A week passed.
The rumors hadn’t disappeared.
If anything, they had become part of everyday life at Northfield University.
Whenever Ariana walked across campus, someone whispered.
Whenever Ethan happened to be nearby, dozens of curious eyes followed them.
It was exhausting.
Friday afternoon…
Professor Hayes clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention.
“I have an announcement.”
The engineering students looked up from their desks.
“As many of you know, next month is Northfield University’s Annual Innovation Festival.”
The classroom immediately filled with excitement.
“The festival brings together students from every department.
Engineering, medicine, business, arts, robotics, and computer science will all compete to present their best projects.”
Noah whispered dramatically, “This is our Olympics.”
Professor Hayes smiled.
“Your semester project will represent this class.”
She looked directly at Team Seven.
“I have very high expectations for your medical-assistance robot.”
Claire smiled confidently.
“We won’t disappoint you.”
Ariana, however, suddenly felt nervous.
Represent the entire class?
That was a huge responsibility.
After class…
The team gathered in the workshop.
Noah pulled a chair backward and sat on it.
“So…”
“We’re officially famous.”
Claire crossed her arms.
“Being famous won’t win the competition.”
“It might get us free coffee.”
“It won’t.”
Ethan laughed quietly.
“I agree with Claire for once.”
Noah gasped dramatically.
“Betrayed by my own best friend.”
Even Ariana laughed.
The atmosphere felt lighter than it had in days.
As everyone discussed improvements to the robot, Ariana accidentally dropped one of her design notebooks.
Pages scattered across the floor.
“Oh!”
She quickly knelt to pick them up.
Ethan bent down at the same time.
Their hands reached for the same page.
Their fingers brushed.
Both froze.
For a second…
Neither of them moved.
Then Ariana quickly pulled her hand back.
“Sorry.”
Ethan smiled.
“You apologize a lot.”
“I do not.”
“You’ve said sorry five times today.”
“…Have I?”
He chuckled.
“Yes.”
Noah looked between them.
Then slowly looked at Claire.
Then back again.
A mischievous grin spread across his face.
“Oh…”
Claire noticed.
“What?”
“I suddenly understand why campus gossip never ends.”
“Focus.”
Later that evening…
The workshop slowly emptied.
Claire left first.
“I have Student Council work.”
Noah checked his phone.
“My basketball team is waiting.”
Soon…
Only Ariana remained.
She sat alone, adjusting the robot’s arm mechanism.
Without warning…
The lights went out.
Everything became dark.
Ariana jumped.
“W-What happened?”
A second later, emergency lights flickered on.
The room glowed dimly in shades of blue.
Ariana sighed.
“Power outage?”
Just then…
She heard footsteps.
“You still here?”
Ethan.
He had been in the storage room collecting tools.
“I thought everyone left.”
“So did I.”
He looked toward the windows.
“The whole engineering building lost power.”
Outside…
Rain clouds had gathered once again.
Lightning flashed across the sky.
“Looks like another storm,” Ethan said.
Ariana laughed.
“Why does it always rain when we’re together?”
He thought for a second.
“Maybe the weather ships us too.”
Ariana blinked.
“…Did you just make a joke?”
“I think I did.”
“It wasn’t bad.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
They both laughed.
For the first time…
There wasn’t any awkwardness between them.
Unable to continue working, they walked outside together.
Students hurried across campus before the rain started.
The evening breeze carried the scent of fresh grass.
“It feels peaceful,” Ariana said.
Ethan nodded.
“It does.”
As they crossed the central courtyard, they noticed dozens of students decorating booths.
“What’s all this?”
A volunteer waved at Ethan.
“We’re preparing for the Campus Festival!”
“Oh right,” Ethan replied.
The volunteer looked at Ariana.
“You must be Ariana.”
She blinked.
“You know my name?”
He grinned.
“Everyone does.”
Ariana buried her face in her hands.
“Oh no…”
Ethan laughed.
“You’re becoming famous.”
“I don’t want to be famous.”
Suddenly…
Music echoed across the courtyard.
One of the dance clubs had begun rehearsing.
Students gathered around, clapping to the beat.
Maya suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
“There you are!”
She grabbed Ariana’s wrist.
“Come dance!”
“What?”
“No!”
Before Ariana could escape…
Maya pulled her into the crowd.
Students cheered.
Ariana laughed nervously.
“I can’t dance!”
“You absolutely can!”
She awkwardly copied the simple choreography while everyone laughed and clapped.
Ethan stood nearby, watching with an amused smile.
Noah appeared beside him.
“You’re smiling again.”
“I’m just watching.”
“Sure.”
“You’ve smiled more this week than you did all last semester.”
Ethan didn’t answer.
Because Noah was right.
Without realizing it…
Being around Ariana made everything feel a little lighter.
After the dancing ended, everyone applauded.
Ariana was completely out of breath.
“I’m never listening to Maya again.”
Maya grinned proudly.
“You were adorable.”
“I was embarrassing.”
Ethan walked over.
“I thought you did well.”
She looked at him suspiciously.
“Are you making fun of me?”
“No.”
“I genuinely mean it.”
Her cheeks warmed slightly.
“Thanks…”
As the group walked back toward the dormitories, someone watched them from the Student Council balcony.
Claire.
She had seen everything.
The laughter.
The smiles.
The easy conversations.
She clenched the railing tightly.
“No…”
she whispered.
“This isn’t happening.”
She had liked Ethan since her first year.
She had imagined standing beside him one day.
Becoming the perfect couple everyone admired.
But now…
Every time she looked at Ethan…
He was looking at Ariana.
A plan slowly began forming in her mind.
If she couldn’t stop their growing friendship…
Then she would make sure they stopped trusting each other.
No matter what it took.
Far below, Ariana laughed at something Noah had said.
Ethan looked at her, smiling without even realizing it.
Neither of them noticed the storm that was no longer in the sky…
But quietly beginning in someone’s heart.