The third time Deen and Zirrius met is in another exhibit where they literally bumped into each other.
It started when one of Deen's professors asked them to sketch a human model, who is currently sitting in the center of the senior students who are forming a circle. Their professor told them to impress him in their charcoal sketching and he will ask some of his co-professors to be the judge of their works and whoever wins will have a prize no one will decline, it's a secret but he is sure that everyone will love it though they have to sketch in a limited time. Everyone got curious about the prize so they all did their best.
It took two hours for the students to sketch and their professor is proud that everyone is done before the alarm rings. They put their names at the back of their sketches to avoid the professors who is going to judge to be bias since everyone is aware that every professor has their own favorite.
Deen is quite confident in her work. She might rarely sketch especially for a human model but sketching is one of her best works and it's where she started doing before someone recognized her talents and earned her the scholarship for her university. She's not really sure what the prize is but she wants to have it, her competitiveness being challenged.
She wasn't disappointed when the results came the next day because "it's already expected that she'd be one of the five winners," her classmates said. The prize is also something that everyone wants and their professor being a tease and dramatic, asked the five to stand in front of the class and read the content of the paper he's holding and awarded the five winners, handing them the ticket everybody wants to have but can't buy because it's expensive for students like them. He played a classical and shake the winners' hands while telling the others to suck it up with a laugh before leaving the room.
"A little birdie has told us that you won a prize this morning. What is it? The birdie is quite teary eyed while telling us about the prize so we're curious." Jrey said later that night when they came unannounced in Deen's apartment.
"I sometimes regret giving you my pass code and key." Deen told Astra without looking at her that earned her a giggle. Deen continued mixing colors in the canvas in front of her while her friends settled themselves in the couch she placed in the corner of the room for her friends while they're around and wants to watch her work.
"So what's the prize that you won?" Jrey asked again once they're comfortable. "You heard about that virtual gallery where they'll be showcasing Van Gogh's work for a month starting tomorrow?" Deen said still concentrating in her painting. A gasp is heard that is clearly from Jrey and an awed sound made by Astra. "Wow! For real? Dude, those tickets are gold. How did your professor even bought five and just gave it to you for free?" Jrey asks in wonder. Deen shrugged, "Maybe they're going to sell all of our sketches since nothing's returned or maybe the school payed for it, who knows."
"From the prizes you're getting from your works, I can say that you'll be famous one day. Please don't forget us if that happens." Astra said. "I don't know. Do I even know you?" Deen said grinning as she finally dropped her palette in the table beside her and faced her friends. They only groaned as a response and Deen frowned noticing that Tungsten is missing. "Where's Tungsten?" She asks. Tungsten is not really a part of their original group not until he and Astra started dating and from then on, he started to hung out with everyone all the time except today which made it unusual since the couple is usually a package, you can always see them together not unless they have their own schedule which is classes and errands to run or girls'/bro's day out.
"Do I look like someone who knows everyone's whereabouts?" Astra said bitterly that the other two immediately notices. "Did you two had a fight?" Jrey asks.
"You can't call it fighting if no one's talking." Astra shrugs. "Dude, that's still a part of fighting." Jrey said with a frown. Deen moved in front of her friends sitting at the coffee table, "Wanna drink and talk it out?" She asks and Astra only shook her head before sighing. "I'm afraid I'm going to go and knock on his door if we drink now and I'm not sure if I want to talk about it now. Maybe later but not now."
"And that's a bad thing? You better talk it out before the day ends, you know. Forget pride and settle things now than later." Jrey said. "Of course, it is a bad thing! And this isn't about pride, he is the one who did something wrong and I don't want to bother him if he don't wanna talk. I don't want to be called annoying again."
Jrey is about to answer but Deen caught her eyes and subtly shook her head to tell her to shut up and wait for Astra to open up to them. The last thing she wants is to hear Astra say things to them that she didn't mean so they should give her time for herself first before they try to talk about what's going on and help if the couple needs it. Jrey understands what Deen wants to tell her just by making eye contact so she only nods her head and changed the topic to give Astra time.
"So about the exhibit tomorrow, are you going there alone or are you going with your fellow winners?" Jrey asks Deen and they noticed how Astra's shoulders finally relaxed at the change of topic and focused her eyes on Deen. "I'm going there alone. You know I don't hung out that much with my classmates outside of the university premises." She said that made the two laugh. "I still sometimes wonder if you ever get tired of our faces because we're the only ones you see at all times." Astra jokes that made Deen grin. "I sometimes wanna puke seeing your faces but you're the only ones that I can tolerate." She said and stood up to go and cook them dinner since she knew that no one has eaten anything and her friends mostly comes in her apartment to eat that's why she sometimes snatch their wallets to get money for food since her friends eats a lot, especially Tungsten who always go directly at the kitchen if he comes over.
The next day, the three of them agreed to meet at the new opened diner for a midnight's snack after Deen's done checking the exhibit because everyone's craving for a burger and milktea.
When Deen entered the room that virtually shows the starry night, she's amazed at how the gallery personnel decided to show this one painting. Every painting has their own room and way of being showed virtually but the starry night occupied the widest room and the four corners of the room including the ceiling is a screen that projects the painting and it's slowly moving while the floor is a mirror. Deen started to walk backwards while looking around not really concerned if she will bump someone since everyone's at the corner and only few people are walking at the center that's why she didn't see the person who's standing in the middle of the room that also has his back on her. The two of them collided and thankfully, the person she bump into has a quick reflex so none of them tumbles. He quickly held Deen and steadies her when she was about to fall backwards.
Deen's heart skipped a beat at that and quickly straighten up to apologize and to thank the person who stopped her from falling and saving her from embarrassment when the guy chuckled and waves a hand at her.
"It's nice to see you again Deen. And it seems like we tend to see each other a lot when there's an exhibit. I like our strange meet ups." The guy said and pulled his face mask down to give Deen a smile.
"Zirrius! Wow. It's nice to see you again in a place like this." Deen smiled back and check Zirrius' outfit that is again black from head to toe with a bucket hat. "You know if I meet you again with that outfit, I'll think that you never change your clothes." Zirrius laughs at that and shrugs his shoulder. "I have a washing machine." Deen grins and unconsciously took Zirrius' hand and dragged him at the walls where small globe of stars are hung and shines with the light of the screen.
The two of them quietly explores the room and Zirrius intertwines their hands when they left to explore the other rooms. It's only then that Deen realized that they've been holding hands the whole time and she found out that she didn't mind holding someone's hand if its Zirrius'. She only realized it now but ever since she met Zirrius, she's been comfortable with him which is new since her anxiety often makes her anxious around strangers or anyone even if she knew them for so long and the only ones who she usually find comfort is with the girls, Tungsten and Ryu. She don't exactly know what's with Zirrius that makes her comfortable ever since they met but she decided to not think to much about it and enjoy the night with him.
When the two of them explored the gallery twice while still holding hands, they finally decided to call it a night and exit the gallery but before one of them say goodbye, Deen invited Zirrius to join her and her friends at their planned midnight snack at the diner but he declined with a regretful smile.
"I'd really love to spend more time with you and meet your friends but someone's grumpy and has been messaging me all night." He said and showed his notifications of unread messages and missed calls to Deen. Deen's about to say something but the phone started to vibrate again and Zirrius quickly canceled it. "It's okay. You can join us and meet them next time since the person calling you seems to be worried so much. It's almost midnight after all." She said understandingly and Zirrius smiled at her and squeezed her hand before finally letting go. Deen waves her hand and was about to turn her back when Zirrius spoke. "I can drive you to the diner if you want."
"Its fine. I don't want to be a bother." She said turning her head as if she's thinking of something. "You're not. Besides, I offered to take you there." Zirrius took her hand again and pulled her to where he parked his car. He opened the door for her and Deen silently went inside and told Zirrius where the diner is when he came in and started the car. "I'm really sorry that I can't join you. I'm already dreading the scolding from my brother once I go home because I'm not yet back after telling him a time if when will I be back." He again apologized that Deen waves off. "Its okay. And I should be the one apologizing for keeping you longer at the gallery." She said.
Once the two arrived at the diner, Deen thanked Zirrius for the ride and removed her seatbelt. She was about to open the door when Zirrius called for her and when she faced him, he carefully pulls her forward and kissed her forehead, wishing her a goodnight. Deen smiles at the soft action and said her goodnight before finally getting out of the car and entered the diner with a smile in her face that her friends noticed once she sat in front of them.
The night's indeed a good night.