thoughts, quickly looking back down at the concrete path beneath my shoes, my voice low and guarded.) “Nowhere. I’m listening, Lest. I was just… thinking about the calculations I need to fix later.” (I lie quickly, my defensive walls instantly going up. I can’t tell him that a total stranger is the reason my mind is spinning. I don’t know what this tight feeling in my chest is, so I just blame it on my workload.)
Lest: (Stops walking for a second, forcing me to stop too. He looks straight into my eyes, his expression becoming completely serious and supportive.) “Seth, drop the lone wolf act for five minutes. You’ve been surviving on your own for a long time, and I respect that. But you don’t have to hide everything from me. If the thesis is getting too heavy, or if there’s something else messing with your head… just tell me. I’ve got your back, always.”
Seth: (Looks at my best friend, feeling a genuine wave of gratitude wash over me.
The heavy sorrow in my chest feels a tiny bit lighter knowing I don’t have to face the world entirely alone.) “Thanks, Lest. Really. It’s nothing major, I promise. Just a weird day. Let’s just go back to the dorms so I can clear my head.” (I offer him a small, genuine smile, completely unaware that the strange confusion in my chest is actually the very beginning of a deep, life-changing romance.)
[ END OF CHAPTER 3 ]