Chapter 23: The Room We Return To
The sun had softened into a warm amber, stretching shadows across the stone benches where Noel and Alex sat, their backpacks tossed carelessly at their feet.
The courtyard had thinned out—most students either tucked inside buildings or drifting home.
The breeze smelled faintly of pine and dust, the kind that signaled the end of a long day.
Alex leaned back, legs sprawled, one hand behind his head. "Campus feels like a ghost town this hour."
Noel tapped his fingers on his water bottle. "It’s peaceful."
"You always say that when it’s quiet," Alex said with a grin, side-eying him. "You’re secretly an old man, aren’t you?"
"Maybe," Noel replied without missing a beat. "Old souls get tired of noise."
Alex laughed. "That’s why you like studying so much. It’s just an excuse to avoid people."
"Can’t argue with that," Noel said, smirking faintly. "But I’m not avoiding you, am I?"
"Touché." Alex sat up slightly, elbows on his knees. "You doing okay though? You’ve been a little... I don’t know, distant lately."
Noel blinked at him, surprised. "Really?"