The boy, no, the man, I had seen earlier that morning. The one standing beside the car.

He was seated by the window, his head resting against the glass. His hood was still up, partially shadowing his face, but I could see just enough. Sunlight streamed in behind him, casting a soft golden halo around his head.

Goddamn.

He looked... breathtaking.

I didn’t understand how someone’s presence could affect me this much. It didn’t make sense, but I couldn’t look away. Everything about him drew me in, the stillness in the way he sat, the way his fingers moved across his phone. He wasn’t doing anything remarkable, and yet I was completely captivated.

I stood frozen, staring, until a sharp thwack landed on the back of my head. David had smacked me with his notebook.

“What?” I blinked out of my trance.

“Where were you lost?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Before I could answer, he grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the bench. We always chose the last row, and lucky for me, from there I had a clear view of him.

He was still texting someone, oblivious to everything else. Nora and David were chatting beside me, but I couldn’t stop watching him.

After a few minutes, two boys walked in and greeted him with easy smiles. Friends, probably.

“Why didn’t you come to the first class?” one asked.

It was the first time I saw him look up. He replied casually, “My car broke down, so I was late.”

God.

That voice.

Deep. Calm. Unbothered. Like nothing ever rushed him. Something about the way he spoke sent a shiver of quiet apprehension down my spine. I didn’t even know him, but every little detail I learned drew me in deeper.

His friends started talking easily, laughing, and nudging each other. And he just sat there silently.

All I could hear was him, even though he wasn’t speaking.

The next class began. The professor walked in holding the register.

“Roll call,” he announced, flipping it open.

Names were called one after the other. I wasn’t paying much attention, until I heard it.

“Rowan Carter.”

When he raised his hand.

I whispered it to myself, almost without realizing. “Rowan Carter…”

“What?” Nora whispered back, frowning.

I looked at her, cheeks burning. She didn’t miss it.

“Wait, why are you blushing?” she asked, nudging me.

I tried to play it cool, but a smile betrayed me.

“The beautiful thing I saw this morning... it was Rowan Carter.”

“What?!” she gasped, totally stunned. “You’re actually into a real person? What about that Comfort Note mystery person?”

“I don’t even know if that was a guy, girl, aunt, uncle... could’ve been a child. Could’ve been anyone. So…”

David looked up from his phone, now fully engaged. “What happened to all your book-boyfriend types? The brooding detective? The mysterious prince from page 123?”

“Shut up, you guys,” I groaned, half-laughing, half-dying inside.

Nora leaned closer, eyes gleaming. “Where is he?”

I pointed toward Rowan’s seat by the window. From where we sat, only part of his face was visible when he turned toward his friends. His hood still cast shadows.

“Hmm,” Nora said, squinting. “All I see is a little hair and some serious vibes.”

“I saw more than enough,” I murmured, heart racing.

“Let’s talk to him,” Nora whispered excitedly. “Let’s ask him out!”

“What? No!” I hissed. But David had already leaned in, smirking.

“I’m in. This is going to be fun.”

I froze. “Guys, no. It’s too soon! I don’t even know anything about him. How can we?”

David cut me off. “Aria, don’t think too much. That’s your problem.”

“Ugh, stop!” I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “Both of you. Please.”

But they didn’t stop.

For the rest of the class, they whispered like they were planning a secret mission to set me up with Rowan Carter. They were having the time of their lives.

I, on the other hand, was quietly panicking.

Because this wasn’t a fictional character or a fantasy I’d made up in my head.

This was real.

And for the first time in my life... I liked someone who existed outside the pages of my imagination.

My comfort note

Dear comfort note,

Maybe you’re tired of all my fictional stories, but today I have something real to share. It might sound a little filmy, but you know me too well. You know the kind of books I read and the kind of movies I watch, so obviously, I’m going to explain it like this.

Today, I saw someone. And not just anyone, someone who felt straight out of a dream. The moment I saw him, something in me shifted. I think I fell for him right there. I was instantly drawn to him in a way I can’t explain.

The crazy part? He’s in my class. He doesn’t talk much, stays in his world. He was giving off that tough guy from a novel energy, the kind who’s all sharp edges on the outside but secretly soft on the inside. Honestly,

he even had a bit of a mafia character vibe with the way he looked. But that’s okay. One day, I’ll make him talk. One day, I’ll make him mine.

You’re probably thinking this is just an obsession. And maybe it is. But I don’t really care whether it’s love or obsession or just a strong attraction. All I know is, I want him.

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