Mia and her new friend Rayna were cooking dinner in the spacious dorm kitchen, the air filled with the savory aroma of sizzling meat and herbs. Large windows let in the soft evening light, while the table was piled high with vegetables, assorted sauces, and kitchenware.
The girls laughed, jumping from topic to topic: from favorite movies to funny high school stories. Though they’d only met yesterday, an easy, casual friendship had already blossomed between them.
“Hey, I’ve been wanting to ask you something,” Rayna said, hesitating a little. “Though I’m not sure if it’s even appropriate… Can I?”
“Go ahead,” Mia shrugged. “I’ll answer if I can.”
“How did you decide to come study all the way out here? From what I’ve heard, things are… well, a bit different where you’re from. It seems like you guys stick closer to family, to home…”
Rayna wasn’t entirely off the mark. The country Mia was born in had always been known for its insularity; very few people ever left. It was a small, almost closed-off community where everyone knew everyone else and lived by long-established rules. And while there was something comforting in that, it could also feel like a trap.
“I don’t mean to offend you or your people!” Rayna quickly added, waving her hands in front of her face. “I’m just… curious, that’s all.”
“I’ve heard that kind of thing before,” Mia said with a smile, trying to ease the tension. “It’s simple: I don’t vibe with those rules. I don’t want to live by someone else’s script—study where they tell me to, then marry whoever the family approves of. That’s not me. I value my freedom.”
“Wow!” Rayna exclaimed, clearly impressed. “I don’t think I could do that.”
At that moment, a stranger walked into the room. Mia and Rayna instinctively exchanged a glance. He was definitely a foreigner too; it was evident in his appearance, his gaze, his posture. But he wasn’t from the same country as Mia. Quite the opposite—he came from a place her people had long-standing tensions with.
Back in the day, disputes had flared between their countries, sometimes intense but never too deep. Now, things had quieted down, replaced by a subtle wariness. The memory of those disagreements hadn’t vanished; it had just become less obvious, hidden behind polite smiles and cautious looks.
The stranger gave the girls a brief, indifferent glance, put on his headphones, and without a word, headed to the kitchen table. He plopped down on a high stool, turning his back to them. It was unexpected, even a bit bold.
“Uh…” Rayna commented quietly on the situation.
“Hmm?” Mia looked at her, puzzled. “Do you know him?”
“First time seeing him,” Rayna replied, closely watching Mia’s reaction. “I just… didn’t think they’d put you guys in the same dorm. Bad idea.”
“Why?” Mia asked, genuine confusion in her voice. “I figure he’ll just sit there quietly like a good boy. He doesn’t really have a choice.”
“Yeah, right,” Rayna said skeptically, her face twisting in doubt. “What if he starts messing with you? Or, like, kidnaps you or something?”
“What, here in the dorm?” Mia raised an eyebrow, giving her friend a skeptical look.
“Who knows, anything could happen. I’ve heard stories about them.”
“Relax,” Mia said softly, a faint smile on her lips. “And don’t let your imagination run wild. I don’t think he’s actually gonna bother me. He looks chill.”
“Well, if you say so,” Rayna muttered, casting another suspicious glance at the guy.
“Hey, didn’t you grab the seasoning?” Mia asked, scanning the table.
“Nope. What, you think salt won’t be enough?”
“I think so. We need to bring out the flavor of the meat. It’ll add some…”
“Alright, alright, I’ll get it,” Rayna interrupted with a grin. “Just tell me which one.”
“There’s a blue box on my desk with little jars of spices in it,” Mia started to explain. “Look for number four; the jars should have labels.”
“Got it,” Rayna nodded and quickly headed for the door.
Mia went back to chopping vegetables, trying to focus on the rhythmic motion of the knife. But the guy’s presence behind her felt like a weight pressing down. His silence almost seemed deliberate, like he was intentionally ignoring them, showing off some kind of superiority. Mia pressed her lips together.
“Why’s he acting so cocky?” she thought, irritation bubbling up in her chest.
Her mind started to spiral.
“Is he really like what people say about them?”
In her country, stereotypes about people from his nation were common: they were supposedly overly blunt, a bit impulsive, and not always predictable.
“But that’s just rumors, right?”
She forced herself to push those thoughts aside. Still, her imagination kept painting anxious scenarios.
“What if Rayna’s right? What if he actually is dangerous?”
Mia stole a glance over her shoulder. The guy was sitting there, scrolling through something on his phone, seemingly oblivious to them. But his calm felt staged, like he was waiting for a reaction.
She turned back to her task, trying not to think about him. But within a few seconds, she heard footsteps behind her.
“Forget something?” she asked, turning around—and froze.
Standing right in front of her was the stranger. He took a step forward, too close, invading her personal space. His hands braced against the table on either side of her, effectively trapping her in place.
His eyes, dark and piercing, lingered on her a moment longer than necessary. Then he gave a faint smile—not friendly, but with a playful, mocking edge.
“And what makes you think I won’t mess with you?” he said tauntingly, looking straight into her eyes.