As the final applause faded and the program concluded, the crowd dispersed, returning to their respective hostels. Life resumed its rhythm, as though nothing significant had happened that day. But Liv's classmates knew better. Beneath the casual return to normalcy, a seismic shift had taken place—Liv had finally fallen for someone.
Liv, the ever-busy, schedule-bound woman, was the pillar everyone leaned on. Her presence was unmistakable. She walked with a confidence that echoed through the corridors—a stride reminiscent of Jack Sparrow, her right hand raised, her chin held high. People noticed her before she even spoke. Her juniors imitated her walk, and when she entered her final year, a change came over her. A change so subtle yet so profound that her "super juniors" could never fully grasp the legend that Liv was before their time.
They didn't know how feared she once was by every junior who preceded Gus's batch. They didn't know that Liv was the "it girl" of the university—unapproachable, unattainable, uninterested. She didn't have time for distractions. When her hair turned blonde, blonde heads multiplied in the campus. When she dyed it red, a sea of redheads followed. She was copied, admired, but never bothered. Her focus remained razor-sharp—department duties, university responsibilities, and leadership roles. She sang. She hosted. She organized. She led.
What made her truly untouchable wasn't just her looks, style, or relentless work ethic—it was the fact that she remained second rank holder in every semester. A queen with brains, beauty, and brilliance.
She never looked at anyone while walking. Not a single glance. Her path was her own.
That's why her classmates knew something had changed. Because that day, Liv—who never looked at a soul besides Marvin—had locked eyes with Gus. And in that fleeting gaze, something inside her melted. Something deeper than admiration, more dangerous than affection. Gus's melodies had cracked through Liv's glacier of self-restraint.
But Liv didn't know it herself. Innocent in her own storm of emotions, she was the second youngest in class. A leader, yes, but also the baby everyone protected. Her classmates saw it clearly, yet said nothing. Because if Liv ever realized she was in love… it would be chaos. Liv wasn't made for quiet love. She was made for declarations, for wild storms, for burning kingdoms down in the name of passion.
If she fell, she would fall with fire.
It was a dangerous honour to be loved by Liv. She was a poet. An Aries sun with Venus in Pisces—intense, all-consuming, with emotions too vast for this world. She loved deeply, ferociously. No halfway, no grey area. It was always all or nothing.
And right now, there was still Marvin. Even though they had quietly broken up weeks ago, no one in the university knew. To the world, they were still the golden couple. The symbol of unshakable love. Students had once said, "If Liv and Marvin ever break up, I'll stop believing in love." That was the pedestal they stood on.
Marvin had his loyal fanbase—the boys who admired and practically worshipped him. And Liv? Liv needed no introduction. She was the nightingale of the department, the heartbeat of the university.
And yet, even with all she had—intellect, beauty, talent, loyalty, fame, and a loving family—Liv was haunted. Haunted by high school memories where she was bullied while Marvin stood silent. She never acknowledged the pain, but it followed her like a shadow. She feared sleep. Night after night, she faced not ghosts but suffocation—her sleep paralysis felt like death pressing down on her. And yet, every morning, she woke up, dressed up, smiled, and led like nothing was wrong.
Her classmates—who were also her roommates—knew. They covered for her illnesses, guarded her secrets. They gave her medicine, scolded her when needed, protected her like mothers. Because without Liv, the department would crumble.
And now, if Liv were truly falling in love? She would destroy herself—and everyone around her—in the process.
They all remembered the moment. The look. The melting.
If Liv pursued this, Marvin's image would shatter, Liv's legacy would take a blow, and the department would fall into disarray. And Gus? A nobody, sweet, quiet Gus—a shy boy with zero communication skills—would be devoured. He was a junior. Worse, a junior who might be falling for Liv. If he dared step close, he would be scorned by Marvin's loyalists. His name would be dragged, his presence questioned. Dating a senior was one thing, but Liv? It was sacrilege.
So the question stood—would Gus commit the one act the heavens themselves forbade?
Would he dare to love Liv?