Vio remained seated, his gaze occasionally drifting toward the corner of the dormitory canteen where Sheren and her friend sat. For some reason, he felt an invisible pull compelling him to keep watching her. A sense of curiosity slowly grew within him, even though he didn’t quite understand what he was feeling.
"Are you seriously still thinking about that girl?" Arnold’s voice snapped him out of his daze. Vio flinched and quickly turned to his friend, who was grinning mischievously.
"No," Vio replied hastily, though the looks on his friends' faces said otherwise.
Fariz chuckled while stirring his iced tea. "Just admit it, bro. You’ve never been interested in a girl before. This is the first time we’ve seen you this curious."
Vio scoffed, trying to change the subject. But no matter how much he tried, his thoughts kept circling back to his brief encounter with Sheren. He recalled how their eyes met, how her subtle smile felt unexpectedly warm, even if just for a second.
"If you’re that curious, just go introduce yourself," Syauqi suggested while scooping up his food. "There’s no harm in trying, right?"
Vio hesitated. Introducing himself? That wasn’t something he usually did. He wasn’t the type to approach someone just because he was curious. But for the first time in his life, he wanted to get to know someone better.
"Come on, don’t act all high and mighty. If you don’t do it now, you’ll regret it later," Rafly teased.
Vio looked at each of his friends one by one. They all seemed excited to see him make a move. But should he really do this now? Was this a feeling he should follow?
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Sheren and her friend packing up their things—they were about to leave the canteen. If he wanted to take this opportunity, the time was now.
"Go for it, bro," Arnold whispered while patting his shoulder.
Vio took a deep breath. Maybe it was time to follow his heart.
Without thinking any further, he stood up.
His heart pounded as he walked toward Sheren, who was disposing of her trash near the canteen exit. The girl seemed calm, unaware that Vio was gathering the courage to talk to her.
"Uh, Sheren, right?"
Sheren turned, slightly surprised. Her beautiful eyes looked at Vio with curiosity. "Yeah? Sorry, have we met before?"
Vio felt his tongue go dry. This was the first time he had spoken to a girl who truly caught his attention.
"Uh, we kind of grabbed the same piece of chicken earlier. I'm Vio, from System Information 1," he said, a bit nervous.
Sheren nodded slowly, seeming to recall the moment. "Oh, right. I’m Sheren, from System Information 2."
Vio gave a small smile. He wanted to say more, but his mind went blank. What was he supposed to say next?
"Do you often eat at the dorm canteen?" he asked spontaneously.
Sheren let out a soft chuckle. "Sometimes. Usually when I’m too lazy to cook or go out."
Their conversation started to flow naturally. Sheren wasn’t just beautiful; she was also friendly and had a soothing way of speaking. Vio began to feel at ease.
But before he could say anything more, her friend, Nadia, gently pulled Sheren’s arm. "Sher, we have to head back to the dorm. We’ve got assignments to finish tomorrow."
Sheren glanced at Vio before offering him a small smile. "Okay, I’ll get going then, Vio. See you around."
Vio could only nod as Sheren walked away. As she disappeared from his sight, he realized something.
He wasn’t just curious.
He wanted to see her again.
ns 15.158.61.11da2
