At First Sight: A Love That Couldn't Last

Chapter 4: A Chance Meeting

A few days after their first text conversation, Tiara couldn’t stop thinking about Robin. They’d been exchanging messages, mostly about studies, but every interaction made her feel more connected to him. Each time his name appeared on her phone screen, her pulse quickened.

That afternoon, Tiara was on her way to the campus library. She preferred the quiet, focused environment to the distractions of her hostel room. As she walked, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, expecting a message from a friend or group chat, but froze when she saw Robin’s name.

Robin: Hey, are you on campus?

Her heart did a little flip. She quickly responded.

Tiara: Yeah, just heading to the library. What about you?

Robin’s reply came almost instantly.

Robin: I’m in the cafeteria. Want to grab a coffee?

Her stomach fluttered. Coffee? This wasn’t like their usual study chats—it felt different, more personal. She debated for only a second before texting back.

Tiara: Sure, I’ll be there in a few minutes.

Nervous excitement filled her as she changed course. She couldn’t believe he’d asked her to meet outside of the usual academic context. Her thoughts raced—what would they talk about? How should she act?

When Tiara entered the cafeteria, she spotted Robin at a table near the window. He sat casually, looking down at his phone, a cup of coffee in front of him. As soon as he saw her approach, he smiled—warm, welcoming, the kind of smile that made her heart flutter.

“Hey,” he greeted, waving her over. “Glad you could make it.”

Tiara smiled back, trying to maintain her composure. “I needed a break from all the studying anyway.”

They ordered drinks and started talking. At first, it was the usual—how classes were going, funny stories about professors, and the stress of upcoming exams. Tiara felt comfortable around him, more at ease than she had imagined. He was charming, quick-witted, and easy to talk to.

But as their conversation deepened, Tiara sensed that something was off. Robin seemed distracted at times, his gaze drifting out the window, his fingers tapping restlessly on the table. She wanted to ask if something was bothering him but hesitated, unsure if it was her place.

Finally, as the conversation lulled, Robin leaned back in his chair, sighing. “It’s strange, you know? I almost didn’t come today.”

Tiara frowned, curious. “Why? Something going on?”

Robin hesitated, his smile faltering for a brief moment. “Yeah, just… family stuff.” He waved his hand as if brushing it away. “It’s nothing important.”

Tiara nodded, sensing that he wasn’t telling her the full story. She didn’t press further, even though she wanted to. It wasn’t her business—not yet, anyway. She kept the conversation light, trying to steer them back to safer ground, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something Robin wasn’t saying.

They talked for another hour, sharing stories about their lives and laughing over shared frustrations about med school. Yet every now and then, Tiara noticed that faraway look in Robin’s eyes, like his mind was somewhere else. Still, when he looked at her, it felt real—like the connection between them was genuine.

As they wrapped up, Robin’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it quickly, his expression tightening for a second before he pocketed it. “Sorry, I’ve got to run. Family stuff again,” he said, standing up abruptly. “But let’s do this again soon?”

Tiara smiled, pushing down the disappointment that threatened to rise. “Yeah, sure. I’d like that.”

They said their goodbyes, and as Tiara walked back to her hostel, a nagging feeling settled in her chest. Something about the way Robin had dodged her question about his family didn’t sit right with her. What was he hiding? And why did it feel like a wall had suddenly sprung up between them?

For the first time since they started talking, Tiara felt a shift in the air, an unspoken tension she couldn’t quite place. What she didn’t know was that Robin’s world was far more complicated than he let on—family expectations, secrets, and pressures that threatened to unravel everything. And while he hadn’t told her yet, Tiara sensed that something bigger was lurking beneath the surface, something that would change everything.