Chapter 1
The city smelled like rain and new beginnings. I never used to like the rain; I always hid beneath my umbrella. But that day I lost it… I finally felt how beautiful the rain could be.
It was my first day of university. I was riding my bicycle through the quiet streets of Verdile City. It had rained the night before, so the roads were still slick, and raindrops clung to the leaves like tiny reminders of last night’s storm.
I had my earphones in, and “Favorite Girl” by my favorite singer played softly, setting the perfect tone for the morning. His voice always lifted my mood, like he was singing just for me. Whenever I listened to him, the world faded, and everything felt light, calm, and safe.
But that morning felt... different.
I was pedaling toward the university, lost in the rhythm of the song and the soft swish of my tires against the damp road, when my eyes caught something, a man who looked a little older than me.
He was standing beside a car, while someone crouched near the tire, probably fixing it. But he wasn’t helping, just scrolling through his phone like time moved slower for him than the rest of us.
He wore a beige hoodie under a denim jacket, the hood pulled up, though a few strands of long, slightly messy hair framed his forehead, swaying with the breeze.
It was just a glimpse,
barely a second, but somehow,
I noticed everything.
Yeah... I liked him at first sight.
I didn’t stop. I was already late, and the last thing I wanted was to make a scene. So I kept pedaling... but I couldn’t stop myself from glancing back. Again and again.
It was dangerous, sure, but in that moment, curiosity was louder than caution.
It was a perfect morning.
The weather, the vibe, the sky painted in soft blues and golds, everything felt calm and right. And then there was him. The person I’d just seen.
I couldn’t help but hope today would turn out just as perfect.
I wanted a peaceful, simple university life. One where I could laugh with friends, study in sunlit corners, and quietly enjoy the background music of my own thoughts. No drama. No chaos. And definitely no tragic love story.
I’d always been into fictional men, the ones who ruined real-life standards for me. Maybe that’s why I never truly found anyone. I believed that when I fell in love, it would happen in an instant, the kind of moment where time just... stops. But that moment never came. But that day, when I saw him, I fell.
I always dreamed of a love story like the ones in novels, not the kind that breaks you, but one that stays. Something soft, simple, and deeply lovable. A love that feels like home, not war.
Not expecting a fairytale Just an ordinary love story with a happy ending. But destiny had other plans.
As I walked into the classroom, I spotted David and Nora already sitting in the last row. They waved the moment they saw me. The three of us had been inseparable since fifth grade, somehow, we’d made it all the way here together.
The class was buzzing with energy. Students chatted in clusters, some already clicking and laughing like old friends. Others looked nervous, struggling to find their place in the room.
I didn’t pay much attention to their conversations. I headed straight to my friends and joined them in the last row, the top of the tiered seating. From there, we had the perfect view of the entire room.
“How can you be late on the first day?” Nora asked, narrowing her eyes.
I dropped my bag onto the seat and sank into the chair next to David, who was quietly scrolling through his phone while Nora and I talked.
“I overslept,” I admitted with a guilty smile.
She leaned closer, eyes narrowing with mock suspicion. “Something good happen to you?”
As she moved toward me, her head bumped into David’s hand, and his phone.
“Can’t you talk to her from your own seat?” he grumbled, nudging Nora lightly toward the window.
“Hey, switch seats, if it’s bothering you that much,” I said to David, giving him a playful push.
“Fine,” he muttered.
We swapped places, and I gently took Nora’s hand, grinning.
“Actually…” I began.
“What?” she asked, leaning in eagerly.
“I saw something beautiful today,” I whispered.
Her curiosity spiked, but before she could ask more, the professor entered the room and clapped his hands once for attention.
“Hello, students! So, how does it feel? You’re finally in college! Excited for this life?”
The class responded with a loud cheer.
“Well, let’s see what the future holds. You’re business students now, so don’t take this lightly. Enjoy it, sure, but don’t forget to study too,” he added with a stern smile.
The first twenty-five minutes were spent listening to his lecture, introductions, university rules, and expectations. The remaining time was set aside for short one-on-one interviews with each student. It wasn’t exactly exciting, but having my old friends beside me made it easier.
After the lecture, I turned to David with a teasing smirk.
“Hey, Mr. Prince, what’s with your mood today?” I said just to tease him. He came from a well-off family, after all.
“Shut up, I am not in the mood,” he replied, eyes still on his phone.
I exchanged a look with Nora. “What’s wrong with him today? Why is he acting so grumpy?”
She gave him a playful glare. “Forget him.” Then she turned to me. “We’ve got our next Lecture in Room 102. Let’s go.”
We started packing up. Just before leaving, Nora smacked David lightly on the back of his head.
“Hey!” she shouted. “Let’s go!”
David looked up at her with mock irritation. “What, are you going to beat me up?” she teased.
“Not in the mood,” he muttered, but finally stood up.
As we walked through the corridor, Nora and I kept teasing David, gently hitting his arm until, at last, he cracked a smile, the first one I’d seen from him all morning.
We entered the next classroom, still playfully nudging each other. But the moment I stepped inside, my steps faltered.
There he was.
The boy, no, the man, I had seen earlier that morning. The one standing beside the car.
He was seated by the window, his head resting against the glass. His hood was still up, partially shadowing his face, but I could see just enough. Sunlight streamed in behind him, casting a soft golden halo around his head.
Goddamn.
He looked... breathtaking.
I didn’t understand how someone’s presence could affect me this much. It didn’t make sense, but I couldn’t look away. Everything about him drew me in, the stillness in the way he sat, the way his fingers moved across his phone. He wasn’t doing anything remarkable, and yet I was completely captivated.
I stood frozen, staring, until a sharp thwack landed on the back of my head. David had smacked me with his notebook.
“What?” I blinked out of my trance.
“Where were you lost?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Before I could answer, he grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the bench. We always chose the last row, and lucky for me, from there I had a clear view of him.
He was still texting someone, oblivious to everything else. Nora and David were chatting beside me, but I couldn’t stop watching him.
After a few minutes, two boys walked in and greeted him with easy smiles. Friends, probably.
“Why didn’t you come to the first class?” one asked.
It was the first time I saw him look up. He replied casually, “My car broke down, so I was late.”
God.
That voice.
Deep. Calm. Unbothered. Like nothing ever rushed him. Something about the way he spoke sent a shiver of quiet apprehension down my spine. I didn’t even know him, but every little detail I learned drew me in deeper.
His friends started talking easily, laughing, and nudging each other. And he just sat there silently.
All I could hear was him, even though he wasn’t speaking.
The next class began. The professor walked in holding the register.
“Roll call,” he announced, flipping it open.
Names were called one after the other. I wasn’t paying much attention, until I heard it.
“Rowan Carter.”
When he raised his hand.
I whispered it to myself, almost without realizing. “Rowan Carter…”
“What?” Nora whispered back, frowning.
I looked at her, cheeks burning. She didn’t miss it.
“Wait, why are you blushing?” she asked, nudging me.
I tried to play it cool, but a smile betrayed me.
“The beautiful thing I saw this morning... it was Rowan Carter.”
“What?!” she gasped, totally stunned. “You’re actually into a real person? What about that Comfort Note mystery person?”
“I don’t even know if that was a guy, girl, aunt, uncle... could’ve been a child. Could’ve been anyone. So…”
David looked up from his phone, now fully engaged. “What happened to all your book-boyfriend types? The brooding detective? The mysterious prince from page 123?”
“Shut up, you guys,” I groaned, half-laughing, half-dying inside.
Nora leaned closer, eyes gleaming. “Where is he?”
I pointed toward Rowan’s seat by the window. From where we sat, only part of his face was visible when he turned toward his friends. His hood still cast shadows.
“Hmm,” Nora said, squinting. “All I see is a little hair and some serious vibes.”
“I saw more than enough,” I murmured, heart racing.
“Let’s talk to him,” Nora whispered excitedly. “Let’s ask him out!”
“What? No!” I hissed. But David had already leaned in, smirking.
“I’m in. This is going to be fun.”
I froze. “Guys, no. It’s too soon! I don’t even know anything about him. How can we?”
David cut me off. “Aria, don’t think too much. That’s your problem.”
“Ugh, stop!” I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “Both of you. Please.”
But they didn’t stop.
For the rest of the class, they whispered like they were planning a secret mission to set me up with Rowan Carter. They were having the time of their lives.
I, on the other hand, was quietly panicking.
Because this wasn’t a fictional character or a fantasy I’d made up in my head.
This was real.
And for the first time in my life... I liked someone who existed outside the pages of my imagination.
My comfort note
Dear comfort note,
Maybe you’re tired of all my fictional stories, but today I have something real to share. It might sound a little filmy, but you know me too well. You know the kind of books I read and the kind of movies I watch, so obviously, I’m going to explain it like this.
Today, I saw someone. And not just anyone, someone who felt straight out of a dream. The moment I saw him, something in me shifted. I think I fell for him right there. I was instantly drawn to him in a way I can’t explain.
The crazy part? He’s in my class. He doesn’t talk much, stays in his world. He was giving off that tough guy from a novel energy, the kind who’s all sharp edges on the outside but secretly soft on the inside. Honestly,
he even had a bit of a mafia character vibe with the way he looked. But that’s okay. One day, I’ll make him talk. One day, I’ll make him mine.
You’re probably thinking this is just an obsession. And maybe it is. But I don’t really care whether it’s love or obsession or just a strong attraction. All I know is, I want him.
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