Bisi's smile

The next day brought another round of lectures. GNS 103, Introduction to Library, was a general course for all first-year students, held in one of the university's largest auditoriums, Hall of Mercy. It was even more packed than the CSC lecture theatre, a sea of faces from different departments, the air already warm despite the early hour. Daniel found a seat towards the middle, preferring a bit of anonymity in such a large, mixed crowd, and opened his MacBook, intending to review some notes before the lecturer arrived.

The seat beside him remained empty for a while as students continued to file in, the noise level rising. Just as he was getting engrossed in a PDF about database normalization, with a split screen showing an ongoing Forex trade, someone slipped into the next chair. He glanced up briefly.

A young woman was settling in, placing a notebook and pen on the narrow fold-out desk. She wore a simple but well-fitting yellow crop-top that complemented her warm brown skin, paired with dark blue jeans and neat sneakers. A cascade of neatly done braids was pulled back from her face, revealing intelligent, observant eyes and well-defined features. She wasn't wearing much makeup, if any, relying on a natural, clear-skinned beauty, especially with her chocolate-dark complexion. Her figure was trim and athletic. As she leaned forward to adjust her bag, he caught a faint, pleasant scent of shea butter and something subtly floral.

The lecturer was late, as was common. The hall buzzed with chatter. After a few seconds of silence, she turned to him, offering a polite, slightly curious smile.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice clear and pleasant, easily audible despite the background noise. "Is this seat taken by anyone else?"

Daniel looked up fully, returning the smile. "No, not at all. It's all yours."

"Thanks," she replied, then gestured vaguely at the packed hall. "This is quite the crowd, isn't it? Just cause of a 1 unit course."

He chuckled. "It does matter though. Hopefully, the actual library is less chaotic than this orientation."

"One can only hope," she agreed, a humorous lilt in her voice. "I'm Bisi, by the way. Computer Science." She extended a hand.

"Daniel," he replied, shaking her hand. Her grip was firm, but her palm was soft. "Also Computer Science."

"Wow. Kinda obvious though." Bisi commented, settling back.

"How?" He raised an eyebrow.

Bisi turned to the trade window on his laptop and pretended to cough.

Daniel quickly closed it, slightly embarrased

"Not a bad thing though" she laughed, and Daniel just nodded exasperatedly. "So what are your thoughts about FUTA?"

Daniel answered with one word. "Queues."

Bisi nodded lightly.

"You're definitely right about that. Spent half a day just trying to get my course form stamped. But yeah, apart from that, the classes seem to be promising, especially CSC 101 with Dr. Adekunle, even if a bit intense."

"You think he's intense? I thought his explanation of pseudo-code was actually decent. Cleared up a few things for me," Daniel replied.

Bisi held her chin, considering. "True, once you get past that permanently serious expression he wears. I'm still trying to wrap my head around some of the more abstract problem-solving concepts." She paused, then looked at him directly. "So, apart from navigating FUTA's administrative maze and surviving Dr. Adekunle, what does a 'Daniel of Computer Science' do for fun?" Her eyes held a playful curiosity.

He found himself responding easily to her directness. "The usual, I guess. Football, when I can find a game. Music. Trying to keep up with tech trends. And you know, Finance."

She laughed again, a bright, genuine sound that made a few nearby students glance over. "Calculus is definitely a brain-melter. I'm more into reading when I have downtime – novels, sometimes non-fiction. And I'm trying to explore Akure a bit, when assignments aren't trying to drown me."

"Exploration, huh? Found any hidden gems yet?" Daniel asked, intrigued, and finally closed his laptop. He hadn't done much exploring himself beyond basic necessities.

"A few decent buka spots(canteens)," she admitted with a conspiratorial smile. "The real student survival guide. And there's a surprisingly good art gallery downtown, if you're into that sort of thing."

"Good to know," he said. "I might have to get some recommendations from you. My culinary exploration so far has been limited to 'what's closest to campus and unlikely to cause immediate regret'."

"A very valid strategy," Bisi chuckled. "Safety first."

The lecturer finally bustled in, a stack of papers under his arm, and the ambient noise in the hall began to subside. Their conversation reduced in intensity, naturally. But throughout the ensuing lecture, Daniel took extra glances Bisi beside him. The perfect pitch of her voice, the way she tucked in a strand of hair when she was about to laugh. He found himself a bit dazzled.

When the lecture eventually ended, and the wave of students began to push towards the exits, he turned to her. "Well, Bisi. The lecture was a lot less boring talking to you."

She smiled, an expression that lit up her face. "Same here, Daniel. You made the Dewey Decimal System almost bearable."

"High praise indeed," he grinned. "Hey, since we're in the same department and clearly have excellent taste in back-row lecture seats, maybe we could exchange numbers? Could be useful for comparing notes, or, you know, culinary intelligence."

Bisi's smile widened. "Sounds like a plan. I'm always up for sharing vital intelligence, especially if it involves good food." She recited her number, and he quickly saved it in his phone, making a mental note of her name.

"Cool. I'll send you a text later then, so you have mine," Daniel said.

"Looking forward to it, Daniel." She gave a small wave, then skillfully navigated her way into the exiting crowd. He watched her go for a moment, the easy flow of their conversation, her bright intelligence, leaving a distinct and positive impression. This was an encounter he hadn't anticipated, but one he was definitely interested in pursuing.