Chapter 1
Mika hated being late.
Not because she cared about rules—but because being late always meant attention, and attention always meant trouble.
She rushed across the campus, her sneakers squeaking slightly against the polished floor. Her hair was tied in a messy ponytail, strands already escaping, and her bag hung loosely on one shoulder, threatening to fall any second.
“Of all days,” she muttered under her breath, clutching her phone.
8:07 AM.
Great.
Her first class had already started.
As she turned the corner, distracted and half-running, she didn’t notice the group walking straight toward her—laughing too loudly, completely unbothered by the morning rush.
Crash.
Everything happened in seconds.
Her bag slipped. Papers flew into the air like confetti. Someone’s shoulder collided with hers, sending her stumbling backward.
“Ouch!”
Mika barely had time to react before strong hands caught her by the arms, steadying her just before she fell.
“Careful.”
That voice.
Low. Calm. Annoyingly confident.
She looked up—and immediately regretted it.
Jay.
Of course it had to be him.
Jay stood in front of her, tall and composed, wearing his usual unreadable expression. His dark eyes flicked down at the scattered papers on the floor, then back at her, a faint smirk forming on his lips.
“You always run like the world’s chasing you,” he said.
Mika pulled her arms away quickly. “Maybe if you didn’t walk like you owned the hallway, this wouldn’t happen.”
Behind him, laughter erupted.
“Ohhh, spicy,” Ethan said, already grinning. “Good morning to you too, Mika.”
Ace leaned down to pick up one of her papers, skimming it before handing it back. “Late again? Consistency is impressive.”
She snatched it from his hand. “Mind your business, Ace.”
From behind her, familiar voices approached.
“Mika!”
Rhea appeared first, slightly out of breath, followed by Luna, Kaye, and Nina.
“What happened?” Rhea asked, eyes darting between Mika and the boys. “Wait—oh. Them.”
Luna crossed her arms instantly, placing herself beside Mika. “Figures.”
Jay raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means trouble,” Luna replied flatly.
Sean, who had been quiet until now, glanced at the scene with mild interest but said nothing. Marco stood beside him, silent as always, while Ethan looked like he was enjoying every second of the tension.
Mika sighed. “Can everyone relax? It was just an accident.”
Jay tilted his head slightly. “That’s not what you said five seconds ago.”
She shot him a glare. “Don’t start.”
Too late.
Ace smirked. “Looks like the universe really wants our groups to keep meeting.”
“Yeah, well, the universe has bad taste,” Nina said coolly.
Ethan laughed. “Wow, hostile much?”
Rhea leaned closer to Mika and whispered, “This is already a mess. I love it.”
Mika elbowed her lightly. “Not helping.”
A bell rang in the distance, echoing through the hallway.
Jay straightened. “Looks like we’re all late now.”
“Speak for yourself,” Luna said. “We were on time until you crashed into us.”
Jay met her gaze, unfazed. “Pretty sure she ran into us.”
Mika opened her mouth to argue—then stopped.
For a brief second, their eyes met.
Something flickered there. Something unreadable.
She looked away first.
“I’m going to class,” she said quickly, bending down to grab the last of her papers.
Kaye silently helped her, handing the stack back with a small smile. “You okay?”
Mika nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”
As the girls started walking away, Ethan called out, “Same time tomorrow?”
“Dream on,” Rhea replied over her shoulder.
The laughter faded as the distance between them grew.
But the tension didn’t.
Later that afternoon, the girls gathered at their usual spot—a shaded bench near the old tree at the edge of campus.
“That,” Rhea said dramatically, “was the most entertaining way to start a day.”
“It was unnecessary,” Luna replied. “They’re unnecessary.”
Mika sat quietly, staring at her phone without really seeing the screen.
Nina glanced at her. “You’re quiet.”
“Just tired,” Mika said, too quickly.
Kaye watched her closely but didn’t say anything.
Rhea smirked. “You sure it wasn’t because of Jay?”
Mika looked up. “What? No. Absolutely not.”
“That was fast,” Rhea teased.
Luna shot Rhea a warning look. “Don’t.”
“I’m just saying,” Rhea continued, “the way he looked at her—”
“Stop,” Mika said, standing up. “There’s nothing there. We don’t even like each other.”
Luna nodded. “Good. Because liking someone like that always ends badly.”
The words lingered longer than intended.
Mika didn’t respond.
Across campus, the boys sat on the steps near the gym.
“That girl really hates you,” Ethan said to Jay.
Jay shrugged. “She doesn’t hate me.”
Ace grinned. “Oh? Confident.”
Jay leaned back, eyes drifting toward the tree where the girls were sitting. “She’s just… loud.”
Marco glanced at him. “You noticed.”
Jay didn’t reply.
Sean stood up. “Let’s go.”
As they walked away, Jay took one last look.
Mika was laughing now, her guard slightly down.
He didn’t know why—but something about her felt familiar. Dangerous. Like a mess he didn’t plan on stepping into.
And yet…
He already had.
