🌸 EPISODE 2: SOMETHING BEGINS WITHOUT WARNING
1232 Words
After that afternoon outside the faculty building, Favour told herself not to think too much about it.
It was just a conversation.
Just help with a difficult topic.
Nothing deeper.
Nothing important.
At least, that was what she repeated to herself while walking back to her hostel later that evening.
But somehow, his voice stayed in her head longer than the lecture itself.
It’s always simpler than it looks.
She hated that the sentence kept replaying.
Not because it annoyed her.
But because it comforted her.
And comfort was dangerous.
Favour had spent most of her life learning how not to depend on people too much. Dependence created expectations, and expectations often led to disappointment.
So she preferred distance.
Distance felt safer.
But for some reason, Damilola’s presence didn’t feel invasive.
It felt… calm.
That realization alone unsettled her.
The next morning, campus looked different.
The early sunlight stretched across the walkways while students hurried between buildings with sleepy expressions and unfinished breakfasts in hand. Voices filled the air again, but softer than yesterday.
Favour adjusted the sleeve of her hoodie and walked toward the lecture hall quietly.
She arrived earlier than most people.
Just the way she liked it.
Less noise.
Less interaction.
She sat in the same middle row as before and opened her notebook.
For a few peaceful minutes, everything felt normal again.
Then someone sat beside her.
“You came early today.”
Her heart skipped embarrassingly fast before she looked up.
Damilola.
Again.
Favour quickly recovered her expression.
“I always come early.”
He nodded slightly. “Makes sense.”
That was all.
No unnecessary conversation.
No awkward attempt to force friendliness.
And strangely… she appreciated that.
He pulled out his notebook while she pretended to focus on hers.
But focusing suddenly became harder.
Because now she was aware of him.
Aware of how calm he looked even in silence.
Aware of how comfortable his presence felt beside her.
And that awareness irritated her slightly.
Why am I noticing everything?
The lecture began shortly after.
This time, Favour understood the topic easily.
Mostly because whenever confusion started creeping in, Damilola would quietly point at a line in her notes or whisper a short explanation.
Simple.
Patient.
Never making her feel stupid.
By the end of the lecture, she realized something she didn’t want to admit:
She enjoyed being around him.
That thought followed her through the rest of the day.
Over the next few weeks, things began changing naturally between them.
Not dramatically.
Not all at once.
Just slowly.
Like something quietly growing without permission.
They started sitting together more often.
At first, it happened accidentally.
Then intentionally.
Damilola would save her a seat sometimes.
Favour would wait after lectures without admitting she was waiting.
Small things.
Almost meaningless from the outside.
But meaningful enough to change everything inside.
One afternoon, rain started unexpectedly after classes.
Students rushed everywhere trying to avoid getting soaked.
Favour stood under the faculty shelter, hugging her books against her chest while watching the rain fall heavily across campus.
“You hate rain?”
She turned slightly.
Damilola stood beside her again.
“I don’t hate it,” she replied softly. “I just don’t like being unprepared.”
He smiled faintly.
“That sounds like your entire personality.”
She stared at him in surprise.
Then narrowed her eyes slightly.
“Was that supposed to be an insult?”
“No,” he said calmly. “Just an observation.”
She tried not to smile.
Failed slightly.
And unfortunately, he noticed.
“There it is,” he said quietly.
“What?”
“That smile you pretend not to have.”
Favour immediately looked away.
Her cheeks warmed slightly, which annoyed her even more.
Why did he notice things so easily?
The rain continued falling around them while students ran through puddles laughing loudly.
But somehow, inside that small shelter, everything felt quieter.
Safer.
Damilola leaned lightly against the wall beside her.
“You think too much,” he said after a moment.
Favour frowned. “You barely know me.”
“I know enough.”
She looked at him carefully this time.
“Like what?”
He shrugged slightly.
“You pretend you don’t care about people noticing you, but you actually care too much.”
That answer hit too accurately.
Favour quickly looked away again.
“You analyze people too much.”
“And you avoid people too much.”
Silence.
Not awkward.
Just honest.
Then unexpectedly, she laughed softly.
A real laugh this time.
And Damilola smiled fully for the first time since she met him.
That smile changed something.
Because until then, she hadn’t realized how much she wanted to see it again.
Later that evening, Favour sat alone in her room staring at her phone.
Temi, her roommate and closest friend on campus, noticed immediately.
“You’re smiling at nothing,” Temi said suspiciously from her bed.
Favour looked up quickly. “I’m not smiling.”
“You literally are.”
“I’m not.”
Temi narrowed her eyes dramatically.
“Who is he?”
Favour almost choked.
“There is no ‘he.’”
“Mmhm.”
Temi sat up straighter.
“Tell me everything.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
But even while saying it, her voice lacked conviction.
Temi grinned knowingly.
“That bad?”
Favour threw a pillow at her.
“Shut up.”
Temi laughed loudly while dodging it.
But later that night, after the teasing ended and the room became quiet again, Favour lay awake staring at the ceiling.
And unfortunately…
She thought about him again.
The way he explained things patiently.
The way he noticed details.
The way conversations with him never felt forced.
It scared her slightly.
Not because something bad had happened.
But because something good was happening.
And good things always felt temporary.
The next day, campus was unusually busy because of upcoming departmental activities.
Students crowded around notice boards while conversations filled every corner.
Favour stood near the hallway reading an announcement when someone walked beside her.
“You look serious again.”
She didn’t need to turn to know who it was.
“You say that every time you see me.”
“Because every time I see you, you look serious.”
She finally glanced at him.
“Maybe that’s just my face.”
Damilola looked thoughtful for a second.
“No,” he said finally. “Your real face shows up when you forget to protect it.”
Her heartbeat betrayed her immediately.
She looked away too quickly.
And that tiny reaction was enough for him to notice.
Again.
Before she could think of a response, a loud voice interrupted nearby.
“Damilola!”
A few guys waved him over from across the hallway.
He looked at them briefly, then back at her.
“I’ll see you later.”
Favour nodded once.
But as he walked away, something unexpected happened.
Her eyes followed him.
Not intentionally.
Just naturally.
And for the first time, she admitted something silently to herself.
She was beginning to look forward to seeing him.
That realization should have worried her more than it did.
Instead…
It made her smile slightly when nobody was looking.
And somewhere deep inside her chest, something soft began unfolding quietly.
Not love.
Not yet.
But something dangerously close to becoming it
- Writer
