My crush is A Cool and Handsome Guy

This is too wild. The deep, clear voice in my mind kept getting louder, so I blurted out, “Your shirt looks great. Where did you get it?”

“Huh? Do you mean this shirt? I bought it online. You like it?”

But in his mind, he thought: Yes! I knew I had great taste. It took me a week to pick this shirt!

The best part? The fabric turns see-through when it gets wet, showing off my six-pack. Aurora Bennett won’t be able to resist me!

My face turned red, and I couldn’t help but sneak a glance at his abs.

Wait a minute, isn’t Daniel supposed to be the star of the Computer Science Department?

Before I left, Olivia gave me the lowdown on him. Daniel, in our year, became famous in Computer Science right after school started. He’s incredibly aloof, and no girl has ever gotten his Instagram.

No one’s seen him with a girl, and his most frequent companion is his roommate, Ryan. Some even say they’re a couple.

Olivia advised me to be chatty and project a sunny, cheerful image to complement his vibe.

That was my plan, anyway.

But if it weren’t for this weird mind-reading thing, I’d never have guessed that Daniel is so subtly self-assured and cunningly strategic!!

The constant chatter in my head made it hard to think straight.

So much for my sunny, cheerful girl-next-door image.

The setting sun bathed everything in a warm glow, wrapping the world in a peaceful light. And then I heard Daniel think:

Damn, Aurora is gorgeous. Not even King Arthur could stop me from drooling over her.

I stumbled, nearly tripping over myself. Before I could fall, I felt a hand on my wrist.

Daniel’s hand was strong and gentle, his slender fingers making my wrist feel tiny in comparison.

“Careful.”

Daniel’s voice was clear, not deep or magnetic like in a novel, but clean and youthful.

“Th-thank you.”

As soon as our wrists touched, Daniel quickly let go.

When we arrived at North Gate, it was only 6:15, prime dinner time. The restaurant was packed, mostly with students from our university.

I noticed a few people watching us and whispering to each other. My heart sank with a sense of dread.

Sure enough, by that night, the school forum was buzzing with talk about us.

That night, the school forum was already buzzing with chatter about us.

[Wow, what did I just see? Aurora from the Arts College and Daniel from the Computer Science Department having dinner together!]

[Seriously? Is this for real?]

[Yep, I saw them too. They were at North Gate’s popular steakhouse, and they shared a big meal.]

[!! A handsome guy and a beautiful girl together! I’m here for it!]

“...”

Some even posted blurry photos, showing a vague outline of Daniel and me.

I quickly exited the forum.

Olivia was sitting cross-legged on her bed, absorbed in her show, laughing at whatever she was watching.

Our dorm is a four-person room, and the other two roommates were out for evening classes.

I poked my head out of my bed.

“Olivia—”

She took off her headphones and looked up at me. “What’s up?”

“I was thinking, Daniel seems a bit strange.”

“Strange in what way?”

“He seems to like me?” I recalled the thoughts I heard in my head, tilting my head as I spoke.

Olivia: “...”

“I’m not trying to be a downer, but he’s only met you once. How could he like you?”

“Maybe he likes my stunning beauty, my sparkling eyes, my smooth skin, and my witty, funny, and charming personality?”

Olivia looked exasperated, clutching her chair. “I’m feeling a bit nauseous.”

“Then it must be true!” I pulled my head back and happily settled into bed.

6

There’s a theory that says before you meet someone, you might never have noticed them. But once you do, it feels like they’re everywhere.

On Saturday, Olivia and I planned a night out at a bar.

“Have we had any luck finding people to join us?” Olivia scrolled through the chat and sighed.

We both shook our heads.

After posting on our social media, it took half an hour before just two friends showed up.

With only four of us, the place felt a bit empty, but we made do.

The bar was in a somewhat remote area, and since it was still early, the place was pretty quiet.

Counting our table, there were only about six or seven tables occupied.

The bar had just one bartender, who was busy counting bottles.

We found a spot to sit together, and Olivia habitually scanned the room.

“Whoa, Aurora, is that Daniel over there?” Olivia suddenly nudged me and pointed toward the two o’clock direction.

I followed her gaze.

In the dim light, two guys were sitting across from each other. The one directly facing us was focused on his phone, with the screen casting a faint glow on his face.

It was Daniel.

“Well, what a coincidence, it really is him.” I raised an eyebrow and looked away.

The waiter quickly brought us our drinks and a deck of cards.

“Let’s play a game—” Before I could finish, I was suddenly interrupted by a male voice.

“Sorry to bother you, may we join your table?” Daniel had somehow come over, leaning down to ask.

At the same time, Daniel’s voice once again echoed in my mind.