THE ME BEFORE

chapter 3- misjudged encounters

It wasn't long before we reached the meetup spot, also not long before I started regretting it as soon as I entered I spotted a familiar face Nathalie scanned the crowded orientation room, her eyes locking onto that senpai who had given her directions earlier. She recalled their earlier encounter, her mind replaying the way he'd looked at her – or so she thought.

"Akira, I'll catch up with you later," Nathalie said, her voice low.

Akira nodded, already engrossed in conversation with other freshmen. barely two minutes in and she already made her way into the hearts into so many people. Nathalie chuckled and thought ' that's just who she is '

Nathalie approached the refreshments, her gaze drifting back to 'that' senpai. He was laughing with a group of students, his expression relaxed, quite unlike the impression Nathalie had of him

As she reached for a drink, Yuki Senpai spotted her and walked over. "Hey, you're the freshman I helped earlier."

Nathalie nodded curtly. "Yeah."

Yuki Senpai smiled. "I'm Yuki Ichigo, but everyone calls me Yuki Senpai."

Nathalie's expression remained neutral. "Nathalie."

They stood in silence for a moment, sipping their drinks. the awkwardness between them was quite a funny sight if one saw them from afar they would think they had many embarrassing secrets

Yuki Senpai broke the silence. "So, Nathalie, what do you think of the university so far?"

Nathalie shrugged. "It's okay."

Yuki Senpai chuckled. "Fair enough. It takes time to adjust."

As they conversed, Nathalie's initial wariness began to dissipate. Yuki Senpai seemed genuine, not at all like the person she'd imagined.

Akira joined them, raising an eyebrow at Nathalie's subdued demeanor. "Everything okay, Nat?"

Nathalie nodded, her thoughts already drifting back to her own world.' is this the same guy who was going to pierce through me with his eyes earlier today?'

Yuki Senpai smiled, his eyes quite bright that they could rival Akira's revealing his handsome face. "Nice meeting you, Nathalie. Maybe I'll see you around."

Nathalie nodded, her expression neutral.

As they parted ways, Nathalie's thoughts lingered on Yuki Senpai. Maybe she'd misjudged him