Mr. Pure Intentions

Chapter 2: A Different Kind of Man

Joshua woke before sunrise.

He always did.

His body clock was tuned to early morning prayer, ever since his days at Shepherd's Rest Church in Autumnvale. Quiet mornings were his sanctuary—no distractions, just him and God.

He rolled out of bed, knees hitting the dorm room carpet as the sounds of early campus stillness filled his ears. A ceiling fan whirred. A car engine murmured in the distance.

Joshua clasps his hands.

"Thank You, Lord," he whispered. "New place, same purpose. Keep me grounded. Let me be light here—not flashy, not fake. Just faithful."

He opened his grandfather's Bible and read through Colossians 3. His eyes paused on verse 12:

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."

Joshua smiled. "My uniform for the day.

At the hall~~~

By 8:30 a.m., Bethel Hall was buzzing.

Guys flooded out of rooms, bumping shoulders, talking loudly, music thumping through cracked doors.

Joshua, freshly showered, dressed in a simple button-down shirt and jeans, walked with calm intentionality. He wasn't trying to impress anyone. He greeted the guys who greeted him, offered to help a freshman carry a heavy box down the stairs, and politely declined an invite to a "kickback" party that night.

"You too holy or somethin'?" a guy named Devonte asked with a smirk.

"Something like that," Joshua said with a grin. "But if y'all ever want to have a Bible study, I'm down."

Devonte blinked. "You serious?"

"As a resurrection."

There was a pause. Then laughter. Even Devonte chuckled.

"Aight. You different. Respect."

By lunchtime, word had already gotten around.

"There's this dude in Bethel... he doesn't curse, don't party, and he opened the door for like three girls today."

"I heard he turned down two girls at breakfast with a 'God bless you, sister.'"

"They call him Mr. Pure Intentions."

Bhola hears the Rumours while sitting in the corner of the student café, headphones in, typing notes for her senior seminar class. But she wasn't listening to music. Her earbuds were just shields—a way to avoid conversation.

Janelle slid into the seat across from her, uninvited.

"You know Mr. Pure Intentions?"

Bhola glanced up. "Excuse me?"

"New guy. Curly hair, brown skin, walks like he's in a gospel music video. Girls have been throwing themselves at him since 9 a.m."

"I don't care."

Janelle leaned in. "That's the thing. He ain't biting. I saw it with my own eyes. Chloe asked him to walk her to class. He said, 'I'm not comfortable leading anyone on.' WHO SAYS THAT?"

Bhola looked down at her laptop.

"And," Janelle said, her voice dropping, "he led prayer in the quad this morning. For like five guys who said they were depressed. No show, no Insta. Just did it."

"I'm sure it's still an act."

"Girl. Every guy on campus is an act to you."

Bhola closed her laptop.

"Because every guy I've met who came with Bible verses ended up breaking promises, not bread."

Janelle softened. "I know, Bhola. But maybe—just maybe—not everyone is Elijah."

Bhola looked away. "I'm not ready to believe that yet."

Classes~~~

That afternoon, Joshua walked into "Contemporary Issues in Faith and Culture," a required graduate seminar that included upper-level undergrads. He found an empty seat in the third row and pulled out a notebook.

Moments later, Bhola walked in.

Joshua's eyes lifted briefly. He recognised her immediately.

She, however, didn't notice him—yet. She sat two seats away, opened her notes, and avoided eye contact with the world.

The professor, Dr. Greaves, was a short man with thick glasses and a thunderous voice.

"Today," he bellowed, "we will be talking about dating and sexuality in Christian culture. Buckle up."

Groans and chuckles erupted across the room.

Joshua stayed still. Calm.

Dr. Greaves went on: "Let's start with the classic question: Is purity culture toxic, biblical, or both?"

A student across the room, Zariah, raised her hand. "I think purity culture has traumatised a lot of women, especially making them feel like their worth is in how modest they are or whether they're virgins."

Another student, Tyler, responded, "But at the same time, the Bible does call us to holiness. I mean, isn't purity about obedience, not legalism?"

The debate spiralled.

Joshua watched, listening, his pen tapping gently against his notebook.

Eventually, Dr. Greaves turned to him. "Joshua Kent, right? I hear you have some church experience. What's your take?"

Every eye turned.

Joshua closed his notebook and looked straight ahead.

"I think... we've confused purity with perfection," he began slowly. "Purity isn't about pretending to be spotless. It's about submission. It's not just virginity—it's integrity. It's how we treat people, how we handle temptation, how we walk in grace after we've fallen."

Even Bhola looked up at that.

Joshua continued, "Jesus protected a woman caught in a******y before He corrected her. That's the kind of purity I want to live with. Compassion before condemnation."

A hush fell.

Even Dr. Greaves gave a slow nod. "Well said."

After Class~~~

As the students packed up, Bhola found herself walking slightly slower than usual. She didn't want to admit it, but Joshua's words had stirred something.

She felt him walking behind her.

"Hi again," he said gently. "Bhola, right?"

She turned.

"Yes."

He smiled. "Just wanted to say I appreciated your silence during class."

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

He chuckled softly. "Everyone else was debating. You were listening. That's rare."

She tilted her head. "Maybe I didn't have anything to say."

"Or maybe you were discerning. Either way... respect."

She stared at him.

He wasn't trying to get something. There was no lean-in, no suggestion, no calculation in his gaze.

Just... kindness.

Still, she crossed her arms. "Look... if you're trying to be the next Christian heartthrob on campus, I'm not interested."

Joshua's brows rose in surprise. "I'm not trying to be anyone's heartthrob."

"Good," she said flatly. "Because I'm not a fan of recycled charm with a cross necklace."

Joshua nodded slowly. "Fair enough."

He didn't defend himself. Didn't correct her. Just nodded.

Then he said, "Hope your day's blessed, Bhola."

And he walked away.

Later that evening~~

Janelle and Bhola sat on her dorm bed, eating trail mix and watching old Christian spoken word videos.

"You're so stubborn," Janelle said through a mouthful of almonds.

"I'm cautious."

"You're scared."

"I'm safe."

"Girl, if safety means building a brick wall around your heart, how's God supposed to write anything on it?"

Bhola sighed, her eyes stinging.

She didn't answer.

Because deep down, she knew Janelle was right.

Chapter 2 ends here~~~

Joshua's Prayer Journal

"Day 1 at Wildwood. Already nicknamed Mr. Pure Intentions. Lord, help me not to let their expectations shape me. Let my identity be rooted in You. I met a girl today. Her name is Bhola. There's something guarded in her spirit. If You lead me to pursue her someday, help me do it in Your timing—not mine."