The canteen buzzed with chatter and laughter, but Sam could only focus on one thing—how on earth did this turn into a full-fledged event?
Mahiru sat beside him, her hands neatly folded on her lap, looking both nervous and amused as his friends bombarded them with questions.
"So, tell us, tell us!" Ryan leaned forward eagerly. "How did this happen? Who made the first move?"
Mahiru and Sam stiffened at the question. Their eyes met for a brief second before both quickly looked away, faces turning pink.
Alex smirked. "Ah, so there's a story behind this, huh?"
"Shut up," Sam muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
Jay grinned. "C'mon, don't be shy! Spill it!"
Sam sighed, giving Mahiru a glance that silently asked, Do we really have to do this?
She giggled softly, as if enjoying his suffering, before finally answering. "Sam… confessed first."
Sam froze.
Ryan and Alex gasped dramatically.
"NO WAY!" Ryan clutched his chest. "SAM confessed first?! The guy who never even looks at girls properly?!"
Jay shook his head. "Man, that must've been a once-in-a-lifetime moment. What did you say, Mahiru?"
She smiled, tilting her head. "I said yes."
"AWWW!" The guys cheered loudly, making several students turn their way.
Sam groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I regret everything."
Mahiru laughed at his reaction, finding his embarrassment adorable.
Alex leaned back, grinning. "Alright, alright, serious question—where did you two meet?"
Mahiru and Sam exchanged a glance.
"The cafe," Sam answered.
Mahiru nodded. "He used to come there often, and we started talking… Then, we became friends."
Jay smirked. "And then he fell for you."
Mahiru chuckled, tilting her head playfully. "Something like that."
Sam groaned. "I hate all of you."
Ryan laughed. "Bro, you don't hate us. You just hate that we finally have something to tease you about."
Sam refused to answer.
Mahiru, however, was clearly enjoying this.
After some more teasing, the conversation eased into a more comfortable rhythm, and Mahiru started feeling more relaxed around them.
She could tell that Sam's friends genuinely cared about him, even if they were a little… chaotic.
And despite all his complaining, Sam didn't actually seem to mind having her there.
After all, the small, barely-there smile on his lips told her everything.
As the sun began to set, Sam finally stood up, stretching. "Alright, we should go."
Mahiru blinked. "Go?"
Sam nodded toward the exit. "I'll walk you to the station."
She smiled warmly. "Okay."
His friends watched them leave, grinning.
Jay elbowed Ryan. "Dude, I still can't believe Sam actually has a girlfriend."
Ryan nodded. "Yeah… who would've thought?"
Alex smirked. "Well, she would've thought, apparently."
They all snickered, watching Sam and Mahiru disappear through the doors.
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