The Boy I Was Supposed to Hate

The rain poured over St. Valencia University as hundreds of freshmen hurried across the campus, clutching umbrellas and schedules. The air buzzed with excitement, nervous laughter, and the promise of new beginnings. For most students, today was the first page of a new chapter. For Asher Castillo, it was just another day to survive. With a black backpack slung over one shoulder and a sketch tube tucked under his arm, Asher walked through the crowd without looking at anyone. His headphones blocked out the noise, and his expression warned strangers not to start a conversation. He had one goal: finish college with top honors and leave. No friends. No distractions. No unnecessary drama. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. --- At the university gymnasium, the freshmen gathered for orientation. The room was packed, filled with cheers and applause as student organizations introduced themselves. Asher slipped into a seat in the back row, hoping to go unnoticed. Then the doors burst open. "Sorry I'm late!" a loud voice echoed through the gym. Heads turned. A tall young man jogged inside, wearing the university volleyball jacket. His messy brown hair was damp from the rain, and despite arriving late, he wore a grin that somehow made everyone laugh instead of complain. "That's Kai Hernandez," whispered someone nearby. "The volleyball captain." "I heard he's in Engineering." "So handsome..." Kai scratched the back of his neck and bowed dramatically to the audience before finding the only empty seat. Right beside Asher. "You've got to be kidding me," Asher muttered under his breath. Kai smiled. "Looks like we're seatmates." Asher didn't answer. "Not very talkative, huh?" Still nothing. Kai chuckled. "Okay... I'll stop." For exactly five seconds. "So, what's your name?" Asher slowly removed one earbud. "...Does silence offend you?" Kai blinked before laughing. "Nope. Just thought I'd be friendly." "I'm not interested." "Ouch." The orientation continued, but Kai couldn't help glancing at the quiet student beside him. There was something oddly interesting about someone who looked so determined to avoid the entire world. --- Later that afternoon, students crowded outside the student center where free coffee was being handed out. Kai balanced two cups while chatting with teammates. At the same time, Asher stepped out of the Architecture building, completely focused on reviewing his class schedule. They collided. Coffee splashed everywhere. One cup landed on Asher's white sketch papers. Silence. Kai's smile disappeared. "Oh no..." Asher stared at the soaked sketches. Weeks of preparation. Ruined. Kai immediately grabbed napkins. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you." Asher snatched the papers away. "You should watch where you're going." "I said I'm sorry." "Sorry doesn't fix this." Kai frowned. "It was an accident." "And accidents happen because people aren't paying attention." A small crowd began watching. Kai sighed. "I'll pay for the materials." "I don't need your money." "Then what do you want?" "I want you to stop talking." Gasps spread through the crowd. Kai's jaw tightened. "You're seriously blaming me for everything?" "I'm blaming the person who spilled coffee." "You walked into me too." "I wasn't the one carrying two cups." For the first time that day, Kai stopped smiling. "You're impossible." "And you're annoying." Someone in the crowd whispered, "This is getting interesting." --- The next morning, the Architecture and Engineering departments held a joint seminar. By pure bad luck... Asher and Kai were assigned to the same discussion group. The professor smiled. "I hope everyone works well together." Asher and Kai looked at each other. "No." They answered at the exact same time. The entire classroom burst into laughter. The professor raised an eyebrow. "Seems like we'll have to fix that." Kai folded his arms. "I don't work with arrogant people." Asher looked up from his notebook. "Good." "I don't work with noisy people." Kai smirked. "Looks like we're stuck." Asher sighed. "This is going to be a long semester." Neither of them realized it then... But that moment would become the beginning of a story neither of them could escape. The boy Asher thought he would hate forever... Would one day become the person he'd risk everything to keep.