Grace ignored the message since she was too busy with her work. Her eyes went to the screen seeing some unknown number but it was just a simple greeting so didn't pay attention to it.
"NO! NEVER! You are just an idiot!!!", Mika yelled.
Grace took a glimpse to the other side of the room, Noah sat there enjoying the show of a comedy fight.
She sighed and went ahead to her room since she wasn't getting any work done. As she sat in her empty room, still able to hear little shouting from the outside, her typing noise was working hard to cover that up. She went from one page to two and then three; before she realised she was at three thousand words for her site. "Maybe this is enough", she stretched her arms.
She looked at the time, "SHOOT! I'm late!". She ran off the living room where Mika and others were already dressed up.
Everyone's attention shifted to Grace as she was holding her robe and stuff to the bath.
"Done with the work?", Mika titled her head.
"Why didn't you tell me!? It's already 10:30!", Grace shouted still jogging at one place.
"But the classes start at 12. We've got plenty of time", she replied.
"YOURS Start at 12! I have to be on the campus by 11!", She shut the bathroom door.
"Seems like she's stressed", Nate said as he looked at the whole scene.
"Yeah. It's been a little hard to maintain the work recently. Maybe because of the new project she started", Mika placed her finger on her chin.
"In campus?", Noah asked.
"No, with her work. I think some contest was up and her editor told her to sign up for it", Mika replied.
"She does a lot of writing doesn't she?", Nate asked.
"Yeah, She covers a lot of things in that", Mika replied.
Grace dashed out of the shower in almost undone bath rob and went back to her room again.
"Pretty...", Nate was dazzled.
"Hey, pervert! Where are you looking?", Mika stared at him.
"Oh for god's sake! Would you tell her she has the wrong idea", he turned to Noah.
Noah squinted his brows. "I don't know man. How do you expect me to cover up for you when you stare at someone in a bathrobe. Not to mentions on what part your eyes were fixed".
Mika smirked at him. Poor Nate was just getting bullied by the mean couple. She smashed his head on the table.
"Go to hell. You both are not my friends", he cried in trauma. "Grace! If you are done tell me! I'll drop you at the campus", he shouted to the direction of Grace's room. "Since I only have enemies here", he looked at Noah and Mika again, sitting there just playing all lovey-dovey.
Mika chuckled. Everything was turning out to be on her side.
"Would it be okay?", Grace came out of her room while wearing her earrings. Her fresh look was complimenting her personality really well.
Nate's heart was enjoying just by the show of his girl, coming out in a different mood. He could see her morning routine, the time before he would usually see him. It was exciting for him in its own way.
"Yeah", he said with his eyes half-open, being in pure bliss from the excitement of being with her.
"Pervert", Mika mumbled from the behind.
"LIKE I SAID! CUT IT OUT!", Nate snapped. He stomped his foot and headed out with Grace.
The whole time Nate was driving, Grace's eyes were set on the screen of her tab. She was still excited about being with Noah, her heart was fluttering. When she finally took her eyes off, she realised that she wasn't talking to him at all.
"Oh! I'm sorry!", she flinched. "I got a little too busy"
"It's alright", he smiled gently. "It seems important"
"Yeah", she looked down.
"I'm gonna remind you this baby", he picked up the pendant from her neck, "I'm not just a friend anymore". His smile made him so comforted that she just couldn't stop herself from holding his hand.
She let it go after some seconds considering he was still driving.
"So what is it?", his voice was soft as silk.
"Just tired", she leaned back to her seat. "I'm trying to explore a new genre, but it requires a lot of studies. So I'm not really confident about it".
Nate chuckled. "Just that? I don't think there's a time when I don't have confidence in you".
They reached on the back gate of the campus.
"But-", before Grace could say anything Nate came closer to him in a second. He placed his finger on her lips.
"Do you believe in me?", he whispered.
"Ye- yes", she somehow got the words out.
"Do you trust my words?", he asked again, melting her mind.
"yes", her voice was almost inaudible.
He smiled. Removing his finger he brought his face closer and closer. Her heartbeat kept getting louder and louder. His hands cupped her soft cheeks. He pressed his lips against hers. It was as if the cherry blossoms were all around. The feeling alone was something she wanted to cherish for her whole life.
As he separated from the touch, "then believe in me, you would be the best out there", he whispered.
"O- okay", she looked down with her glazed eyes. She could feel her face becoming hot. "I'll get going now", she hurried out of the car.
He chuckled as he saw her leaving in embarrassment. His shenanigans were trembling to tease her but he retained them inside and went ahead.
Grace walk was different. It was as if his sweet words made all her worries vanish away. She was giggling while almost hopping to her class.
What she didn't realize was that there were another person's eyes set on her and Nate they whole time.
In the class, her tab had some Japanese words written on the screen. She was still trying to study the historical era. Her hands were busy, writing information and keeping the screenshots of important stuff.
"Grace"
"Hey, Grace!"
"Grace!", an unknown hand shook her.
She flinched. "Wha- what!"
There was a guy in front of him in a blue plain shirt, wearing glasses and having long hair with defined face cut. He burst into laughter as he saw Grace's reaction.
"The class is over. Aren't you going to leave?", he said.
Grace looked around. There wasn't anyone around except her and the guy whom she doesn't recognise. "Ahhh I lost the track of time", she packed her stuff.
"Busy, aren't we?", he picked up her pen from the ground.
"Yeah. Just some work piled up", she replied.
"Oh that explains why you didn't reply to my message", he shook his head.
"Reply?", she opened her phone and looked at the new message from the morning. "This is you?"
"Yep", he winked. "I'm Lucas by the way", he brought his hand forward.
"I'm Grace", she shook hands with him, "which you already know somehow".
"Don't be weirded out. I have been reading your blogs for a long time. Last week I recognised you from the profile picture you have on there"
"Oh, I see", she nodded remembering she has her face plastered on the 'writer's profile' option. "But how do you have my number?"
"It's easy. I checked in the class records", he shrugged.
"Can we actually do that?", Grace was confused.
"We being the class representative I can", Lucas answered.
"You are the class representative?", Grace blabbered in a weird manner.
"Well yeah", Lucas was a little disappointed.
"Don't be sad! I'm just really ignorant of these things!", Grace said nervously.
"It's alright! Don't let it bug you", he smiled. "By the way, we need to leave cuz students have started coming in", Lucas pointed it out.
"Yeah you're right", Grace picked up her bag.
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Meanwhile on the other side of the campus~~
"Hey Mika, you busy?", Ryan came forward to Mika who was sipping some Milkshake on a bench.
"Nope! Come sit", she scooted to the other side.
"Why are you alone?", Ryan sat on the side.
"I was with Noah actually. He left for his class a while ago", she said in a complete breeze.
"Oh", Ryan got a little irritated. "He must be having some extraordinary talent to be with you".
"Oh shut up! What do you know", Mika frowned.
"I'm mad by the way! I came to you and you had to leave your home on that day!", Ryan started sulking.
"What was I supposed to do? It's not like I knew you would come", Mika argued.
"You should have just cancelled your plan then. Am I not important?", he shook his head.
"Dude, once in a while, you should really hear yourself in your own head", she spilt her sarcasm.
"I'm serious! Were this amusement park and Noah guy so important?"
"Yeah, they were!", Mika pouted.
"Oh yeah? What is he, your boyfriend?", Ryan smirked.
Mika started blushing. Her eye's changed, she looked down playing with her fingers. "Yea- yeah...", she whispered.
"What?"