تسجيل الدخولTwo soft knocks at the door of Room 304 snapped Elena out of her daydream. When she pulled it open, the hallway was deserted. There was only a small cardboard box wrapped with a gray ribbon sitting right on her doormat. Elena picked it up, her face scrunched in curiosity.Stuck to the top of the box was a bright yellow post-it note featuring a sketched background of the Borobudur Temple. The handwriting was neat, cursive, and effortlessly artistic:'Songs of the night. Sent specially for you from Solverde.'Elena’s eyebrows knitted together even further as she read the message.She carried the box inside, her curiosity spiking uncontrollably. Inside lay a mini sound machine. The moment she pressed the play button, the recorded chirping of crickets and the soft rustle of a night breeze immediately filled the room.“Woah!” Elena gasped out loud, caught somewhere between utter shock, an overwhelming surge of familiarity, and pure joy at feeling like she was back home—her safest place in t
"Can anyone explain the second-order reaction rate formula and how the concentration-versus-time graph is formed?"Professor Hardi threw out the question after finishing his lecture. Dozens of freshmen exchanged glances, looked down, or suddenly became buried in their notes.Elena Castillo’s hand shot high into the air.From the edge of his glasses, Professor Hardi stared at Elena’s sole raised hand in the front row. However, he didn't call her name right away.His gaze shifted, drifting all the way up to the top corner of the lecture hall bleachers, as if waiting for his other star student to challenge her answer.Elena turned around too, following the professor’s gaze. Her heart dropped instantly.At the very top corner of the room, Julian Vega was leaning back casually. Instead of paying attention to the lecture, Julian was busy with Valeria Montes sitting in his lap. Valeria’s arms were wrapped around Julian’s neck, and the two were caught up in a passionate kiss, completely unbot
"Picture this with that tiny brain of yours, Vega. My parents only need to pitch in once to the dean, and your little fling’s scholarship, poof... Vanishes overnight," Kenzo hissed with a satisfied smirk. "Besides, she’s only here for a charity purpose anyway. It's that easy to replace her, just like a used car."Kenzo’s disparaging words about Elena set Julian’s temper ablaze. He nearly snapped and slammed his fist right into Kenzo’s smug face. If Elena’s fate wouldn’t be dragged down by his momentary ego, he would have done it without a second thought.Elena wasn't some dumbfounded girl like the guy standing in front of him who only relied on his parents' power.Because he knew just how massive Elena’s struggle was, he refused to let her lose her dream.Julian was powerless.In the face of money and power, all the effort and skill an individual possessed meant absolutely nothing.His shoulders slumped in defeat.Kenzo laughed and patted Julian’s shoulder. "That’s better. Now you kno
~(JULIAN’S POV)~"You have to come to the stadium this afternoon, El. You absolutely have to," I said, holding the door to Room 305 open, looking at Elena who had just finished tying her canvas shoes across the corridor.Elena looked up, pushing her thick-rimmed glasses up with a suspicious expression. "Ugh, what for? Why are you being so pushy? I have a lot of assignments, Vega," Elena declined.Her answer disappointed me, but of course, I wasn't going to give up.I replied with a chuckle, trying to hide my nervousness. "Well, I want to show you my best performance as quarterback. If I score later, it's a dedication to you. Think of it as my way of thanking you for not throwing that rock at my face back then."Elena snorted, but the corner of her lips twitched as she held back a smile. "Aren't you a show-off? Alright, we'll see. As long as I don't fall asleep in the library."‘Yes!’ I cheered internally.That brief exchange was enough to make me walk toward the stadium with a light s
For three consecutive days, Valeria Montes returned from campus in a horrible mood. She didn't even realize she was gritting her teeth as she walked.She stopped in the lobby of Dormitory B—Julian’s dorm—glancing at her Rolex watches with exasperation, then stared at her phone screen, which refused to flash with a reply.It was already midnight.Losing her patience, Valeria finally called the owner of the number that was ruining her mood."Julian, where on earth are you? Are we going to the club or not? Everyone is waiting for you," Valeria said the moment the call connected.From the other end of the line came Julian’s deep voice. Somehow, Valeria already knew his next answer—lately, the man had been using rejections as a template, yet Valeria remained in total denial."I’m skipping tonight, Val. I have an extra lab assignment from Prof. Hardi that needs to be submitted tomorrow morning," Julian answered, his voice slightly distorted.Valeria guessed he was speaking with the phone lef
"You are so ridiculous, Gosh," I muttered, lightly punching his shoulder while laughing at his absurd decision.Julian chuckled, then groaned and collapsed right onto the concrete floor, stretching his long legs out. His canvas shoes made a hilarious squelch sound because they were filled with water."Look in the mirror, Castillo. You were literally getting ready to dive into the pond yourself if I hadn't stopped you," Julian retorted, his teeth lightly chattering from the cold. He raised his hand, running it through his wet hair to push the damp bangs away from his forehead.Shit, I cursed internally, quickly averting my eyes, terrified that my heart might fall for his charm from a movement that was actually so simple. Julian Vega’s aura was truly irresistible, even when he wasn't even trying."Sit down, Castillo. You’re making my neck hurt from having to look up."I hesitated for a moment, glancing at my dry flannel jacket and then at the concrete floor that was now soaking from wet







