Love in the Wrong Timing

Zein had always believed that scholarship students were supposed to be invisible. Not literally invisible, of course. She still had a face, a name, a seat number, and a stack of borrowed books that seemed determined to fall apart whenever she needed them most. But invisible in the way people expected someone like her to be: quiet, grateful, hardworking, and careful not to take up too much space. She had learned that lesson early. Her scholarship was the reason she could stay in university. It covered most of her tuition, but not the little things that came with being a student—transportation, meals, printing fees, projects, and the occasional emergency she couldn't afford to call an emergency. So Zein learned to plan everything. She planned her meals around the cheapest food stall near campus. She planned her commute down to the last coin. She planned her study hours, her deadlines, even the amount of ink she used when printing reports. What she never planned for was Kairo. It was a Monday morning when they first met. Zein was rushing across the university courtyard with three books pressed against her chest and a cup of coffee balanced dangerously between two fingers. She was late. Not terribly late. Only seven minutes. But Professor Adrian Vale, her professor for Contemporary Literature, had a reputation for treating one minute late like a personal betrayal. "Seven minutes," Zein whispered, checking her phone. Then she walked faster. She turned the corner. And crashed into someone. Her books fell first. Then her coffee. Then her dignity. The cup hit the floor with a dull splash, sending coffee across the stranger's white shirt. Silence. Zein froze. The stranger looked down at his shirt. Then at her. He was tall, with dark hair that looked like he had run his fingers through it too many times. His expression wasn't angry exactly. More like he was trying very hard to understand how a person could walk directly into him while carrying three books and a cup of coffee. Zein swallowed. "I'm so sorry." He glanced at the coffee stain. "I noticed." "I wasn't looking." "That part was also obvious." Zein's eyes widened. Was he making fun of her? Probably. She crouched down immediately and started gathering her books. "I'm really sorry. I'll pay for the cleaning." "You don't have to." "I spilled coffee on you." "Technically, we both contributed." She looked up. He was smiling. Not a big smile. Just enough to make her forget what she was about to say. Zein quickly looked away. "Still my fault." She picked up the last book. Unfortunately, he reached for it at the same time. Their fingers brushed. Zein pulled her hand back. So did he. For one second, neither of them spoke. Then a voice came from behind them. "Mr. Vale." Zein looked up. Professor Adrian Vale was standing near the entrance of the building, holding a folder against his chest. His eyes moved from Zein, to the books, to the coffee-stained shirt. Then his expression changed. Not anger. Recognition. "Kairo?" Zein blinked. The stranger stood. "Morning, Dad." Zein's stomach dropped. Dad? Professor Vale looked at Zein. "You're in my class." "Yes, sir." "You're late." Zein wanted the ground to open. "Seven minutes, sir." Professor Vale sighed. "Come on. Both of you." Both? Zein stared at Kairo. Kairo stared back. Then he gave her a small, amused smile. "Looks like we're going to the same place." She didn't answer. Because suddenly, she had a feeling that meeting him was going to be a problem. She just didn't know how big the problem would become. Inside the classroom, Zein took her usual seat near the window. She placed her books carefully on the desk and tried to breathe normally. Kairo entered a few minutes later. He had changed his shirt. Of course he had. He walked to the back of the room and sat beside a few students she recognized from another department. Zein told herself not to look. She looked anyway. Once. Only once. He was talking to someone beside him, laughing quietly. She turned back around. "Focus." Professor Vale began the lecture. For the next hour, Zein tried her best to concentrate. She took notes. She highlighted important terms. She answered one question. She even forgot about Kairo. Almost. Until Professor Vale said, "For your upcoming project, you'll be working in pairs." The class immediately became noisy. Zein's heart sank. She hated pair projects. Not because she disliked people, but because she knew how quickly classmates could decide that a scholarship student was either too serious or too difficult. Professor Vale began reading names. Zein listened. Then— "Zein Morales." She raised her hand. "Kairo Vale." The room went quiet for half a second. Zein slowly looked toward the back. Kairo raised his eyebrows. Then he smiled. She immediately looked at Professor Vale. "Sir?" "Yes?" "Can I—" "No." "I haven't even asked." "I know what you're going to ask." A few classmates laughed. Zein covered her face with one hand. Kairo laughed too. Professor Vale continued with the other pairs. When the bell rang, students immediately stood and began leaving. Zein packed her things quickly. She wanted to escape before Kairo could say anything. "Hey." Too late. She looked up. Kairo was standing beside her desk. "Partners." "I heard." "You don't sound happy." "I'm trying to process the fact that my professor's son spilled more trouble into my semester." He laughed. "Technically, you spilled coffee on me." "You're not letting that go, are you?" "Probably not." Zein rolled her eyes. He pulled out his phone. "Can I get your number?" She stared at him. "For the project." "Right." "Unless you want to communicate through Professor Vale." She almost laughed. She gave him her number. He typed it in. A second later, her phone vibrated. Unknown Number. She looked at the message. Hi, coffee criminal. Zein looked at him. "You really are annoying." "And you replied." "I didn't." "You looked at your phone." "That's not replying." "Give it time." He walked away before she could answer. Zein watched him leave. She hated that she was smiling. That afternoon, she went to the library to start researching their project. She had promised herself she would treat Kairo like any other classmate. Nothing more. No distractions. No unnecessary conversations. No feelings. Simple. At least, that's what she told herself. She had been reading for almost twenty minutes when someone dropped into the chair across from her. Kairo. Zein stared at him. "Do you follow people now?" "Only scholarship students who look like they haven't eaten lunch." She frowned. "How do you know I haven't eaten?" He placed a paper bag on the table. "I guessed." Inside was a sandwich and a bottled drink. Zein pushed it back. "I don't need it." "I didn't say you did." "Then why did you buy it?" "Because I bought two." "Why?" "Because I was hungry." "Then eat both." He laughed. "You argue a lot." "You started it." "Fair." He pushed the bag toward her again. "Just eat." Zein hesitated. She didn't want to accept anything from him. Especially not kindness. Kindness was dangerous. People expected things in return. She had learned that too. But her stomach betrayed her with a quiet growl. Kairo raised an eyebrow. Zein closed her eyes. "Don't." "I didn't say anything." "You were going to." "I was." She took the sandwich. "Thank you." His smile softened. "You're welcome." For a while, they worked in silence. It was surprisingly comfortable. Kairo wasn't as distracting as she expected. He was actually smart. He read quickly, asked good questions, and somehow managed to make complicated ideas sound simple. Zein found herself enjoying the conversation. Too much. When the library lights flickered, she checked the time. "Eight already?" Kairo looked at his phone. "Do you have somewhere to be?" "Home." "I'll walk you." "No." "Why?" "Because I can walk." "I didn't say you couldn't." "I don't need an escort." "I'm not offering an escort." "Then what are you offering?" "Company." That answer made her pause. Outside, the evening air was cool. Students passed them on the sidewalk, laughing and talking about their own lives. Zein and Kairo walked beside each other. Neither spoke for a while. Then Kairo said, "Can I ask you something?" "What?" "Why do you always look like you're trying to disappear?" Zein stopped. He stopped too. She looked at him. "Do I?" "Sometimes." She looked away. "I'm just tired." "That's not the whole answer." "You don't know me." "I know." His voice became softer. "That's why I'm asking." For some reason, that made her chest ache. She forced a smile. "You ask too many questions." "And you avoid too many answers." She started walking again. "Good night, Kairo." He followed. "Good night, Zein." At the gate, they separated. Zein walked home alone. She kept thinking about what he had said. Why do you always look like you're trying to disappear? She didn't know how to explain it. Maybe because being seen had always felt dangerous. Maybe because she had spent years convincing herself that she was lucky just to be there. Maybe because girls like her weren't supposed to fall for boys like him. And Kairo Vale wasn't just any boy. He was Professor Vale's son. He came from a family with money, influence, and a name people recognized. Zein had heard stories about the Vale family. Her own family had a history with them too. A history nobody talked about. A history that had ended friendships, businesses, and trust. But she didn't know the worst part yet. She didn't know that Kairo already had a future waiting for him. A future his family had chosen. A future with another woman. And she certainly didn't know that someday, loving him would mean choosing between the life she had fought so hard to build and the one person she never planned to love. For now, all Zein knew was that her phone buzzed as she reached her front door. A message from Kairo. Don't forget our project tomorrow. She smiled. Then another message arrived. And don't spill coffee on me again. Zein laughed quietly. No promises. She sent the reply before she could stop herself. Three dots appeared. Then his answer. I was hoping you'd say that. Zein stared at the screen. Her smile slowly disappeared. Because something about those words felt different. And somewhere deep inside her, a quiet warning whispered: This is the kind of story that doesn't end without breaking someone's heart. She locked her phone and leaned against the door. It was ridiculous. They had known each other for a day. Coffee, teasing, a shared project, and a sandwich she had reluctantly accepted. That was all. Why did her heart feel as if something had begun? Zein shook her head. "No." She whispered the word as if saying it aloud could make the feeling disappear. She had bigger things to worry about. Her grades. Her scholarship. Her family. Her future. Love was not part of the plan. Especially not love that came with a complicated last name. Across town, Kairo sat inside his car, staring at their conversation. His smile faded when another notification appeared. A message from his mother. Don't forget dinner on Friday. Your engagement announcement will be discussed. Kairo stared at the words for a long moment. Then he locked his phone. He didn't know why the message felt heavier than it had that morning. He didn't know why the face of a girl covered in coffee again kept appearing in his mind. And he definitely didn't know why, for the first time in months, the future his family had planned for him felt like something he wasn't sure he wanted. Neither of them knew it yet. But Monday had already changed everything. And sometimes, the biggest mistakes don't begin with a decision. Sometimes, they begin with a simple hello.