Chapter 1 — The Coffee Spill Incident
It was the first week of college, and Emma Tran had promised herself she would be a responsible adult. She woke up early, bought black coffee like every other overachiever, and followed the schedule she’d downloaded from the school portal the night before.
Except—she downloaded the wrong schedule.
Instead of walking into Media Studies 101, Emma proudly marched into Mechanical Engineering. The lecture hall buzzed with energy and machine parts. A group of students crowded around a robot arm that looked ready to punch someone.
Emma froze at the door. “Hi, is this… Intro to Media Communication?”
Silence. Then laughter.
A guy near the front looked up from his laptop, amused. “Not unless communication now involves hydraulic pressure.”
The class erupted. Emma’s face turned bright red. She spun on her heel, but not before bumping into the guy—sending her entire cup of coffee down his notes.
“Oh my God—I’m so sorry!” she gasped, grabbing napkins.
He laughed, brushing droplets off his sleeve. “Well, congratulations. You just baptized my thesis in caffeine.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“I know,” he grinned. “I’m Ethan. You’re… the lost freshman?”
“Emma,” she muttered. “And yes, I’m officially lost. In space. In life.”
Ethan chuckled. “Nice to meet you, Emma Lost-in-Life. Need me to guide you to the right building before you accidentally join Robotics Club?”
She nodded helplessly. “Please.”
As they left, he said over his shoulder, “By the way—next time, bring two coffees. In case destiny needs a refill.”
