Three weeks into the semester Aria had a new problem.

She was getting used to him.

Not in a good way. Not in a "oh I like him now" way. Just in a "his coffee orders , he taps his pencil exactly three times before starting a new section and he always holds the door " kind of way.

Purely observational.

Not her fault.

It started small. She knew which side of the table he preferred. She knew he worked better with music off and window open.

She knew too much.

That was the problem.

Today they had their first official project review with Professor Singh.

Aria had been up preparing since six . Notes color coded, presentation clean and every possible question anticipated and answered.

She walked in ready.

Zayan walked in two minutes later looking like he'd rolled out of bed and directly into a magazine shoot.

Irritating.

Professor Singh looked at their draft for a long time without saying anything. Aria sat with nervousness. This was forty percent of her grade. This mattered more than almost everything.

Finally Professor Singh looked up.

"The east elevation is exceptional," she said. "Whose idea was the glass adjustment?"

Aria opened her mouth.

"Hers," Zayan said.

Just like that without any hesitation.

Professor Singh looked at Aria with something like renewed interest. "Good instinct. The whole section breathes because of it."

Aria nodded and said thank you. Looked back at her notes.

Didn't look at Zayan.

Couldn't.

Because if she looked at him right now she didn't know what her face would do and she wasn't ready to find out.

After the review they walked out into the corridor together. Priya was waiting outside like she'd been there the whole time which she probably had.

"How'd it go?" Priya asked.

"Fine," Aria said.

"She got credited for the east elevation," Zayan said.

Priya's eyes went wide. She looked at Aria then at Zayan. Then back at Aria with an expression that very clearly said "I told you so" without saying anything at all.

"I'm getting chai," Aria announced. "Anyone want chai."

"I'll come," Priya said immediately.

They walked to the machine. Priya waited exactly four seconds before grabbing Aria's arm.

"He credited you," she whispered. "In front of Professor Singh. He didn't have to do that."

"It was my correction. He was just being accurate."

"Aria."

"Priya."

"He LIKES you."

"He respects good architectural instinct. That's different."

Priya stared at her.

"You are the most stubborn person I have ever met in my entire life."

"Thank you," Aria said and took her chai.

She walked back toward the studio.

Zayan was still in the corridor, leaning against the wall, scrolling his phone. He looked up when she walked past.

She gave him a nod.

He gave her one back.

That was it, that was the whole interaction.

And yet Aria's brain spent the next two hours replaying it on loop like it was something significant.

It wasn't.

It was a nod.

People nodded at each other all the time.

It meant absolutely nothing.

" Right? "