Across the Hall

They say every hallway in university holds a story.

Some are whispered over coffee.
Some are buried under sleepless nights and midterm breakdowns.
And some? They unfold quietly
like a misstep in a shared elevator or a reviewer left behind in a café.

Aurelia Santillan wasn't looking for distractions. She had anatomy to memorize, highlighters to color-code, and enough caffeine in her bloodstream to fuel an entire ER. Mabait siya, oo. Maarte minsan, lalo na sa kape. But she had her life planned out, and nowhere in that plan was a brooding law student with expensive shoes and eyes that looked like he knew all your secrets.

Caelum Rivera didn't believe in chance encounters. He believed in winning arguments, staying three steps ahead, and keeping his guard up especially around girls like her.

But the universe doesn't always ask for permission.

And sometimes, all it takes is one hallway to change everything.