Tuesday morning came with heavy clouds hanging over the campus. Students moved quickly between buildings, trying to escape the cold wind.
Kim arrived early.
For once, he wasn't rushing to class.
He was waiting.
For Linet.
He checked his phone.
7:42 a.m.
Then again.
7:45 a.m.
"Why are you staring at your phone like it owes you money?"
Kim looked up.
Brian was standing beside him with a mandazi in one hand.
"I'm not waiting for anyone."
Brian took a bite.
"Sure."
Kim ignored him.
Then he saw her.
Linet was walking toward them, wearing a simple black hoodie and carrying her books.
Kim smiled.
Brian noticed immediately.
"There she is."
"Keep quiet."
Linet reached them.
"Morning."
"Morning," Kim replied.
Brian raised his hand dramatically.
"Good morning, future Mrs. Kim."
Linet froze.
Kim almost choked.
"Brian!"
"What? I'm just greeting her."
Linet laughed.
"You two are impossible."
They walked toward class together.
Everything felt normal.
Until someone called Linet from behind.
"Linet!"
She turned.
A tall guy was approaching them.
He wore a college jacket and carried a football under his arm.
Linet's face immediately brightened.
"Kevin!"
Kevin smiled.
"Long time."
They hugged.
Kim stopped walking.
Brian looked at him.
"Oh."
Kim frowned.
"What?"
Brian whispered, "Nothing."
Kevin turned toward Kim.
"Hey."
"Hey."
Linet introduced them.
"Kim, this is Kevin. We went to the same high school."
Kevin extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you."
Kim shook it.
"Nice meeting you too."
But something about Kevin bothered him.
He didn't know what.
Maybe it was the way Kevin looked at Linet.
Maybe it was the way Linet laughed at everything he said.
Or maybe it was simply jealousy.
And Kim wasn't ready to admit that.
During the lecture, Kim couldn't concentrate.
He kept looking toward Linet.
She was sitting two seats ahead, talking quietly with Kevin.
Brian leaned toward him.
"You're jealous."
"I'm not."
"You've been staring at them for twenty minutes."
"I'm listening to the lecturer."
Brian looked at the lecturer.
The lecturer was writing on the board.
"You're facing the wrong direction."
Kim sighed.
"Shut up."
Brian smiled.
"Welcome to love."
Kim rolled his eyes.
But deep inside, Brian was right.
He was jealous.
And he hated the feeling.
After class, Linet approached Kim.
"Kim, are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"You've been quiet."
"Just tired."
She looked at him suspiciously.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
Kevin walked over.
"Linet, we're still meeting later, right?"
Kim's expression changed.
Linet nodded.
"Yeah, for the project."
"Oh."
Kim immediately felt embarrassed.
So it was about school.
Not a date.
He had been jealous for nothing.
Kevin looked at Kim.
"You're also doing the project?"
"Yes."
"Cool. We can work together."
Kim forced a smile.
"Sure."
Brian appeared behind them.
"Perfect. More people, more chaos."
That afternoon, the group met in the library.
Kevin was surprisingly friendly.
Kim slowly realized he had judged him too quickly.
Kevin wasn't trying to steal Linet.
They were simply old friends.
Still, Kim couldn't completely relax.
At one point, Kevin showed Linet something on his laptop.
She leaned closer.
Kim watched.
Brian noticed.
"Bro."
"What?"
"Relax."
"I am relaxed."
"You're holding your pen like you're about to stab someone."
Kim looked at his hand.
He was gripping the pen tightly.
He laughed.
"I'm okay."
Brian shook his head.
"You need help."
Later, Linet and Kim were left alone outside the library.
The others had already gone.
Linet looked at him.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Why were you acting strange today?"
Kim hesitated.
"I wasn't."
"You were."
He looked away.
"Maybe I was jealous."
Linet's eyes widened.
"Jealous?"
Kim nodded.
"Of Kevin."
She smiled.
"Why?"
Kim took a deep breath.
"Because I like you."
Silence.
For the first time, Kim had said it.
No jokes.
No hiding.
Just the truth.
Linet looked down at her shoes.
"I like you too."
Kim's heart skipped.
"Really?"
She nodded.
"But…"
Kim's smile faded slightly.
"But what?"
"I don't want us to rush."
He nodded.
"I understand."
"I want us to enjoy this. College. Friendship. Everything."
Kim smiled.
"So we're…?"
Linet smiled.
"We're something."
"Something?"
"Something good."
Kim laughed.
"I'll take that."
She laughed too.
Then she held his hand.
It was a small gesture.
But to Kim, it meant everything.
As they walked back toward the hostels, Kim's phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
"Stay away from Linet."
Kim stopped walking.
Linet noticed.
"What's wrong?"
He stared at the message.
"Nothing."
He put the phone away.
But someone had clearly been watching them.
And whoever it was didn't want Kim and Linet together.
For the first time, Kim realized their little campus romance might not be as simple as he had imagined.
To be continued…