Romancing reality

Chapter two

"It's time for practical," I said, standing up. "Let’s head there now so we can get a good seat."

"Do you think they’ll call us to dissect?" Muizzah asked, sounding a little unsure.

"If they do, it won’t be bad. At least we’ll get to apply what we've been learning."

"Come on, don’t tell me you’re scared to touch them," Eddy teased, making both of us laugh while Muizzah looked away, embarrassed.

We strolled toward the lab, chatting, and when we arrived, we had to borrow chairs from the next class to sit.

"Radiance!" Muizzah suddenly called out.

I glanced at her, confused. "Why are you calling me when I’m standing right beside you?"

She grinned. "Guess who's been staring at you?"

"Who?" I asked.

"I said guess, not ask!" she giggled.

"Umm, not like I care, but... is it Amiri?" I said, trying to keep a straight face.

She burst out laughing. "Why are you pretending to be serious now? Won’t you just go and stand with him? Looks like he didn’t get a chair."

"You talk too much, Muizzah," I said, giving her a look before glancing in his direction. "He’s with his friends—and you know his friends doesn’t really like me like that. Besides, his friends and I don’t exactly... match."

Muizzah squinted at them. "True. I don’t like them either. What do you think of them, Eddy?"

"That one guy keeps staring at me all the time. Like... too much. One day, I snapped and told him he was gay, then walked off," Eddy replied, frowning.

We burst into uncontrollable laughter, not caring who was around, until the lecturer walked in and we quickly composed ourselves.

The class dragged on until 6 p.m.

"Argh, I’m so tired and hungry," I groaned to Muizzah as we packed up.

"But you literally ate four hours ago!" she said, rolling her eyes.

“Don’t you know the smell of formaldehyde makes me kinda hungry?” I joked, already rushing off. “Anyway, bye guys—I need to head back to my room.”

“Oh! Don’t forget the assignment we were given, okay?!” Muizzah called after me.

“I won’t!” I shouted back, my voice trailing as I disappeared down the walkway.

She rubbed her chin dramatically. “What am I going to do with this girl, ugh…”

Stepping off the shuttle from the anatomy lab, the weight of my tote bag dug into my shoulder, and the lingering smell of formalin clung stubbornly to my clothes. My brows were furrowed—tired, but focused. As the hostel block came into view, I picked up my pace, dodging noisy groups and ignoring casual greetings.

The moment I entered my room, I shut the door behind me with a thud, dropped my bag, and peeled off my lab coat. It seemed like my roommates weren’t back yet. Perfect. I undressed, tossing each item aside until I stepped into the shower.

The water hit my skin like peace after a storm—washing away the scent, the stress, and the stillness of the cadaver lab.

Feeling fresh again, I wrapped myself in a towel, grabbed a handful of snacks from my locker, and climbed into bed. My phone lit up. With a sigh and a small smile, I opened my favorite novel.

Finally... I could breathe.

The hostel was unusually quiet that evening. I was curled up on my bed, legs tucked beneath my blanket, eyes glued to my phone as I read Married to the Devil’s Son. Each chapter pulled me in deeper, my heart racing with every twist—especially whenever the devil’s son did something unexpectedly tender.

I was completely lost in the story when a notification banner slid across the top of my screen.

Amiri.

I froze.

A message.

My heart fluttered.

I tapped it.

"Hey, I saw you leaving the lab today. You looked tired. Hope you're okay?"

My lips curved into a quiet smile. Just like that, the fictional devil’s son had competition.

I typed back:

"Hey Amiri… I didn’t even notice you. Yeah, just one of those draining days. Anatomy was a lot."

"I figured. You had that look in your eyes again—like your thoughts were miles away."

"It’s been a long week. Everything just feels stuffy sometimes."

"I know right? Just know you’re not alone in this. Let me know if you need anything to unwind."

I paused. My heart fluttered again. His words were so gentle, so sincere—it felt like warmth after a long, cold day.

Funny, considering we barely talk in person.

We chatted for a while, exchanging soft words and shy emojis. Eventually, we said our goodnights. And for the first time in a while, sleep came easily.