Kieran wasn't just another student on campus.
He was the kind of person people talked about—even when he wasn't around.
Not always in a good way.
By the end of her first week, Amara had heard enough stories to understand exactly who he was.
"Stay away from him."
That seemed to be the general advice.
"He doesn't date," one girl had said during lunch.
"He just… entertains himself."
Another added, "And when he's done, he leaves like nothing happened."
Amara didn't ask questions.
She didn't need to.
She had already placed him in a category—the kind of person she had promised herself to avoid.
And yet…
Somehow, she kept noticing him.
It wasn't intentional.
At least, that's what she told herself.
But it became harder to ignore the fact that he always seemed to be around.
In class.
Outside the lecture halls.
At the cafeteria.
And strangely…
Always close enough to notice her too.
"You're very quiet," he said one afternoon.
Amara didn't look at him. She kept her eyes on her notebook, flipping a page calmly.
"Is that a problem?" she asked.
Kieran leaned back slightly in his chair, studying her.
"No. Just unusual."
She finally glanced at him.
"You talk too much," she replied.
For a second, there was silence.
Then he laughed.
A soft, unexpected laugh that didn't sound forced or fake.
And for some reason… it lingered.
That was how it started.
Not with love.
Not even with interest.
Just… conversations.
Short ones.
Simple ones.
But somehow, they began to mean something.
Days passed, and it became a routine.
He would sit beside her in class.
Sometimes he talked.
Sometimes he didn't.
Sometimes they argued over small things.
And sometimes… they just existed in silence.
"You don't smile much," he said one day.
Amara raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe you're not funny."
He smirked slightly.
"I think you're just hard to impress."
"Or maybe you're used to impressing the wrong people."
That response caught him off guard.
Not many people spoke to him like that.
Not many people challenged him.
And that was exactly what made Amara different.
She didn't care about his reputation.
Didn't care about the attention he got.
Didn't try to impress him.
If anything…
She treated him like he was normal.
And Kieran wasn't used to that.
But as much as she tried to keep things simple, Amara started noticing things she hadn't before.
Little things.
Like how he sometimes looked distant, even when people were around him.
Like how his smile would fade the moment he thought no one was watching.
Like how there was always something… heavy behind his eyes.
"You think too much," he said one evening as they walked out of class together.
She looked at him.
"And you don't think enough."
He shook his head, amused.
"You always have an answer."
"I just don't like pretending."
That statement made him pause.
Because if there was one thing he was used to…
It was pretending.
Later that night, Amara sat on her bed, scrolling through her phone absentmindedly.
But her thoughts weren't on anything she was looking at.
They were on him.
And that bothered her.
She didn't understand why she was even thinking about him.
He wasn't her type.
He wasn't someone she trusted.
And he definitely wasn't someone she should be getting close to.
But there was something about him that didn't match what people said.
Something… real.
Something hidden.
And without realizing it…
Her curiosity began to grow.
Meanwhile, across campus, Kieran sat alone in his room, staring at his phone.
For the first time in a long time…
He wasn't texting anyone.
Wasn't calling anyone.
Wasn't surrounded by people.
Instead…
He was thinking about her.
"She's different," he muttered quietly to himself.
And for someone like him…
Different was dangerous.