Sophia blinked, clearly caught off guard, but after a brief pause, she placed her hand in his and shook it with a polite but firm grip.
"Sophia," she replied, her voice measured but friendly. "And this is my best friend, Jasmine. I think she's even more beautiful than I am." She gestured to the girl sitting beside her, who had been quietly reading the entire time.
Jasmine, who had been lost in the pages of her book, looked up at Derek with an air of mild curiosity. She smiled politely and extended her hand to him as well.
"Pleased to meet you," she said, her voice warm but neutral. "You're new here, right?"
"Yeah," Derek replied, his grin widening as he took her hand. "I just got here. It's my first week on campus." He couldn't help but hope that his charm would finally make its impact now that they were talking.
Despite his easy smile and laid-back demeanor, Derek couldn't shake the feeling that the energy between them wasn't quite right.
