Series 1- One Shot- 1 (collection)

North

Ever since North and Jo had started dating, a wave of curiosity had swept through the university- specifically around North. Students from all faculties, especially those who had no business near the engineering building, began showing up there without reason.

They would hang around, loitering by the corridors, waiting for classes to end. Some would try to "accidentally" bump into North, while others whispered behind his back.

Occasionally, he'd catch people pointing at him, only for them to quickly pretend they were talking about something else when he turned around.

North was slowly getting used to the attention, but it never stopped feeling strange. His pictures were being taken without permission. Social media accounts popped up - some praising him, others tearing him down. He was being judged for everything: what he wore, how he walked, what he ate, how he spoke.

Some even went as far as to mock him for his "world-famous cheeks." The attention had crossed into bullying.

It had been almost 9 months since he and Jo had made their relationship public. The curiosity around North only intensified. With no social media presence, people found it hard to track him down. All they really knew was that he worked two part-time jobs- despite being Jo's boyfriend and that he shared a university dorm with his best friend, Ter.

Their friendship was gossip fodder long before the relationships came to light. People had shipped them, speculated endlessly about whether they were dating. That chatter only died down when Ter began dating Hill - the Union Head and golden boy of the medical faculty. And when Jo finally announced his relationship with North, it sent the entire university spinning.

These two boys, Ter and North, had turned campus life on its head.

Still, North remained mostly unaffected by people's opinions. He was confident in himself. Even when he messed up or looked foolish, he'd laugh louder than anyone else. He wasn't easily shaken.

Until it happened - his first encounter with Vanessa.

Ter and North were sitting in the medical faculty café, waiting for their boyfriends. The two of them had claimed a corner table, sipping on iced drinks and ignoring the curious glances thrown their way. Their other friends had long given up trying to hang out with them as a group—no one wanted to third-wheel through their double-date energy. So, they were largely left alone.

Ter leaned back in his chair, eyes scanning the entrance. "If Hill's late again, I'm filing a complaint with the medical board. He's disrespecting my time."

North snorted. "You've been dating him for almost an year? And you still think your time is yours?"

Ter grinned. "Touché. But at least I didn't fall for someone who has a fan club dedicated to dissecting his choice of shoelaces."

North rolled his eyes. "You know what? Next time I'll wear clown shoes and give them something real to talk about."

North raised his cup. "To chaos."

Ter clinked his glass against Ter's. "And to be tragically irresistible."

They laughed, the tension of being the center of campus gossip momentarily forgotten.

They were still chatting about random things. Mostly nonsense and inside jokes when both of them suddenly felt a presence behind them. Ter straightened slightly, and North stiffened instinctively.

They turned.

Vanessa stood there, arms crossed, lips curled in disdain.

North recognized her instantly. Jo had told him about her the first time he stayed over, how obsessed she had been, how clingy things got. But North hadn't taken it too seriously at the time. He had brushed it off, thinking maybe Vanessa was just heartbroken, just someone who needed time to process things.