This afternoon, the sun shone unusually bright, as if it specifically directed its light to Bay and Amy, who were walking next to Phan. Not only that, but the whole road also seemed to be under some sort of spell. Everybody stopped whatever they were doing when they saw the pair.

Even the cleaning service workers couldn't take their eyes off them, shaking their heads and clicking their tongues. They were probably internally wondering how kids these days could have such an extraordinary presence at school.

This situation made Phan, who had known her two friends since high school, realize how blinding they were.

"You must get used to it, Phan," Bay smirked and lifted his flat eyebrows while combing his side-swept hair with his hand in a grand manner like a model of a shampoo commercial. Walking between Phan and Amy, it looked as if he was a crown prince leading his private harem. "Your friends are two of the most popular freshmen this year. Right, Amy?"

"I think you're still the most blinding one here, Bay," Amy lightly elbowed her childhood friend's arm. She was the smallest among the three, but also the cutest. When she smiled, her upturned eyes sparkled like a starry night.

For the rest of the walk, Phan positioned herself between Bay and Amy, forming a human staircase.

"This way, you guys will be less blinding and I'll be less invisible," she reasoned.

"But with two blinding lights on your sides, you might be getting blinded instead," Bay retorted.

Actually, Phan hadn't expected to reunite with her friends during the evening peak of Welcome Week. She hadn't even known that they went to the same university as her. While it certainly wasn't that surprising to see Bay as a Campus Ambassador, Phan still couldn't believe that Amy, who was usually shy, would also participate in the contest and make the boys swoon. Phan hadn't even known before that Amy could play the violin, which granted her the nickname "The Violin Goddess" after her solo performance during the talent show round.

Smiling sheepishly, Amy dismissed Phan's compliment on her violin play. "I wasn't that good," the petite girl said as she tucked some strands of her long, brown-dyed hair behind her ears, exposing a small blue butterfly earring. "I would've been better if I hadn't skipped my tutoring sessions when I was little."

"Don't say that. I think you were awesome," Phan said truthfully. Although she might know next to nothing about music or musical performance, as a part of a general audience, Phan could judge if a performance was enjoyable. After all, she hadn't been the only one giving Amy a standing ovation that night. "I'm just surprised you would take part in the contest."

"Yeah, me too," Bay chimed in, though with a teasing tone. "I wonder what—or who—could motivate Amy to become an Ambassador."

"Hmm, it must be Doctor Phuri, isn't it?"

Blushing, Amy was about to argue when her phone suddenly rang. Her face only turned redder when she saw the screen, and she quickly picked up the call.

Looking at her attitude, Phan and Bay shared a nod and muttered at the same time, "Speak of the devil!"

"Hello," Amy said to the person on the other side with a blooming smile on her small face. Her voice was usually sweet, but right now, it sounded more endearing. "Oh, yes, we've arrived at the front of the building... Ah, you don't need to pick us up... Yes, we can go there by ourselves... Okay... Yes, see you too."

"Ah, you don't need to pick us up..." Bay imitated Amy's voice once the latter hung up the phone.

Phan couldn't hold her laughter, while Amy blushed more profusely.

Amy's relationship with Phuri, nicknamed Phu, was also breaking news for Phan. She'd only known that Amy had been the upperclassman's secret admirer back in high school. But according to Bay, it turned out that both Amy and Phu had unknowingly had a crush on each other until the mutual confession a week before the evening peak. Later on, Phan had found out that Amy's violin performance was addressed to Phu.

"You should've been there when they confessed to each other," Bay said with a big grin, showing off his perfectly neat row of teeth. "Their first day of becoming a couple was full of sweet, nostalgic talks. I cringed a lot that it hurt!"

"Oh, how cute," Phan bumped Amy teasingly. "Sadly you didn't win the contest. If you'd won, your love story would've been like a fairy tale or those romantic web novels: 'the Campus Ambassador of the year is dating the previous Campus Ambassador.'"

Despite being unable to hide her bashful smile, Amy shook her head. "The seniors appointed me only because they thought I was smart enough to give convincing answers during the Q&A round. But the Ambassador from the Faculty of Law is much smarter than me. She deserves the Campus Ambassador title."

"Well, she did look and sound very knowledgeable," Phan nodded. Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "Eh, but if you didn't win, how could Bay become the Campus Ambassador?"

Phan turned to Bay. "Didn't you say Amy helped you prepare for the Q&A round?"

Bay smiled smugly, "Well, maybe I'm just that good."

Phan snorted. This friend of hers indeed had an unlimited amount of confidence. But that was just a part of his charms, apparently, at least according to other girls.

"If Amy were a guy, you would've been defeated by her," Phan blurted out jokingly.

Amy laughed delightfully at this remark. "Bay was doing it for someone too, you know," she said, seemingly taking the opportunity to take revenge on her childhood friend. "Now that he has become the Campus Ambassador, the person will of course start to notice him, right?"

"Really, Bay? Who is it?"

Unlike Amy, Bay didn't show any slight embarrassment. "You'll see. We're gonna meet that person soon."

*

The food court was across from the Faculty of Medicine building. When Phan, Amy, and Bay arrived at the place, they headed to the table reserved by Phu and his two friends, Might and Chan. The three of them were known as the Golden Trio of the Faculty of Medicine, inspired by the protagonists of the Harry Potter series.

"Amy, I've ordered your favorites," Phu said with a broad, gentle smile directed only to Amy. He was supposed to be the Harry Potter of the group, but it was easy for Phan to point out the differences. Not only was Phu always an ace student, but he was also the tallest among the trio.

"Oh, aren't you a gentleman, Phu?" Might teased. Rather than Ron Weasley, Phan's first impression of Might was of a joker. With big, rounded eyes that gave off a mischievous, child-like aura, nobody would've guessed that he was a Faculty of Medicine student. "I almost forget you're the same person as that high school boy who only dared to watch your crush from afar."

Hearing this, Amy immediately looked down to hide her embarrassment.

Meanwhile, with a proud smile, Phu replied, "Well, at the time I wasn't confident enough. I'm glad I can meet Amy again at university."

"Yeah, yeah. Now that you've ever got the title of the Campus Ambassador, you feel like you own the world, huh?" Chan remarked.

Despite her mature and gentle demeanor, Chan turned out to be rather outspoken. According to Amy, it was her noteworthy intelligence that had granted her the nickname of Hermione Granger. Unlike the rest of them, Chan hadn't gone to the same high school. She was Phu's former neighbor and classmate from primary school.

"The best thing about being the Campus Ambassador is getting the person you like to notice you," Bay chimed in, his charming smile directed at Chan.

Right at the moment, Phan realized that her friend had been staring at the older girl nonstop, complete with a meaningful smile on his face, though Chan didn't seem to notice it.

Phan lightly elbowed Bay and confirmed her guess with her eyes, to which Bay replied with a smug smile and raised eyebrows. Phan shook her head in admiration and disbelief—mostly because she'd never seen Bay have a crush on anyone—before giving the guy a supportive nod and two thumbs up.

Amy stifled her chuckle as she witnessed the silent conversation.

However, it turned out that Amy wasn't the only one noticing the interaction.

"Hey, what are you two doing there?" Might called out before pointing at Phan with his chin. "You, what's your name again?"

Phan was startled. Trying to use a normal tone and show a casual smile, she eventually replied, "It's Phan."

Had it been last year, she wouldn't have been able to respond normally, but thankfully, she'd gotten used to this kind of situation, thanks to her practice during the last few months of high school.

"Right, Phan. You said you were Amy and Bay's classmate back in high school?"

"I was in a different class."

"Really? But why can't I remember seeing you anywhere at school back then?"

For some reason, Phan felt her heart beat faster. She had a hunch about the direction of the conversation, but she didn't want to react hastily. According to her practice, it might be better to maintain a smile without saying anything.

"Oh, I remember!" Might suddenly exclaimed. "You were Faye's friend, right? You always followed her around, didn't you?"

From the corner of her eyes, Phan noticed that Bay and Amy exchanged looks at the mention of the name. Sensing the subtle worry in their expressions, Phan tried to show her friends that she could handle the situation.

"Yes," she nodded, surprised by the nonchalance in her voice.

Might seemed to be about to say something when Chan suddenly stopped him.

"Hey, what are you doing? Are you interviewing her for a gossip magazine or what?" she asked in a tone sounding like a scolding, which honestly didn't match her gentle voice. Nonetheless, the interruption gave Phan a little time to discreetly let out a sigh.

"Can't I?" Might said in a challenging tone. This friend of Phu undoubtedly had a hobby of debating others, but it surprisingly could become a good distraction sometimes. "I'm just asking her because I don't remember seeing her hanging out with Amy and Bay back in high school."

"And why does it even concern you? Maybe you just didn't pay much attention," Phu chimed in.

Phan was certain that Amy wouldn't have told Phu about what had happened to her in high school—it wasn't like he needed to know. But even with that troubling possibility, Phan was grateful that Phu, though perhaps inadvertently, had stood up for his girlfriend's friend.

"No, that can't be," Might argued. "Because you had a crush on Amy, my radar kept noticing whenever she and Bay were around, you know? I should've remembered at least a single occasion when Phan was with them."

His following rebuttal was enough to silence Phu and make him blush instead.

"We became closer in grade twelve," Bay suddenly spoke up with a friendly, casual smile that Phan hadn't yet mastered. Being a smooth talker as he was, Bay was seemingly trying to steer the conversation away from her, and Phan genuinely appreciated it.

"See? You're not the All-Knowing," Chan chided again, still with her gentle voice. "Don't tell me you actually like Phan?"

"Oh, no way," Might shook his head. "If I liked someone, it should be a Campus Ambassador, like Ploy!"

"You should stop making jokes like that about Ploy," Phu said, his tone giving off an aura of a mature, independent, and wise person. "If she heard it, she would give you a lesson for sure."

"Eh, Ploy isn't coming?" Amy asked.

When Phan caught Amy glanced at her with a small smile, Phan knew that Amy, just like Bay, tried to distract the Golden Trio from talking about her. Phan smiled back appreciatively at her.

"Oh, she sent me a message earlier," Chan explained. "She said her class is postponed, so she can't join us for lunch."

"Why has she become so diligent lately?" Might wondered aloud.

"I think that's good for Ploy," Phu commented, his tone still sounding like an older brother talking about his younger sister—or a father talking about his daughter. "Surviving in the Faculty of Architecture requires a lot of hard work. Right, Bay?"

"That's correct," Bay replied. "But in my case, you don't need to worry. I'm always serious in what I'm doing."

Catching a particular tone in Bay's voice, Phan looked at him, only to find that the guy was smiling quite broadly, his eyes never leaving Chan. When Phan turned to the older girl, she noticed everyone also did the same thing, obviously comprehending Bay's intention.

Chan, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice the gesture. She didn't even look at Bay as she took a sip of her drink.

"What the hell? Don't tell me I'm gonna be the only single person in this group!" Might exclaimed all of a sudden while shaking his head, startling everyone. Phan couldn't tell, though, whether the guy was frustrated by the possibility of being the only single person or by Chan's unawareness of Bay's overt gestures.

"What are you shouting for?" Chan asked in confusion.

"Chan, my child, you are a big girl now," Might said in a tone used by old people in movies and dramas, though obviously exaggerated. "Soon you will find someone who loves you. Father cannot take care of you anymore."

"What are you talking about?"

Might only shook his head and sighed loudly while the others tried to stifle a laugh. Phan thought Bay must be happy that neither Phu nor Might showed disagreement with his approaching Chan.

Since the conversation wasn't about her anymore, Phan almost let her guard down, but that was when Might suddenly turned to her and asked, "Phan, don't tell me you've got a boyfriend too?"

Phan almost lost her control. It seemed that being a new face in the group aroused Might's interest so much. Trying to laugh as naturally as possible, Phan replied, "Don't worry. I'm single too."

"You too?" Might put on a fake melancholic expression and let out an exaggerated sigh. "Shall we go out, then?"

Phan hadn't anticipated this one. Nobody had ever asked her out before. But Phan quickly realized Might must be joking, so it would be best to go with the flow.

"Are you serious, Might?" she asked jokingly. In an attempt to avoid further discussion on the matter, she immediately added, "That actually could be a good idea, but I'm sorry. I'm currently not interested in having a relationship."

"Oh, aren't you cold, Phan?" Might snorted. Then, sighing exaggeratedly again, he said, "If Ploy were here, I would ask her out for real."

*

Right at the moment, a guy walked past the group. Just like the time with Amy and Bay earlier, every pair of eyes followed the guy's every movement. Girls were lost in their thoughts while some guys secretly stole a glance. If it'd been a scene from a drama, Phan thought, there would've been rose petals and sparkles everywhere.

"Here it is, another campus celebrity," Might announced the guy's arrival.

Even before Might did it, everyone at the table had already been aware of the guy's presence. Walking casually, the guy, who was only slightly shorter than Phu and Bay, carried two textbooks in his hands. His sharp facial features made him look like the type of person that would bury his face in stacks of books all day and night, but his kind expression and manners suggested otherwise.

"Hey, Art!" Might left his seat and called the guy.

If someone hadn't known better, they would've thought Might was about to bully the guy. But Phan supposed the guy was pretty familiar with Might's normal way of speaking, as he didn't seem too surprised by Might's loud voice.

"Hello, Might, Chan, Phu. Oh, Bay and Amy are here too," Art greeted with a polite smile, seemingly familiar with everyone. Even when Art undoubtedly didn't know Phan, he was kind enough to acknowledge her presence. "And you are..."

"I am Phan."

"Oh, I see. Nice to meet you," Art nodded and gave Phan a friendly smile before turning back to Might. "Do you need anything from me?"

"Yes, of course," Might replied before putting his arm on Art's shoulders. Pointing at the books in Art's hands, he asked, "Where are you going with those books?"

Art subconsciously followed Might's gaze. "Oh, I've just borrowed them from the library earlier," he explained. "I'm going to use them for my assignment."

"Ugh, why is everyone so diligent these days?" Might groaned.

Art laughed. "Do I have a choice? I want to become a doctor."

"Do you hear that, Might? Aren't you here to become a doctor too? You should learn from him," Chan chided. If Phu were the father of the group, Chan would unarguably be the mother. Turning to Art, she asked in a friendly tone, "So, are you going home, Art?"

"I'm going to have lunch first."

"Then you should join us!" Might exclaimed. Looking directly at Art, he added, "I have something important to ask you."

After pushing the confused Art to sit next to Chan, Might sat next to Bay. With a serious tone, he asked, "Tell me, Art. Do you have a girlfriend?"

Although Phan was relieved that Might stopped being curious about her, she still felt sorry for Art. Who would've opened a conversation with such questions? However, it turned out that Art was more experienced in handling such situations. Phan should learn from him.

"Why are you asking me that question all of a sudden?" Art asked back calmly.

"C'mon, just answer me. This is for a research purpose."

"What kind of research is that?" Art laughed, noticeably trying to evade the question. He still ended up answering it, though, probably because he also knew Might was only playing around.

But the answer wasn't something anyone would've initially guessed.

"I don't have a girlfriend. I'm single."

Phan noticed that everyone at the table, including her, turned to Art at the same time. The guy seemed aware of it, though he didn't show it on his face.

Squinting his eyes, Might asked, "Really?" clearly not believing the answer.

"Yes," Art nodded convincingly.

"Oh, I thought someone tall, handsome, smart, diligent, and friendly like you would have a girlfriend, Art," Chan commented. "You've got a lot of fans, you know. Even in my class."

As Chan was saying this, Phan felt a shift on her left side. Turning to Bay, she noticed that he was staring at Art with a completely different expression from the one he'd directed to Chan.

"No," Art shook his head. "I really don't have a girlfriend."

Finally convinced by Art's answer, Might crossed his fingers in front of his mouth and put on a stoic face. "That makes four of us," he said.

"Four?" Art asked.

Might nodded. "Yes," he said in a contemplative tone. "You and I are both single. And I think Ploy is also single."

"You mean Ploy, the previous Campus Ambassador?"

"You're right," Might replied. "Ploy is our friend from high school. Normally everyone expected that she would've gone out with Phu, especially since both of them were last year's Campus Ambassadors. But Phu's got someone he's liked since high school right there. They just haven't announced it publicly."

Might gestured at Amy, who tried to hide her embarrassment. Meanwhile, Phu only shook his head, though his sheepish smile couldn't conceal his true feelings.

"I guess you really shouldn't assume things, huh?" Art nodded in understanding. "Then, who is the fourth person?"

Hearing the question, Phan suddenly felt hundreds of butterflies filling her stomach. Sure enough, Might once again turned the focus of the talk to her. Pointing his chin at Phan, he said, "Phan. She said she isn't interested in having a relationship."

"Wait, Might," Chan interrupted. "Why did you say there are only four? I'm single too."

In that moment, Chan's image looked like an angel in Phan's mind.

Might sighed audibly. "I've told you before," he said slowly as if he was explaining to a little kid. "You will soon find someone who loves you with all his heart, my dear child."

"What are you talking about?"

Ignoring Chan, Might said contemplatively, "Hmm, if Ploy is single, then I can be with her."

It was an obvious joke, but Phan hoped it would continue so that Might would stop talking about her.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of Might's rambling.

"Hey, Phan. What about you? Art is single too. Are you still not interested?"

This time, Phan couldn't hide her bewilderment. Flustered, she tried to look for an appropriate response—that hopefully would put the conversation to an end—when Art suddenly asked with a curious expression, "Why aren't you interested in having a relationship, Phan?"

Trying her best to act normal and show a casual smile, Phan quickly blurted out the first thing in her head, "Oh, it's just not my priority at the moment."

Phan thought it should be enough for an answer, but apparently, not everyone thought so.

Unexpectedly, it was Phu who raised the first question.

"But, Phan. What if someone suddenly starts approaching you?" he asked.

"Huh? I've never even thought of it as a possibility," Phan laughingly replied, trying to maintain her smile. "Maybe I should just tell that person from the start that I'm not interested."

"But what if that person keeps hitting on you?" now it was Chan.

"Hmm, I'm not sure about that," Phan replied after a while, struggling to keep herself—expression, gestures, heartbeat—under control. "Should I just wait until that person gives up?"

The next question, surprisingly, came from Bay. "But what if you end up falling for that person?"

Phan almost lost control until she realized that Bay's eyes were locked on Chan, who was still oblivious to his intention. Phan immediately seized the opportunity. "Oh, is this still about me, Bay?"

"Yes, guys, is this still about Phan? I thought you said we shouldn't interrogate her like journalists from some gossip magazine." Might complained.

"At least our questions are more reasonable," Chan argued.

"And mine were not?" Might debated.

When he turned to Art, Phan thought she was finally safe. But Might was unpredictable.

"Hey, Art. Why don't you try hitting on Phan?"

Phan turned to Might in disbelief, and so did the others, including Chan and Phu, who should've gotten used to Might's antics.

"What does it have anything to do with me?" Phan made an effort not to sound exasperated, but she doubted her voice cooperated.

"Hey, don't joke around. Do you think you can simply hit on girls without consent?" Chan chided, granting Phan's gratitude. Bay, however, was dumbfounded.

"You should ask Phan first if she's okay with it," Chan continued with a grin. Now it was Phan's turn to be baffled while Bay smiled triumphantly.

"That's right. Phan's consent is the most important," Art agreed. Phan wondered if it was possible to be disappointed with a person you'd just met.

But perhaps Art was only going with the flow, just like her. Maybe she should do the same.

"Seriously, Art? Do you really want to make me fall for you?" Phan jokingly asked.

Art laughed back at her.

Unfortunately, Phan's words only encouraged Might. "You're not scared, are you, Phan?" he teased, winking at her. "Are you worried you're gonna fall for Art?"

"I don't think that would happen," Phan shook her head, still trying to act normal despite her inner mess.

"Should we prove it, Phan?" Art suggested, hopefully as a joke.

Phan laughed.

"Bring it on."

*

Phan silently let out a long sigh. She'd thought she was ready for a university life full of social activities, but a single Might unexpectedly could drain her entire social energy at a single lunchtime.

"I knew it," Amy turned to Phan, smiling. "You haven't changed at all."

"You always sigh after meeting many people, especially those you're not familiar with," Bay clarified. He and Amy were always able to understand each other as if they shared a mind, and Phan was still amazed by it.

"Wow, I don't know you guys are so perceptive."

No, Phan knew. Ever since the three of them had become close in their senior year of high school, Amy and Bay had always been there for Phan. They'd always accompanied her, talked to her, and involved her in various activities. She knew they were concerned for her.

"Of course, we're your friends," Amy said with her gentle, angelic smile, the kind that made anyone feel at ease.

"Yeah," Bay added. "It's good you've opened up. You look more cheerful and approachable. I like this version of Phan too."

Phan smiled. Although she'd never expressed it out loud, Phan was always grateful for her friends.

"I just thought that I should learn to socialize more," she replied, as casually as possible, to show that she could handle her issues. "It's good to meet new people, right?"

"That's right," Amy nodded, her expression showing genuine happiness. "I'm surprised you could even handle Might. We were worried you wouldn't be able to take it, you know."

Phan laughed. Recalling the scene, she could only remember her struggle to hide her nervousness, maintain a casual attitude, and keep participating in the conversation. Her mind was messy, overloaded with thoughts, calculations, and silent screams of her social brain cells compelled to work in extremities. Now she wasn't sure if she'd handled it well.

She didn't want her friends to know what went through her mind, though. "Actually, I was just going with the flow. I thought since Might was only joking, I shouldn't take his words seriously."

"But it's Might we're talking about," Bay laughed. "He won't stop teasing you and Art from now on."

Honestly, Phan hadn't thought about that. Although Might's antics had been well-known since high school, it was the first time Phan had interacted with him. When she'd gone along with his jokes, it'd only been for the sake of participation and avoiding awkwardness due to her lack of social knowledge.

"Well, as long as Art doesn't take it seriously either, it's fine," Phan reassured—herself more than her friends. "It's just a joke, anyway."

"Hey, Phan," Bay called after they crossed the road, his eyes still looking ahead. Phan remembered some girls had once talked about Bay's side-view. At the time, Phan had only giggled because she was used to looking at Bay's face, but now, Phan thought the girls were right. Bay was gifted with the perfect face.

Turning his head to Phan, Bay asked, "When you said you're not interested in a relationship, were you being serious?"

Phan could guess where this conversation would go, but she couldn't ignore or dismiss Bay's questions. Moreover, she knew he and Amy always treated her with her best interest in mind.

"Um," Phan nodded—maybe almost too quickly—while showing her best smile. But she knew the short answer wouldn't stop her friends from asking further.

"What's the reason, Phan?" Amy asked. Seeing her eyes that were full of worry, Phan knew her friend had seen through her act.

Phan still tried to maintain her smile. "Haven't I said it earlier?" she replied. "It's just not my priority at the moment. I'm not even good at socializing. How can I have a relationship?"

"So, it's not because of..."

Bay trailed off, but Phan could easily guess the rest of his words. He and Amy must have sensed it when that particular name was mentioned. They must have figured out the connection.

"Well, it may have something to do with that," she admitted, "But don't worry. Maybe after I'm used to interacting with people, I can get a boyfriend and be all lovey-dovey like Amy and Phu."

That last sentence was only intended to distract her friends, but it surprisingly worked. Amy's face turned scarlet, and Bay laughed at her.

However, this time Amy didn't give in without a struggle. With a fake annoyed face—because she'd never mind being teased with Phu, Amy threw a counterattack at Phan. "Don't blame me if your first boyfriend turns out to be Art."

As expected from Amy, she couldn't come up with anything evil. Her words sounded more like a well-intent wish—though one unlikely to come true—than a threat.

"Do you really think that's possible?" Phan laughed.

"Who knows, Phan?" Bay said. "But you better get a boyfriend soon. I won't be able to spend much time with you after I go out with Chan."

"You should work on making her notice you first, Bay," Phan blurted out, drawing a laugh from Amy. Since it was Amy, even her uncontrollable laughter still looked elegant, with her sparkling eyes squinting and her delicate hand covering her mouth.

"Soon, soon," Bay crossed his arms while giving a confident nod. "I know my strategy."

"What is it? Tagging along with Amy every time she goes to the Faculty of Medicine building?"

"How do you know?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

They shared a laugh. If it'd been last year, Phan might've never dreamed of experiencing a moment of friendship like this. If it'd been last year, she might've never even dreamed of having friends like Amy and Bay.

"Phan," Amy said afterward, her heart-shaped face showing a tender expression. "Although you can't fully trust people, you can always talk to us."

Bay smiled and nodded.

Before, Phan couldn't have trusted anyone. Right now, perhaps Amy and Bay were the only people she trusted the most in the whole world.

"Thank you."

***