It had been a month since I registered my proposal with White Pharma Inc., and not a word had come in return. Each day that passed made the silence heavier, and the small ember of hope I'd carried began to flicker. Maybe they weren't looking for old ideas. Maybe herbal medicine wasn't "innovative" enough in their eyes.
But it wasn't just about the venture for me. They were also offering personal research funding. If my idea was selected, I could move forward without depending on grants, scholarships, or anyone else. I could prove to the world—and to myself—that I was enough.
Still… hope fades when left unanswered too long.
Trying to distract myself, I signed up for a coding course online. Learning new software, especially those applied in medical research and data analysis, could be a useful tool someday. If nothing else, it kept my mind engaged and my heart from sinking further.
Another week passed with no word from White Pharma Inc. I stopped checking my email obsessively. I stopped glancing at my phone between lectures. I stopped imagining what I'd wear to a presentation or how I'd pitch my dream.
And then, life—being its usual chaotic self—threw a twist.
That morning, I was running late for my part-time shift. My bag slung over one shoulder, I was fumbling with my notes while hurrying through the university gates when I crashed into someone.
Papers flew. My bag thudded against the pavement.
"I'm so sorry—!" I began, not even looking up.
"It seems like your schedule is utterly full," came a voice I hadn't heard in a while—warm, teasing, and instantly familiar.
My head snapped up, eyes locking with a pair of deep brown ones I knew too well.
"Raavi?" I breathed, stunned.
"Hey… are you okay?" he asked, already crouching to help me gather my things.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, still blinking like I might be hallucinating.
"Can't I drop by and visit an old friend?" He raised a single brow as he stood and offered me his hand. "Besides, I had a little work here. Thought I'd check in on you. It's been years since we spent real time together."
"Raavi, I have a shift—"
He cut me off with a mock pout. "Kit… I'm only in town for one day. You can't adjust your schedule just this once?"
His voice had that pleading note that made saying no nearly impossible.
"Okay, okay… you win," I said, brushing dust off my coat. "What do you want to do?"
"First—amusement park. Then, dinner. My treat."
I was about to reply when I heard someone call from behind.
"Kiefer… Kiefer!"
I turned around to see Mr. Lynn jogging toward me, holding an envelope. My heart skipped.
"This came for you. From White Pharma Inc."
Everything around me froze.
I reached for the envelope with shaking fingers, unsure whether I wanted to open it or toss it into the nearest bush and spare myself the potential heartbreak.
"What is it, Kit?" Raavi asked, stepping closer.
"I… I think it's their response."
"Then why wait?" he said, snatching the envelope gently from my hand. "Seriously, you're the laziest excited person I know."
He slid a finger under the seal and unfolded the letter slowly, like unwrapping a secret.
"Kiefer Samuel,
We are glad to inform you that your proposal has been shortlisted. A meeting has been scheduled with Mr. Davis White on the 5th of July, 2019 at 4:00 PM for further discussion…"
Raavi looked up, grinning from ear to ear. "Kit, your meeting's tomorrow."
My stomach flipped. "I—I don't even have anything to wear for something like this. This meeting could change my life…"
"Then it's settled," he said with sudden excitement. "We're going shopping."
"What about the amusement park?"
He shrugged, pulling me along with him. "Doesn't matter. Spending time with you—anywhere—is the point."
That warmth again… how did he always do that?
As we drove to the shopping center, Raavi kept sneaking glances at me from the driver's seat. I pretended not to notice but felt my cheeks heat up.
---
RAAVI'S POV
I should tell her today.
Tell her that when she left for university, I kept waiting for a reason to reach out. That I never stopped thinking about her. That I don't just want to be her cheerleader—I want to be by her side, through everything.
But how do I say that?
I cleared my throat. "Ahem… Kit, how's the studying going?"
She didn't even glance up. "Fine."
"So… what's your plan? After this meeting with White Pharma?"
She finally looked at me. "It'll depend on how it goes. If Mr. White sees potential in my idea, everything could change."
I nodded, my hands tightening around the steering wheel.
Then she asked the question I never expected.
"If the meeting goes well… will you work with me as my partner?"
I blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I'll explain later," she said, her gaze steady. "But you know more about herbal medicine than anyone I trust. And you know me, Raavi. I don't trust people easily. But with you… I don't know. I just do."
Those words… they did something to me.
They made me feel seen. Important. Needed.
I reached over and gently took her hand. "Kit, of course you can trust me. I'll always be by your side. For anything. For everything."
She didn't speak. She just smiled softly and looked out the window, but I saw it—the way her shoulders relaxed, the way her fingers curled slightly tighter around mine.
---
That evening, after a whirlwind of trying on dresses, heels, and debating over colors, she finally picked something modest but elegant. A navy-blue dress with delicate silver embroidery, just enough to be formal yet soft enough to feel like her.
I didn't say it aloud, but she looked beautiful.
Tomorrow was going to be a big day. For her, for her dream, and maybe… just maybe, for us.