We said we were friends - You're Impossible

49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9rNnDohEE

Episode 2 — We Said We Were Friends

“You’re Impossible.”

The group chat exploded at 8:12 AM.

Kai:

Emergency.

Kai:

EMERGENCY.

Theo:

What happened???

Kai:

Rowan and Aiden got assigned the same project.

Vincent:

Oh that’s unfortunate.

Noel:

For the university or society?

Kai:

Both.

Aiden stared at his phone in horror while walking across campus.

There were exactly three people he never wanted to work with:

professors

arrogant film students

Rowan Mercer

And now fate had apparently developed a personal issue with him.

When Aiden entered the Fine Arts building, he immediately spotted Rowan leaning against the hallway wall outside the classroom.

Black hoodie. Hands in pockets. Looking irritated already.

As if sensing him, Rowan looked up.

Their eyes met.

Aiden instantly looked away.

Unfortunately, Rowan started walking toward him.

Great.

“Professor said we need to submit the concept draft by Friday,” Rowan said.

No greeting. No emotion. Classic Rowan.

Aiden adjusted his bag. “Cool. Do your part and I’ll do mine.”

“That’s not how group projects work.”

“That sounds like a personal opinion.”

Rowan stared at him for two full seconds.

“You always difficult in the morning?”

“You always built like a disappointed bodyguard?”

For the first time—

Rowan almost smiled.

Almost.

Then Kai suddenly appeared from nowhere holding iced coffee.

“Oh my god,” he whispered dramatically. “The tension is becoming academic.”

Aiden grabbed Kai by the hood instantly.

“Disappear.”

“Violence? In public?” Kai gasped.

Rowan took the coffee from Kai’s hand casually.

“Thanks.”

Kai blinked.

“…You scare me less today.”

“That’s temporary,” Rowan replied.

—

Later that afternoon, the entire group occupied their usual table in the university library.

Or more accurately: everyone except Rowan was pretending to study.

Theo was asleep on his open textbook.

Luca was taking pictures of him instead of waking him up.

Vincent and Noel were arguing quietly about whether emotional cheating counted as real cheating.

“It literally does,” Noel said.

Vincent pointed dramatically. “See? This is why nobody confesses things to psychology students.”

Meanwhile, Kai leaned across the table toward Aiden.

“So…” he whispered loudly, “how’s married life?”

Aiden didn’t even look up from his sketchbook.

“I could kill you and nobody here would testify.”

Elias sighed tiredly from beside Kai.

“That’s fair.”

Then the chair beside Aiden pulled back.

Everyone looked up immediately.

Rowan sat down.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

It was subtle. But obvious.

Even Theo woke up slightly.

Aiden frowned. “Why are you here?”

“We’re working.”

“In the library?”

“That’s usually what people do here.”

Kai nearly choked trying not to laugh.

Aiden glared at Rowan. “You’re annoying.”

“You’ve mentioned.”

“And yet you keep talking.”

“You keep responding.”

A dangerous silence followed.

Then—

A girl from another table approached nervously.

“Um… Rowan?”

Half the group looked interested immediately.

She smiled shyly. “The basketball team’s having a party Friday night. I wanted to ask if you’d maybe come with me?”

Kai’s eyes widened theatrically.

Theo sat up fully awake now.

Even Luca stopped scrolling.

Aiden looked down at his sketchbook instantly.

Not interested. Didn’t care. Absolutely not listening.

Rowan glanced at the girl politely.

Then answered calmly.

“I’m busy Friday.”

“Oh,” she said softly. “Okay.”

She left looking embarrassed.

Kai immediately leaned forward.

“YOU REJECTED HER?”

“I said I’m busy.”

“You reject people so gently it’s terrifying,” Vincent muttered.

Theo frowned slightly. “Wait… aren’t we all free Friday?”

The entire table went silent.

Slowly—

everyone looked at Rowan.

Rowan looked completely calm.

Aiden suddenly became very interested in turning pages in his sketchbook.

Kai’s mouth dropped open.

“No,” he whispered dramatically. “NO WAY.”

“Stop making that face,” Elias said immediately.

But Kai pointed at Rowan like he’d discovered government secrets.

“You’re skipping a party…”

Then he pointed at Aiden.

“…for the project.”

Aiden nearly inhaled his own pen.

“It’s not—”

“Interesting,” Noel interrupted softly.

“It’s literally a deadline,” Rowan said flatly.

Nobody believed him.

Especially not after Rowan looked at Aiden while saying it.

—

That evening, Aiden stayed late in the art studio alone.

Or he thought he was alone.

Music played softly from his headphones while he painted under dim yellow light.

Outside, rain tapped against the windows again.

His fingers were stained with charcoal when a voice suddenly spoke behind him.

“You forgot your charger.”

Aiden jumped violently.

Rowan stood near the doorway holding Aiden’s charger cable.

“…You stalk people now?” Aiden asked.

“You left it in the library.”

“Oh.”

Rowan walked over and placed it beside him.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Rowan looked at the unfinished canvas.

A messy painting of crowded silhouettes under city lights.

Lonely somehow.

“You made that?”

Aiden nodded carefully.

Rowan studied it quietly.

Then said:

“It’s good.”

Aiden blinked.

Because Rowan Mercer didn’t compliment people.

Ever.

“You don’t have to sound shocked,” Rowan said.

“I am shocked.”

“That obvious?”

“A little.”

For the first time that day—

Rowan smiled properly.

Small. Brief. Real.

And somehow that was worse than all their arguments combined.

Because Aiden suddenly understood why people fell for him so easily.

Which was a problem.

A very serious problem.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGto0oNbD9z

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