"Who are you?" Justin stepped away, frowning.
"What do you mean by that?" Kathrine replied, clearly offended.
"You? Being shy? Did you hit your head somewhere?" he teased, leaning closer to check her head as if to prove his point.
"Stop that," she said, moving away with an annoyed look
"Tsk, aren't you supposed to be focusing on your studies? Why are you getting distracted?" Justin shook his head.
"I am not. It's called inspiration," Kathrine replied, smiling slyly.
Justin rolled his eyes.
"So, how is he?" she asked again, nudging him playfully.
"Leave me alone," Justin muttered, walking faster.
"Hey, come on," Kathrine followed, refusing to drop the subject.
As they walked toward the station, it became clear that these short exchanges had become part of their routine.
"Anyway," Justin said after a while.
"You need to take breaks if you want to stay ahead."
"I do take breaks!" Kathrine protested.
"That's why you've been staying at school long after class ends?" Justin raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm not pushing myself too hard, so it's not that bad," Kathrine shrugged.
Justin shook his head, his expression serious, "Just take a break. Stop and relax once in a while."
For once, Kathrine didn't argue. She knew he wasn't teasing this time, and his tone left no room for jokes.
Kathrine no longer argued on this part. This is not their usual banter of jokingly teasing one another.
It was a serious matter and she did not feel like arguing with him about it.
…
Kathrine flipped through the pages of her textbook, her pen tapping lightly on the edge of her notebook.
The coffee shop buzzed with quiet sounds—the hum of the coffee machine, soft chatter from nearby tables, and the clink of cups. She sat in her usual corner, completely focused on the words in front of her.
The doorbell jingled as someone walked in, but Kathrine didn't look up. Her eyes stayed on the dense text, her lips moving slightly as she read.
"Still studying?" a voice asked.
Startled, Kathrine looked up. Standing by her table was Elson.
He was the person who had caught her attention since the very first day she met him. Somehow, she couldn't help but be attracted to his warm aura and that smile—not as goofy as Justin's but gentle and bright.
The same person she asked Justin about multiple times.
"Brother Elson? What are you doing here?" she asked, blinking in surprise.
"This is my home country," he shrugged.
"I mean, weren't you abroad?"
"I returned because there was a musical play I was planning to watch. And as I was passing by, I saw you through the window. Such a coincidence," he said, glancing at her books.
"I thought I'd say hi. You look like you've been at this for hours."
Kathrine gave a small shrug, "I have. There's a lot to cover if I want to stay ahead."
"Even on a weekend?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
She smiled faintly, "Well, if you want to be the best, you don't take days off."
Elson chuckled softly, "That sounds exhausting."
Without another word, he walked to the counter. Kathrine watched him go, a little puzzled, but decided not to say anything. She went back to her reading, her pen underlining key points.
A few minutes later, Elson returned, holding a steaming cup of coffee and a tray of different breads. He placed them on the table in front of her.
Kathrine blinked, confused, "What's this?"
"Coffee and pastries," he said simply, taking the seat across from her.
"You look like you could use some energy booster."
"You didn't have to do that," she said, glancing at the bag.
"I know," he said with a small smile.
"I wanted to. I mean, you seem like you don't wish to take a break, but you don't seem like you're pushing yourself too hard either. So, I'll just give you some sweets to help with your studies."
There was an awkward pause as Kathrine looked at the coffee, then back at him. She wasn't sure how to respond.
"By the way," Elson said, breaking the silence.
"Thanks for the video greeting you sent. I didn't expect it, but it really made my day. Thank the others for me as well—it was fun watching you all try so hard to greet me properly."
Elson chuckled at the thought of the group, full of unique characters, trying to greet him in the most joyful way they could.
Kathrine blinked. Of course, she knew about the greeting—she was the one who had initiated the idea of her and the group doing it together.
She still remembered how Justin was teased relentlessly because of it, with the others pushing him whenever he tried to enter the frame and telling him he shouldn't bother since he didn't want to do it in the first place.
"Oh, that. It was nothing, really. We were also trying to tease Justin for being too shy about greeting you. But when it turned into a group effort, he was the most energetic one."
Elson laughed again. He had noticed how energetic Justin was.
"At the very least, you enjoyed it. All efforts paid off," Kathrine grinned.
"They did," Elson said sincerely.
"I appreciated it."
She looked down at the coffee, feeling her cheeks warm.
"Well… I'm glad."
For a while, they sat there in silence. Kathrine sipped the coffee, enjoying the comforting warmth, while Elson glanced at the street outside. Though they barely knew each other, the moment felt surprisingly easy.
"Allow me to thank you for this as well," she said softly, referring to the pastry and coffee.
Elson looked at her and smiled, "Anytime."
And with that, he stood, gave her a small wave, and walked out of the shop, leaving her alone with her books.
Kathrine watched him walk away down the street.
A smile crept onto her face. Just last night, she had been asking Justin about him, curious about how he was doing. Yet, here he was now—out of nowhere, thoughtful and kind.
It felt like more than a coincidence, and that thought kept her smiling as she returned to her studies.
"How lucky am I?" she giggled to herself.