Chapter Text
Chapter 1: The Encounter
"-ansa vosbein!" A gentle nudge jolted the girl awake.
"Milk pansa vosbein!" Her posture straightened in an instant.
The classroom fell silent, all eyes turning to the girl in question.
"How many times must I remind you not to doze off in my class?" The professor's voice grew stern as it reached the girl, now fully awake and sitting upright.
Surveying her disheveled appearance – collar undone, a hint of drool on her cheek, and doodles scattered across her notebook – the professor shook her head. "Your finals are in three months. Pull yourself together, Miss Vosbein, or your father will hear about this."
As if on cue, the school bell rang, signaling the end of the session. Students gathered their belongings and hurried to their next classes. Milk Pansa Vosbein, or Milk for short, slowly rose from her seat, realizing she had no intention of attending the day's remaining lessons. She turned to her friends.
"Fuck, guys. I can't do this today..." She sighed, frustration evident in her voice.
"What's wrong? You need to shit or something, whats with that face?" one friend asked, concern creasing their brow.
"No, what I need is a proper coffee break. I'm skipping the rest of today's classes. I'm just too exhausted from yesterday, Ohm." Milk explained.
As the two friends exited the lecture room together, their third companion, View, rushed out, bidding them farewell.
"Sorry, I really have to go to my next class. Catch you guys at the café later!" View exclaimed before disappearing down the hallway.
---
"The usual, please."
Milk turned back to Ohm to continue their conversation, only to pause when she noticed the employee at the counter wasn't familiar with her regular order.
"I'm sorry, I'm new here. Could you remind me what your usual is?" the girl asked politely.
Milk turned to face her, feeling a sudden flutter in her chest. She could feel herself getting tongue-tied, but thankfully Ohm stepped in smoothly.
As Ohm charmed his way through the order, Milk found herself still captivated by the cute girl behind the counter. She quickly shook off the distraction, knowing Ohm would tease her endlessly if he caught on.
Once settled at a table by the window, they discussed about school, View, and their upcoming finals.
"Dude, aren't you worried your dad might cut off your allowance if you fail your finals?" Ohm asked with a hint of concern.
"My dad? Nah, he's chill... My mom, on the other hand, maybe," Milk replied casually.
Ohm nodded in understanding. "Sounds complicated."
"Honestly, they seem headed for divorce. I'll probably choose to live with my dad—"
Before Milk could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a sudden cold sensation drenching her and her belongings, including her new phone and school bag.
"You bitch! Can't you do anything right?! Ugh, this is brand new!" Milk exclaimed in frustration, her annoyance evident.
As Ohm rushed to grab tissues to help clean up the mess, Milk's gaze met the distressed eyes of the girl who had accidentally spilled the drinks. The girl seemed oblivious to Milk's identity in her distress.
"Ugh!! Fine, just make sure my bag and everything inside are fixed by next week," Milk demanded before turning to Ohm. "Give her my number."
"Can I... give her mine instead?" Ohm hesitantly interjected.
"Ohm," Milk warned, her tone leaving no room for argument.
After a brief exchange of contacts, Milk made her exit from the café, purposefully bumping into the girl on her way out. Though the collision caused the girl to stumble, Milk barely glanced back, leaving Ohm to apologize on her behalf.
"Love, are you alright? Don't worry about this; you can take the rest of the day—" the café manager started before Milk interrupted sharply.
"Love? Is he your boyfriend or something? No wonder you got this job," she remarked dismissively before striding away, leaving Ohm trailing behind.