If love was a science, Evan Rivera was failing it spectacularly.
The sky outside the university's planetarium was already fading into a deep purple, the kind that makes the stars look like freckles on the face of the universe. Evan wasn't normally the type to attend lectures outside his department—especially not on a Thursday night—but desperate times called for desperate astrophysics.
Clutching the neatly folded flyer like it held the secrets of life itself, Evan glanced at the title again:
"Dark Matter and You: A Love Story"
Guest Lecture by Professor Holt & Students Noel Chandra + Min-Hee Park
Room 209, Astroscience Hall – 7:15 PM
He scoffed. "Should be Dark Matter and Me: A Tragedy."
His reflection in the glass door to Astroscience Hall gave him a once-over: hair still damp from swim practice, blue jacket zipped halfway, and an expression somewhere between hope and horror.
"Okay," he told himself, "you're going to be cool. You'll walk in, sit near him, and—if fate is feeling spicy—maybe even compliment his constellation notebook."
That stupid constellation notebook. Evan had seen it all four years, covered in glittery stars like it belonged to a middle-school witch instead of a star-brained genius. Somehow it made him even more attractive.
He took a breath, pushed open the door—
—and immediately collided with a rolling projector cart.
The sound echoed like a cosmic event: metal against tile, Evan's "Oof!" hitting the hallway, and the dull clatter of science equipment scattering like meteorites.
A voice behind him groaned. "Are you okay?"
Evan scrambled to his feet, cheeks on fire. "Totally. Just exploring gravity in a practical way."
He looked up—and froze.
Noel Chandra was standing over him. Tall, slightly disheveled, and dressed in an oversized navy sweater with tiny white rings that Evan belatedly realized were Saturns. He had the projector remote in one hand and a half-unwrapped protein bar in the other.
"I think it won," Noel said flatly, nodding toward the cart. "You sure you're okay?"
Evan's brain stalled. "Yeah! Yeah. I—uh. Just on my way to the lecture."
Noel arched a brow, and his voice stayed calm, neutral. "You're in Holt's class?"
"Nope."
A pause. "...Astro minor?"
"Nope."
"Then why—?"
"I like space," Evan blurted. "Big fan of, uh, spatial... things. Black holes. Big stuff."
Noel blinked slowly, then—miracle of miracles—smiled. It was barely there, a tiny curve of his lips, but Evan felt like he'd just discovered a new planet.
"Well," Noel said, stepping aside, "then come in. I'll save you a seat."
And with that, he turned and walked into the lecture hall like he hadn't just knocked the breath out of Evan with five words.
Evan stared after him, heart jackhammering against his ribs.
Seat saved. For him. By Noel Chandra.
He stood frozen for a second, then pumped his fist and whispered, "Yes!" before walking in and promptly tripping over the cart again.