LOVEmotion

mask & morning mayhem

Chapter One: The Mask and the Morning Mayhem

(Other POV)

Knock knock.

"Hiaaa... Hiaaa. I'm opening the door, so you better either be asleep or fully dressed!"

Click.

A sigh escaped his lips as he pushed open the door.
"She's seriously still sleeping?"

He paused, eyes softening as they landed on her peaceful face. A rare sight.

A gentle smile curved on his lips.

"So cute when you're not yelling or glaring. I miss when you used to be... you. Around us. Unfiltered. Alive."

He stepped closer, still staring at her, caught in the moment-
"WHAT THE-?!"

"AHHH!" Hia shot up like a rocket, startled. "Why are you SCREAMING into my eardrums!?"

"Screaming? Tch-I should've strangled you in your sleep!" he snapped.

"What the hell has you this angry in the morning?!"

He didn't answer. Instead, he launched a surprise tickle attack.

"NO-no! Wait-STOP! Stt-"
She laughed uncontrollably, trying to push him away.

He suddenly paused.
"Why is my videogame in your room? And my favorite hoodie on your body?!"

"Chill, bro! I borrowed them. For like... two days."
She rubbed her eyes. "I even tol-"

Her gaze shifted to the glowing red numbers on the clock.

Her eyes widened.
"WAIT-WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP!? It's 8:30?! I'M GONNA BE LATE-MY FIRST DAY!!"

She practically yeeted him out the door and slammed it in his face.

He blinked. "This girl... whatever. I hope she skips breakfast so I can eat her share."

(Hia's POV)

"No, no, no-I'm late! And of course, today's my freaking first day!"

She scrambled to the bathroom, muttering curses at her nightmare and her lazy alarm.

A speed-shower later, she yanked on her clothes and stared at her damp hair in the mirror.

"Ughhh, I hate using the dryer... my waves get mad at me."

She sighed, resigned to leaving her hair open.
"It's fine. Not like I'm trying to draw attention today."

She ran downstairs in a rush.

"MOM, I'M LEAVING!"

"Take the sandwich I wrapped on the dining table!" her mom yelled back from the kitchen.

"OKAYYY!"

She snatched it, bolted out the door, and sprinted down the sidewalk. Thankfully, the streets were quiet-it was peak office hour.

Phewww, she sighed, hopping onto the last bus just in time.

The crowd outside the college gate was massive-students buzzing like bees.

"Great," she muttered. "First thing in the morning and I already feel my social anxiety punching me in the chest."

"Excuse me, sorry, coming through-excuse me-"

She finally found her locker, leaned back against it, and exhaled the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"Good job, Hia. You did it."

She opened her locker, carefully tucked away the invisible mask she wore outside-the smile, the composure, the fake confidence-and started pulling out her books.

Ding-ding-ding.

"The bell? Already?!"
Her eyes widened.

"Crap-gotta run!"

She dashed through the hallway, already reciting her mental map of the college interior.
But fate, of course, had other plans.

BAM.

She crashed into someone-hard-and stumbled straight to the floor.

"Ow-OW, what the-"
Before she could recover, a hand grabbed her hair.

"What do you think you're doing, little lady?"
His voice was low, rough-almost amused-as he crouched in front of her like a predator sizing up its prey.

Hia winced, her scalp stinging from the sudden pull on her hair. Her heart pounded, but her face stayed unreadable-masked, both literally and emotionally.

He leaned in, trying to get a better look beneath her face covering.
"Oh? Hiding your face now, are we?"

"Cough, cough-"

She jerked up to her feet, ripping her hair from his grasp, her eyes narrowed into knives.

"And what the hell do you think you're doing?" she snapped. "Smoking on a college campus? What are you, twelve and desperate for attention?"

He blinked-surprised, maybe even entertained.

"Ohhh, so the little lady bites," he said with a smirk, taking a slow step closer. "Let's see what that face looks like when you're not running your mouth-"

He reached for her mask.

SLAP.

The sound cracked through the empty hallway like thunder.

He froze. Time did too.

Her voice came low, venom-laced.

"Don't ever try to touch me again."

And before the sting on his cheek registered, she was already gone-disappearing down the corridor like smoke.

He stood there, stunned.
Then he laughed. Once. Darkly.

"Well, well..."
His fingers brushed the burning side of his face.

"No one's ever had the guts to do that before."

He turned slowly, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"She must be a first-year."

Then came the grin-sharp, slow, wicked.

"Touch, you say? Just wait, little snowflake. Let's see how long you can keep pretending you're not melting."

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