The next two weeks or so are pretty busy. What can I say? It’s the beginning of my first semester. Getting used always takes some time. But even during this busy period, the image of the boy that rescued me still cross my mind from time to time.

Chan…

Just thinking about him makes my heart feels fluffy.

I mean, yeah, I don’t really believe in love at first sight. And I know that his rescue isn’t really ‘ideal’ (now everyone knows me as ‘that boy that was carried unconscious to the grand welcome’). So I’m technically not supposed to fall for him. But it happened anyway.

But why?

That’s a question that I myself would like to know the answer. There must be something about him that attracted me (since it’s very improbable that he put a love spell on me when I was unconscious).

So, as soon as I get used to my university workload, I embark on a personal journey to stalk quietly observe Chan. In a totally non-creepy way. And without Song, as he would definitely make fun of me.

He isn’t really that hard to stalk quietly observe. He is relatively tall, but he also has that iciness that makes him super easy to spot. Put simply, everyone will try to avoid him (except me). So, whenever I spot a group of people chattering to each other that suddenly go quiet and dash away, I know Chan is about to pass.

First observation: He has no friend. For a son of a major politician, he seems very bad at making connection. Not that it bothers me. In fact, it simply means that I would have no love rival (yay!).

Second observation: He studies medical magic. Meanwhile, I study generic elemental magic (the best one that I can get into with my grade; oh well, what can I say). That means we don’t have any shared class (boo…).

Third observation: I never see him studies. Whenever he goes to the library, it’s always to meet that group of lecturers that ‘harassed’ him during the first-day dinner. So he really is helping with their research! Then why does he still attend university at all? And more importantly, why here? That is still a mystery.

Fourth observation: He doesn’t live in the university dorm. So he’s rich enough to rent a place somewhere else (although that’s granted given his dad’s status).

Now, I don’t completely have his class schedule figured out yet. In fact, his schedule seems pretty fluid. But I know for sure that every Thursday, he would leave the medical building at 4 pm straight without fail. Fortunately, I don’t have any class around that time, so I just grab a random textbook, sit at the café in front of the medical building, order a Tiramisu cake (my personal favourite!), and wait to see him.

At 4 pm, he would get to the café and get something to eat. What he eats change every week, but it always consists of a kind of salad and two different desserts. Then when he finishes, he heads to the library to meet the first-day dinner lecturers (yeah, that’s how I call them now since none of them actually teach my class).

And even after all this stalking quiet observation, I still don’t know why I like him, but that would constitute my ‘Chan-fix’ for the week. And no, it’s totally not creepy. I mean, I don’t disturb him or anything; I just observe him. Not creepy at all.

“That’s so creepy!”, Song said when he discovered my stalking quietly observing habit.

Alright, fine! It’s creepy, and I should stop. I know it! But he doesn’t need to say it out loud. So I ignore him and dash through the hallway

“Anyway, I made something for you~~”, Song said as he runs to catch up with me. Before I can respond, he shoves a paper on my face. I grab the paper to look at it properly.

It’s a very realistic drawing of me… Kissing a boy that is obviously Chan… In fact, it’s a full make out session, as seen by Chan’s hand that is groping my …

WHAT IS THIS!?

“What on earth did you make!?”, I asked, my face starting to get hot.

“Well, you and Chan… I ship it!”

“What!?”

“You two will make an unlikely couple. I mean, someone like him won’t even bat an eye on a low life like you. But I will support you!”, he explained.

“You…!?”, I almost shouted. I try to rip the drawing, but when Song sees what I’m trying to do, he snatches the paper from my hand.

“Hey! It took me a few days to make this!”, Song protested.

“I don’t care! Who allowed you to make that kind of drawing of me!”

As we fight over the drawing, I fail to notice a particular figure walking in our general direction. The drawing slips from Song’s hand and falls to the floor before I can catch it, then it’s picked up by… Oh, no!

Chan stares at the drawing.

“Fu…!” I almost cursed.

Is this the end of my romantic life?

Chan calmly walks to us and hand over the paper to Song. “I believe this is yours.”, he said, his expression unreadable as usual. Then he leaves without even acknowledging my existence.

“Interesting drawing.”, he quietly mumbles as he walks pass me.

Okay, this is the end of my romantic life…

Or maybe not…

At lunchtime, Song is passionately ranting about this lecturer of his that I couldn’t care less. Then when I thought he has finished, he starts speaking about this boy (Dong-something) that he has been seeing. Until he seems to notice something behind me and stops talking.

“Gotta dash!”, he said before quickly taking his tray and runs away.

“Eh, what the…?” But before I can finish the sentence, a particular boy takes Song’s seat. Chan!

He leans back in his chair and stares at me. He doesn’t bring a tray, so he’s not here for eating. And he doesn’t seem like he’s going to say something either. Okay… This is awkward…

I gulp.

“You don’t eat?”, I asked.

“I did.”, he said, flatly and succinctly. His expression is as still as usual.

“Ok…”

And then there is silence.

“What are you doing here?”, I asked. Come on Chan, I’m trying to break the awkwardness!

He hesitates for a while before answering. “Observing.”, he said.

Observing?

I’m not sure how to reply to that. So I pick my coffee and sip it slowly. Then I notice his eyes turn green. He leans forward and asks, “What do you think about the drawing?”.

*Cough*

I choked on my coffee. His bluntness is really something else. I look at his face, and it’s obvious that he’s expecting an answer.

So I pause and think.

What does this mean? Like, does he know that I like him? Or is he implying that he likes me? Or maybe he is just playing around? Although ‘Chan’ and ‘playing around’ do not belong in the same sentence.

But before I can make up my mind, he stands up and leaves without saying anything else. And I can only stay there staring on his back as he leaves me dumbfounded. What on earth just happened?

As soon as I leave the food court, Song comes to me and starts bombarding questions.

“What happened? You have to tell me!”, he asked while nudging my arm.

“None of your business.”, I shrugged him away.

“C’mon, don’t be like that! Tell me!”

“Nah.”

“Don’t tell me… Did something bad happen?”

“Quiet!”

I fasten my steps and head to the library. Song is still next to me trying to probe an answer, but he won’t get it from me. I enter the library hoping that Song will stop disturbing me, but of course he doesn’t; he just does it in whispers instead.

Still ignoring him, I grab a few books from the shelves and try to find a place to sit. But when I look around I notice Chan in one of the discussion room with a few men that I recognise as the first-day dinner lecturers.

Noticing my expression, Song follows my gaze. “Speak of the devil…”

Chan doesn’t notice me, it seems. So I take a seat at one of the tables where I can stalk quietly observe him.

“You know you won’t get any study if he’s here.”, Song said as he stands in front of me, obstructing my view.

“Go away, Song!”

“You’re hopeless.”, he mocked as he finally leaves.

Now that nobody is disturbing me, I randomly open one of the books and pretend as if I’m reading. Song is right. There’s no way I can study when I keep peeking at Chan from the corner of my eyes.

I’m not sure what’s so attractive about him. He is definitely not a fun person to be with. But there’s something about him. I guess deciding to study here gives him a mysterious vibe. But even without that, I feel like we would really get along if only we can start ‘something’.

Let’s see if I’m correct.

They just finished their discussion. The lecturers start leaving the room while Chan stays back, writing in his notebook. When the lecturers are out of sight, I enter the room and sit in front of Chan.

He acknowledges my presence but doesn’t say anything. He continues to write whatever it is he’s writing, pausing here and there to think. Meanwhile, I lean back on my chair and stare at him.

After who knows how long, he finally looks up. “What?”, he asked.

“Observing.”, I said, mimicking the way he said it at lunchtime.

His mouth twitches a little, although I’m unsure if that’s an almost-laugh or an almost-speech. Whatever it is, he decides to hold it back and continues working.

Not long after, he packs his stuff and leaves without saying anything (classic Chan), but I can swear he quietly mutters ‘cute’ under his breath when he leaves.

And that makes me smile.

I know I will like him!

Mid-semester exam…

Some students are so lucky not to have a mid-sem exam at all. Meanwhile, I’m stuck here in the library having to study for mid-sem exams for all my subjects.

This is unfair.

I check the time. Thursday 4.15 pm. Yeah, I have no time to stalk quietly observe Chan this week. Exams get the priority. Besides, I reckon I should stop doing that anyway. Anyway, go back to study!

I read and read and read… Trying to comprehend all the super subtle difference between each element. Then I have to memorise the spell formula, and I’m sure they’ll have a question that asks me to devise a hypothetical new spell…

This is exhausting.

I get up from my chair to do some stretching. Then I notice Chan is here, sitting at a table across me. He isn’t in the discussion room with the first-day dinner lecturers like usual.

He just sits there, nothing on his table, and stares at me. Let me guess, observing?

But there’s something different today. Like, something in his eyes. I can’t quite comprehend what it is since it’s so subtle. Annoyed? Anxiety? Or could it be… longing!?

Nah, no way.

I sit back on my chair. Okay, June. Focus! I know Chan is here, but you can focus.

Or not…

Chan takes a sit next to me. “Do you need help with that?”, he asked before he leans forward and looks at my books.

I just stare at him, surprised because of his question and dumbfounded because this is the closest I ever get to him physically. From here, I can really see the feature of his face. And he is even more handsome up close!

“… simple.”, I heard his voice, bringing me back to reality. Crap, I zoned out again! Need to stop doing that, need to stop doing that!

Then he stares straight into my eyes, and his eyes are green again (I still don’t know why, but who cares). I feel like zoning out already…

“I don’t mind you zoning out while staring at me. But it won’t help your study.”, he said rather bluntly.

“Sorry…”

“Just try to focus.”, he said. He then goes on to explain the formula. Somehow, he just knows which part that I’m struggling with. How? Maybe he’s just a good teacher; let’s enjoy the moment and not overthink this.

Nothing special happened during the rest of the semester. Although Chan and I started ‘something’, it never goes beyond hi and a smile (from me; he always responded with an I-acknowledge-you-but-can’t-be-bothered-to-say-anything gaze). Well, he did help me study for the final exam, but that’s about it. Soon enough, Song detected that ‘something’ is happening, so he keeps bugging me to spill the beans, although to be honest there’s nothing to spill.

Time passes… and now it’s already summer break! Isn’t it good?

Well, yes and no. Yes because a break is a break (about time I get some rest!). But no because I have no reason to stalk quietly observe Chan during the break. I don’t even know if he’s staying here or going away for the break.

“June!”, I could hear Song’s calling me from the hallway. I open the door and let him inside my room. But even before he takes off his shoes, he slams a newspaper on my face.

“Did you read the news?”, he said.

“What about it?”, I asked, taking the newspaper from him.

“They discovered this huge hole!”, he said, making a big circle with his hands. “I think there’s a treasure inside!”

I look at the front page of the newspaper, and he’s right, it’s about this big hole that suddenly appeared deep in the Outland. The article said it had been magically concealed before, and nobody really noticed until recently. That must be one powerful spell.

“How can they not discover something this big before?”, I asked.

“How should I know?”, he asked back. “Anyway, let’s go there!”, he suggested while clasping his hands with mine.

Eh… Needless to say, this sudden proposition doesn’t sound appealing. “Won’t the government guard the area or something? I don’t think they want random people to start going there.”

“I heard Chan is going there~~”, Song said, shamelessly using my only weakness.

“Ugh… How do you know?”

“I overheard him talking to these group of men. They’re, like, forcing him to go there.”

“The lecturers?”

“Nope. I never noticed them before. Honestly, they creep me out a little.”

“Wait, what do you mean ‘forcing him’?”

“Oh, I heard Chan said something like, ‘you guys won’t stop disturbing me even while I’m here, huh?’”

“I see.”

That’s… interesting.

“Alright, let’s go there.”

“You’re the best! Let’s pack up; we’ll go there first thing tomorrow.”, he said as he quickly waves goodbye and leaves my room.

So it seems the summer break won’t be that bad after all.