Chapter 1: First Love in the Dormitory Cafeteria
The afternoon sun slowly sank behind the buildings of President University, leaving an orange streak in the sky that gradually darkened. The gentle breeze carried the scent of rain, lingering since earlier that afternoon. Students who had just finished their classes flocked toward the dormitory cafeteria, a place always crowded as dinner time approached. The cafeteria had a distinct atmosphere: long wooden tables, dim neon lights, and long queues at the buffet.
Among the crowd, a young man in a gray hoodie walked casually toward the cafeteria, his hands tucked into his pants pockets. Arifvio Giraldo—better known as Vio—took a deep breath, savoring the aroma of food wafting from afar. His stomach growled, but his mind still wandered, drifting somewhere far away. It had been a tiring day, with a stack of assignments from his professors, and he couldn’t wait to fill his stomach.
“Bro, you’re so slow! We’ll never get a seat if you keep walking like that,” Arnold, one of his friends, called out from behind.
Vio just glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. “Relax, No. The cafeteria’s not going anywhere.”
“Besides, if it's full, we can just sit at someone else's table,” added Rafli Ramadhan casually.
Arnold snorted. “I don’t want to sit with strangers. Better get a seat first.”
The three of them entered the cafeteria, now filling up with students from various departments. The noise mixed with the delicious aroma of food from the buffet. Some students were busy chatting, while others were focused on their meals. Vio scanned the room, recognizing a few faces from different departments, but he didn’t pay much attention to them.
Vio walked toward the buffet table, his eyes scanning the dishes. Lazily, he grabbed a plate and began choosing his food. The fried chicken with sambal looked good, so without hesitation, he reached for a piece.
But just before his hand could grab it, another hand reached for the same piece.
Their fingers almost touched.
“Ah, sorry...” A soft voice reached Vio’s ears. Reflexively, he turned toward the source of the voice.
That’s when the world seemed to slow down.
Standing next to him was a girl with long, wavy black hair. Her bright brown eyes radiated softness, with a shy yet graceful gleam. Her skin was as white as porcelain. She wore an oversized light blue sweater that made her look even sweeter.
Vio couldn’t look away. His chest felt strange, as if something was stirring inside.
For the first time in his life, he felt… confused.
The girl glanced at him for a moment before offering a faint smile. “You can go first. Please, take it.”
Vio remained silent. His mind felt like it had short-circuited. His heart was racing for no apparent reason.
Meanwhile, Arnold, who was standing behind him, observed the scene with a mischievous expression.
“Bro,” Arnold whispered, “The chicken’s almost gone. If you keep standing there, it’s going to be taken.”
Vio snapped back to reality and, flustered, quickly grabbed the chicken and moved to the other dishes. The girl giggled softly before she grabbed her own food. Vio glanced at her again, noticing how calm and unaffected she seemed by the situation. Somehow, this made him even more curious.
After paying, Vio made his way to the table where his friends were sitting. He couldn’t stop thinking about what had just happened.
“What was that?” he muttered quietly.
Arnold, already seated in front of him, raised an eyebrow. “What’s up? Thinking about the chicken?”
Vio quickly shook his head. “No… I just met a girl.”
“And?”
“I feel weird.”
Arnold and Rafli exchanged glances before laughing together.
“Bro, that’s called falling in love,” Arnold said teasingly.
Vio looked at him with disbelief. “Love? No way. I don’t even know her.”
Arnold shrugged. “Well, if you’re curious, just introduce yourself. Who knows, she might be the one.”
Vio fell silent again. He looked over at the line, searching for the girl. He didn’t know her name, but for some reason, he wanted to know more about her.
The girl was now sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, accompanied by a friend who also seemed calm. Vio watched her eat gracefully, silently, as if lost in her own world.
“Shero Yang,” Fariz’s voice suddenly came from beside him.
Vio turned to him. “What?”
“The girl you’ve been staring at,” Fariz said with a sly grin. “Her name is Sheren Yang. She’s from System Information 2.”
Vio furrowed his brow. “You know her?”
“Not really, but she’s pretty famous. Beautiful, quiet, and rumor has it, she’s never had a boyfriend,” Fariz said, taking a bite of his food.
Vio looked back at Sheren, his mind filled with more questions. He didn’t know why, but the strange feeling was still there.
And without Vio realizing it, that was the beginning of his first love story.
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