Pretend like you hate me
Chapter 13 - You Don’t Get It (1.5k)
The university library was unusually busy for a Wednesday afternoon. Rows of students sat quietly behind laptops and towering stacks of books, interrupted only by the occasional turning of a page or the soft tapping of keyboards. Y/N had claimed one of the tables near the back almost half an hour ago. Professor Lee’s project was spread out in front of her.
Highlighters.
Sticky notes.
Printed articles.
And an untouched document that had been staring back at her for the last ten minutes.
She sighed.
“I hate group projects.” she thought.
“You know…”
A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.
“…I’m starting to think you’re following me.”
Y/N looked up.
Anton stood beside the table, backpack slung over one shoulder.
A smile immediately spread across her face.
She leaned back in her chair.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
She crossed her arms.
“Are you stalking me?”
Anton looked around the library before gesturing toward the rows of occupied tables.
“Or…maybe we’re just both spending way too much time on campus.”
“That sounds significantly less entertaining.”
“I thought so too.”
Without another word, he placed his backpack on the chair beside her and sat down.
No awkward questions.
No hesitation.
Just another afternoon between classes.
Y/N watched him pull out his laptop. “You’ve gotten awfully comfortable.”
Anton glanced up. “You didn’t tell me to leave.”
“I was considering it.”
“Were you?”
“No.”
“I figured.”
She rolled her eyes, trying not to smile.
“You sound very confident.”
“I’ve been right so far.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Anton opened his notebook.
“You working on Professor Lee’s assignment?”
Y/N groaned. “Please don’t remind me.”
“…That bad?”
“I’ve been looking at the same paragraph for fifteen minutes.”
“I noticed.”
She pointed a pen at him. “See?”
“That’s exactly why people think you’re annoying.”
Anton smiled. “And yet you still let me sit here.”
“I never said I had a choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
Y/N looked at him for a second before shaking her head with a quiet laugh.
“…You’re impossible.”
“So I’ve been told.”
The quiet rhythm of the library returned. Anton focused on his notes while Y/N reluctantly opened the article she had been avoiding for the past twenty minutes.
“So…” Anton looked up from his laptop.
“How much of the project have you actually done?”
Y/N clicked through a few tabs. “…I made a title.”
He stared at her. “A title.”
“And a document.”
“…That’s impressive.”
“I know.”
“You’ve really been making the most of your afternoon.”
She pointed at him with her pen.
“I was mentally preparing.”
“For?”
“Having to work with Jay.”
Anton laughed quietly. “You’re determined not to like him.”
“I never said that.”
“You’ve implied it.”
“I just think…”
She searched for the right words. “…our personalities don’t match.”
Before Anton could answer, someone stopped beside their table.
“Hey.”
Y/N looked up.
“Oh.”
“Hi, Jay.”
Jay smiled warmly. “Sorry I’m late.”
He held up two takeaway cups.
“The line at the café was ridiculous.”
Without another word, he placed one of them in front of Y/N.
“I got you a coffee.”
Y/N looked down at the cup before forcing a polite smile. “You didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to.”
She nodded. “…Thanks.”
Jay pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. “I hope I got your order right.”
Y/N glanced at the label on the cup.
Caramel Macchiato.
“…It’s fine.” She gently moved the drink beside her laptop.
Anton looked at the cup for a brief second.
Then at the iced latte already sitting next to Y/N’s notebook.
…No.
That wasn’t right.
He frowned ever so slightly.
But he didn’t say anything.
Jay had already opened his notebook.
“So…”
“I was thinking we could divide the presentation into three sections.”
Y/N nodded. “That makes sense.”
“And maybe we could meet again tomorrow?”
She smiled politely. “I’ll have to check my schedule first.”
“No problem. We’ll figure something out.” Jay said.
Anton quietly returned his attention to his laptop. From where he was sitting, Jay seemed perfectly nice.
Friendly.
Prepared.
Maybe a little enthusiastic.
Nothing more.
Yet every now and then, he caught Y/N staring at the untouched coffee beside her laptop. She never took a single sip.
Anton quietly returned to his own notes, only catching bits and pieces of what they were saying.
“So…” Jay said after writing something down.
“You always study here?”
“Most of the time.”
“I’ve seen you around a few times.”
Y/N looked up briefly. “Really?”
He nodded.
“I just never had a reason to come over.”
She gave him a polite smile. “Well… now you do.”
Jay smiled back.
“I guess I do.”
A few moments later, he looked at the untouched coffee.
“You haven’t tried it.”
“Oh.” Y/N glanced at the cup.
“I’ve just been busy.”
“You should before it gets cold.”
She picked it up out of courtesy, taking a small sip. “…Thanks.”
Jay smiled, clearly satisfied.
“I’ll remember your order next time.”
“There doesn’t have to be a next time.” The words slipped out before Y/N could soften them.
A brief silence followed.
She cleared her throat. “I mean…”
“You really don’t have to keep buying me coffee.”
Jay chuckled. “I don’t mind.”
“I know…But you don’t have to.”
He smiled anyway.
“Maybe I’ll surprise you with the right one next time.”
Y/N forced another small smile. “We’ll see.”
After another half hour, they packed up their things. “I’ll text you about our next meeting,” Jay said.
“Sounds good.”
“See you, Y/N.”
He nodded politely toward Anton. “Nice meeting you.”
“You too.”
Jay walked away, disappearing between the bookshelves. Silence settled over the table again. Anton watched him go before closing his laptop. “…He seems nice.”
Y/N let out a quiet sigh. “Mhm.”
“I mean…”
“He even brought you coffee.”
She looked at him. “He brought the wrong coffee.”
Anton blinked. “…Right.”
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“I guess that’s true.”
Y/N shook her head. “See?”
“You don’t get it either.”
Anton frowned. “…What am I not getting?”
She looked down at the untouched caramel macchiato for a moment before slipping it into the nearby recycling bin.
“Exactly.” With that, she picked up her backpack.
“Come on.”
“We’re going to be late.”
Anton stayed seated for a second, watching her walk toward the library exit.
He still didn’t understand what had upset her so much.
From where he was sitting…
Jay had seemed perfectly nice.
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