Chapter 4: Uncharted Territory
It had been a few days since that tutorial, but Jasmine hadn’t exactly left my mind.
After that surprisingly easy conversation in class, I didn’t expect to see her again so soon.
But when I walked into the seminar room for our next session, there she was—same seat near the back, same chill look. Hoodie, messy bun, one leg folded under the other like she belonged there.
She glanced up. Our eyes met for a second. Then she looked back at her phone, acting like nothing happened.
Mr. Lim clapped to get everyone’s attention.
“Alright, pair work again today—you’re free to choose your own partners.”
The room buzzed as people started turning to their friends.
I headed straight to the back. “Hey,” I said, standing beside her. “You taken?”
She looked up, deadpan. “In what way?”
I blinked. “Uh—partner. For the assignment.”
She gave a small smirk. “Relax. Sit down.”
We got into it quickly—working through slides, bouncing comments back and forth. The way we worked together was surprisingly easy. Her humour was dry, a little sharp around the edges, but it made me laugh in ways I didn’t expect.
“You just typed ‘economic pooplicy’,” she said, holding in a laugh.
I stared at the screen in horror. “Oh come on.”
“That’s going in the final version,” she said, nodding solemnly.
I sighed. “You’re cruel.”
Time flew. The room started to thin out, and I caught her glancing at the clock.
“You free later to finish this?” I asked.
She leaned back. “Maybe. Why?”
“There’s a shared study room in your hall block, right? Quiet enough to get stuff done?”
Jasmine raised an eyebrow. “You trying to get invited over or just really passionate about slides?”
I shrugged, smiling. “A bit of both.”
She tilted her head, considering. “Alright. I usually go around ten, when it’s emptier.”
“I’ll swing by. Just text me if it’s too packed.”
She grabbed her bag. “Fine. But if it’s full and I have to sit next to some guy watching anime without earphones, I’m blaming you.”
“Deal,” I said, laughing.
As we left the seminar room together, I noticed how natural it felt. Like this wasn’t just about a group project anymore. There was something forming between us—quiet, unspoken, but definitely there.