The Coffee Disaster
The next morning...
Emily walked across the university campus with a strawberry smoothie in her hand.
Lily looked at the drink.
"You know..."
Emily groaned.
"Don't say it."
"I wasn't going to."
"You were."
Lily smiled.
"...I was."
Emily shook her head.
"I'm not spilling this on Ryan."
"Not today."
"Not ever again."
Just then...
A familiar black sports car stopped outside the university.
Ryan stepped out.
Students immediately started whispering.
"There he is."
"Emily's boyfriend."
"They actually look good together."
Emily heard every single word.
She looked at Ryan.
Ryan looked back.
Then...
Without saying anything...
Both of them started laughing.
Lily frowned.
"What?"
Emily smiled.
"If only they knew."
...
Later...
Professor Wilson walked into the classroom carrying a stack of papers.
"Good morning, everyone."
"I have an announcement."
The class became quiet.
"The Business Competition has entered its second stage."
He placed the papers on the desk.
"Every team will attend this weekend's Leadership Camp."
Excited voices filled the classroom.
Professor Wilson continued.
"You'll spend two days working on your projects."
"And..."
He smiled.
"Each team will share one cabin."
Emily slowly turned toward Ryan.
Ryan looked just as shocked.
"No."
Professor Wilson checked the list.
"Yes."
The entire class burst into laughter.
Emily raised her hand.
"Professor..."
"There must be some mistake."
"There isn't."
Ryan sighed.
"This keeps happening to us."
Professor Wilson ignored the complaints.
"The camp leaves Saturday morning."
"Don't be late."
The bell rang.
Students hurried out of the classroom.
Emily covered her face.
"This is a disaster."
Ryan smiled.
"I thought disasters followed you."
Emily pointed at him.
"Don't start."
"I'm already stressed."
Ryan laughed softly.
"I noticed."
...
That afternoon...
Emily and Ryan met in the library.
They had barely opened their laptops when Jessica walked in.
She wasn't alone.
Two girls followed behind her.
Jessica smiled politely.
"Mind if we join you?"
Emily already knew that smile.
It wasn't friendly.
Ryan answered before Emily could.
"We're busy."
Jessica ignored him and sat down anyway.
One of the girls looked at Emily.
"So..."
"You're Ryan's girlfriend?"
Emily forced a smile.
"Yes."
Jessica leaned back.
"Interesting."
"I always thought Ryan had higher standards."
Silence.
Lily, who had just arrived with a pile of books, stopped walking.
Emily slowly closed her notebook.
She looked directly at Jessica.
"That's okay."
Jessica smiled.
"What is?"
Emily shrugged.
"I always thought kindness was more important than standards."
A few nearby students laughed.
Jessica's smile disappeared.
Ryan looked down.
He was trying very hard not to laugh.
Jessica stood up.
"This isn't over."
She walked away with her friends.
Lily sat down beside Emily.
"I think..."
"You just declared war."
Emily sighed.
"I think she declared it first."
Ryan couldn't disagree.
...
Saturday morning...
The university buses were waiting outside the campus.
Students loaded their bags while teachers checked attendance.
Emily dragged a heavy suitcase behind her.
"Why did I pack so much?"
Lily looked at the suitcase.
"Are you moving there permanently?"
"I couldn't decide what to bring."
Ryan walked over carrying one small backpack.
Emily stared at it.
"That's it?"
Ryan nodded.
"I packed efficiently."
Emily looked at her own suitcase.
"I packed emotionally."
Ryan laughed.
"I can see that."
Professor Wilson clapped his hands.
"Everyone on the bus!"
Students quickly found their seats.
Emily sat beside the window.
Ryan took the seat next to her.
The bus slowly pulled away from the university.
Music played quietly.
Some students talked.
Others slept.
Emily looked outside.
"This is actually nice."
Ryan nodded.
"For now."
Emily looked at him.
"What does that mean?"
Before Ryan could answer...
The bus suddenly hit a large bump.
Emily lost her balance.
Her smoothie flew out of her hand.
Time seemed to slow down.
"Oh no..."
Splash!
Pink strawberry smoothie covered Ryan's black hoodie.
The entire bus went silent.
Emily closed her eyes.
"I quit."
For three long seconds...
Ryan said nothing.
Then...
He started laughing.
Really laughing.
The whole bus stared at him.
Emily blinked.
"You're not angry?"
Ryan wiped the smoothie from his sleeve.
"At this point..."
"I think it's our love language."
The entire bus burst into laughter.
Emily couldn't stop laughing either.
Maybe...
Just maybe...
Being with Ryan wasn't becoming easier.
It was becoming something much more dangerous.
Because every accident...
Every joke...
Every smile...
Was making it harder to remember...
That none of this was supposed to be real.
And from the seat behind them...
Jessica watched everything with a cold smile.
"If embarrassing Emily doesn't work..."
She whispered quietly.
"I'll make sure Ryan discovers who she really is."
But Jessica had no idea...
The more she tried to pull them apart...
The closer they were becoming.
