“Panya, it doesn’t fit that way,”

    my dad pointed out as I tried to assemble the newly bought model—a very pricey one.

    Fortunately, dad was super supportive and understanding, so I did not feel too bad about the amount he paid for it.

    But seriously, what was I thinking? Ugh, I’m so tired. How late is it now?

    “Panya, it’s really late. Are you sure you’ll be okay to go to class tomorrow?” my mom asked, coming back into the living room after she had already gone to bed.

    I usually live alone in an apartment, but tonight was an emergency. I had come home so dad could help me buy the model, and he had agreed to help assemble it too.

    Back in his youth, Dad was a total rockstar guitar player—drop-dead gorgeous too. I still did not understand how he ended up with my mom.

    I mean, between you and me, mom’s even more scatterbrained than I am…

    Just kidding! Mom’s amazing, gentle, and kind-hearted. That was why Dad and I love her so much.

    “No big deal, honey. Panya’s grown up now. What’s there to worry about?”

    Dad said, always having my back. I raised an eyebrow knowingly at him, and he winked in return.

    “Oh sure, both of you gang up on me. I’m just all alone now.” Mom huffed before heading back to her room with a little pout. Dad followed after her to make it up right away.

    I smiled to myself, so used to their dynamic, and returned to working on the model in my hands.

    Alright then, now that I’m committed, I’m going to see this through to the end, even if it was already past midnight.

    “Ugh… where does this piece go?”

    I groaned, realizing putting this model together was not as easy as I had thought.

    No wonder Ziff was so mad.

Ziff’s talking...

    “I actually think Panya’s kind of cute.”

    I had heard Golf say that so many times already.

    After getting so frustrated that I had left her standing there yesterday—Panya, that was her name—

    who would not be mad? She destroyed a model I had spent days on. Plus, her blank, ditzy expression made me late to meet up with Business Department’s Belle, costing me both time and a date. Who would not be annoyed by that?

    And to top it off, she practically dragged me around like I owed her a debt or something. Was that not infuriating? I was not even the one at fault! Besides, it was not like I could not find plenty of other girls willing to volunteer for this research.

    “Hey! Isn’t that Panya?”

    One of my friends called out, pointing off to the side, so I turned to look in that direction.

    Sure enough, it was dull-as-ever Panya,

    lugging a bag full of boxes that looked like they would collapse at any moment. I straightened up and tilted my head, figuring she would come rushing over to grab onto my leg again. I braced myself, ready for impact.

    “Quit acting cool, Ziff. If you want to make up with her, just say so.”

    “I don’t care about her,” I replied, dismissing him, though I saw her getting closer.

    This time, I was prepared and confident I would not stumble or lose my balance from the frizzy-haired, plain girl’s inevitable attack.

    But she surprised me. Panya walked right past me, in a hurry, and placed her bag down gently before latching onto the leg of some other guy from our department!

    A burst of laughter erupted, leaving me gaping in disbelief.

    “Haha. Guess she skipped over you, Ziff, and went straight for the faculty moon, King!!”

    Unbelievable. How dare a plain girl like her ignore me like that!

    I fumed internally as I watched the two of them: her clutching some guy’s leg, while he looked shocked, not sure how to react.

    “Don’t leave me, please. You can do whatever you want to me, just don’t abandon me!”

    she cried, her wild hair and all, making everyone around us freeze in shock—except for my friends, who were now howling with laughter.

    “Um… who are you? Don’t do this.”

    “No! Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.”

    I could not stand watching this embarrassing spectacle any longer. I stood up, feeling an uncontrollable irritation, and stomped over to them, muttering curses under my breath.

    “Panya, are you seriously going to cling to the leg of every guy you see!?”

    Panya whipped around, eyes wide in surprise, which honestly looked a bit funny. But to my annoyance, I found myself thinking she looked cute.

    Cute... What the hell am I thinking!

    I shook my head hard, trying to clear away that thought.

    This girl, cute? I must be losing my mind because of her ridiculous behavior.

    “Oh!” she gasped, looking up to realize whose leg she was clinging to.

    Her mouth dropped open in shock, and she quickly released King’s leg... A friend I was acquainted.

    King looked down at her, sitting on the ground by his feet, and let out a laugh, clearly realizing what had happened.

    He reached out a hand to help Panya up, and she looked dazed, as if she could not quite process what was going on. I shot a glare at King, feeling an inexplicable annoyance I did not quite understand.

    I thought Panya would take King’s hand to get up.

    But I was wrong.

    No one else expected it either when she suddenly wrapped her arms around my leg instead.

    “Damn it!” I spat out, losing my patience.

    What’s wrong with this girl?

    “Ziff, don’t abandon me!” she shouted, and everyone turned to look at us in unison.

    This is a nightmare. There was no point in trying to explain anything now—everyone clearly thought I was about to dump her.

    It’s not like that. I’m just kicking her out of my research project, that’s all.

    “Ziff!”

    “Let go of me, Panya!” I snapped, irritation rising as her pink lips brushed against my knee in her desperate grip.

    I felt conflicted. I wanted to push her away, but I was not sure how. If I kicked her off, she might get hurt, but if I did not do anything, believe me… I would be the talk of the university for sure.

    I shot a glare at my friends, who were clutching their sides, laughing hysterically.

    Honestly, I would laugh too if I were not the one in this ridiculous situation.

    “Golf! Get her off me before I end up kicking her into orbit,” I muttered through gritted teeth, feeling another strange jolt as Panya’s soft frame clung to my leg.

    “Promise you won’t leave me, Ziff. I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…”

    Before I would lose my mind, King, who had been watching all of this with a laugh, knelt down and gently lifted Panya off the ground by her arms from behind.

    She looked even more shocked and turned to King, wide-eyed.

    “When Ziff’s mad, he’s scary… it’s probably best not to cling to his leg like that,” King said with a smile.

    I finally understood why this clueless girl was grabbing onto the wrong person. She was not wearing her glasses. Yesterday, she had those thick lenses on, but now they were gone,

    and her large, sparkling eyes were clearly visible...

    Wait… what am I thinking?

    “So… what are you doing here again?” I asked, keeping my voice cold when I noticed her staring at King without blinking. A small wave of irritation crept over me.

    She came here to see me, did she not? So why was she giving King such a sweet look?

    I felt a bit annoyed. I did not like being overlooked, regardless of who it was or how important they were to me. I always wanted to be the most important person to them.

    “Oh! Wait a sec—I managed to find the model I broke yesterday, and I even put it together for you.” Panya suddenly exclaimed, looking as if she had just remembered. She ran off and came back with the bag she brought, handing it over to me.

    “The model… from yesterday?” I repeated, surprised.

    The model she had broken was rare, expensive, and hard to find in Thailand. Only a dedicated collector would know where to get one, and there was only a handful of places that procured it. It was a Japanese robot model I had been obsessed with since childhood, not something you could just find anywhere.

    I thought in disbelief, but I took the box out of the bag.

    Panya watched me expectantly, breaking into a wide smile when I opened the lid. I was shocked—it was the exact same model, already assembled.

    One night? She managed to put this together in one night...

    “I asked my dad to help, and there’s also a motorcycle model in there too. The seller mentioned that people who collect robot models often want the motorcycle ones too. I wasn’t sure if you’d want it, but please accept it either way,”

    she said, bowing her head slightly, as I stood there, still not saying a word.

    Like I would admit I had been searching for that motorcycle model too—it would ruin my pride. She looked disappointed at my silence and let out a long sigh.

    "Alright… if you’re not going to forgive me, that’s fine. I’ll cancel the research proposal with you. No problem. Thanks anyway." She bowed her head and looked so defeated as she turned to leave.

    As she turned away, she said to King, who had been watching the whole scene with a smile.

    “Sorry, and thanks for your help as well.” Then, bending down, she picked something up from the ground.

    I looked closer and realized it was her glasses, now broken beyond repair. She had to have done something clumsy to damage them that badly.

    Serves her right… I thought to myself. But part of me felt a strange sympathy for her, which I could not quite understand.

    “Are you working with Ziff on a research project? I saw you yesterday at the research hall.” King asked, tilting his head, his finger still pointed at Panya.

    If it were any other girl, she would probably faint on the spot. Not only was King the heartthrob of the department, but he was also the university’s heartthrob, with plenty of admirers.

    “Yes…” she replied simply, making King smile even wider.

    “If Ziff kicks you out, you’re welcome to join my team. I’d be happy to have you…”

    “We’re leaving, plain girl!”

    I cut King off, grabbing Panya’s arm and pulling her away.

    King and I exchanged a brief look. There was something strange in his smile, and I did not like it one bit.

“Huh? So you’re letting me stay on the project?” Panya asked, wide-eyed with excitement. I turned my head away and cleared my throat, feeling oddly unsettled by her innocent gaze.

    What’s happening to me... damn it.

    “Unless you’d rather not,” I muttered, immediately regretting my tone.

    If she really decided to ditch me, King would probably roll out the red carpet for her to join his team.

    Like I would let that happen. I was practically the envy of the department, especially with King. No way I would settle for second place to that guy.

    “Thank goodness!”

    she shouted, and, to my surprise, threw herself into a tight hug around me. The onlookers silently gasped in shock at the scene.

    I clumsily held the model in my hands while staring at this messy-haired, tiny girl hugging me tightly. I had no idea what to feel

    —angry, sympathetic, and something else I could not quite explain. I was unsure about it myself

    “You’re the sweetest, Ziff! I love you so much!” she shouted again, causing the surrounding crowd to erupt in whispers.

    Ugh! Seriously.

    Could she stop throwing the word ’love’ around so easily? I knew it did not mean anything deep.

    She was just thrilled, that was all. This was so frustrating.

    Would I be terrible if I admitted I wanted to smack her head right now?

    This girl was impossible. I had no idea how to deal with her.

“I’m so glad. My dad was right; he always told me if you hugged someone’s leg while begging, it would work out in the end. Haha, I’m so happy.” She laughed, grinning brightly, making me lose any remaining will to scold her.

    “I used to watch my dad do it to make up with Mom when I was little. Who’d have thought it’d really work?”

    She kept smiling, her face glowing like there were flowers blooming behind her. That was probably why I could never stay mad at her for long.

    “Thanks, Ziff…”

    When we started working together on the research, her heart rate stayed around 82 beats per minute. She said she was feeling happy, but I did not understand why her heart rate was so steady.

    Strangely enough, her heart rate did not fluctuate at all, even when she was laughing or looking intense—it just stayed the same.

    But mine, on the other hand.

    My heartbeat seemed to go off rhythm every now and then. Good thing I was not the one being monitored; otherwise, I would not know what kind of expression I should make.

    “This strap’s too tight. It’s uncomfortable,” Panya complained, stretching her arm toward me.

    Her face showed she was genuinely uncomfortable and wanted to take it off, especially after hours of sitting together working on this project.

    “Give me your arm; I’ll loosen it,” I said, and she raised her arm even higher.

    Her arm was so fair it looked almost translucent, with soft, delicate skin, not to mention it was smooth. I did not think I would ever really looked at someone this closely before.

    I looked up at her face again and saw how adorable she was—actually beautiful, even with that clueless look and her messy hair. Her eyes were bright, her eyelashes long, her skin smooth, and her lips a natural red. Even without makeup, she looked fresher and purer than anyone I had ever met.

    It was as if she were a blank canvas I should not mar.

    “Hurry up. My arm’s going numb here,”

    she said, bringing me back to reality and making me realize I had been staring at her.

    “Uh… is something wrong?” she asked, blinking at me sleepily.

    “No. I was just surprised you’re not nervous at all. You’re surrounded by guys, you know. Aren’t you afraid?” I replied, feeling a bit annoyed.

    Usually, girls would get a bit flustered around me, but this plain girl, she was a mystery. Looking at her now, I would say she was an interesting research subject, right...

    “I’m used to it,” she replied simply, making me frown as I loosened the strap on her arm.

    “Used to it? What do you mean?”

    “My dad has lots of friends. You remind me of my uncles.”

    That remark hit me hard.

    My teammates all looked shocked.

    ‘Uncles,’ seriously?

    “At first, I thought you guys were scary, but now that I know you, you’re not that bad at all, hehe,” she laughed and started working on assembling the motorcycle model she had bought me.

    It irritated me to see her working so much faster than I had, completing it in half or even a third of the time it would have taken me...

    Shouldn’t guys be better at this kind of thing? I fumed internally, half tempted to snatch the model out of her hands and crush it.

    But I forced myself to stop focusing on her and instead focus on my own work. By the time I realized it, Panya’s soft black hair was brushing against my arm, and she was leaning against my chest without a care in the world.

    My friends shot glances in my direction, raising their brows.

    “Hey…” I whispered, feeling she was getting a bit too relaxed.

    But then she shifted and rested her head on my lap.

    My friends smirked and looked away to hide their amusement as I glared at them.

    “Did I make a mistake letting her work on this research with me?” I muttered, glancing at the digital readout on the heart rate monitor strapped to her arm.

    Something told me this project was going to give me headaches for a long time.

End Ziff’s talk…

    •

    After accidentally falling asleep, I woke up to find myself surrounded by darkness.

    I was still in the engineering’s field research hall, which was almost completely empty now. I had no idea what time it was, but judging by how dark it was, it must have been late.

    The person beside me was Ziff, who was busy working on some electrical circuit panel.

    He was meticulously threading wires through tiny connections and measuring electrical currents. I watched him in his intense concentration, completely oblivious to the fact that I had woken up and was quietly observing him.

    Hm… I had a pillow and blanket on me.

    I glanced over at Ziff again, wondering if he was the one who had put them there.

    I kept watching him for a while, but he did not seem to notice. Finally, I yawned and accidentally knocked over something nearby, causing a loud noise. That got his attention, and he turned to look at me.

    “When did you wake up?” he asked, catching me off guard and making me feel unexpectedly nervous.

    What is wrong with me…?

    “You’re unbelievable. No one could wake you up. Everyone else went home already, so here I am, stuck watching over you,” he said, tilting his head as he looked at me.

    I could not handle it—he looked far too handsome.

    “Oh… I see,” I replied, not really knowing what else to say.

    Ziff started gathering his things, and I helped him pack up. There were pillows and blankets around here too, so it seemed like this room was frequently used for naps. Once we finished, we headed out of the building together.

    On the way back to my apartment, we ran into one of my classmates. He looked a bit surprised to see me with a guy like Ziff.

    “Not heading back yet, Panya? We’re going to get some congee at the late-night spot—wanna come? We can work on the project together there too.”

    This friend, Paus, was gay and very good-looking. I had known him since high school, so we were close and often hung out together.

    “Sure… let’s grab something to eat. I’m starving.” I agreed and then turned to Ziff.

    “You can drop me off here—I’ll head out with my friend.”

    Ziff’s expression stayed neutral, and he shook his head slightly.

    “I’m hungry too. I’ll come along.”

    Before long, we were all seated at our usual spot, with a few others joining in.

    Ziff, however, was the only engineer in the bunch.

    Few of my friends kept eyeing him curiously. We ate and chatted about all sorts of things, and I made sure to look after Ziff, who sat beside me with a sulky expression.

    But the lively conversation came to a screeching halt when Ziff suddenly interjected with a look that could kill.

    “What? You once drank with a bunch of guys at the beach all night!?” he asked, looking like he would burn me alive if he could.

    “Uh…” I started to explain that it was an all-gay group, but he did not give me a chance.

    Instead, he launched into a scolding tirade.

    “Are you an idiot? Or is your brain just full of fluff? Aren’t you worried about your safety? You couldn’t even handle one guy, let alone a whole group. Seriously…!”

    He went on and on while I stood there speechless, not able to get a word in to clarify that it was actually a supervised camp with lots of people around.

    “Honestly, do you not worry about getting assaulted? All guys are wolves at heart. You absolute idiot, reckless beyond belief!”

    he barked, making me freeze in fear.

    “Um, excuse me, but who exactly are you to her? Are you and Panya something? Why are you scolding my friend this harshly?”

    my friend finally spoke up, annoyed after listening to him rant.

    “Yeah, she’s my girl!”