The first chill of autumn had settled in the air, crisp and biting as Kol and Sara crossed the campus lawn together, their breaths forming little clouds in the cool morning. The golden leaves beneath their feet rustled softly, mirroring the fluttering in their chests — a flutter they refused to name.
Neither spoke, but every glance, every accidental brush of hands was loud with meaning.
Sara tugged her jacket tighter around her slim frame. Her skin was still porcelain pale, almost glowing in the soft sunlight. Kol stole a quick glance at her — the way her eyelashes cast delicate shadows on her cheeks, how her lips pursed slightly when she was deep in thought.
He forced his gaze forward.
---
Inside the lecture hall, Kol sat next to Sara again, notebooks open but their attention elsewhere. The professor's voice droned on, but they were wrapped in a bubble of shared tension.
Across the room, Nate caught Kol's eye and gave him a cheeky wink. Jess grinned beside him, elbowing Lina who was whispering to Aarav, their heads close.
Earlier moments flashed through Kol's mind: the scavenger hunt, Sara's anthem performance, the almost-kiss on the rooftop — memories that tightened his chest.
He wanted to reach out, to break the silence, but words tangled in his throat.
---
After class, Sara and Kol ended up at their usual spot in the campus café, the one with faded wooden tables and dim lighting.
Sara stirred her tea absently.
"You've been quiet lately," she said softly.
Kol shrugged, pretending nonchalance.
"Is that all?"
She raised an eyebrow.
He hesitated, then blurted, "I'm scared. Scared that if I say what I feel, everything changes. Or worse, that you don't feel the same."
Sara's fingers stilled on the table. Her eyes searched his, vulnerable and honest.
"I'm scared too," she admitted. "But maybe we're already changing — just by not saying it."
---
The tension between them was electric. Neither dared to close the gap, though their bodies leaned toward each other like magnets struggling against an invisible force.
Suddenly, Nate's loud voice shattered the moment.
"Kol! Sara! You guys coming to study group tonight? Jess says she's making her 'famous' nachos!"
Kol groaned but smiled. Sara laughed, the sound like music.
---
That evening, the study group was chaotic in the best way.
Ria was trying to distract everyone with a new trivia game, while Nate continuously derailed the session with jokes and random dance breaks.
Jess was fiercely competitive, and Lina rolled her eyes while Aarav gave her a playful shove.
Kol and Sara shared a couch, textbooks forgotten as they exchanged shy smiles.
---
At one point, Sara reached for a notebook, and their fingers touched. Both froze, the room melting away.
Kol swallowed hard, his heart pounding.
Sara looked down, cheeks flushing.
"Why is it so hard to just say it?" she whispered.
Kol shook his head.
"Because once it's said, there's no going back."
---
Later, as the night grew late, the group filtered out, leaving Kol and Sara alone again.
The dorm was quiet, save for the distant hum of traffic and the soft ticking of a clock.
They sat side by side, close enough to feel each other's warmth.
Kol's voice was low.
"Remember that night on the rooftop?"
Sara nodded, eyes shining.
"We almost kissed."
Her breath hitched.
"Almost is the key word," Kol said, voice rough with emotion.
---
They leaned toward each other, the space between shrinking, hearts racing.
But before anything could happen, a loud bang echoed down the hall.
"Guys! Lights out!" Nate's voice called from the corridor.
The moment broke.
Sara jumped back, laughing nervously.
Kol ran a hand through his hair, trying to hide his disappointment.
---
As Sara turned away, Kol whispered, "Maybe soon."
She smiled, but neither of them believed it quite yet.
---
Meanwhile, Lina and Aarav faced their own growing pressures.
Aarav's family crisis deepened, and he struggled to keep up at college.
Lina became his steady support, often staying up late to help him study or just listen.
Their friendship blossomed into something tender, filled with shared hope and whispered dreams.
---
One night, Lina caught Aarav staring at her with something new in his eyes.
He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"I think… I'm falling for you."
Lina's heart skipped.
"I think I'm falling for you too."
---
Back in the dorm, Kol lay awake, replaying the night's near moments with Sara.