It's 11:50 P.M., and Grace waits alone by the elevator in the quiet hallway of the Faculty of Art and Design. The fluorescent lights hum softly overhead. After a moment, the elevator dings open, its doors sliding apart like a breath, and she steps inside.
Just as Grace reaches for the close button, the doors begin to slide back open. A familiar figure approaches—a woman she knows well. Their eyes meet briefly. Grace offers a short, polite nod.
"Hello," Grace says, her voice steady but with a flicker of hesitation.
Lena, dressed in a sleek black skirt and crisp blue shirt, returns the nod, a subtle smile playing on her lips.
"Hello," she replies smoothly.
Grace feels a tightening in her throat, a tension she can't quite place. Lena steps into the elevator, and once again, Grace presses the close button. The elevator lights flicker as it starts to move up.
At floor five, Grace clicks the button again, hoping to speed things along, but Lena's eyes meet hers and linger. After a moment, Lena says nothing, letting the elevator continue.
"Are you going to Julian's office?" Lena asks, voice casual but edged with something else.
"Yes, yes," Grace answers, a bit too quickly. "I have a one-on-one session."
Why do I even feel the need to explain? Grace wonders, inwardly rolling her eyes at herself.
"I was planning to stop by and ask him out for lunch, but I suppose I'll have to excuse myself. Student time, right?"
Grace doesn't know how to respond, so she simply says, "I see."
The elevator door slides open on the fifth floor, and Lena steps out first, her heels clicking purposefully on the polished floor. Grace follows quietly, despite the discomfort curling in her stomach.
Lena strides confidently down the hallway toward Julian's office, the sharp echo of her high heels filling the silent space. Grace keeps a careful distance, reluctant but unable to break away.
Inside Julian's office, he stands by the window, fingers lightly tapping his wristwatch, heart beating just a bit faster.
She's coming soon… he thinks, eyes fixed on the door.
A knock breaks the silence. Julian turns and faces the door.
"Come in," he says, voice calm but low.
The door opens slowly—and to his surprise, it's Lena standing there, a playful, flirtatious smile curving her lips as she steps inside, the soft sound of her heels accompanying her.
"Oh, hi," Julian says, his voice faltering slightly as he looks up through the open door.
Lena stands just inside, her posture relaxed, a playful glint in her eyes.
"I was going to ask you out for lunch," she says smoothly, "but since you have a one-on-one session with your student, I thought I'd just drop by to say hello."
"How did you know I have one on…" Julian starts, but his words trail off when he catches sight of Grace casually approaching, standing quietly behind the wide-open door.
Grace offers a slight, polite nod in greeting. The realization dawns on Julian—these two must have crossed paths on the way up.
"Well, have a great day, and let's grab lunch tomorrow or something," Lena adds, her voice laced with a flirtatious smile. She turns away gracefully.
Grace and Lena's eyes meet briefly, a silent challenge sparking between them, but Grace quickly looks away, fixing her gaze out the window instead.
Lena smirks knowingly, her confidence unshaken as she strides out the door, the soft click of the closing door echoing behind her.
Now, only two remain in the room.
Grace and Julian.
"Have a seat," Julian says, motioning toward the sofa with a gentle nod.
Grace nods awkwardly and walks over to the sofa, easing herself down onto the cushion. The space between them feels wide—just enough to keep things comfortably distant.
Julian sits behind his desk, adjusting his black-rimmed glasses as he looks up.
"So, how's your new semester going?" he asks, his tone easy but with a hint of genuine interest.
"It's going pretty well. Thanks," Grace replies shortly, her gaze flickering up to meet his eyes for a brief moment.
It's funny how Julian's steady eye contact unsettles her. Usually, she's the one who reads others' eyes, but with him, looking directly feels oddly uncomfortable.
Okay, I'm really going to hold his gaze, she tells herself, forcing her eyes to stay locked on his.
Julian, however, senses the casual distance in her voice and feels an awkward silence settling between them.
You called her in for this one-on-one. Just say something, he urges himself quietly.
"Okay, great. And how about this course? Is the workload manageable?" he asks again, keeping his tone casual.
Grace nods slowly, as if weighing her own thoughts.
"I think it's okay. I mean, I've never taken anything related to fashion before, so it's quite interesting," she says with a small, genuine smile.
Her smile stirs something unexpected in Julian's chest — a sudden quickening of his heartbeat.
"Good to hear," Julian says, standing up and clasping his hands as he walks toward the coffee machine on the far side of the room, away from where Grace sits. "Would you like some coffee?"
"No, it's fine. I don't drink coffee," she replies smoothly.
Right, Julian thinks, recalling Hannah—she didn't drink coffee either. For a brief second, the memory tugs quietly at him.
"How about lunch, then? Have you eaten yet?" Julian asks, turning back toward Grace with a gentle smile.
"No, not yet," Grace answers, though inwardly she thinks, Well, it's only noon, of course I haven't eaten.
Julian's face stays composed, but inside he chuckles at his own question.
What a stupid thing to ask—it's just 12 o'clock.
"All right," Julian says, stepping a bit closer, "how about we continue this one-on-one over lunch?"
"Like, right now?" Grace asks, surprised.
"Yeah," Julian says, nodding.
Grace hesitates a moment then says, "Okay."
Before Grace can fully register what's happening, she's sitting inside Julian's car, parked deep in the dim basement lot. The world outside feels far away—just the two of them in the quiet stillness of the car's interior.
Julian quickly starts the engine, and the low hum fills the silence as the car slowly ascends the ramp. Outside, daylight breaks through, bright and clear.
"Let's head to the pasta place near campus," Julian says, reaching to turn the music up just a little. "They've got a great brunch menu."
The soft notes of Canon D float through the speakers—the very song Grace loves. Her lips curve up without meaning to; the moment feels lighter.
"You like this?" she asks, trying to bridge the awkwardness lingering between them.
"Yeah," Julian replies, his eyes on the road but his voice warmer. "You too?"
Grace leans back slightly into her seat, the tension easing from her shoulders.
"Yeah," she says quietly.
There's a calm ease settling between them now, something natural and unforced.
"I didn't expect to have lunch with you today," Grace blurts out quickly, as if to hide her lingering nervousness.
Julian smirks, a playful glint in his eye.
"Well, you're the lucky one—you're the first to take me up on this one-on-one session."
Grace chuckles softly, though the humor feels half real, half a shield.
The car soon pulls into a spacious lot behind a bright, clean diner with large windows that catch the afternoon sun. They step out, the air fresh and crisp, and head inside together.
They settle into a booth by the window, sunlight warming the table.
"I'll have the oil pasta and salad set," Grace says, scanning the menu with a relaxed focus.
"Good," Julian says, waving his hand toward the approaching waitress.
The waitress arrives with a friendly smile.
"Good afternoon. Are you ready to order?"
Julian points to the menus.
"Good afternoon. We'll have this and this set, please."
"Thank you," the waitress says as she takes the menus from Julian and steps away.
Now it's just the two of them, sitting across from each other, no distractions or interruptions.
To break the silence, Grace speaks first. "Thank you for lunch."
Julian shrugs, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Are you all good with... um, recovery?" Grace asks tentatively.
Julian smirks, eyes glinting with a touch of mischief.
"Yeah, as you can see."
Grace nods slowly, her voice softening. "Thank you again for that day. If it weren't for you, I probably would have been hurt a lot more."
Julian meets her gaze with a quiet, reassuring smile.
Grace's words stumble on as she continues, "You know… it's kind of crazy how I ran into you again at school after Mellany."
Julian chuckles, barely audible but genuine.
"Right, I agree."
"Oh, and please do let me know about the hospital bill," she adds quickly.
"Never mind that. You don't need to."
"Well… I still think it's—"
"It's okay," Julian interrupts, his voice calm but resolute.
Grace nods, conceding with a small sigh.
"All right, then..." she murmurs, feeling the weight of the awkward pause settle between them. "My mom said thank you to you too."
Julian smiles softly, a nod of acknowledgment.
Grace turns her gaze toward the window, her eyes drifting to the quiet street outside where only a few cars pass by.
Usually, she's the one steering conversations, making others feel at ease. But with Julian, everything feels strangely awkward—like she's walking on thin ice.
Inside, Julian watches her closely, his expression unreadable, as if trying to decode the silent emotions playing behind her eyes.
Before either can say more, the waitress returns, balancing plates expertly on both arms.