Crossing Fates

Chapter 1: The Meeting - Unexpected Chaos

A Bustling University Café

The sun poured through the expansive windows of the university café, bathing the room in a soft, golden glow. Dunk Saetang sat hunched over at a corner table, flipping through the pages of a quantum physics textbook. His brow furrowed in deep concentration, determined to absorb as much information as possible before the next lecture. His pencil tapped rhythmically against the side of the book as he muttered equations under his breath, trying to maintain his perfect GPA.

"Dunk, you're going to fry your brain if you keep staring at that book like it holds the secrets of the universe."

Dunk glanced up, only to see his best friend, Pond Nithipat, standing a few feet away, balancing a precarious stack of books on his head. Pond flashed a wide grin, clearly enjoying the attention his antics were drawing from other students.

Dunk sighed and returned his gaze to the book. "It sort of does hold the secrets of the universe, Pond. You'd understand if you ever bothered to open a textbook."

Pond laughed, dramatically dropping the stack of books onto the table with a thud. He plopped down into the chair across from Dunk, pushing the books to the side. "Who needs textbooks when life is way more exciting without them?"

Dunk shook his head but couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips. Pond's carefree attitude had always been a mystery to him, yet it was one of the things he appreciated most about his best friend. While Dunk was busy meticulously planning every detail of his future—studying business with the precision of someone on a mission—Pond seemed to float through life with nothing but charm and a smile, his eyes always set on his dream of becoming a documentary filmmaker.

Pond grabbed a rubber band from the table and, without warning, flicked it across the table, hitting Dunk squarely on the forehead. "Come on, loosen up! It's too nice a day to be buried in that boring stuff."

Dunk rubbed his forehead, groaning. "Really? This is your version of motivation?"

"Absolutely," Pond said with a mischievous grin. "Welcome to the creative world, Dunk. You'll thank me later when we're making memories instead of studying diagrams."

Dunk rolled his eyes but chuckled. "Somehow, I doubt that. You've got enough memories for the both of us."

The Rooftop Break

After another twenty minutes of Pond's incessant interruptions, Dunk finally conceded that his study session was doomed.

"Alright," Dunk said, closing his textbook with a sigh. "You win. Let's take a break."

Pond's eyes lit up as if he'd just won the lottery. "Yes! See, I knew you'd come to your senses." He stood up, motioning for Dunk to follow. "Let's head to the rooftop café. It's the perfect day to be outside."

Dunk reluctantly agreed, gathering his things and walking with Pond toward the building's rooftop terrace. The café was buzzing with students lounging around, soaking in the sun and enjoying their brief respite between classes. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as conversations and laughter mingled around them.

As they found a spot by the edge of the terrace, Dunk felt the tension in his shoulders begin to ease. Even though he preferred to keep his head buried in books, moments like these reminded him that taking a break now and then wasn't so bad—especially when Pond was around to make sure he didn't drown in his academic life.

Just as Dunk was about to sit down, he noticed Pond's attention drift elsewhere. His best friend was staring intently at a nearby table, his usually playful demeanor suddenly serious. Following Pond's gaze, Dunk spotted what had captured his attention—Phuwin Chaisuk, a new transfer student, sitting alone at a corner table with his sketchbook open.