?FRENEMY? PONDPHUWIN FF

Zara stood frozen in front of the  seniors, her wide eyes darting between them nervously. Jack, the tallest among them, leaned forward slightly, a smirk playing on his lips as he eyed her.

"Can't you see your seniors are here?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement. "You just walked past without a greeting. That’s not very respectful, is it?"

Zara remained silent, gripping the straps of her bag tightly. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. She wanted to speak, but the words wouldn’t form.

Jack tilted his head, growing impatient. "Hey! Why are you standing like a statue? Didn’t you hear me?"

Zara’s lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. She hesitated, glancing behind her, desperately searching for Phuwin.

Joe, another senior sitting nearby, chuckled at her hesitation. "Who are you looking for?" he asked, resting his elbow on his knee. But still, Zara didn’t answer.

Jack let out an exasperated sigh. "Tsk. What’s your name, huh? I asked you a question!"

Finally, she tried to respond, her voice barely above a whisper. "Z-Zaa..."

Before she could finish, a firm grip wrapped around her wrist, pulling her away from the group.

"Aiii, donkey! What did I say, huh? Go to class, and here you are, busy making friends?"

Zara barely had time to process what was happening before Phuwin dragged her away, his grip firm but reassuring. Without sparing the seniors another glance, he threw a casual remark over his shoulder. "Oh, bro, my bad! We're running late—gotta go!"

The seniors blinked, caught off guard as the two disappeared from sight.

Jack ran a hand through his hair, still trying to make sense of what had just happened. "What the hell just happened? Did that guy just ignore us?"

Joe frowned, watching Phuwin and Zara retreat into the distance. "That was... weird. Aren't freshmen supposed to be scared of us?"

The fourth member of their group, Pond, who had been lounging against the bench with his legs crossed, finally sat up slightly, his expression unreadable.

"Interesting," he murmured.

Jack turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "What’s interesting?"

Pond leaned back against the bench, arms crossed over his chest. "That guy. He didn’t hesitate. No fear, no second thoughts—he just took her and left."

Joe scratched his chin, still looking thoughtful. "Yeah, usually when we call juniors over, they look like they’re about to pee their pants. But this dude? He just—boom—walked away like we were nothing."

Jack scoffed. "Tch. Who even is he?"

A slow smirk tugged at the corner of Pond’s lips. "We’ll find out soon. He’s not going anywhere."

With that, the seniors exchanged glances before heading to their classes, their curiosity about Phuwin now undeniably piqued.

Phuwin drops Zara off at her class and heads to his own. The first day of college had been eventful, and after introductions, he quickly befriends a boy named Joong. The two hit it off instantly, sharing jokes and stories between classes.

As soon as the lunch bell rings, Joong stretches and nudges Phuwin.
"Hey, Phuwin, you're coming to the cafeteria, right?" he asks, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Phuwin shakes his head slightly. "Yeah, but I need to pick up Zara first. You go ahead; I’ll catch up."

Joong grins. "Alright, I’ll save you a seat. Don’t take too long!" With that, he waves and heads off towards the cafeteria.

Phuwin makes his way to Zara’s class, leaning casually against the doorframe as he spots her gathering her things. "Oi, monkey, let’s go!" he calls out.

Zara brightens up instantly upon seeing him and rushes over, talking animatedly about her morning. "Phu, you won’t believe what happened in class! This one guy—he was so clueless, he kept calling the professor ‘sir’ even though she’s clearly a ‘ma’am’! The whole class was dying!"

Phuwin chuckles. "Sounds like a promising start to college life, huh?"

As they walk together, Phuwin glances at her. "Did you make any friends?"

Zara suddenly falls silent. Her cheerful chatter ceases, and she looks down at the ground, fiddling with the straps of her bag.

Phuwin sighs, gently wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. "Ara, you can’t keep shutting people out forever," he says softly. "You need to make friends, enjoy your life. You don’t have to force yourself, but at least try, hmm?"

Zara stays quiet for a moment before sighing dramatically. "Okay, okay, my old man. I’ll try, but no promises!"

Phuwin smirks, ruffling her hair. "Good girl!" Then, before she can react, he quickly darts away, laughing.

Zara gapes at him, then groans in frustration. "You girafffeee! Come back here!" she yells, chasing after him down the hallway.