Third Person PoV:
 

The couple walks home after a long day of university life. 

It's rather pitiful. They don't look anything like a couple, but I can promise you that they are.

Jieqiong starts the conversation as always. “How's your day been?” 

 
Nayoung ponders shortly. “It's a Monday.” She shrugs. The weight of her her backpack moving had caused her to lose a bit of balance. They both chuckle, but Jieqiong is still uncomfortable with the small talk. “How's yours?” Nayoung nonchalantly continues the conversation, pretending her backpack shuffle didn't happen.

 
Jieqiong internally scrambled for words. She contemplates her telling her talking about her whole day or saying “same.” She disappointedly settled for the latter. 
 

 
Five months. 
 

Yet she still debates whether to give a full answer or not.  

For five months, it's been just like this.

For five months, most of the conversations are dry. They're choppy. They're awkward. 
  

You're supposed to enjoy the moments you have with your significant other, especially when both of you are busy.
 
Jieqiong started hating them.
 
 
 Jieqiong is the type of person to talk for days; she's just shy in front of Nayoung since her girlfriend is more… reserved. She won't admit it (yet), but she waits for the day she and Nayoung would maybe cuddle or even sit close to each other and talk until she loses her voice.
 
The Chinese scholar slightly caves in and gives a short anecdote of the class she just came out of. She skips a lot of details, worried Nayoung would get bored. She feels like a broken record player, hesitating to say a certain detail and tripping over her words because she has to move back and forth around her story. 

Nonetheless, Nayoung makes sincere eye contact with her every once in a while as she speaks, but Jieqiong still gets nervous looking into Nayoung’s eyes. 

There's a small giggle after Jieqiong tells her story. She's disappointed in the small reaction, but she reminds herself that she's basically dating the university’s “Stone Buddha” and her small gestures are expected. 

Though there's still a part of her that wishes she could break that image of Nayoung, maybe… just for her?
 

No. She’s probably tired. It's the end of the day. 
 
I mean. I am, too. I'm trying…
 
Aiyah. 
 
Don't be selfish. 
 

“How’s registration going for you?” Jieqiong asked her girlfriend after her small spiel. She knew if she didn’t keep the conversation going, they would just walk in silence.  

“Uh,” Nayoung pondered for a while. “I'm taking 16 units. Three of them are labs though, so I might be dying all quarter. I’m only taking one music class.”

Nayoung’s words sunk in. Despite being official, it seemed as if they spent less time than when they were in their “some” stages. Jieqiong tried not to care as much since she knew Nayoung was busy and her major was impacted, but she was hoping it was just something that happened this quarter. Next quarter, they were going to spend even less time? I stepped down dance coordinator to spend more time with you… 
 
Jieqiong stop. She's a student before anything.
 
But gah. Is it wrong to feel this way?

“Jieqiong.” Nayoung’s gentle voice pierced her thoughts. 

The owner of the name slightly jumped. “Yeah?”

Nayoung had stopped walking. “Are you okay? You just completely zoned out and you look really stressed out.” 

Jieqiong was half relieved and half self-conscious that Nayoung noticed her. 

She slightly bowed, internally hating how formal it came out. “Sorry. I'm fine.” 

Stone Nayoung