DIYA'S POV
The conversation flowed easier than I expected, laughter loosening the knot in my chest. For the first time since arriving, I wasn't overthinking every word.
Then—
"Hey, can you keep this for me?"
Maddy's voice cut through the chatter as he slid his phone, wallet, and earphones toward me. That damn smile played on his lips—casual, effortless, like he hadn't just flipped a switch in my chest.
I froze. "Huh? Why me?"
He shrugged, but his eyes held mine. "I trust you." A beat. "Plus, you're beside me. Losing all this would be… inconvenient."
Inconvenient.
The word shouldn't have meant anything. But the way he said it—teasing, intimate, like this was a game only we were playing—sent a shiver down my spine.
Our fingers brushed as I took the items.
Zap.
A jolt of electricity. Did he feel that too?
"You're the best," he murmured, winking before leaning back like he hadn't just ruined me. I shoved his things into my bag, willing my cheeks to cool.
Was this normal for him? Or was I reading too much into a simple favor?
The group grew louder, new voices blending into debates about movies and hometowns—until someone asked, "So when's your birthday, Maddy?"
Maddy's grin turned sly. "Hmm… that's a secret. Maybe you'll find out one day." A pause. "March."
I glanced at him. "March?" My brain short-circuited. "Wait… you're younger than me?"
"Guilty." His smirk deepened.
"I'm a June baby," I admitted.
"Ah, so you're the senior." He leaned in, voice dropping. "Should I start calling you Diya-senpai?"
The way he said it—low, playful, like a challenge—made my breath hitch.
"Only if you want a death wish," I shot back, but my laugh betrayed me.
He chuckled, eyes locked on mine. "March kids are the best, though. We know how to get what we want."
There.
That look. That tone.
Like every word was a thread pulling me closer. Like he wasn't just talking about birthdays—he was talking about me.
For a heartbeat, the noise faded.
It was just us.
Him. Me. This magnetic, terrifying space between.
And suddenly, I knew—
This wasn't just a conversation.
This was the beginning of something dangerous.
MADDY'S POV
I shouldn't have done it.
Handing her my things was a gamble. But the second her fingers grazed mine—sharp, electric—I knew I'd won.
She tried to hide her blush. Failed.
Cute.
The group's birthday chatter gave me the perfect opening. When I admitted I was younger, her shocked "Wait… you're younger than me?" was worth every second of the setup.
"Should I start calling you Diya-senpai?"
Her glare could've melted steel. "Only if you want a death wish."
God, I liked her.
"March kids know how to get what we want," I said, holding her gaze.
And what I want is you.
The way her breath caught told me she heard the unspoken words.
Good.