I walked into the living room and saw Ade gently patting my little brother's back. Ayobami was fast asleep on Ade's legs. As soon as he noticed me, Ade carefully placed Ayobami on the plush sofa.

"Hey," I said softly.

"Shhh," he whispered, finger to his lips. "You'll wake him."

I smiled. Despite being an only child, Ade adored my siblings like they were his own. Ayobami and Ewatomi practically worshipped him in return. He moved toward the balcony, leaning against the railing.

"Ready to go?" he asked, glancing back.

"Yeah," I nodded, then remembered something. "Oh, wait—give me a minute."

I dashed to the kitchen, grabbing the food flask I'd packed for Ewatomi and stuffing it in my tote. Back outside, I found Ade waiting patiently.

"Okay, all done. Let's go," I said.

"Wait." He reached out and plucked a white thread from my hair, showing it to me. It matched my hoodie exactly.

"Thanks," I muttered, adjusting my hoodie self-consciously.

"Nice fit. Looks like you're ready for the challenge," he said with a smirk.

I blinked, surprised at the compliment. I was only in black joggers and a hoodie. "Look who's talking! You're the one dressed up like it's a fashion show," I shot back, gesturing at his outfit.

He chuckled, and as he walked toward the gate, I noticed we were matching—me in white with black stripes, and him in black with white. My fingers toyed with the hem of my hoodie as I tried to ignore the weird flutter in my stomach.

"We're trekking, right?" I called, quickly tying the laces of my white sneakers.

"Yep." He slowed his pace, waiting as I jogged to catch up.

Once we were on our way, Ade suddenly turned to me. "By the way, what happened at the cafeteria on Tuesday? I wanted to ask, but it kept slipping my mind."

I'd been wondering if he'd noticed, or maybe he'd been pretending not to know. I guess I was wrong both ways. The incident with Ololade and Jordan had faded from my mind, but I had occasional flashbacks whenever I saw them.

"The real question is—where did you go?" I said, narrowing my eyes at him. "I had to handle that mess all on my own."

"I had something to take care of. Ma binu," he said, looking genuinely apologetic. "As for Lolade, she's just bitter and vile. That's who she is. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't helpless," I said casually. "Jordan helped me."

"I heard he did." Ade's expression darkened. "Paul was there too, actually. He was going to step in until Jordan practically sprinted over."

I shrugged. "What Jordan did was right. Just because he was quicker doesn't mean it was wrong."

"Just... be wary of him." His voice was quiet but firm.

"Wary of Jordan?" I chuckled. "You're joking, right?"

He didn't laugh. "I'm not. Be careful around him."

His serious tone caught me off guard. Why would he say that? Was there something he wasn't telling me?

"Oyinade!"

"Yes—what?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "Don't worry. I'll always be there for you. I'll protect you."

I laughed, unable to resist teasing him. "What are you, my knight?"

"Whatever." He waved me off, a small smile tugging at his lips.

After a while, we were halfway to the University of Lagos.

"Oyinade," Ade suddenly said.

"Seems like you like my name a lot! Maybe you should name your first daughter after me."

"Okay, I will," he replied without hesitation.

I rolled my eyes. "I was joking."

"Well, I'm not," he said seriously.

I decided to change the subject, brushing away the strange mix of nerves and excitement his words stirred in me. "Alright, enough talk about the future. Let's focus on the present."

"Fine, but answer me this—what do you want to be?"

The question caught me off guard. He'd never asked me that before, and the sincerity in his eyes made it clear he wasn't joking.

"I... don't know," I admitted, struggling to meet his gaze. "I'm scared that even if I find something I love, I won't succeed."

"But you're not a failure, Oyinade," he said firmly. "You're the most talented person I know. You sing, you dance..."

"Those are hobbies," I interrupted.

"You play instruments, you help people with their studies—"

I didn't argue with that one. I could never understand how I could help others succeed while I always ended up with an F.

"Don't convince yourself that you're a failure. Whatever you set your heart on, you can achieve." He said it with such confidence that, for a moment, I almost believed him.

"You really think I'm not a failure?" I asked softly.

"Yes. You might be goofy and playful, but you're definitely not a failure."

"Know what makes it even better?" He didn't wait for my answer. "You're a child of God. God doesn't call His children failures."

I grinned. He was convincing, and maybe... just maybe, he was right. I just needed to find my path.

Finally, we reached the University of Lagos. The massive sign loomed over us as we passed through the gate and made our way to the sports center.

"Good evening, Ewatomi... yes, we're here," Ade said with a grin as he turned off the call. "She'll be here soon."

I glanced at my watch—5:04 p.m. Perfect. Plenty of time for a quick run. I placed my tote bag on a nearby chair and started jogging around the field. A few minutes later, I noticed Ade standing with Ewatomi and a guy I didn't recognize.

My sister looked radiant as ever, her fair skin glowing in the evening light. Ewatomi could have chosen all the best genes before coming to earth and left me with the leftovers. That's probably not how science works, but it was the only way I could explain our differences.

Ewatomi pulled me into a warm hug, laughing softly as she rubbed my back. "I missed you too."

"Here." I handed her the food flask. "I made it this afternoon."

She gasped, opening it. "My favorite! You're the best."

A warm glow filled me. I loved seeing her happy.

"Who do we have here?" her friend asked, his gaze flicking between us. "Wait—let me guess. Your sister?"

I and Ade laughed while Ewatomi rolled her eyes. "Silly boy, isn't it obvious?"

"Hi, I'm Femi. Ewatomi's... friend." He stretched his hand toward me, his gaze a little too intense. "You must be Oyinade. Tomi's told me a lot about you."

I raised an eyebrow, glancing at my sister.
What exactly did she tell him?

"You are indeed beautiful," he said with a warm smile, holding my gaze for a moment too long. His words were genuine, but something about him felt too polished, too rehearsed.

"Oyinade, your royal majesty." He gave a mock bow, still holding my hand.

Before I could react, Ade stepped forward, pulling my hand back. "I'm Ade, Oyinade's best friend," he said, voice steady but firm.

Femi chuckled, taking Ade's hand in a brisk handshake. Ewatomi giggled, clearly amused by the whole scenario.

"Okay then." Ade turned to me, an edge of urgency in his voice. "Oyinade, remember we have to get home on time. We should get started."

"We?" I asked, frowning.

"Yes, we." He didn't wait for my response, already jogging toward the field.