Rayii... POV

  From the elevator, I reached the ground floor and stepped outside the university hall tower. Turning toward the Auckland University campus, I moved closer to the entrance. As I arrived, the gates opened into a wide avenue framed by tall, leafy trees, their branches weaving a canopy of green above the bustling walkway. Students streamed past in clusters, their laughter and conversations echoing against the stately Victorian-era buildings, with stone facades and arched windows. The sight made me even more nervous, as if the grandeur of the place itself was watching me.

  I entered through Symonds Street, where the campus was alive with movement—students hurrying past, voices rising in different languages, the hum of a city wrapped around the university gates. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, suitcase rolling behind me, and made my way toward the International Office, the first stop for newcomers like me.

  Inside, the office was bright and welcoming, its walls lined with colour ful posters advertising student clubs, cultural events, and orientation activities. The room buzzed with energy. I saw faces from every corner of the world—Chinese, Korean, African, Brazilian—each carrying the same mixture of nerves and excitement that I felt.

  At the desk, a staff member called out, “Next!” I adjusted the strap on my shoulder, opened my bag, and carefully pulled out my documents. Handing them over, I said softly, “Here, please.”

  The staff checked my passport, visa, and offer letter with practiced efficiency. Then, with a warm smile, they slid a crisp student ID card across the desk. "Everything looks good," they said. "Tomorrow you’ll begin your classes. Make sure to check your timetable online tonight. Orientation will help you find your way around."

  I bowed slightly, murmuring, “Thank you,” and clutched the ID card as though it were a key to a new life. Turning toward the exit, I felt the weight of the moment settle in my chest

  Just then, a thought struck me: “Well, since I’ve already come all the way here, why not wander around a little? I should see the place, take in the sights—and send some photos home too.”

  I walked slowly, taking in everything around me. The path curved gently beneath my feet, lined with neat rows of trees whose leaves shimmered in the ocean breeze. I wandered past clusters of students—talking, laughing, clapping hands—sprawled across the grass, their voices rising and falling like a chorus of different languages. The air carried the faint scent of coffee drifting from the campus cafés, mingling with the sharper tang of fresh ink from the library’s open doors.

  Ahead, the clock tower stood tall, its stonework etched with history, casting long shadows across the courtyard. Modern glass buildings gleamed nearby, their reflections catching fragments of sky and city. I paused to watch the flow of bicycles weaving between pedestrians, the hum of traffic fading as the campus seemed to fold into its own rhythm.

  Every corner revealed something new: a tucked-away bench beneath flowering trees, a bridge arching over a stream, lecture halls buzzing with anticipation. The infrastructure felt alive—bridges, walkways, and staircases guiding me seamlessly from one world to another. And as I roamed, the campus became less a collection of buildings and more a living map of ambition, culture, and quiet discovery.

  I turned a corner and the campus shifted again. The old stone gave way to towers of glass, their surfaces gleaming like polished mirrors. Blue light shimmered across them, catching the sky and bending it into fractured reflections. Each pane seemed alive, changing with every step I took—sometimes a deep ocean hue, sometimes a pale wash of morning cloud.

  Walking closer, I could see students moving inside, their silhouettes softened by the tinted glass, like figures in a watercolor painting. The buildings rose with a quiet confidence, modern yet graceful, their edges sharp against the horizon. Sunlight spilled across the blue fa?ades, scattering into prisms that danced on the pavement.

  It felt as though the glass itself was breathing, holding the sky within its walls, inviting me to step into a place where the future was written in steel and light.

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  I was looking up at the building as I walked, when suddenly I stumbled. To steady myself, my legs moved forward on their own—and just then I collided with something solid. It was someone’s back. I finally regained my balance and looked up. The one I had bumped into was a student boy, standing with a group gathered in a circle.

  He looked at me and asked softly, “Are you okay?”

  “Wow! What a vibrant circle,” were the words that slipped out of my mouth before I even realized it. The moment I came to my senses, I saw their reactions—confused faces, glances exchanged, as if wondering what I meant.

  I quickly stepped back, bowing slightly. “I’m sorry… nothing… I didn’t mean anything. I’m sorry,” I stammered, and then I immediately ran off.

  My feet carried me fast toward the main gate of Auckland University. I kept glancing behind, half-afraid someone might be following. At last, I reached the university hall tower. I entered through the glass doors, where the staff at the counter greeted me with a smile. I returned the smile with a small bowed, then hurried to the elevator.

  On the eleventh floor, I stopped at my room—1101. From my jacket pocket, I pulled out my keys. With a soft click, the door opened. I stepped inside, dropped the bag from my shoulder, slipped off my shoes, and went straight to the bed. Spreading my arms wide across the sheets, my face pressed into the fabric, I let out a long breath. Relief washed over me.

  I lay on the bed, my arms spread wide, my face pressed into the sheets, when the thought suddenly struck me—oh my, why did I even say that? The words had slipped out without warning, as if my mind had spoken aloud before I could stop it. Wow, what a vibrant circle. I had meant to think it, not say it.

  But honestly, looking back, the words suited them perfectly. That group was unlike any I had ever seen—each one different, no two alike. Three girls stood there: one with light blue hair, another with pink, and the third with a fiery orange. Beside them were three boys: the one I had collided with had striking green hair, another held a coffee cup with gray hair falling over his forehead, and the third had a bold shade of purple. They were dazzling, a living palette of colors.

  Wait—there was one more. I remembered catching only a glimpse. He stood beside the orange-haired girl and the purple-haired boy. His hair was blonde, I think, and he wore headphones, lost in his own world. Whatever the details, the whole group had seemed impossibly cool, like something out of a dream.

  Why did I even say it out loud? I felt so embarrassed—ugh! My heart was pounding, and I was terrified the moment the words slipped out. The way they all looked at me… it was as if their eyes were saying, What the hell is she talking about?

  I guess it’s because of watching anime with Temang. In those shows, when one character blurts out something strange or too honest, the others always react with confusion, then anger. They glare, let out a sharp huh?, and demand, What are you trying to say? Are you looking for a fight? How could you say that to us, huh? Then they gang up on the poor character, bullying her until she shrinks away.

  That’s exactly what I anticipated when my words escaped. I was just one person—alone—and they were seven. Seven against me.

  Good thing I ran off. If I hadn’t, my new dream college life might have been ruined before it even began. Whatever. I should stop overthinking. All I can hope now is that they won’t end up in the same apartment building or lecture hall as me. Maybe this was the first and last time I’ll ever see them.

  I let out a small sigh, turning onto my back to face the ceiling. “Ah,” I whispered, “finally I am in my dream university.” The words felt warm in my chest. “I have to study hard now. I’m doing Business Administration—MBA—and I’ll make my parents proud.”

  Thinking all this, I giggled softly to myself, the sound echoing in the quiet of the room. Then, with a smile lingering on my lips, I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep.

  Author… POV

  They stood there, stunned—mouths half-open, unable to speak. No one knew why she had run off, or what she had meant. Confused, they looked at each other, searching for answers that weren’t there.

  The light-blue-haired girl tilted her head with a smile, gesturing with her hand. “What was that?”

  The orange-haired one shrugged. “I don’t know… but it was something we couldn’t understand.”

  “Yeah, exactly,” the gray-haired boy agreed.

  “She was so strange,” the pink-haired girl murmured, brushing her hair back over her shoulder.

  The green-haired boy frowned. “What do you think it was, Shimay?”

  Beside him, a blonde boy with headphones hadn’t been paying attention. The green-haired boy nudged him, and finally he looked up, sliding the headphones down to rest around his neck. “What??” he asked, confused.

  The purple-haired one groaned. “Bro, I told you—don’t listen to music when everyone’s here.” He gave Shimay a playful smack on the head.

  Shimay rubbed the spot, wincing. “I know, my bad… but seriously, what are you guys even talking about?”

  “Nothing, Shimay,” the pink-haired girl said brightly, tugging his arm along with the light-blue-haired girl. “Come on, let’s go inside. Let’s see our new dream university.”

  Smiles spread across the group. One by one, they agreed, walking forward together—towards their new world.

  . . .