Chapter 3 Unspoken things

Brianna hadn't planned on running into him again so soon.

It was Monday morning, her first lecture. The hall was packed with students, some scrambling for seats, others pretending to be cool and unbothered. She found a spot near the back, not too far from the door. Safe. Quiet. Invisible.

Or so she thought.

She was halfway through setting up her laptop when she saw him.

Malvin.

He walked in alone, earbuds in again, hoodie half-zipped like he hadn't even tried to look presentable. He glanced around the room once - casual, effortless - and then his eyes landed on her.

Brianna looked away, suddenly very interested in the screen in front of her.

A moment later, she felt movement beside her.

He sat down. Next to her.

Of all the empty seats.

She didn't say anything. Neither did he. Just pulled out a notebook and a pen like it meant nothing. Like sitting beside her was just another random decision in his day.

But Brianna's pulse betrayed her. It picked up. Just slightly. Enough to remind her that she wasn't as unaffected as she wanted to be.

Ten minutes into the lecture, the professor started talking about the structure of academic research papers. Brianna typed quietly. Malvin scribbled notes in long, even strokes.

When the professor asked a question about thesis statements, Brianna raised her hand instinctively.

Her voice was calm and sure. "A thesis should make a claim that's both arguable and specific. It tells the reader what the paper will prove."

The professor nodded in approval. "Exactly."

Brianna didn't smile, but inside, she felt a small flicker of something-confidence, maybe. Control.

As she lowered her hand, she felt Malvin glance sideways at her.

"That was smart," he said under his breath. Not loud enough for anyone else to hear. Not trying to flatter her. Just a simple observation.

She blinked, unsure how to respond. So she didn't.

But later, as the class packed up and everyone filtered out of the room, he walked beside her. Not rushing ahead. Not falling behind.

Just... walking with her.

"I'm not great at public speaking," he said suddenly, like he needed to say something. "But I like hearing people who are."

She gave a small nod. "Thanks."

Then, silence again.

But this time, it didn't feel awkward. It felt like something was beginning - something neither of them could name yet.

They reached the hallway. He turned left. She turned right.

No goodbye.

No smile.

But she felt his presence linger like the echo of a thought that hadn't finished forming.

Brianna spent most of the afternoon in the library.

It wasn't crowded yet-most students hadn't started pretending to study. But for her, it was already a safe place. The smell of old paper, the soft hum of the air conditioner, the muffled silence between rows of books-it gave her the kind of calm that people usually searched for in people, not places.

She had a book open in front of her, a half-written assignment in progress, and yet her mind kept circling back to that lecture hall.

To Malvin.

He didn't talk much. He didn't try too hard. But somehow, that made every word he did say... feel like it mattered.

And the way he looked at her-like he noticed things most people didn't even care to see.

Brianna hated how often she caught herself wondering about him.

Where he came from. What he cared about. Why he always looked like he was holding back something real.

She shook her head and forced herself to focus. She was here to study. Not to fall into some mysterious guy's orbit. She'd been through enough to know how easily people could disappoint you. How one moment of softness could cost you more than you were willing to give.

Her phone buzzed.

A message from Lydia:

Heading to that film screening in the quad tonight. You in?

Brianna stared at the screen.

She wanted to say no.

But something inside her-maybe the part that still hadn't stopped thinking about that lecture, or the quiet walk in the hallway-hesitated.

What film? she typed.

A few seconds later, Lydia replied:

Some artsy old movie. I think Malvin's going too. 👀 Just saying.

Brianna's chest tightened.

She didn't reply.

She just sat there, fingers hovering over the keyboard, heart making decisions her head hadn't approved yet.