CHAPTER 7 - Rumours
731 Words
“What… was that?”
Hana stared at the coffee cup in front of her suspiciously.
Danish didn’t even look up from his laptop.
“You said earlier your coffee tasted terrible.”
“That was three hours ago.”
“And now you have a better one.”
Faiz looked between both of them again before slowly nodding like he had just understood something dangerous.
“Right.”
Hana immediately pointed toward him.
“Don’t start thinking weird things.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“But your face did.”
Faiz laughed before placing the extra coffee onto another table.
“Okay, okay. Continue your engineering love story.”
Danish finally looked up.
“It’s not a love story.”
“Yet,” Faiz corrected casually before leaving the discussion room.
Silence.
Hana slowly turned toward Danish.
“You know, people around engineering faculty are strangely jobless.”
“You attract attention.”
“That sounds accusatory.”
“It’s an observation.”
Hana narrowed her eyes immediately.
“Are you saying this is my fault?”
“You argue loudly.”
“You argue back.”
“That’s because you say questionable things.”
“You voluntarily pushed coffee toward me like some drama male lead.”
Danish nearly looked offended.
“It was my coffee.”
“Exactly.”
“You were tired.”
“That still sounds dramatic.”
For some reason, Danish suddenly closed his laptop harder than necessary.
“Forget it.”
The next morning, Hana walked into class only to immediately regret existing.
Mira spun around dramatically the moment she saw her.
“Oho.”
Hana stopped walking.
“What.”
“Engineering faculty gossip travels fast.”
“Ya Allah.”
Alya appeared beside Mira looking equally excited.
“Faiz saw you and Danish studying alone until midnight.”
“We were preparing presentation slides.”
“Mmhm.”
“And?”
“And apparently he gave you coffee.”
Hana stared at them blankly.
“That’s the scandal?”
Mira looked personally offended.
“From Danish Rayyan? Yes.”
“He literally pushed the cup and continued suffering with Excel.”
“That’s basically a confession from him.”
Hana burst into laughter immediately.
“You people are insane.”
Unfortunately—
someone suddenly pulled out the chair beside her.
Danish.
Of course.
Mira and Alya immediately exchanged looks before turning away suspiciously fast.
Cowards.
Danish placed his files onto the table calmly.
“Why are they staring at me?”
“Because engineering students enjoy creating fictional relationships.”
A pause.
Then—
“You told them about the coffee?”
Hana looked offended.
“Excuse me? I’m not the one emotionally distributing beverages.”
Danish stared at her silently for two seconds.
Then looked away while muttering quietly—
“You talk too much.”
The lecture started soon after, but halfway through class, Hana noticed something strange.
Danish looked irritated today.
More than usual.
He answered questions shorter.
Typed louder.
Even his expression looked colder.
At first she ignored it.
Until one of the boys from the back row suddenly approached her after class.
“Hana.”
She looked up politely.
“Yes?”
“You understand yesterday’s tutorial, right? Can you explain question three later?”
“Oh, sure.”
Before Hana could continue—
Danish suddenly packed his laptop aggressively and stood up.
“We’re late.”
Hana blinked.
“Late for what?”
“Our lab discussion.”
“We still have thirty minutes.”
“We’re still late.”
Then without another explanation, he walked away.
Hana stared after him in confusion.
What was wrong with him today?
Later that evening, while walking toward the cafeteria after Maghrib prayer, Mira suddenly bumped shoulders with Hana dramatically.
“I think Danish likes you.”
Hana nearly choked on air.
“Astaghfirullah. No.”
“I’m serious.”
“He looks at everyone like they disappointed him spiritually.”
“But he doesn’t treat everyone like you.”
“That’s because I’m unfortunately his lab partner.”
Mira looked unconvinced.
Meanwhile Hana shook her head immediately.
Impossible.
Danish Rayyan was the type of person who looked married to engineering itself.
Romance probably irritated him.
And honestly?
Hana preferred it that way.
Simple.
Easy.
No complicated feelings.
Just arguments, assignments, and surviving engineering together.
Nothing more.
- Writer
