Chapter 12: Milane X Donovan : First Encounter

As the car glided through the city lights, Milane found herself lost in memories, gazing at the breathtaking night sky.

She reminisced about the night destiny brought her face-to-face with Donovan. It was a clear, starlit evening much like this one. She had just finished a late shift at her part-time job, where an unfortunate accident had kept her there longer than expected. In a rush to beat the looming curfew, she hurried back to her dormitory, heart pounding with the urgency to be indoors before the gates closed.

In her haste, fate intervened, and she collided with Donovan, who was also racing back to his dormitory. The force of the impact sent them both tumbling to the ground.

As Milane felt the sting of scraped palms, Donovan sprang into action, his concern evident in his anxious inquiry about her well-being. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes searching hers with genuine care.

Looking down at her wounded wrist, Milane mustered a brave smile. "It's alright. I was rushing too, and I wasn't watching where I was going."

Their hearts raced, not just from the fall nor the beautiful chemistry often seen in romantic movies, but from the realization that they were both running late. Milane was determined to sprint towards her dormitory, but Donovan gently held her hand, stopping her in her tracks.

"Wait," he urged, his voice soft yet resolute. "It's too late now, the gate is closed. And you're hurt. Let's tend to your wounds first."

Milane squinted her eyes to catch a glimpse of the dormitory gate. To her dismay, it had just been closed, leaving her stranded outside. A troubled murmur escaped her lips, "The gate closed, where can I possibly stay for the night?"

Unexpectedly, a voice chimed in, breaking the silence like a gentle breeze on a stormy night. Donovan, with a warm smile, stepped forward and offered a solution. "I know of a bookstore nearby that stays open 24 hours," he said, his eyes meeting hers with genuine concern. "I was planning to head there for the night. They even have cozy resting pods for customers like us."

A glimmer of relief illuminated Milane's eyes as she flashed a grateful smile. "That sounds perfect! I'll happily follow you there."

As they strolled towards the 24-hour bookstore, their conversation flowed effortlessly, like a well-written romcom script.

"I'm Donovan, a final year student in Computer Engineering," he introduced himself, beaming with a playful charm that was hard to resist.

Milane replied with a hint of shyness, "Erm, I'm Milane, a freshman in Business Admin."

"Well, nice 'bumping' into you here, Milane," Donovan quipped, chuckling at his own pun.

Milane couldn't help but smile awkwardly.

Quick to recognize his lame joke, Donovan's face turned red. He swiftly changed the topic to ease the tension. "So, what brought you back so late today?" he asked curiously.

"I part-timed at the pancake shop nearby, and something came up unexpectedly, so I ended up being late," she explained.

"Oh, IHOPs? I'm a regular there! But I've never seen you," Donovan exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

"That's because I work the night shift," Milane confessed, her voice softening. "It's more relaxing with fewer customers at night, so it suits me well."

"Well, I was about to say I'd hop by during your shifts, but I guess it's better not to disturb your relaxing work time," he mused.

"No, it's okay, really. Please feel free to come by anytime,"Milane reassured him.

A mischievous grin played on Donovan's lips as he whispered, almost to himself, "Well, I'll find you after your work then."

"What? Did you say anything?" Milane inquired, trying to catch his words.

His ears reddened like ripe strawberries as he quickly denied, "N-nothing at all!"

They fell into an awkward silence, and Milane tried to break the ice. "How about you? Why were you late?" she inquired, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Me? I was stuck in the lab, working on my research thesis," Donovan confessed with a sheepish grin. "I got so engrossed that I lost track of time and ended up missing the curfew."

"You must be incredibly hardworking to be slaving away on your research till midnight!" Milane complimented.

Donovan waved her praise away with a modest chuckle. "Nah, I don't deserve such compliments," he replied.

Before Milane could respond politely, Donovan chimed in with a hint of embarrassment. "Actually… I dozed off in the lab. When I woke up, it was already 11.50pm," he admitted bashfully.

Milane couldn't help but laugh at his candid confession. As she caught a glimpse of Donovan's face turning an even deeper shade of red, she quickly stifled her laughter and tried to console him. "Well, you could have just crawled into your comfy bed in the dormitory, but you didn't. You're still hardworking in my eyes. That's dedication right there!"

"Thanks," Donovan chuckled, visibly relieved by her words.

Curiosity got the best of Milane, and she couldn't resist asking about his research. "What's your thesis about? That is, if it's not classified information," she inquired, genuinely interested.

Donovan's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he shared, "It's about Artificial Intelligence in medical sciences."

His passion for the topic was evident as he continued, "I hope to contribute to society with the AI project I'm working on. It has the potential to minimize patient wait times and increase the efficacy of drugs…."

Milane could see the fire of enthusiasm in his eyes. He spoke about his research with such fervor, and she admired his dedication to making a difference in the world.

Suddenly, the screech of brakes pulled Milane back from her memories.

Milane wondered where the young man who used to blush so easily had gone. Now, he didn't even back down when faced with Lucas' banter.

And his aspirations...

Clearly, much had changed since their breakup.

"Miss Shelders, we've reached your apartment," the chauffeur announced.

Milane turned to glance at Lucas, still fast asleep and clearly still feeling the effects of the alcohol. She couldn't help but shake her head at his drunken state.

With a small sigh, she expressed her gratitude to the chauffeur and stepped out of the car, feeling a mix of emotions swirling within her. As she looked up at her apartment building, she couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow has in store for her. Would Lucas remember all the awkward things he did or said during his drunken state? Or would he wake up oblivious to his antics?