Chapter 79: Hope.

They walked together toward the student housing blocks, Saoirse still tense beside him, she didn’t understand why this handsome customer from the restaurant would insist on walking her all the way to her own dorm.

Her steps were slightly uneven as she kept glancing sideways at him, she wanted him to turn back before someone noticed them together, but she couldn’t find the right words to push him away without sounding ungrateful or rude.

” I know. ”

Max suddenly said with a small smile on his face, as if he had already figured out what she was trying to say without her saying it, then he casually pointed behind them toward the campus side.

Where those girls from earlier were still seated near the glass building, a couple of them noticing him and waving again with easy smiles, making it clear he hadn’t followed her without any reason.

” I know people bully you, I accidentally discovered it by talking with them, so don’t worry about me. ”

Max turned slightly toward her as he said it, his tone calm and almost casual, like he was mentioning the weather instead of something serious, a small reassuring smile on his face to make it clear he wasn’t judging her or pitying her.

Max turned back forward after speaking, but Saoirse stopped walking for a second, her face going pale with shock, she didn’t know what to say, her thoughts racing faster than her words could form, she got worked up instantly yet the words stuck in her throat again, so instead she lowered her head and gripped the loose sleeves of her oversized hoodie tightly, twisting the fabric between her fingers.

” Chill, relax, I don’t take risks, I am here to help you out. ”

Max said it softly, not dismissing her fear but not feeding it either, his tone steady as they stepped through the entrance of the student housing complex, there were students everywhere moving between buildings, some carrying grocery bags, some smoking near the bike racks, laundry hanging from narrow balconies above.

Shared entrance doors with keypad panels beside them, and long rows of bicycles locked tightly together along the pavement, it wasn’t a luxury dorm but one of those practical student accommodations where rooms were small, kitchens were shared, and everyone lived on tight budgets.

If I got a dorm, this would’ve been my life.

The thought passed through his mind quietly as he looked around at the identical buildings and simple layout, the kind of place built for efficiency, not comfort.

” I… I don’t want you to get hurt. ”

Saoirse finally managed to say it, her voice low and uneven, like she had rehearsed those words before but never said them out loud, her fingers still gripping the sleeves of her hoodie tightly.

” Don’t worry, I like to be a hero in pretty people’s lives, it’s like a mission, completing it will give me a reward. ”

Max answered with a light smile, half joking, half serious, making it sound playful so she wouldn’t feel pressured, even though there was truth behind it, the system did give him missions related to beautiful girls.

While Saoirse wasn’t as bold or curvy as some of the other women in his life, she had her own quiet charm that stood out in a different way.

” T… They are in a gang, a local gang. ”

Saoirse lowered her voice instinctively as they stepped inside the building, the entrance door closing behind them with a heavy click after she typed the code into the keypad, the narrow hallway smelled faintly of detergent and old cooking oil.

Metal mailboxes lined one side of the wall while a notice board filled with printed room ads and study group posters covered the other, she didn’t know why or how she trusted this big guy walking beside her, but she felt safer with him there than alone in the corridor.

” Gang? Hmm, that’s interesting, do you know what the gang is called? ”

Max kept his tone casual, almost curious, as if she had just mentioned a student club, not reacting loudly, not drawing attention from the two students passing them on the stairs.

” I… know, they work as social workers, called Evo Angels. ”

Her voice dropped even lower when she said the name, like the walls themselves might hear it, and she started climbing the stairs instead of taking the small elevator at the end of the corridor, the stairwell narrow and painted in plain white, scuffed from years of shoes hitting the corners, fluorescent lights buzzing faintly overhead.

As they reached the third floor the hallway opened into a long corridor with identical wooden doors on both sides, each labeled with small number plates, a shared kitchen at the far end with a glass panel in the door, inside visible metal counters, mismatched chairs, and a fridge covered with magnets and sticky notes.

Saoirse slowed her steps slightly as they reached her section of the floor, the sound of someone washing dishes echoing faintly from the communal kitchen behind them.

” T… This is my room, you can go back now, I am safe from here. ”

She stopped in front of a plain wooden door with a small metal number plate above the handle and her name written neatly on a taped paper strip, the narrow corridor stretching both ways with identical doors.

She kept her hand on the handle but didn’t open it, her fingers tightening slightly as she avoided his eyes, clearly shy about inviting a boy inside, especially someone she barely knew outside of the restaurant.

A couple of girls from a nearby room had their door half open, pretending to talk while clearly watching them from inside, whispering softly, Saoirse noticed the attention too and her ears turned slightly red, making her even more hesitant to move or open the door.

” I understand, I will leave, here, this is my number, call me anytime you need. ”

Max pulled a small folded receipt from his pocket and quickly wrote his number down with a pen he kept in his jacket, then handed it to her without making a big deal out of it.

He wasn’t planning to stay in the hallway any longer, he had already seen which building and which floor she lived on and that was enough for him, anything else would only make her more nervous with those doors half open behind them.

He turned toward the stairwell, still wearing his helmet as he walked away, his steps making sounds against the concrete stairs, Saoirse felt like her heart wouldn’t be able to handle it if he suddenly turned back again, and of course he did exactly that out of habit, stopping midway, flipping his visor up slightly, and giving her a brief smile before waving her goodbye.

His silhouette disappeared down the stairwell, footsteps fading lower and lower, Saoirse stood there frozen for a second before quickly slipping inside her room and closing the door softly behind her, her face completely red, heartbeat uneven, and a smile slowly spreading across her lips without her even noticing it. She realized she couldn’t remember the last time she had smiled like this inside these walls.

Jesus… is this You answering my prayer?

Her eyes slowly lifted toward the small poster taped on her wall, a simple image of Jesus in a white robe with a gentle smile, the paper slightly curled at the edges from old tape, she stared at it for a few seconds longer than usual, and something warm moved inside her chest, her eyes filled quietly, not from sadness, but from relief, like maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t as alone as she thought she was.

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