The Annoying Senior

You Were Never My Businesses

The next morning, Dev reached college almost an hour before his first class.

The campus was unusually quiet. A cool breeze carried the smell of wet soil from the previous night's rain. The gardeners watered flower beds while a few students hurried across the courtyard, half-awake and clutching cups of tea.

Dev liked mornings.

No noise.

No unnecessary conversations.

No distractions.

He settled beneath the old banyan tree near the Fashion Design department and opened his sketchbook. With earphones in—but no music playing—he began sketching a long coat inspired by traditional handloom patterns.

It was peaceful.

For exactly seven minutes.

"Found you!"

Dev's pencil stopped.

He closed his eyes for a second.

"Already?"

Slowly, he looked up.

Arjun stood in front of him, smiling as if they'd known each other for years. In one hand, he held two cups of tea. In the other, two hot vegetable puffs.

"Good morning, Junior!"

Dev blinked.

"...How did you find me?"

"I asked three people."

"You... asked three people?"

"Actually five."

Dev stared.

"You asked five people where I was?"

Arjun nodded proudly.

"They were surprisingly helpful."

"You don't even know me."

"I know your name."

"That's not enough."

"It is for me."

Without waiting for permission, Arjun sat beside him.

He held out one cup.

"Tea?"

"No."

"Puff?"

"No."

"Half a puff?"

"No."

"Just smell it?"

"No."

Arjun sighed dramatically.

"You reject everything."

"I reject unnecessary things."

"Ouch."

Dev returned to his sketch.

"I have work."

"So do I."

"Then why aren't you doing it?"

"I wanted to meet my favourite junior first."

Dev looked up.

"You have one junior."

"Exactly."

"..."

"..."

Arjun smiled.

Dev looked back at his sketchbook.

The silence lasted almost a minute.

Arjun leaned sideways.

"What are you drawing?"

Dev quietly shifted the sketchbook away.

"My assignment."

"Can I see?"

"No."

"I'll only look."

"No."

"I won't touch."

"No."

"I'll blink respectfully."

Dev looked at him.

"What does that even mean?"

"I don't know."

For the first time, Dev couldn't stop the tiny smile that escaped his lips.

It disappeared almost immediately.

But Arjun had seen it.

"You smiled."

"I didn't."

"You absolutely did."

"It was an eye twitch."

"I've never seen someone's eyes twitch through their mouth."

Dev sighed.

"You talk too much."

"My friends say the same thing."

"I believe them."

---

Over the next week, Arjun became impossible to avoid.

Every morning—

"Good morning, Dev!"

Every afternoon—

"Did you eat lunch?"

Every evening—

"Need help carrying your portfolio?"

The answer was always the same.

"No."

One afternoon, Dev stepped out of class only to find Arjun waiting outside the door.

"...Why are you here?"

"My classroom is on the opposite side of campus."

"I know."

"Then?"

"I came to walk you to the library."

"I know where the library is."

"I know."

"..."

"..."

"Then why?"

"So you don't have to walk alone."

"I've been walking alone for twenty years."

"And today you won't."

Before Dev could protest, Arjun gently took the heavy portfolio from his hands.

"I can carry it."

"I know."

"Then give it back."

"No."

"It's mine."

"I know."

Dev frowned.

"You're unbelievable."

"I've been told."

Students passing by began whispering.

"Isn't that Arjun from Fine Arts?"

"The senior?"

"Who's the junior with him?"

"They've been together all week."

Dev heard every word.

His ears turned red.

He quickly grabbed the portfolio back.

"I don't need your help."

"You never ask for help."

"Because I don't need it."

Arjun looked at him for a moment.

Then he smiled softly.

"Sometimes needing help and asking for help are different things."

Dev didn't answer.

Instead, he walked away.

Arjun followed.

"Are you following me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Same direction."

"You were literally walking the other way."

"...I changed my direction."

"Why?"

"So I could follow you."

Dev stopped walking.

He turned around and looked Arjun straight in the eyes.

"Senior."

"Yes?"

"Mind."

"Hm?"

"Your."

"Hm?"

"Own."

"Hm?"

"Business."

Students nearby burst into laughter.

Arjun placed a hand dramatically over his heart.

"Ouch."

"Good."

"You hurt my feelings."

"They'll recover."

"I don't think they will."

"They will."

"They won't."

"They will."

"They won't."

Dev pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You are exhausting."

"And yet here you are, talking to me."

"I'm arguing."

"Still counts."

Dev gave up.

He simply walked away.

Arjun watched him disappear around the corner before smiling to himself.

"One day you'll stop telling me to mind my own business."

---

A few days later, the Fashion Design department announced a collaborative exhibition with the Fine Arts department.

Students crowded around the notice board.

Dev read the list once.

Then again.

His expression didn't change.

Partner:

Arjun Sharma – Fine Arts.

"...No."

A familiar voice spoke beside him.

"Looks like destiny likes me."

Dev slowly turned.

Arjun was grinning from ear to ear.

"You."

"Me."

"No."

"Yes."

"I'm changing partners."

"I already asked the professor."

Dev frowned.

"What did they say?"

Arjun smiled innocently.

"They said no."

Dev closed his eyes.

Of course they did.

As he walked away without another word, Arjun happily followed him again.

"Dev!"

No answer.

"Dev!"

Still nothing.

"Junior!"

Silence.

"I'll buy you tea!"

Dev kept walking.

"I'll stop talking for five whole minutes!"

Dev paused.

Arjun's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

Dev looked at him with a completely serious face.

"I know you can't."

For the first time all day...

Arjun had no reply.

Dev allowed himself the smallest smile before continuing toward his classroom.

Behind him, Arjun laughed.

"Laugh all you want now, Junior."

"What?"

"We're partners."

Dev sighed without turning around.

"This is going to be the longest project of my life."

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