The first day of college.
Excitement buzzed through the halls like electricity, new faces everywhere — laughing, bonding, forming cliques like puzzle pieces snapping together. Everyone seemed to know someone. Everyone... except Kael.
He walked in quietly, calm eyes scanning the chaos before choosing an empty bench — third row, first seat near the girls' section. Book in hand, Kael did what he always did: shut out the noise and buried himself in words. No friends, no small talk, no pretending. Just the page in front of him.
Across the aisle, third bench down on the girls' side, sat a girl. Eliza. Kael glanced up once — just once — and something inside him shifted. A spark. A strange feeling he'd never known. But Kael didn't linger. Feelings could wait. The book wouldn't.
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.
Three guys swaggered into the room — clearly not freshers. Two walked ahead with smug grins while one hung back, arms crossed, surveying the room.
"Who's Eliza?" one of them, Sameer, called out.
Eliza stood nervously. "I'm Eliza. Is there… something you need?"
That's when Varun snapped.
"You bitch. You slapped me in public just for touching your hair? It's not like I touched anywhere else." He stormed over, grabbing her chin.
Kael closed his book.
He stood up slowly. Silent. Controlled.
Varun turned, irritated. "Yo, the fuck you doing? You tryna be a hero? Sit down, motherfucker."
Kael gave a calm, innocent smile. "Brother, I just dropped my pen. I'm just picking it up."
He knelt, retrieved the pen, and stood back up — eyes now fixed on the intruders.
"But this isn't your class, is it?" Kael asked softly. "What if a teacher walks in and finds you making trouble?"
Just then, the third guy stepped forward. Riyan. Clearly the leader. His smug grin was cocky and condescending — until his eyes met Kael's.
His face dropped.
Color drained from it like paint washed in the rain.
"B-B-Boss? No… no way… no fucking way…"
He stumbled forward, trying to process what he was seeing. "I-I didn't know it was you. I'm not with them, I swear. I just came 'cause they said Eliza slapped someone. We were gonna… take revenge. But I didn't know you were here. Boss, please, I'll take them and go—"
Kael flinched slightly, squinting. "You… know me?"
"Of course," Riyan whispered. "Who doesn't know the boss from—"
"Shhh," Kael cut him off, calm but sharp. Just a hiss and the whole room froze.
"I don't know who you are," Kael said, voice low. "But you know me. That's all in the past now. I'm just Kael. Just what? Kael, okay?"
He turned slightly and nodded toward Eliza.
"Oh, and... she's mine. So if you or your boys touch her again—" he let the silence finish the sentence.
Riyan nearly tripped over himself. "So sorry, Boss. We didn't know. She's your… girlfriend?! We'd never bother her if we knew. We're leaving. Now. Immediately."
As the trio bolted from the room, stunned silence took over.
Eliza stared at Kael, wide-eyed, unsure what had just happened.
Before she could speak, Kael looked at her and said gently,
"I was just kidding. Don't take it seriously. I only helped you. Nothing more."
But her cheeks flushed. Her heart pounded. Because for some reason, she wanted to believe it wasn't just a joke.
...