At 7 PM
Arjun arrived near the entrance of the girls' dorm building.
There were quite a few guys hanging around waiting too.
"Hey, Arjun, you were on fire in the game today!"
"Man, that dunk was sick!"
"Dude, you here waiting for someone too?"
"Yeah!"
Along the way, many guys who knew Arjun greeted him.
Some basketball enthusiasts even started chatting with Arjun about the afternoon's game.
Arjun was pretty much a campus celebrity—tall, handsome, not only great at basketball but also academically gifted, and he had lots of friends.
Before long, Arjun spotted Sunita and Priya coming down.
Sunita and Priya were both stunners, with figures that stood out among high school girls, attracting plenty of admirers.
Of course, standing together, what really drew the eye were their long legs.
Sunita was a bit taller, with longer legs, but Priya's proportions were just as striking.
Both were dressed casually in jeans and shirts, makeup-free.
Makeup wasn't really a thing with high schoolers yet—totally natural.
Even with Arjun's past life experience as a vice president, having seen many beautiful women, seeing two such fresh-faced girls still made his heart skip a beat.
The hormones of a young body were stirring.
It wasn't just Arjun whose gaze was fixed on the two girls,the nearby boys all turned to look as well.
As the girls walked over, Arjun could feel the envy from the other guys...
"Let's go, superstar, we're gonna treat you to some good food," the girls said naturally, walking shoulder to shoulder with Arjun.
From their appearance, it was clear they wore no makeup, but as they got closer, Arjun could still catch a faint scent.
On closer sniff, the perfume was coming from Priya, a bit stronger, while Sunita had the fresh scent of shampoo, almost like a natural body fragrance.
...
Life in Dehradun was relatively slow and pleasant, especially around Greenfield School.
Stepping out of the school, they saw many people just off work, walking or biking along the road.
Arjun, Sunita, and Priya strolled leisurely in the evening glow, their already tall figures elongated by the shadows.
Arjun kept looking around,although he had been back for three days, this was his first time stepping out of school, and everything still felt novel.
It was a bit like Zac Efron's character in "17 Again" experiencing his youth once more.
After taking in the surroundings, Arjun turned his attention to Sunita, who was walking close to him.
He took a moment to really look at her.
Sunita had an oval face, and when she smiled, dimples appeared on her cheeks, which was incredibly cute.
"Arjun, what are you looking at?" Sunita asked softly.
Walking this close to Arjun for the first time made her a bit nervous, and seeing his intense gaze made her heart race.
"Just looking at you, you're pretty cute," Arjun said.
Sunita blushed and turned her head away slightly.
"Look at you, superstar, flirting like a pro," Priya teased.
"Is complimenting now considered flirting? Should I flirt with you too? You're pretty too," Arjun replied, turning to Priya.
"Who's prettier, me or Sunita?"
"Both of you are."
"There has to be a ranking."
"Sunita, don't make it hard for Arjun."
"Ha ha."
"Hehe, I'll shut up, you keep flirting with Sunita," Priya rolled her eyes at Arjun.
...
...
Unlike other 12th graders, the three of them were prospective international students, so they didn't have the stress of Board Exams. Senior year was pretty relaxed for them.
They went to a nearby restaurant popular among students.
The meal was uneventful,they just chatted about fun school stories and their expectations for studying abroad.
Arjun also showcased his extensive knowledge and experiences.
His perspective and experiences weren't typical for a guy in Senior Secondary School.
This surprised the two girls, who didn't know much about him.
During this time, Arjun got a good read on the girls' personalities.
Priya was lively, outgoing, and confident, great at sparking conversations and keeping the mood lively. She had high emotional intelligence and occasionally joked about setting Arjun up with Sunita.
Arjun figured it was all part of the teenage dating scene.
Sunita, on the other hand, was more innocent and introverted. She didn't talk much, but when she did, she was always on point and sharp.
Arjun really enjoyed hanging out with them. They were easy on the eyes and made for comfortable conversation.
"Arjun, I feel like you've changed a bit," Priya said during the meal.
"How so?" Arjun asked.
"You seem more approachable now. Back in class, we only ever talked about basketball, never about anything else," Priya explained.
Priya and Arjun were classmates, so they naturally talked more.
"That's just because we didn't interact enough. You didn't really know me," Arjun replied with a smile.
"True, besides basketball, it was hard to talk to you about other stuff before. It was kind of boring," Priya admitted.
"I think it's good, actually. Arjun is very focused," Sunita chimed in, defending him.
"Look at you, defending him already," Priya teased Sunita with a laugh.
"Stop it," Sunita blushed and playfully punched Priya's arm.
Knowing Sunita was shy, Priya didn't tease her further, and the girls started goofing around.
Although the girls had said they would treat him, Arjun went to pay the bill ahead of time.
But when he tried to settle the bill, he was told that the tall girl had already paid.
That tall girl was Sunita.
Arjun hadn't expected her to be so thoughtful.
"Arjun, drop the macho act. We said we'd treat you. Luckily, Sunita guessed you'd try to pay first. We have more pocket money than you, hehe," Priya said, waving her fist playfully as Arjun's attempt to pay failed.
"Next time, you can treat us," Sunita said with a smile.
"Alright, you little rich girls," Arjun shrugged.
Arjun didn't mind not paying for the meal,he wasn't that into traditional gender roles.
...
After dinner, the trio walked back to school, strolling along the campus paths.
Priya concocted a flimsy excuse to leave: "Hey, Arjun, Sunita, you guys hang out. I just remembered I forgot to do some homework. You two chat, bye!"
She didn't wait for a response and quickly ran off.
"She's pretty obvious about trying to set us up, huh?" Arjun laughed.
"Do you mind?" Sunita asked directly.
"Not at all, I enjoy talking to you," Arjun replied.
"I feel the same. You're very understanding," Sunita said, looking up at Arjun's profile.
Just then, Arjun turned his head, and their eyes met.
Sunita quickly looked away.
Arjun could feel her nervousness.
The air was charged with a palpable tension.