The university cafeteria buzzes with lunchtime activity as Rosa sits alone at her usual corner table, her muscular frame making the standard plastic chair look almost comically small. She's dressed in a fitted white blouse and black slacks that accentuate her impressive physique, her long black hair with auburn ends neatly braided down her back. Her square-rimmed glasses slide down her nose slightly as she focuses on the textbook in front of her, occasionally taking small bites from her protein-rich lunch. As she notices {{user}} approaching, she adjusts her glasses nervously, her brown eyes darting between him and her textbook. Her thick thighs shift under the table as she straightens her posture, trying to appear casual despite her rising anxiety. "Oh... hi," she says softly, already reaching for her backpack. "Let me guess - the calculus homework from Professor Martinez? Or maybe it's the chemistry lab report this time?" There's a hint of resignation in her voice as she continues. "I have my notes right here, just... just give me a second to find them." She starts fumbling through her bag, her muscular arms tensing as she moves. "You know, speaking of chemistry, I was watching this fascinating documentary last night about molecular gastronomy and how they use chemical reactions to create these amazing culinary experiences..." She catches herself starting to ramble and stops abruptly, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "Sorry, you probably don't care about that. Which assignment did you need help with?"

Her blush deepens as she glances back at him, uncertain how to take his comment. "Oh... well, it was just something I found interesting while channel-surfing. It's nothing special." She clears her throat and continues digging through her bag, making a point not to meet his gaze. "Here are the notes for the calculus assignment," she says quickly, sliding them across the table to him. "I also made extra time after class if you need help with anything."

Rosa looks at him warily, still not quite used to anyone being interested in her interests. "Um... well... it's just this show called 'Modernist Cuisine.' They use chemistry and physics principles to create dishes that are, like, works of art. There was one episode where they made a chocolate sphere the size of a basketball out of pure chocolate." She smiles shyly at him before continuing, "It even had its own garden inside it!"

It was actually incredibly intricate and required a lot of precision, but that's what I love about it. It shows how combining different fields can create something truly amazing. Plus, watching the scientists and chefs work together is just... inspiring in its own way. They make it look so easy on TV, though. In real life, it takes years of practice and training to achieve those results.

She smiles warmly at him, surprised by his words and finding herself wanting to encourage him. "You know, it's not just about being good at precision work. It takes a lot of dedication and perseverance, too. And even if you don't end up mastering it yourself, you can still appreciate the effort that goes into it." Her expression turns thoughtful as she continues, "Kind of like how you're good at sports... I mean, I've never understood them myself, but I can still acknowledge the skill and hard work required to excel in them. We all have our strengths, you know?"

Rosa hesitates for a moment before answering, thinking carefully about her response. "One of my strengths... I would say it's my determination. Even when things get tough, I don't give up easily. And as for my weakness..." She trails off, fiddling with her glasses nervously. "...I tend to overthink things and worry too much. It can hold me back sometimes, especially when I need to let loose and have fun."

After a brief pause, she asks him the same question: "And what about you? What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses?"

Listening to him speak about his weaknesses, she feels a sudden pang of sympathy. "I think it's admirable that you're there for others when they need it," she says softly. "And if you ever do need someone to lean on... I mean, you know where to find me." She offers him a small smile before continuing, "It takes courage to acknowledge your weaknesses and work on them, even if it's not always easy."

There's an awkward silence as she waits for him to respond. Maybe he doesn't want her help after all...

Her expression softens as she meets his gaze, a warm glow spreading through her chest. "You're welcome," she whispers, feeling an unexpected surge of connection with him in that moment. "I hope you know I'm always here for you too." There's another pause, longer this time, before she finally asks, hesitantly, "So... if it's not for schoolwork... why do you come around so much? You never really talk about your own interests or anything." She tilts her head slightly to the side, genuinely curious and hoping he'll open up to her a little more.

"I understand," she says softly, her voice full of empathy and sincerity. "It's not easy to trust people after going through something like that. But you can trust me, okay? I promise I won't hurt you or take advantage of your friendship." She reaches across the table, laying a reassuring hand on his forearm. "I may seem standoffish at times, but it's only because I want to protect myself from getting hurt again too. But with you... I just feel safe." There's a moment of awkward silence as she tries to find the right words before continuing, "You make me feel like I can be myself around you, and that's a rare thing for me."

Her heart swells with warmth at his words, and she can't help but feel a little giddy inside. "I'd really like that," she says softly, her voice trembling slightly with emotion. "If you ever want to talk or just... be around someone who understands... I mean, even if it's not all the time or anything..." She trails off, biting her lower lip nervously as she struggles to express herself.

After a moment of hesitation, she continues, more boldly this time: "I know we're just friends, and you probably only come around because of schoolwork and... other things. But if you ever want someone to talk to or... maybe even hang out with outside of here..." She pauses, taking a deep breath before looking up at him with hopeful eyes "...I would really like that."

She blushes deeply at the thought of spending time with him outside of their usual routine. "I... um... well, there's a new film coming out next week that I really want to see," she offers hesitantly. "It's about time travel and romance and has gotten rave reviews from critics. It might be something you'd enjoy?"

Her heart flutters wildly at the thought of going to his place. "I-I don't know... I mean, I have things to do... studying and such..." She trails off, feeling foolish for sounding like she's making excuses. "But if you want me to come over... I can make time." A tiny smile curls at the corners of her lips as she imagines spending time with him outside of their usual setting. The idea of being alone together fills her with nervous excitement.

She looks down at her hands, playing with a loose thread on her pant leg nervously. "I-I could find some time," she finally says, swallowing hard. "But only if you promise not to be mad or upset if I need to study for a bit." Her voice comes out as more of a whisper than she intended.

She takes a deep breath, steeling herself against the butterflies fluttering wildly in her stomach. "I'll call you once I get there," she says before grabbing her bag and quickly slipping away from the table, hoping he didn't notice the way her cheeks flushed with color as soon as she made the decision to go to his place.

Her heart pounds in her chest as she rushes back to her dorm room to quickly gather a change of clothes and some clean underwear, careful not to look too excited or nervous in front of anyone else who might happen to be around. She stuffs everything into her backpack before calling a cab, anxious energy humming through her body as she waits for it to arrive.

As soon as the driver pulls up outside of User#1730886162013's building, she hesitates for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady herself. With a shaky exhale, she gets out of the car and heads over to his door, knocking lightly before calling out his name through the intercom.

Her heart races as she waits for him to unlock the door, the anticipation making it almost impossible to think about anything else besides what they might do or

Smiling shyly, she steps inside and takes a deep breath, trying to calm the flurry of nerves fluttering through her stomach. "Thank you," she whispers, quickly looking around the living room before turning back to him. "Your place is really nice... You live here alone?" She tries not to let her curiosity show too strongly; after all, it's not polite to pry into someone's personal life like that. But his question earlier about coming over had caught her off guard and made her wonder if he was single or just didn't want anyone else around them right now.

Her cheeks flush with heat at the thought of spending time alone with him; she'd never been this close to someone who wasn't related to her before, and it both excites and terrifies her in equal measure.

His answer doesn't really surprise her, but it does make her feel a bit better knowing that he's not hiding anything from her. She smiles shyly and begins to unpack her backpack, carefully hanging up her clean clothes in his well-organized closet before setting her bag down on the floor beside them.

The room is quiet for a moment as she searches for something to say or do; her fingers drum nervously against her thigh as she tries to control the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. She could watch TV with him, maybe try and cook something... but those both seem so ordinary compared to what she'd really like to be doing right now.

Deciding that honesty is probably the best policy here, she turns back to face him, a hesitant smile playing on her lips. "There's... nothing I particularly need or want to do right now," she adm

Well... if it's not too much trouble, I was hoping we could spend some time together and maybe... just talk or something? She smiles nervously, wondering how he'll react to her honest request. Sometimes she forgets that he's a guy and underestimates his ability to understand the subtleties of her feelings.

Her heart skips a beat as she waits for him to respond; any reaction would be better than nothing at this point.

Smiling with relief, she perks up a bit. "Great! Well... I guess we could start by getting comfortable then." She makes her way over to the couch and sits down carefully, folding her legs underneath her. After a moment's hesitation, she pats the spot beside her, inviting him to sit as well. "So... what do you want to talk about? Or should we just see where the conversation takes us?" Her voice is soft and hesitant, betraying her nervousness despite her best efforts. She can feel the weight of his gaze on her now, making it hard to concentrate on anything but him.

As he sits down beside her, their shoulders brush against each other ever so slightly; a thrill runs through her at the contact, and she tries not to let it show in any obvious way. She clears her throat, suddenly aware of how close

Her heart skips a beat as his voice vibrates against her ear. She tries not to react too strongly, knowing that even the slightest hint of interest could be misinterpreted. "I'm sorry," she says quickly, pulling back slightly. "I didn't mean to... I was just thinking aloud, you know? Nothing important." Her cheeks flush with color as she looks down at her hands, twisting a loose thread on her sweater.

The silence that follows is heavy and awkward; it feels like every breath she takes echoes loudly through the room. It's clear that they're both uncomfortable now, but Rosa can't help feeling grateful for this opportunity to spend time with him, even if it doesn't go exactly as planned.

She takes a deep breath, mustering up her courage before speaking again. "So... what about you? Is there anything you want to talk