Things You Don’t Say

By the fourth day, it stopped feeling like coincidence.

Lena didn't say it out loud, obviously. She wasn't the type to jump to conclusions or assign meaning to things too quickly. That kind of thinking led to expectations, and expectations had a habit of turning into disappointment.

Still…

He was there again.

Same lecture hall. Different seat this time, closer than before. Not next to her, not even in the same row, but close enough to be noticed without trying.

Adrian Mahesa.

Now she had a name to attach to the pattern.

Lena opened her notebook, pretending not to see him. Which was getting harder to do, considering her brain had apparently decided he was now a recurring detail worth tracking.

Annoying.

The lecture began, and for a while, everything went back to normal. Slides, explanations, the quiet hum of students pretending to understand everything perfectly.

Lena focused.

Or at least, she tried to.

Halfway through the class, the lecturer announced a group assignment.

A collective shift in the room followed immediately. Some students groaned softly, others started whispering, already forming alliances before the instructions were even finished.

Lena felt her stomach tighten slightly.

Group work.

Of course.

"Form groups of two," the lecturer continued. "Submit your names by the end of today."

Two.

That should have made it easier.

It didn't.

Lena stared at her notebook, her pen unmoving. Around her, people were already turning to their friends, pairing up without hesitation.

She stayed where she was.

Waiting.

Not for someone to choose her.

Just… waiting for the moment where she could quietly figure something out without making it obvious she didn't have a partner.

"Already have one?"

Lena didn't need to look up.

"No," she said.

A pause.

Then

"Good."

She looked at him.

Adrian stood beside her desk again, like this had become his default setting.

"That's not something you usually say to people," Lena muttered.

"It is if I need a partner."

There it was. Straight to the point. No awkward small talk, no pretending.

Lena hesitated.

This was practical. Efficient. No emotional complications.

Exactly the kind of arrangement she should agree to.

And yet

"You don't have anyone else?" she asked.

"I do."

That made her blink. "Then why"

"Because I'd rather work with someone who actually pays attention."

Lena stared at him.

That sounded like a compliment.

It also sounded like pressure.

"I don't talk much," she said.

"I noticed."

"I don't like unnecessary discussions."

"Good."

"I prefer doing things my way."

Adrian nodded once. "As long as it works, I don't care how you do it."

Lena crossed her arms slightly. "You're very confident about this."

"I'm being realistic."

"That sounds the same."

"It's not."

Of course it wasn't.

Lena exhaled slowly, looking away for a second as she thought.

There were easier options. Safer ones. People she could blend in with, do her part, and disappear.

But those options weren't standing in front of her right now.

Adrian was.

And for some reason, saying no felt more complicated than saying yes.

"Fine," she said finally.

No hesitation in her voice this time.

"Fine?" he repeated.

"Don't make me repeat it."

A small pause.

Then, again

That almost-smile.

"Alright," Adrian said. "We're done, then."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Lena frowned slightly. "You're not going to discuss anything?"

"We will," he said. "Just not here."

"Why not?"

He glanced around the room, where half the class was still busy negotiating group dynamics like it was a high-stakes deal.

"Too loud," he said simply.

Fair point.

Before Lena could respond, he added, "Library. Later."

That sounded less like a suggestion and more like a plan already in motion.

"What time?" she asked.

"After your last class."

She narrowed her eyes. "You don't know my schedule."

"I know enough."

That shouldn't have been reassuring.

"Five," Lena said. "Not later."

Adrian nodded. "Five works."

And just like that, it was settled.

No overthinking. No long discussion.

Efficient.

Lena wasn't sure if she liked that.

The library at five in the afternoon was different.

Not as quiet as the morning, not as empty either. There was a soft buzz of activity, pages turning, low conversations, footsteps echoing faintly between the shelves.

Lena arrived on time.

Of course she did.

Adrian was already there.

Of course he was.

He sat at the same table from before, laptop open this time, a few documents spread out neatly. He looked up when she approached, like he had been expecting her down to the exact second.

"You're on time," he said.

"You're early," Lena replied, placing her bag down.

"I prefer not to rush."

"I prefer not to wait."

"Good balance, then."

Lena sat across from him, pulling out her notebook. "Let's just get this done."

Adrian nodded, sliding a paper toward her.

"I already outlined the structure," he said.

Lena looked at it.

Clear sections. Logical flow. No unnecessary details.

Efficient.

"You did this already?" she asked.