CHAPTER THREE: Crossing Paths
683 Words
The week passed quietly.
Every Monday and Thursday at exactly 7:30 a.m., Room 304 became the only place where students from different colleges shared the same space.
Some arrived just before the bell.
Some arrived with coffee.
Some barely arrived awake.
Victoria Rian Nicolas always arrived ten minutes early.
Joseph Hernandez always arrived just in time.
It became an unspoken routine.
Joseph would enter the room, greet the professor with a quick "Good morning, Ma'am," then take the empty seat beside Victoria.
"Morning."
"Good morning."
That was usually the extent of their conversation.
No awkward attempts to impress each other.
No unnecessary small talk.
Just two classmates attending the same course.
---
Thursday afternoon.
Victoria was walking toward the university library after her Financial Accounting and Reporting class. She carried three thick textbooks against her chest while reviewing the reminders she had written in her planner.
Midterm examinations.
Case digest submission.
Organization meeting.
Review schedule.
She was so focused that she didn't notice someone jogging toward the same hallway.
"Victoria!"
She looked up.
It was Bea Mendoza, her closest friend and fellow accountancy student.
"You walk too fast."
Victoria laughed.
"I didn't even realize you were behind me."
Bea glanced at the books in Victoria's arms.
"You know... one day those books are going to become part of your body."
"They practically already are."
Before Bea could reply, loud cheers erupted from the university gymnasium.
"That's the varsity team, isn't it?" Bea asked.
Victoria nodded.
"I think they're preparing for next month's inter-university tournament."
"You've never watched them play?"
"No."
"Why?"
Victoria shrugged.
"I've always had something else to do."
Bea sighed dramatically.
"You're missing out."
---
Inside the gymnasium...
"Again!"
Coach Ramirez blew his whistle.
The varsity players immediately returned to their positions.
Sweat dripped from Joseph's forehead as he caught another pass before making a clean three-point shot.
"Nice one, Captain!"
his teammates shouted.
Joseph simply nodded.
"Again."
The team groaned.
"Seriously?"
"The game won't get easier because we're tired," Joseph replied.
"One more set."
His teammates exchanged defeated looks before laughing.
"Captain's right."
Practice continued.
Leadership wasn't something Joseph talked about.
It was something he demonstrated.
---
An hour later, practice ended.
Joseph grabbed a bottle of water and headed toward the student center.
As he rounded the corner, he noticed a familiar figure sitting alone beneath one of the acacia trees.
Victoria.
She was reading a thick reviewer while eating a sandwich.
A calculator sat beside her notebook.
She didn't notice the people passing by.
Or the group of students taking pictures nearby.
She seemed completely absorbed in solving a problem.
Joseph smiled to himself.
*Does she ever take a break?*
Before he could walk over, another student approached Victoria.
"Hi."
She looked up politely.
"Hello."
"I'm Mark from Engineering."
Victoria smiled courteously.
"Nice to meet you."
"I've seen you around campus a few times."
She nodded.
"I think I've seen you too."
Mark took a deep breath.
"I was wondering..."
"...would you like to have coffee with me sometime?"
Victoria looked genuinely surprised.
She remained silent for a moment before answering gently.
"I'm sorry."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
Mark forced a smile.
"No worries."
"Thanks for being honest."
After he walked away, Victoria simply returned to her reviewer as though nothing unusual had happened.
Joseph couldn't help but chuckle.
Rejected...
Politely.
He shook his head and continued walking toward the cafeteria.
*She's different,* he thought.
Not because she turned someone down.
But because she had done it with kindness, leaving no room for embarrassment or false hope.
---
Monday arrived once again.
Joseph entered Room 304 carrying two cups of coffee.
He placed one on Victoria's desk.
She looked at it, confused.
"You left the classroom early last Thursday," he said casually.
"I figured you probably skipped coffee to study again."
Victoria blinked.
"You noticed?"
Joseph smiled.
"You'd be surprised what people notice."
For the first time since they met...
Victoria laughed.
A real one.
Soft.
Natural.
Beautiful.
Joseph smiled without realizing it.
Maybe...
This semester was going to be more interesting than he expected.
- Writer
