Chapter 4: Outside the Classroom

After lunch, everyone returned to class.

The afternoon sun entered softly through the classroom windows, making everyone feel a little sleepy.

The professor had already started teaching, writing important points on the board while students quietly copied them down.

Elena tried her best to focus.

She opened her notebook and started writing carefully.

But beside her, Mia was not interested in the lesson at all.

She leaned closer to Elena and whispered, “I am already bored.”

Elena kept her eyes on the board.

“Please be quiet.”

“This professor speaks so slowly,” Mia whispered again.

Elena tried not to laugh.

“Mia…”

“What?”

“Just listen.”

Mia sighed dramatically.

“I cannot survive like this.”

Elena looked down at her notebook, trying to hide her smile.

But Mia still kept talking.

“Do you think Ryan always talks that much?”

Elena shook her head.

“You are worse.”

“That hurts.”

A few students sitting nearby started smiling quietly.

Mia was about to whisper something again when suddenly the professor stopped speaking.

The entire classroom became silent.

“Mia. Elena.”

Both girls froze.

The professor looked at them with an angry expression.

“If both of you are more interested in talking than listening, then get out of my class.”

For a second, the whole room was silent.

Elena felt her face turn red immediately.

“I’m sorry, sir,” she said softly.

“Out,” the professor repeated.

Mia stood up first.

“Come,” she whispered to Elena.

As both of them walked toward the door, Elena could feel everyone looking at them.

Ryan looked shocked.

Daniel was trying not to laugh.

Chris looked amused.

Even Adrian was looking at them quietly.

Elena lowered her head in embarrassment and quickly walked outside with Mia.

The classroom door closed behind them.

For a few seconds, neither of them said anything.

Then Mia looked at Elena and suddenly started laughing.

“I cannot believe we got thrown out on the third day.”

Elena looked horrified.

“This is not funny.”

“It is a little funny.”

“Mia!”

“Okay, okay,” Mia said, still smiling.

Elena sighed and walked closer to the classroom window.

She looked inside quietly.

The professor was still teaching.

Students were writing notes.

And Adrian was sitting near the window as usual.

For a second, Elena noticed him running a hand through his hair while looking down at his notebook.

The sunlight fell softly across his face.

Before she could stop herself, she kept looking at him.

His calm expression.

The way he sat quietly while everyone else seemed distracted.

Something about him felt different.

“What are you looking at?” Mia asked suddenly.

Elena quickly looked away.

“Nothing.”

Mia did not notice anything and kept talking.

“I think Chris is funny.”

Elena nodded absentmindedly.

“And Ryan talks too much.”

“He does.”

“And this professor is still boring.”

Elena smiled a little.

“Mia…”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Elena looked through the window one last time.

Adrian was still sitting there quietly.

And for some reason, she could not stop thinking about him.

The rest of the day passed slowly.

After classes ended, students started leaving the campus.

Elena and Mia walked out together.

As they reached the gate, they saw Adrian and Chris standing nearby.

Chris smiled immediately.

“Going home?”

Mia nodded.

“Yeah.”

“We’re walking that side too,” Chris said.

So the four of them started walking together.

The roads were quieter now, with only a few students around them.

Chris was talking most of the time.

“So, how does it feel to get thrown out of class?” he asked dramatically.

Elena looked embarrassed again.

“Please don’t remind me.”

Chris laughed.

“It was funny.”

“It was not funny,” Elena said.

“It was a little funny,” Adrian said calmly.

Everyone looked at him in surprise.

Even Elena.

For a second, Adrian looked almost amused.

Chris looked at Adrian dramatically.

“I did not know you could joke.”

“I don’t,” Adrian replied.

“You just did.”

Adrian ignored him.

Mia laughed softly.

“I still blame the professor.”

“You were the one talking,” Elena said.

“And you were listening.”

“I had no choice.”

Chris laughed.

“Looks like both of you are dangerous together.”

As they continued walking, the conversation slowly became easier.

Chris talked about football.

Mia talked about random things.

Elena listened quietly.

And Adrian stayed calm as always, speaking only when necessary.

Still, somehow, being together felt natural.

When Elena laughed, Adrian noticed.

When Adrian spoke, Elena listened.

And little by little, all of them started becoming closer.

Without realizing it, they were no longer just classmates.

They were becoming friends.

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