CHASING THE CAMPUS KING

chapter 1. The first thing I learned about Westbridge University was that everyone had a story. The quiet girl sitting alone beneath the old oak tree had a secret. The professor who never smiled had a past nobody knew about. The students walking through the beautiful campus halls carried dreams they were desperate to achieve. And then there was him. Adrian Vale. His story was the one everyone wanted to know. "Is that him?" I heard the whisper before I even saw him. I looked up from my book and followed the direction of the girl's gaze. A group of students stood near the entrance of the main building, their attention focused on one person. A tall young man wearing a black jacket walked through the crowd like he owned the entire university. Maybe, in a way, he did. His dark hair was slightly messy, his expression calm and unreadable. Several students greeted him, but he only responded with a small nod. Not rude. Just distant. "That's Adrian Vale," the girl beside me whispered. "The Adrian Vale?" I raised an eyebrow. "How many Adrian Vales are there?" She looked at me like I had just asked the strangest question in the world. "Are you serious? You don't know him?" I shook my head. She lowered her voice. "His family owns Vale International. He's rich, handsome, smart, and basically the most popular guy on campus." I closed my book. "So?" "So?" she repeated, shocked. "Everyone wants his attention." I glanced back at him. He looked like someone who had everything. Money. Power. Popularity. But for some reason... He looked incredibly lonely. I quickly looked away. It wasn't my business. I came to Westbridge University for one reason. To study. Not to chase after some rich campus prince. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Because five minutes later, I met Adrian Vale. And it started with a cup of coffee. --- I was already late. My first lecture started in ten minutes, and the campus was bigger than I expected. Holding my coffee in one hand and my books in the other, I hurried through the hallway. "Move, move, move..." I whispered to myself. I turned the corner. And crashed into someone. The sound of a coffee cup hitting the floor echoed through the hallway. Silence followed. I froze. Slowly, I looked up. A black coffee stain spread across an expensive white shirt. My heart sank. Because standing in front of me was the one person everyone on campus knew. Adrian Vale. His cold eyes looked down at me. The hallway became completely silent. Everyone was watching. I swallowed. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you." He said nothing. He simply looked at the stain on his shirt, then back at me. "You know how much this shirt costs?" I blinked. "Probably more than my entire wardrobe." A few people nearby gasped. I immediately realized what I had said. But it was too late. A small smile almost appeared on his face. Almost. "You have an interesting way of apologizing." I picked up my books. "And you have an interesting way of accepting one." The hallway went quiet again. No one spoke. No one challenged Adrian Vale. But I did. And for the first time in a long time... The campus king looked genuinely surprised.