The Goddess At My University

Chase woke up before his alarm, most likely because he had gone to bed earlier than usual. Reaching for his phone on the nightstand, he squinted at the screen. It was 4:28 a.m. A notification popped up: "You're up early. Turn off your alarm?" He tapped yes, then stretched, letting out a quiet sigh.

Figuring there was no point in staying in bed, he decided to get ready early. With careful steps, he crept toward his bedroom, though a small part of him hesitated. Would she still be asleep? When his hand turned the knob, he realized the door was unlocked, which surprised him more than it probably should have.

Diana was still fast asleep, her black hair a disheveled mess across her face. She sprawled across the bed, limbs tangled in the blanket like she'd been rolling around in her sleep. The sight made him stifle a chuckle. A wild sleeper, huh? At least she'd remembered to charge her phone, he thought, noticing the device plugged in on the nightstand beside her.

Moving as quietly as possible, he stepped into the room and grabbed some clothes from his dresser—a pair of gray sweats and a plain black t-shirt. It didn't really matter since he'd planned to throw on his hoodie anyway. After finding some black socks and underwear, he tiptoed back out and made his way to the bathroom.

His morning was off to a quiet start, but he wasn't complaining in the slightest.

Chase stepped into the shower, the warm water slowly easing the lingering stiffness from his body. His usual routine kicked in, his mind wandering as he worked through the motions. By the time he turned the water off, he felt fully awake. He dried off quickly and got dressed, applying deodorant and lotion as part of his usual ritual.

Once dressed, he towel-dried his hair before reaching for the box of hair dye he kept tucked under the sink. It was a quick-dye formula, one he'd been using for a while. He wasn't too concerned about damage—his hair had always been oddly resilient to chemicals. If anything, the biggest hassle was styling it; no matter what he did, it always seemed to return to its natural bouncy texture.

Carefully, he worked the dye through his hair, the golden-blonde strands quickly darkening to jet black. When he rinsed it out and looked in the mirror, the change felt seamless. His reflection stared back, the same as always—except for the color shift. Surprisingly, the black suited him well, giving him a sharper, more subdued look.

But his eyes were still a problem. Even muted by the dark curtain of hair falling just past his shoulders, they seemed to catch and reflect the light at certain angles. He grabbed his hoodie from the counter and slipped it on, tugging the hood low over his face.

After brushing his teeth, Chase stepped out of the bathroom, heading back to the living room. The clock on the wall read a little past 6 a.m. His dye job had stretched his usual hour-long shower into an hour and a half, but at least he was done. For now, the apartment was quiet—a calm before the day officially began.

Orientation started at 9 a.m., which meant Chase still had more than two hours before he needed to leave. With time to kill, he found himself brainstorming ways to stay low-key once school officially began. The thought of blending in was comforting, but he couldn't help but worry about Diana. Would she keep her distance? For some reason, he doubted it.

Deciding to focus on something else, he figured ordering breakfast would be the easiest option. He wasn't in the mood to cook, and it could be a good opportunity to teach Diana how to use her phone. Satisfied with the plan, he sank into the couch, enjoying the silence.

Scrolling through his digital library, Chase skimmed endless titles before giving up and picking something he'd already started. The quiet morning was perfect for reading, and he lost himself in the story for nearly an hour. By 7 a.m., though, he started to wonder if he should wake Diana up. He hesitated, knowing full well it was a delicate task.

Reluctantly, he made his way to the bedroom. Standing in the doorway, he weighed his options, trying to figure out the safest method. Finally, he came up with an idea. He retrieved her phone, which—unsurprisingly—didn't have a passcode. I'll have to tell her to set one later, he noted mentally. Setting a timer for five minutes, he placed the phone somewhere out of her immediate reach—high enough that she wouldn't accidentally break it with her inhuman strength.

With the setup complete, he bolted from the room, practically sprinting to the living room. Back on the couch, he let out a relieved breath. "Made it out alive," he muttered under his breath before returning to his book. The timer would do the work for him, and he had five minutes of peace left to enjoy.

Five minutes later, Chase heard the alarm go off. His palms felt a little clammy as he braced himself for her reaction. Sure enough, angry grumbling came from the bedroom. Moments later, the sound of the alarm grew louder until Diana appeared in the doorway.

She was clearly not a morning person. Bags hung under her silver eyes, and her face was scrunched in irritation as she held up the phone like it was some cursed artifact. "Why is it doing this? Turn it off this instant," she demanded, her voice still groggy.

Chase fought back a chuckle, reminding himself it wouldn't be wise to tease her—not when she looked like she was ready to throw the phone across the room. Instead, he put on his most nonchalant expression and lied, "Oh, your phone does that when you first get it. After that, the only way to activate it is by setting an alarm in advance."

It was a casual lie, one he had carefully crafted during his five minutes of preparation. Diana narrowed her eyes at him, clearly skeptical, but she handed the phone over anyway. Chase showed her how to stop the alarm, explaining, "You need to click Stop to turn it off completely. If you hit Snooze, it'll just come back in a few minutes."

When he handed her the phone back, he couldn't help but notice how cute she looked when she was tired. Her bedhead, the faint pout on her lips, and her still-dazed expression—it all made her strangely endearing. Chase quickly cleared his throat, trying to snap himself out of it.

"Orientation starts soon," he said, hoping to shift her focus. "We can order breakfast, and you can take a shower while it's on the way."

Diana blinked at him, still sluggish. Her voice was hoarse from sleep. "Order? You're not cooking?"

Chase shook his head. "It's faster, and it's a good chance for you to learn how to use delivery apps," he said, pulling out his phone. He opened a food delivery app and handed it to her. "Pick a place you like."

Diana plopped onto the couch, still looking dazed. She scrolled through the app with half-lidded eyes, barely processing the options. None of the places stood out until a diner caught her attention. The menu featured something called Pan…Cakes, and she latched onto it purely because it had the word cake in it.

"This one," she said, handing the phone back to Chase.

He nodded and took her phone next, entering his number into her contacts. He texted himself a quick "A" and saved both their numbers in each other's phones. "I'm sending you the order link," he explained, pulling up the diner's menu. "You can add whatever you want from your phone."

Diana stared at him, still looking half-asleep but intrigued by the process. Chase handed her phone back and watched as she hesitantly poked at the screen. Despite her initial irritation, she seemed to be learning quickly—or at least, he hoped so.

Diana tapped on the pancakes and managed to add them to the cart. This isn't so hard, she thought, a hint of pride sneaking in. But as she kept browsing the menu, her eyes landed on a combo meal that included pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage. That's way better. She quickly added it, only to realize that the standalone pancakes were still in the cart.

"Uh… how do I delete something?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Chase leaned over and pointed to the screen. "Just swipe left on it," he said simply.

She nodded, doing as instructed, then leaned back against the couch with a sleepy sigh. Meanwhile, Chase scrolled through the menu and added a Western omelette to his own order.

"You done?" he asked, glancing at her.

Diana gave a drowsy nod, clearly not fully awake. Chase hesitated for a moment. He could have asked her to pay for her share—especially since she undoubtedly had more money than he did—but he decided against it. She was still figuring things out, and besides, he didn't have it in him to ask.

He placed the order and turned back to her, only to find her already asleep again, slumped against the armrest with her phone loosely held in her hand.

"Diana," he called, keeping his tone steady but firm.

No reaction.

"Diana," he repeated, this time louder.

Her silver eyes fluttered open, irritation written all over her face. "What?" she mumbled groggily.

"You need to get ready," Chase said.

Diana groaned, dragging herself to her feet. She rubbed her eyes as she shuffled toward the laundry room. Chase watched her disappear inside, then reemerge with a fresh outfit in her hands. He noticed her choice was different from what she'd been wearing last night, and it clicked—she must have taken a shower after he'd gone to bed.

That explains why her hair was damp earlier, Chase thought. She probably didn't wake me up to ask how to dry it. He couldn't decide whether to be annoyed or impressed by her independence.

What caught his attention next, though, was the bundle of underwear she carried. At least she figured out how to wash them, he thought, relieved. But before he could stop himself, his mind began to wander toward thoughts he knew he shouldn't have. He shook his head quickly, forcing those ideas out. She'd kill me if she knew what I was thinking.

He grabbed his phone, opening the novel he'd been reading to distract himself. The words blurred slightly at first, but he focused harder, letting the fictional world pull him back in. Moments later, the sound of running water told him Diana had finally made it to the bathroom and started her shower.

At least she's getting ready now, he thought, turning a page on his screen as he settled into the quiet once more.

The food arrived more than half an hour later. Chase got up to retrieve it, noting that the shower water had stopped a couple of minutes earlier. The faint sound of brushing echoed from the bathroom, signaling Diana was finishing up her routine.

He set the bag on the kitchen counter, taking out his order and leaving hers in the bag. Sitting down at the small dining table, he began eating. As soon as his fork pierced the fluffy omelette, Diana stepped out of the bathroom, her damp black hair hanging loosely around her shoulders.

She paused, her silver eyes narrowing slightly as she noticed something she hadn't clearly registered earlier. "Why is your hair black?" she asked, her tone curious but slightly suspicious.

Chase glanced up briefly, unfazed. "I told you already—it's to hide my appearance at school," he replied simply, cutting into his omelette.

Diana frowned as though trying to recall, then stepped closer to him. He pointed at the bag on the counter. "Your food's in there," he said, motioning toward it.

She grabbed the bag but hesitated, looking at him with irritation. "I thought I said I would protect you," she muttered, her voice carrying a trace of annoyance.

Chase sighed, setting his fork down. "I know, but I'd still prefer to avoid attention. Also, at school…" He hesitated, trying to phrase it as gently as possible. "It'd be better if we kept our interactions… minimal. You know, just to keep things low-key."

Diana's eyes narrowed. "So you're saying you don't want me to talk to you?" she asked, her tone sharpening. "Seems like you're trying to get rid of me."

"It's not like that," Chase said quickly, handing her a plastic fork from the bag as she sat down beside him with her food. "You can still text me if you want to talk that badly. It's just… for now, while we're at school, I'd like to stay as unnoticed as possible. I have to survive four years there, and keeping a low profile is the best way to do that."

Diana watched him closely, as if assessing whether his excuse was valid. She didn't respond immediately, instead taking a bite of her pancakes. The expression on her face shifted almost immediately—a frown of disappointment.

Chase couldn't help but chuckle. "Not what you were expecting?" he teased, reaching into the bag for a syrup packet. He opened it and poured a generous amount over her pancakes. "Try it again."

Diana cut another piece and took a bite. This time, her face lit up slightly with satisfaction, though her expression didn't quite match the enthusiasm she usually had for his cooking. "It's good," she admitted, but Chase could tell she still preferred his food.

As she continued eating, she paused and glanced at him again. "So, as long as no one knows what you really look like, it's fine?"

Chase tilted his head, considering her words. She's definitely oversimplifying things, he thought, but he ultimately nodded. "Yeah," he said with a sigh, knowing she'd probably take that as permission to do something unpredictable later.

Seemingly satisfied, Diana focused on her food, devouring it quickly. She poured syrup on everything—pancakes, sausages, bacon, and even her eggs. Meanwhile, Chase was taking his time with his omelette, still working through half of it by the time Diana had cleared her plate.

He caught her eyeing his food with a mix of curiosity and envy. Seeing her expression, he sighed again. "Do you want some?" he asked.

She nodded enthusiastically, and Chase couldn't help but smile at her honesty. Cutting the remaining half of his omelette in two, he placed a portion on her plate.

Diana eagerly took a bite, chewing thoughtfully for a moment before nodding in satisfaction. Then, to Chase's astonishment, she poured syrup over the omelette as well before taking another bite, this time with even more enthusiasm.

Chase could only stare, utterly dumbfounded, as she polished it off. "Absolute glutton," he muttered under his breath, finishing the rest of his meal.

Once they finished eating, they both looked ready to go—except for one thing: Diana's hair was still damp. Chase noticed this and went to grab the hair dryer from the bathroom. He handed it to her, but she simply looked at it, clearly unsure what to do. With a resigned sigh, Chase motioned for her to sit down. She complied, and he took the task upon himself, carefully drying her hair until it was soft and warm to the touch.

When they were done, they left the apartment, Chase locking the door behind them. They made their way to the elevator in silence. As they rode down, Chase noticed Diana downloading a game onto her phone, likely the one he had shown her earlier. He felt relieved that she'd used her phone's ID account to make her profile instead of signing up through the game's manufacturer, sparing him the trouble of explaining account creation.

Out of the corner of his eye, he also saw her fiddling with a small earphone case. She took the earbuds out but hesitated, clearly unsure how they worked. Chase sighed, gesturing for her to hand them over. He paired the earbuds to her phone and explained how to differentiate between the left and right earbud by the "L" and "R" markings. She nodded, putting them in her ears, and immediately resumed playing her game.

As she seemed completely engrossed, Chase couldn't help but wonder how far she had progressed in it already. He also idly speculated about how much sleep she'd actually gotten, considering she still looked slightly tired. However, before his thoughts could wander too far, the elevator dinged, snapping him out of his musings.

The lobby was quiet, with only a few people milling about—it was still early morning. At the front desk, the receptionist from the previous day was working, her attention immediately drawn to Diana. Ignoring Chase, she waved Diana over.

Diana didn't notice at first, likely because of her earbuds. When the receptionist called out again, louder this time, Diana removed one earbud and turned toward her, looking both confused and mildly annoyed.

"Where's your brother? You know, the cute guy from yesterday?" the receptionist asked, smiling expectantly.

Diana's expression shifted to irritation. "Brother? He isn't my brother," she replied flatly.

The receptionist's smile faltered, her face falling in disappointment. "Oh… I see. So he's taken, huh? A guy that handsome already has a beautiful girlfriend, doesn't he?" She eyed Diana with barely concealed jealousy, her tone turning sharp.

Diana blinked, utterly lost. "He has a girlfriend?" she asked, before turning to Chase with narrowed eyes, an odd expression crossing her face. "You have a girlfriend?"

Chase let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "No, I don't have a girlfriend."

Diana's confusion deepened. "Then why did she say you do? Hey, you!" she said, addressing the receptionist again. "Why are you lying and saying he has a girlfriend?"

The receptionist blinked in surprise, now just as confused as Diana. "Lying? I wasn't talking about him," she said, eyeing Chase skeptically. She had been referring to a cute, blonde-haired boy—not the black-haired one standing next to Diana.

Chase realized the situation was only spiraling further. He stepped in before Diana could escalate it. "She's talking about you," he explained with a sigh. "It's a misunderstanding. She assumed we were dating—it's not her fault."

The receptionist's eyes widened in realization as she looked back at Diana. Diana, however, remained quiet, her expression unreadable, though her silver eyes seemed to flash with something unspoken. "Oh," she finally muttered, turning back toward Chase and slipping her earbuds back in as though nothing had happened.

Chase shook his head, now knowing he would have to deal with the receptionist.