Chapter 1
Chapter 1: The Girl in the Hoodie
Emma adjusted the strap of her bag again, her fingers curling into the soft fabric as she stood in the middle of the campus pathway. For the fifth time in a row, she checked her timetable, her eyes scanning the same lines as if they might suddenly make sense. The campus was far bigger than she had imagined—buildings stretching in every direction, students walking confidently as if they had always belonged here.
She didn’t.
“Block C… second floor…” she murmured under her breath, her voice barely audible even to herself.
Pulling her sleeves over her fingers, she lowered her head and started walking again. That was her way of surviving—don’t look up, don’t meet anyone’s eyes, don’t exist more than necessary. People didn’t notice what they couldn’t see.
And she wanted to stay unseen.
But then the noise came.
A sudden wave of high-pitched screams and excited chatter broke through the usual campus buzz. Emma flinched instinctively, her head lifting before she could stop herself. A crowd of girls had gathered near the main entrance, whispering, giggling, some even jumping to get a better view.
For a moment, she hesitated.
Curiosity wasn’t something she allowed herself often.
Still… she looked.
And then she saw him.
He stood in the center of it all as if the world had arranged itself around him. Tall, composed, hands casually in his pockets, his expression calm and unreadable. He wasn’t reacting to the noise, nor the attention. It was as if none of it mattered.
And somehow… that made him stand out even more.
Emma didn’t know his name.
But something about him felt… different.
Her gaze lingered a second longer than it should have.
And that’s when it happened.
A strange warmth rose to her cheeks, her heartbeat stumbling in a way she didn’t recognize. It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t panic.
It was something softer.
Something unfamiliar.
Shy.
Her eyes widened slightly at her own reaction, and she immediately looked down, her grip tightening on her bag. Without thinking further, she hurried forward, trying to pass through the crowd unnoticed.
Just walk. Don’t stop.
But as she passed him, something shifted.
Liam’s gaze moved.
Not toward the girls calling his name.
Not toward the noise.
But toward her.
A girl hidden in an oversized hoodie, walking like she wanted to disappear.
And yet… there was something about her.
Something quiet.
Something soft.
His eyes followed her for a brief moment before she vanished into the crowd.
Emma didn’t stop until she reached an empty corridor. Only then did she pause, placing a hand lightly against her chest as she tried to steady her breathing.
“What… was that…” she whispered.
She had never reacted like that before. Not to anyone.
Shaking her head quickly, she pushed the feeling aside. It didn’t matter. It couldn’t matter.
The rest of her classes passed quietly. She took notes, listened carefully, and avoided attention like always. No one spoke to her, and she didn’t try to speak to anyone. It was easier that way.
Safer.
By lunchtime, she made her way to the cafeteria, only to stop at the entrance. The place was packed—students everywhere, voices overlapping, chairs scraping, laughter echoing.
It was too much.
“No…” she murmured softly, stepping back.
Turning away immediately, she searched for somewhere quieter.
That’s when she remembered the rooftop.
The moment she stepped onto it, a soft breeze brushed against her face, and her shoulders relaxed almost instantly. It was peaceful, empty, far away from everything she wanted to avoid.
Perfect.
She walked to a corner, sat down, and quietly opened her lunch.
Finally… silence.
“You don’t like crowds either?”
The voice came unexpectedly.
Emma froze.
Slowly, she looked up.
And her breath caught.
It was him.
Liam stood a few steps away, leaning casually against the wall as if he had always been there. His gaze rested on her, calm and observant.
“I—I didn’t see you…” she said softly.
Liam; clearly.
There was no harshness in his tone—just a quiet statement. Emma quickly looked down again, her heart racing in a completely different way now. She wasn’t used to this. To someone noticing her.
To him noticing her.
“You always hide like this?” he asked.
Emma hesitated. “…I’m not hiding.”
Liam; sure.
Was he… teasing her?
Her fingers stilled over her lunchbox. No one had ever spoken to her like this before—not unkind, not forceful… just lightly pulling at her silence.
She didn’t know how to respond.
And surprisingly, he didn’t push her to.
A few minutes later, footsteps echoed from the rooftop entrance. Liam’s friends appeared, laughing—until they noticed him.
And then they noticed her.
“Well, well…” one of them smirked. “Who’s that?”
Liam didn’t respond, his gaze still on Emma.
Another one nudged him. “You’re staring.”
Liam; shut up.
“Seriously?” the friend chuckled. “You never look at anyone like that.”
Liam; I said shut up.
Emma, sensing the attention, quickly packed her lunch, her movements slightly hurried now.
“I should go…” she whispered, standing up.
Liam didn’t stop her. He just watched as she walked away, her figure disappearing behind the door.
His friend leaned closer, lowering his voice. “She’s different.”
Liam’s eyes remained on the empty space she had left behind.
“…I know,” he said quietly.
Days passed.
Then a week.
And somehow, Liam kept noticing her.
Always alone.
Always distant.
Always avoiding boys.
That wasn’t just shyness.
It was fear.
And he didn’t like it.
One evening, as Emma walked home with her usual lowered gaze, she didn’t notice the group of boys trailing behind her.
But Liam did.
Because he had been following her.
Not too close.
Not enough to scare her.
Just enough to make sure she was safe.
A habit he hadn’t planned on forming.
“Hey,” one of the boys called out, stepping in front of her.
Emma froze instantly, her breath hitching.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
She stepped back, panic rising. “Please… move…”
One of them reached toward her—
And the next second, he was on the ground.
Silence fell.
Liam stood there, his expression calm, but his eyes cold enough to make anyone step back.
Liam; move.
No shouting.
No anger in his voice.
Just quiet authority.
And it was enough.
The boys backed away immediately, not daring to argue.
Emma was shaking.
She couldn’t even look at him.
Too close.
Too much.
Liam noticed.
And stepped back instantly.
Liam; I’ll walk behind. No one will come near you.
And he kept his word.
Maintaining distance.
All the way to her home.
The next day, Emma had just taken her seat when someone stopped beside her desk.
She looked up slowly.
Liam.
“Morning,” he said casually.
Emma blinked. “…Morning.”
He leaned slightly, lowering his voice just enough.
Liam; you always run away… or just from me?
Her heart skipped. “I don’t—”
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
Liam; relax. I don’t bite.
A pause.
Then softer—
Liam; unless someone gives me a reason to.
For a moment, Emma didn’t look away.
And across the classroom, everyone stared.
Because Liam—the coldest, most untouchable person in college—was talking.
Teasing.
Smiling.
At her.
And for the first time in her life…
Emma didn’t feel like disappearing.
