You've got 5 minutes.

The late afternoon sun cast golden rays across Silverwood University's campus as Sophia sat in the park, letting her mind drift after a long day of orientation activities. She was still getting used to the hustle of university life, but at least she had Leah by her side. The two sat in a comfortable silence until a shadow loomed over them, blocking the sunlight.

"Hello Sophia" a voice said confidently, breaking the peace.

Sophia blinked, looking up in confusion. Standing before her was a short, stocky guy with a ridiculous amount of swagger for someone so… unimpressive. He wasn't ugly, but he wasn't memorable either. His oversized jacket made him look smaller than he already was, and his posture—arms crossed, chest puffed out—only added to the absurdity. "Hi?" Sophia answerd politely wondering how this guy knew ber name."I'm Marcus, I am giving you five minutes to decide whether you want to be my girlfriend." The guy mentioned while making himself comfortable next to them.

Leah burst out laughing. Sophia's mouth fell open. "Excuse me?"

Marcus—his name badge on full display—repeated his bold claim, dead serious. "Five minutes. You. Me. Dating. What do you say?"

Sophia could feel her jaw slacken. Is he for real? She glanced at Leah, who was now covering her mouth to stifle her laughter but failing miserably.

"I'm sorry, but… no," Sophia managed, still unsure if this was a joke or some kind of weird prank.

Marcus didn't even flinch. He shrugged as if it were no big deal. "Your loss," he said, and with that,he stood up, spun around and sauntered off, his shoes making a dramatic squeak with every step.

Leah lost it. She doubled over, laughing uncontrollably, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Oh my God," she gasped, clutching her side. "Who was that guy? Is this campus full of clowns or what?"

Sophia, still stunned, shook her head, trying to process what had just happened. "That might have been the weirdest conversation I've ever had in my life."

"You didn't even ask for his number!" Leah teased, wiping her tears. "He seemed like a real catch."

"Oh, I bet he's a gem," Sophia muttered, rolling her eyes. The ridiculousness of it all finally hit her, and she laughed too. Welcome to university life, she thought.

---

Later that night, in the comfort of her dorm room, Sophia found herself texting "Sam"—the guy who had messaged her earlier from their group chat. Little did she know that Sam was really Ethan, the same mysterious guy whose quiet confidence had already earned whispers around campus.

The conversation had started harmlessly, and now it was quickly becoming more personal.

Sophia: "I'm a huge bookworm, to be honest. I could spend my entire life reading novels and be happy. What about you?"

Ethan stared at the message on his phone, half-smirking. He wasn't exactly a bookworm, but he had read Hellbound With You back in high school, mostly for the steamy parts, if he was being honest. Still, he needed to keep this conversation going. Sophia was intriguing—fresh, innocent, and different from the usual girls who threw themselves at him.

He could work with this.

Ethan (Sam): "Oh, same here. I love novels. Have you read Hellbound With You by Kazzenlx?"

Sophia's face lit up as she saw the message. Hellbound With You was one of her absolute favorite books, and the fact that "Sam" had read it too? It was like a dream.

Sophia: "No way! I love that book! The emotions, the intensity—it's so beautifully written!"

Ethan smirked. Hellbound With You. Yep, that was the one with all the steamy chapters he'd skimmed through during his senior year. He couldn't remember much about the plot, but he knew enough to keep the conversation going.

Ethan (Sam): "Yeah, the emotional depth is insane. It's… intense."

Intense. That was a safe word. Ethan was pretty sure the book had moments like that. He just hoped she wouldn't ask too many specific questions.

Sophia: "What's your favorite part of the book?"

Ethan paused, feeling a little sweat on the back of his neck. He couldn't just tell her his favorite parts were the steamy scenes. He quickly typed and deleted a few responses before settling on something vague but passable.

Ethan (Sam): "The way the characters navigate love and trust—it's really relatable."

Sophia's heart did a little flip. "Sam" was saying all the right things. He got her. Finally, someone who wasn't just about shallow conversations or fake charm. The way he talked about books made her think he was thoughtful, deep, and genuinely interesting.

Sophia: "I completely agree! That's why I love it so much. The author really makes you feel every emotion."

Ethan glanced at his phone, smiling. This was going well. He could tell she was hooked. He was about to respond when his phone buzzed with another message—a different one, from one of his female admirers.

"Hey, I'm outside your building. Can I come up?"

Ethan sighed. It was one of those nights. This particular girl had been hanging around for a while, convinced that something more serious was brewing between them, despite Ethan never promising anything. He wasn't interested, but he wasn't rude enough to tell her to leave either.

Ethan (Sam): "Hold up, gotta handle something real quick."

He put his phone down as he opened the door. The girl stood there, hopeful. Ethan greeted her casually, letting her into his apartment without much thought. She chattered away, trying to engage him, but Ethan's mind was already drifting back to Sophia. He was barely paying attention to the girl sitting on his couch, who was clearly trying to get closer to him.

Eventually, it got late, and the girl asked to stay the night. Ethan sighed internally. It wasn't like he was going to kick her out—it was too late to send her back alone—but he had no interest in anything happening tonight, or ever, really. So, like the polite guy he was, he let her crash on the couch, all the while thinking about Sophia and their conversation.

---

Back in her dorm room, Sophia was lying on her bed, staring at her phone, waiting for Sam's reply. Her mind wandered back to Marcus and his ridiculous "five minutes" ultimatum earlier in the day. She couldn't help but smile at the absurdity of it all. But this, texting Sam, felt different. There was something exciting about it—mysterious even. She liked the thrill of not knowing exactly who he was, yet feeling like they were already connecting on a deeper level.

When Sam's next message finally came through, it was simple, but it made her feel like this was just the beginning of something.

Ethan (Sam): "Sorry about that. So, where were we? Talking about good books and great company?"

Sophia smiled to herself, feeling her cheeks flush slightly. Yeah, this was definitely just the beginning.