Before classes began, X University would usually hold a university tour for freshmen students. Ash attended one of these to be more familiar with his environment. Especially after moving to a bigger and more progressive city compared to his previous one.
He was dressed in pastel blue long sleeves, lighter-colored khaki pants, and his favorite white converse. Looking like an idol. Alone on his arrival, he tried finding the signage that would welcome his college.
"Hey! What are you looking for?" a cheery girl with unusual bangs greeted him.
"Hello! I'm looking for the Computer Science Department. Do you know where that is?" Ash asked the girl. Her face glistened and screamed.
"A new freshmen! Welcome! My name is Chey, and I'm the president of our department." She shook with Ash's hands, and Ash welcomed her gladly.
"It is so rare for someone in our department to not be a little shy, you know," Chey joked and Ash smiled.
The girl with the most amusing bangs brought him to the Computer Science campus, a 7-minute walk from the front of the university. It was exhausting, to say the least. Then there's Ash, who barely works out and was already dripping in sweats.
"Do we have anything that's much faster than walking, Chey? I'm drenched in sweats, and we just arrived on our campus!" Ash was complaining, trying to catch his breath.
"We actually have public transportation, but it takes long to pick us up and doesn't have a direct route to our college," Chey sighed.
"So it's better to walk! Better start exercising now, I guess." Chey gave Ash a cheeky smile.
The department building was huge. It looked futuristic and very modern, with the main palette being black and white and the accents and hints of different shades of blue. Ash was in awe, and Chey continued walking towards the auditorium where the other freshmen were.
Ash sat on an empty seat in the middle of the auditorium, making himself comfortable. He looked around and found a handful of people—at least 50 of them were present. Trying to keep himself busy with his phone while the tour has still not started yet, he caught a glimpse of somebody on his peripheral vision.
He looked at his side, and somebody was sitting beside him.
He's got to be kidding, right? Ash said to himself. He looked around, and indeed, there were plenty of vacant seats, and this person decided to sit beside him. Ash stared at this person, and he looked at him.
"Is there something on my face?" His voice was deep, sending shivers down to Ash's spine.
"Nope, nothing's wrong," Ash smiled and directed his gaze back to his phone, not minding the stranger sat beside him. But something was different about this person—Ash felt attracted, or rather connected.
After a couple of minutes, the event officially began. There were tons of happenings, even though there were a handful of students. The event integrated a visual and a holographic tour of the university. It was truly outstanding, to say the least. Ash was in awe, taking notes and trying to think of codes about what he could do.
All in while the stranger next to him was admiring his seatmate from afar.
After the tour, which in fact was a virtual tour, Ash left the auditorium and went to a nearby cafe inside the university. The aesthetic was breathtaking—like what you would see on an influencer's posts and stories. It was leaning more towards a greenery aesthetic or a cottage vibe.
"One medium cappuccino, please," Ash ordered at the counter.
"Name?"
"Ash... Just Ash."
After ordering, he'd sit on an empty table by the window, overlooking the busy streets of the university. You might think it's not summer due to the number of students still walking about the school. Lost in thought, Ash caught a glimpse of a small kitten playing by itself on a table outside.
"Is this seat taken?" A familiar deep voice asked. Ash looked in front of him and was greeted by the stranger who sat next to him.
"It's free," Ash smiled. The stranger smiled back and sat down. He was really... Ash was trying hard to put something into words. The stranger was welcoming and calming, and while he looked fierce, he still managed to have the demeanor of someone who's friendly.
"I'm sorry, but may I know your name?" Ash asked, letting his curiosity slip.
"Phoenix, like the bird." The stranger smiled, showing a little bit of his teeth. The stranger, which once was, was now finally named.
"My name's Ash, like where you'd arise from." Ash was smiling, trying to hold back his laughter with his corny joke. But it made Phoenix laugh.
"That's a good one," Phoenix complimented the joke. They took a bit of their time to get to know each other. Where they came from and where they lived. The basic greetings and necessities.
"Do you have any socials?" Ash asked.
"Sure, you could follow me here." Ash lent his phone to Phoenix. He added his contacts to Ash's phone, as well as his actual social accounts.
"It's almost 3 in the afternoon, Ash. I need to get home now." Phoenix stood up and bid his farewell.
"Sure, no worries, see you at school!" Ash waved at him goodbye. Phoenix waved back and exited the cafe. With nothing else to do, Ash managed to look at his phone and tried stalking Phoenix. He combed through the photos of his accounts, trying to get to know him better.
I guess he loves sweets. Cheesecake, bobas, and ice cream. Ash took a mental note of this. There's a photo with an unusual vibe here. Ash clicked on the photo.
In disbelief with what he was reading. He tried reading the caption again on the photo, and no matter how many times he read it, he did not read it wrong.
"Thank you for being here by my side, my MOSH (My Only Sweet Heart)."
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Ash muttered.