Dangerous Chemistry
923 Words
Mid-term exams were officially destroying lives.
Westbridge International College no longer looked glamorous.
Students wandered around campus like emotional ghosts carrying coffee, books, and unfinished assignments.
The library was full. The cafeteria was silent for once. Even couples looked stressed instead of romantic.
It was terrifying.
Viola sat dramatically in the veterinary library surrounded by notes she absolutely did not understand anymore.
"How," she whispered slowly, "does one animal have THIS many bones?"
A sleepy brown owl outside the window blinked wisely.
"Evolution."
"Very unnecessary evolution."
Naina collapsed into the chair beside her.
"I'm failing."
"We all are."
"I saw Ash studying yesterday."
Viola looked up instantly.
"…And?"
"He looked hot while solving case studies."
"That's not useful information."
"It is emotionally."
Viola tried focusing on her notes again.
Keyword: Tried.
Because somehow—
Ash had become a permanent background character inside her brain.
Which was extremely irritating.
She noticed:
when he entered campus
when he skipped lunch
when he looked tired
when he almost smiled
And recently…
Ash had started noticing her too.
More openly.
Training sessions became longer. Conversations became easier. Silences became comfortable.
Dangerous development.
Very dangerous.
Snowy suddenly ran into the library dramatically.
"EMERGENCY."
Viola blinked.
"What happened?"
"The scary senior is coming."
Naina looked confused.
"…Why are you responding seriously to a dog?"
"Instinct."
Before Naina could question further—
the library atmosphere shifted.
Students straightened slightly.
Some whispered immediately.
Ash.
Of course.
Ash entered quietly holding two books and black coffee.
Simple. Calm. Terrifyingly attractive.
Viola hated how automatically her eyes searched for him now.
Ash noticed her instantly.
Again.
At this point it honestly felt illegal.
He walked toward their table calmly.
Naina looked ready to spiritually leave her body.
Ash stopped beside them.
"Veterinary students studying business statistics now?"
Viola blinked at the thick book in his hand.
"Business students stalking medical libraries now?"
A tiny smirk appeared.
There it was again.
That rare expression only she seemed to see.
Naina stared between them dramatically.
The chemistry in the air genuinely felt visible now.
Ash placed one coffee beside Viola casually.
"You forgot yours during training."
Viola froze.
He remembered?
Naina internally exploded.
"You remembered my coffee?" Viola asked softly.
"You complain loudly every morning. Hard to forget."
"Rude."
Yet somehow…
her smile appeared automatically.
Ash sat across from her calmly and opened his notes.
Nearby students openly stared.
Because this was abnormal.
Ash never sat with people unnecessarily.
Especially not for long periods.
Silence settled for a moment.
Not awkward.
Comfortable.
Viola studied quietly while Ash worked beside her.
And strangely—
she focused better.
Until finally—
she slammed her pen dramatically.
"I'm going to fail anatomy."
"You panic too early," Ash said calmly without looking up.
"There are literally fifty chapters."
"Hm."
"That's not supportive."
Ash finally looked at her.
"What part are you stuck on?"
Viola pushed her notebook toward him dramatically.
"This evil diagram."
Ash studied it briefly.
Then calmly explained the structure step by step.
Simple. Clear. Easy.
Viola blinked slowly.
"…You understand veterinary anatomy?"
"I learn fast."
"Are you secretly genius?"
"Unfortunately."
Naina whispered emotionally: "They flirt like married people."
"We can hear you," Viola said immediately.
"I said what I said."
Ash looked suspiciously amused again.
After another hour—
the library slowly emptied as evening approached.
Rain started outside softly.
The perfect cinematic weather for emotional damage.
Viola stretched tiredly.
"My brain officially stopped functioning."
Ash closed his book calmly.
"You overthink too much."
"You underreact too much."
"Balance."
Viola narrowed her eyes.
"Do you ever get nervous?"
"No."
"That's deeply annoying."
Ash leaned slightly back in his chair.
"Fear wastes time."
The answer sounded too real.
Too practiced.
Viola noticed it immediately.
Like he truly lived by that rule.
Before she could ask further—
the lights suddenly flickered.
Then completely went out.
The entire library groaned loudly.
"Power cut?"
"Seriously?!"
Outside thunder echoed through campus.
Darkness filled the room except for rain light from the windows.
Naina sighed dramatically.
"Well. We die."
Snowy barked from somewhere nearby:
"I blame engineering students."
Viola laughed softly.
Then—
a loud thunder c***k echoed suddenly.
Instinctively—
Viola flinched slightly.
And without thinking—
her hand grabbed Ash's wrist.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Viola realized it two seconds later.
Oh no.
Very slowly—
she looked up.
Ash was staring at her hand holding his wrist.
Not angry.
Not surprised.
Just… quiet.
The rain outside softened.
Everything suddenly felt too close.
Too still.
Viola immediately let go awkwardly.
"Sorry—I just—thunder—"
"It's okay."
His voice was softer this time.
Gentler.
Which somehow made things worse.
Or better.
She honestly couldn't tell anymore.
Naina watched silently like she witnessed live romance cinema.
Then backup lights finally turned on.
Reality returned instantly.
Students started talking again.
The moment broke.
But not completely.
Because something had changed.
Small.
Invisible.
But real.
Ash stood slowly and picked up his books.
"Library closes soon."
Viola nodded awkwardly.
"Right."
He looked at her for one quiet second before speaking again.
"You'll do well in exams."
Viola blinked.
"You sound very confident."
"I trust capable people."
Simple sentence.
But it hit her strangely hard.
Because Ash rarely praised anyone.
Yet somehow—
he believed in her.
And for the first time since exams started—
Viola felt her nervousness disappear slightly.
As Ash walked toward the exit, Snowy whispered dramatically from under the table:
"You two are one rain scene away from dating."
Viola threw a pencil at him immediately.
- Writer
