Chapter 3: First Impression Gone Wrong
568 Words
The sun was already high in the sky when Ada rushed into the university library, her backpack bouncing against her shoulders. She was late for her group research meeting again — and her teammates would not be happy.
She pushed open the heavy glass door quickly… and immediately collided with someone standing just behind it.
Books and papers scattered across the floor.
“Hey! Watch it!” a deep voice said firmly.
Ada froze.
She looked down and saw folders, a laptop case, and printed documents spread everywhere. Her heart dropped.
“I—I’m so sorry!” she quickly knelt to gather the papers.
The person she bumped into crouched down at the same time.
When their hands accidentally touched while reaching for the same sheet of paper, both of them paused.
Ada slowly lifted her eyes.
The person in front of her was a young man — well-dressed, calm expression, sharp features, and intense eyes that seemed both annoyed and… slightly surprised.
He looked familiar.
Too familiar.
“You’re the girl from earlier,” he said quietly.
Ada blinked. “Earlier?”
“At the café. You almost spilled coffee on my laptop.”
Her face turned red.
“Oh… That was you?”
He stood up straight, adjusting his jacket. “Yes. And now you’ve crashed into me.”
Ada felt embarrassed beyond words. “It was an accident! The door opened too fast.”
He picked up the last of his documents and checked them carefully to make sure nothing was damaged.
“Do you always move this carelessly?”
The question stung.
“I’m not careless,” she replied defensively. “I was just in a hurry.”
He looked at her for a few seconds — as if evaluating her.
Then he sighed.
“Be careful next time. These documents are important.”
She frowned slightly. “Important for what? It’s just papers.”
“They’re business proposals.”
Ada raised her eyebrows. “Business? Here? In the library?”
“Yes.”
The short answer made it clear he didn’t want to explain further.
She crossed her arms. “You don’t have to act like you own the place.”
His expression changed — subtle but noticeable.
“I wasn’t acting like that.”
“Feels like it.”
Silence.
Tension filled the space between them.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then suddenly, a librarian walked over and warned them to keep quiet.
They both nodded quickly.
The young man gathered his things and turned to leave.
Ada watched him walk away — confident steps, expensive watch, calm posture.
She muttered under her breath, “Rude…”
But even as she said it, she couldn’t ignore the strange feeling in her chest.
He wasn’t rude exactly.
He was… different.
Meanwhile, the young man — whose name was Daniel — stepped outside the library and exhaled slowly.
He had seen many people today.
Students.
Business partners.
Investors.
But the girl who bumped into him?
She didn’t treat him like someone powerful.
She treated him like an ordinary stranger.
And for some reason…
That bothered him.
He glanced at the documents in his hand.
Then he remembered her angry eyes and stubborn tone.
A small, almost invisible smile appeared on his face.
“Interesting,” he murmured.
He didn’t expect that meeting to stay in his thoughts longer than it should.
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