Days passed, and the bond between Vio and Sheren grew even stronger. They spent more and more time together—whether in the cafeteria, the campus park, or the library. Vio, who was usually more focused on himself, now unconsciously found himself searching for Sheren’s presence at every moment. There was something about her that made him feel comfortable, something that made him want to stay close to her.
One afternoon, Sheren and Vio sat in a quiet corner of the library, working on an assignment together. Books were scattered across the table, and a laptop screen displayed lines of code they were trying to debug.
"Do you understand this part, Vio? I’m a little confused about how to make the loop more efficient," Sheren asked, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she stared at the screen.
Vio smiled and moved his laptop closer. "Let’s see. You're using nested loops here, right? Maybe we can optimize it using a hash map to reduce unnecessary iterations."
Sheren nodded slowly, trying to absorb Vio’s explanation. "I’ve always admired the way you think, Vio. You have a way of explaining complex things in a way that’s easy to understand."
Vio felt his face heat up slightly at the compliment, but he simply smiled. "Ah, it’s nothing. I just try to find the simplest way to avoid complications."
At that moment, the library lights dimmed slightly, signaling that closing time was approaching. Sheren sighed and stretched her arms. "I’m really exhausted today, but at least we managed to finish part of the assignment."
Vio nodded. "Yeah, we can continue tomorrow if we have time. Do you want me to walk you to the dorm? It's getting late."
Sheren gave a small smile, hesitating for a moment before nodding. "Sure. I don’t really feel like walking alone."
They walked side by side through the quiet corridors of the campus. A gentle night breeze blew, making the atmosphere feel even calmer. Vio glanced at Sheren, who seemed to be enjoying the peaceful moment.
"Sher, have you ever felt so comfortable with someone that you lost track of time?" Vio suddenly asked.
Sheren turned to him and smiled. "I have. And I think I’m feeling that right now."
Her answer made Vio pause for a moment. There was something in Sheren’s words that made his heart beat faster. He wanted to say something, but he was afraid of ruining the moment.
When they arrived in front of the dormitory, Sheren turned to him with a warm smile. "Thanks for keeping me company today, Vio."
Vio smiled back. "Anytime, Sher. Sleep well."
Sheren waved before stepping inside, leaving Vio standing there. He looked up at the night sky and took a deep breath. The feelings he had tried to ignore were becoming clearer—he truly liked Sheren. But was he ready to confess?
The next day, Vio arrived early to class. However, his mind was still drifting back to his conversation with Sheren the night before. The comfort he felt was becoming harder to ignore.
Fariz patted his shoulder. "What’s up with you? You’ve been zoning out."
Vio snapped out of his thoughts. "Nothing. Just thinking about our assignments."
Arnold, sitting next to him, chuckled. "Or are you thinking about Sheren?"
Vio just smiled without answering. He himself was confused about his feelings. His friends had probably already noticed the change in him, but they didn’t pressure him to admit it.
By midday, Vio and Sheren met again in the cafeteria. Sheren sat across from him, carrying a tray with her favorite meal.
"Are we continuing our assignment today?" Sheren asked while taking a spoonful of her food.
Vio nodded. "Yeah, sure. You still need help optimizing that program, right?"
Sheren smiled. "Yeah. If you’re not busy, we can go to the campus park instead. The atmosphere is more relaxing."
That afternoon, they studied together at the campus park. The gentle breeze made the moment even more comfortable. A few times, Vio caught himself staring at Sheren longer than he should have. When Sheren turned and smiled at him, he quickly looked away.
"Vio, I really love moments like this," Sheren suddenly said.
"Like what?" Vio asked curiously.
"Sitting, chatting, working on assignments with someone I feel comfortable with."
Vio swallowed hard. Sheren’s words made his heart beat even faster. It was becoming harder to hide his feelings.
As the sun began to set, Sheren packed up her books. "Vio, thank you. You’re always so kind to me. I don’t know what I’d do without a friend like you."
Vio smiled. "Sher, I’m also happy to have met you."
Sheren looked at him for a moment, then gave him a soft smile. "Come on, let’s go home. It’s starting to get cold."
On the way home, Vio realized one thing: he had to accept that his feelings for Sheren weren’t just admiration. It was something more.
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