Ohayo!!

The lecture hall smelled like stale coffee and dry-erase markers, a cocktail that somehow screamed "college life." Nuts slumped into his usual spot—last row, next to the window, far away from the professor's line of sight. It wasn't that he didn't care about learning; he just didn't want to risk becoming the professor's next example of what not to do in life.

As he fiddled with his pen, a voice broke through his thoughts.

"She's looking at you again."

Nuts glanced over at Toysi, who was grinning mischievously, his curly hair bouncing as he leaned forward.

"Who's looking at me?" Nuts asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Coyra," Toysi whispered dramatically, jerking his head toward the other side of the room. "You know, the girl who's been 'accidentally' dropping her pen near your desk all week."

Nuts turned his head slightly, trying to act casual. Sure enough, there she was—Coyra, sitting in her usual spot at the far corner of the room. Her face was partially hidden behind her notebook, but her eyes were unmistakable. Large, almond-shaped, and sparkling with a mix of curiosity and mischief, they darted toward him before quickly looking away.

"She's not looking at me," Nuts mumbled. "She's... reading her notes."

"Yeah, because her notes are apparently scribbled on your forehead," Toysi quipped.

Nuts sighed. "She's just shy."

"She's pretending to be shy," Toysi corrected. "I know the type. That girl is plotting something."

"Will you two shut up?" Macber muttered from the seat beside them, his voice low and unimpressed. "Some of us are trying to learn."

Toysi smirked. "Don't mind him, Nuts. He's just mad because Coyra's too interesting for his 'calculated risk' philosophy."

Macber didn't respond, but the slight twitch of his eyebrow spoke volumes.

The lecture droned on, and Nuts found himself glancing at Coyra more often than he wanted to admit. Every time he looked, she was doing something endearingly awkward—dropping her pencil, pushing her hair behind her ear, or pretending to focus on the board when she was clearly sneaking glances at him.

It was driving him insane.

Finally, the professor announced a short break. Coyra stood up, clutching her notebook, and made her way toward the exit (She sits in the same row because of place change happened) . As she passed by his row, she "accidentally" dropped her pen right near Nuts' foot.

Toysi elbowed him. "Dude. This is your moment."

"I—what?" Nuts stammered.

"Pick it up. Be a hero. Or, you know, continue being a socially awkward disaster. Your choice."

Before Nuts could argue, Toysi leaned over and loudly said, "Hey, Coyra! I think Acidy has something to say to you."

Coyra stopped, her cheeks turning pink. She looked at Nuts expectantly.

"Oh, uh..." Nuts bent down, grabbed the pen, and held it out to her. "Here's your pen."

"Thanks," she said softly, her fingers brushing against his as she took it.

It was such a small gesture, but Nuts felt like his brain short-circuited. Her touch was warm, her smile just a little too perfect, and for a second, he forgot how words worked.

"You're welcome," he finally managed to say, though it came out more like a croak.

Coyra lingered for a moment, her eyes meeting his. "You sit by the window a lot."

"Uh, yeah," Nuts said, his voice cracking. "Great view. Of, uh, trees."

Toysi slapped his forehead audibly, while Macber muttered something under his breath about social ineptitude.

Coyra giggled, a sound that sent Nuts' heart racing. "Well, maybe I'll sit near the window sometime. See you around, Acidy."

With that, she walked off, leaving Nuts staring after her like a deer caught in headlights.

"Smooth," Toysi said, clapping him on the back as soon as Coyra was out of earshot. "Real smooth. 'Great view of trees'? That's the best you've got?"

"I panicked," Nuts muttered, burying his face in his hands.

Macber sighed. "You're hopeless."

"Not hopeless," Toysi corrected. "Just... under-practiced. Don't worry, Nuts. I'll coach you."

"Oh no," Macber said, shaking his head. "This is going to be a disaster."

Toysi ignored him, pulling out a notebook. "Alright, step one: Compliments. Girls love compliments. But not the obvious ones. You have to be creative. Like, instead of saying 'you have nice eyes,' you say, 'your eyes look like stars guiding me through the dark abyss of my life.'"

Macber groaned. "That's not advice. That's nonsense."

Nuts frowned. "I don't think I can say that without sounding like a serial killer."

"Fine," Toysi said, rolling his eyes. "Just keep it simple. Tell her she's interesting or that you like how she laughs. Easy, right?"

"Right," Nuts said, though he felt anything but confident.

The next day, Coyra surprised everyone by sitting closer to the window—two rows ahead of Nuts. Toysi nudged him as soon as she sat down.

"Look! She's closing the gap. You're in, my friend."

Nuts tried to focus on the lecture, but his mind kept drifting to Coyra. Should he say something? Pass her a note? Would that be weird?

Before he could decide, Coyra turned around, her eyes locking onto his. "Hey, Acidy. Do you have an extra pen?"

Nuts froze. "Uh... yeah. One second."

He rummaged through his bag, his hands shaking, and pulled out a pen. As he handed it to her, he blurted out, "Your laugh is really nice."

Coyra blinked, her cheeks flushing. "What?"

"I mean, not that I listen to it a lot or anything!" Nuts stammered. "I just... noticed it once. Or twice. But not in a creepy way!"

Toysi was doubled over, barely containing his laughter, while Macber had buried his face in his hands.

Coyra, to Nuts' surprise, smiled. "Thanks, Acidy. You're... interesting too."

She turned back around, leaving Nuts to silently combust in his seat.

"Well," Toysi whispered, "that went better than expected."

Macber sighed. "We're doomed."

By the end of the class, Coyra lingered near the door, clearly waiting for someone. Toysi shoved Nuts forward.

"Go. Talk to her. Don't mention trees."

Nuts hesitated but eventually made his way over to Coyra. She smiled when she saw him, and for once, his heart didn't feel like it was trying to escape his chest.

"So," she said, tilting her head, "want to grab coffee sometime?"

Nuts blinked. "You mean... like a date?"

Coyra laughed, the sound brighter than the sunlight streaming through the windows. "Yeah, Acidy. Like a date.On next Sunday."

Toysi let out a victorious whoop from across the room, and Macber just shook his head.

And just like that, Nuts' bad luck didn't seem so bad anymore.