Serenity in Paradise

Chapter 1: Meeting in Hallway

POV: Ema

It was the first lecture of the day at college but I was still wandering when will I get to go back to hostel. Studying at a college far away from city at a countryside and pursuing four year bachelor's degree was already just too much for a person like me. 

"Snap out of your thoughts and try to focus here right now!", ringed hushed voice of Mei in my ears.

"Okay fine, professor has my damn attention. Now are we good?"

"Absolutely", she smiled and continued to listen to songs with an earbud on her right ear and showing as if she was actually paying attention in that lecture.

Mei, one of my closest friends, curly brown haired girl. She was the one I trusted the most in the college.

We shared a secret. There was a boy Mei liked who used to come for the same subject lectures as us. Kenji; he was tall, handsome, had somewhat curly hairs too, but alas his first love was football but Mei came next. There was another boy who had stolen Ema's heart with his dimples, Satoru. He was tall, handsome, was good at sports, but his best was humor and positive attitude.

That day both of our crushes hadn't been to college. I had crush on him since we first met in the induction program, not exactly crush but that boy had my heart since then. 'But since when was Mei in love with Kenji?' this thought crossed my mind. We had been best of friends but I don't know about this, '[I] will be asking this next', as I was thinking about the secret "love life's" we had;

"We will leave up till here and end this unit in the next lecture", instructed the professor and left the room filled with about 50 college students.

I got up as soon as the professor left and asked my friends sitting beside me to get up well. 

" 'kay we're done now"

"Where are we heading?", asked Mei removing her earbuds.

We were going out from the class, crossing the benches, semi-depressed *obviously*;

"Then, I'm out to the central computing facility(CCF) 'cause I need to study otherwise an event's comin' up next week. It'll get hectic and I won't be able to score good in the prefinals" *sighs*

"Okay then I'll going to the library. Hey don't act like that he must be busy", said Mei teasingly.

"Like hell I care! "*glare*

"You too, you won't be able to find him in the library at this hour" *teasingly*

"Hey!!", Mei shouted loud enough so that only I can hear.

We are giggling to our sweet little secret, just then my eyes met someone. Dry as desert sand, pleading for hope but agitated look all over the face as if I messed up things really bad. She walked on ignoring me (but did not ignore enough to let go of the continuous glare), grinning at every single person in the hallway.

"I really don't want to see her anymore. I've had enough of her glares all the time"

"Let it go. Some things never change and I doubt they will.", Mei said with a sigh.

"I hate her though. What's her actual deal?"

"Our last topic was much more interesting than this one [*sighs*]. Forget her, whenever we talk about her all of a sudden atmosphere becomes too gloomy and dark to digest.", Mei tried to wave way the topic. "So CCF, is it?"

"Yeah", *still in that zone*