Always, I Care

Chapter 1

Amalia's palms were sweating as she stood outside the club's meeting room. The towering building of the university campus stretched high above her, the air thick with the buzz of students rushing between classes. She checked her phone for the hundredth time. The interview was supposed to start in ten minutes, and she was already late. Typical. Her introverted nature didn't help, but today, she had promised herself to do something different. She was going to step out of her comfort zone. She was going to join the club. The University Leadership Club, to be specific.

She had no real plan, no clear purpose, except that it was a way to meet new people and maybe get involved in something. The rest of her university life had been spent quietly in the corners of lecture halls and libraries, never daring to speak up or ask questions. This year was going to be different. She was going to try, at least.

Amalia inhaled deeply before pushing the door open. The room was full of students chatting in low voices, some in groups, others alone, flipping through their phones. The whole scene felt so... loud. She walked towards the back of the room, trying to remain as invisible as possible, hoping no one would notice her. Her heart hammered in her chest as she sat down, clutching her bag tightly, staring at the table.

Minutes later, the door opened, and everyone went quiet. In walked a tall figure, confident and poised, with a smile that could melt anyone's resolve. Ridwan. The name popped into her head, and her stomach did a little flip. He was... well, he was Ridwan.

The guy who looked like he belonged in some magazine, with his perfect jawline, his broad shoulders, and the way his confident stride commanded attention. Ridwan wasn't just tall. He was handsome, effortlessly so. His eyes scanned the room as he walked in, and for a split second, his gaze landed on Amalia. She quickly averted her eyes, feeling a sudden heat creeping up her neck. No way, she thought. Not today.

The chair beside her creaked as Ridwan took a seat at the front. "Alright, everyone," he started, his deep voice warm but authoritative, "welcome to the interview for the University Leadership Club. I'm Ridwan, the Vice President of the club, and I'll be overseeing today's session. Please, make sure you introduce yourself and share a little about why you're interested in joining."

Amalia swallowed hard. She knew she had to speak up eventually, but the thought of doing so in front of Ridwan? No thanks. She had no idea what to expect from this interview, but she was already sure of one thing: Ridwan was way out of her league. He was probably the kind of guy who had girls lining up for his attention. He wasn't going to care about some quiet, socially awkward girl like her.

As the first few people took their turns speaking, Amalia couldn't help but steal a glance at him. Ridwan was casually leaning back in his chair, listening intently to everyone who spoke, nodding in acknowledgment. His smile was warm, but there was something else behind it, something that made every word he said seem more... personal. Like he truly cared about each person in the room. How could someone so perfect be real?

"No," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head slightly. "Don't get distracted by him."

Her turn came up quickly, and she stood up, feeling the nerves hit her all at once. Her hands were trembling as she gripped the straps of her bag tighter. She gave a quick glance at Ridwan, who was still listening intently, his focus on her now. Great. Don't mess this up, Amalia.

"Um, hi. I'm Amalia," she started, her voice coming out quieter than she intended. "I'm a first-year student, and, um, I wanted to join the club because... I think it'll be a good way to step out of my comfort zone. I like to observe, but I rarely ever participate in things. I want to change that."

She could feel her face flush, and she quickly sat back down, trying to hide behind her hair. Ridwan nodded at her, his expression thoughtful.

"Thank you, Amalia. I appreciate that," he said, his voice calm but warm. "It's important to challenge ourselves sometimes, even when it feels uncomfortable."

Amalia felt her heart skip a beat. Why is he being so nice? she thought, feeling her cheeks burning even more. She couldn't believe how easy it was to get lost in his gaze. Ridwan's presence was magnetic, and she hated that she noticed it. But there was nothing she could do about it now.

The rest of the interview went by in a blur. Amalia couldn't focus on anyone else, not with Ridwan sitting there, making comments and asking questions. She did her best to not think about how every time he looked at her, her stomach would flutter like a thousand butterflies. She had to get it together.

At the end of the day, after everyone had spoken, the club members were told that the results would be shared in the WhatsApp group. Amalia walked out of the room, her mind racing with nerves. She'd been one of the quieter candidates, and she wasn't even sure why she'd joined in the first place. She needed a distraction, and joining a club seemed like a good one.

Later that evening, Amalia sat in her dorm room, scrolling through the WhatsApp messages. A notification popped up: Interview results for the University Leadership Club. Her hands shook as she clicked it.

The message listed the new members, followed by the departments they were assigned to. Amalia's name was on the list, which was a surprise, but what really made her freeze was the next part.

She had been assigned to the Welfare and Health Department, and her supervisor was none other than Ridwan.

"No," she whispered to herself, staring at the screen. "No, no, no. This is not happening."

Amalia sat back in her chair, her mind racing. She couldn't believe it. Out of everyone in the club, Ridwan was going to be her superior? She tried to ignore the wave of emotions flooding her. She had to remain professional. He was just another person in charge.

Just another person, she repeated in her mind.

Over the next few days, Amalia tried her best to convince herself that it didn't matter. She didn't need to feel anything for Ridwan. After all, he was just a guy, and she was just a girl in his department. It wasn't like anything was going to happen.

But deep down, she knew it was going to be difficult to ignore how her heart raced every time Ridwan smiled at her.