Chapter 1

Chapter One: The First Encounter

It was Yui Smith's first day at Valley View University, and her heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and nervousness. She stepped off the college bus, adjusting her bag as she took in the sight of the surrounding campus. Students were streaming in through the main gate, and she joined the flow, moving toward the entrance with wide-eyed anticipation.

Just as she reached the main gate, Yui's foot slipped on the smooth pavement, and she felt herself tipping forward, unable to catch her balance. Her eyes widened as the ground rushed up to meet her, but before she could fall, a strong arm caught her, pulling her back to her feet. Startled, she looked up, her heart racing, and found herself face-to-face with a tall, strikingly handsome guy who seemed almost amused by her surprise.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his deep voice both calming and confident.

Yui's cheeks flushed. She straightened herself and managed to mumble, "Y-yes, thank you. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

He flashed a reassuring smile. "It's okay. Just be careful next time."

As she gathered herself to walk away, he suddenly stopped her. "Wait," he said, his gaze warm and curious. "Are you a freshman?"

Yui nodded, still flustered. "Yes, I am. My name's Yui Smith, and this is my first day."

"Nice to meet you, Yui. I'm Sam Roy, third-year. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask me," he replied with an easy smile that made her heartbeat quicken.

"Thank you, Sam," she said, smiling shyly. "Actually, I need to find the HR room to get my timetable."

He chuckled. "Then you'd better head that way," he said, pointing down the hallway. "And don't worry, everyone's nervous on their first day."

Yui nodded gratefully. "Thank you so much. I'll see you around!"

They exchanged a quick goodbye, and as Yui walked toward the HR room, she couldn't shake the image of Sam's smile or the feeling of his hand that had steadied her just moments ago. Meanwhile, Sam watched her disappear into the crowd, an amused smile lingering on his face as he turned and headed to his own class.

Yui took a deep breath as she headed down the hallway, clutching the small map she'd brought along to find her way. After a few minutes of navigating, she found the HR office, took another steadying breath, and walked in.

A friendly HR officer greeted her with a smile. "Good morning! First day, I take it?"

Yui nodded shyly, handing over her college ID as the officer asked for it. After confirming her details, he handed her a packet with her schedule, timetable, and other information about her courses and campus facilities.

"Here you go, Yui. Everything you need to get started. If you have any questions, just let me know."

"Thank you so much!" Yui said, feeling a bit more confident with each new piece of information. She took the packet, gave him a grateful smile, and left the HR room to find her first class.

The corridor was buzzing with students, but eventually, Yui found the classroom number listed on her timetable. She took a deep breath, knocked on the door, and entered as the professor looked up from his notes.

"Ah, you must be new. Come on in and introduce yourself to the class."

Yui's cheeks flushed slightly as she stood in front of her classmates, some of whom were watching her with curious smiles.

"Hi, everyone. My name is Yui Smith, and... well, it's my first day here." She smiled nervously but felt a bit of her tension ease as a few people smiled back.

The professor nodded. "Welcome, Yui. Please take a seat and settle in."

She glanced around, spotting an empty seat beside a friendly-looking girl with a bright smile. She made her way over, and the girl grinned as she sat down.

"Hi there! I'm Lily," she whispered. "That's a really nice name, by the way-Yui."

"Thanks, Lily!" Yui replied, feeling her nerves melt away. "It's great to meet you."

They shared a quick smile before the professor started the class, and Yui found herself feeling a little more at ease with each passing moment. With a new friend by her side and a warm welcome from the professor, she focused on the lesson, ready to dive into this new chapter of her life.

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