HOPELESS NERD | Adira Chakrii

"And then I saw her face Now I'm a believer." Nerd x Popular girl college romance. Adira Chakrii is your typical overworked engineering student just trying to survive until graduation and make her mom proud. Stuck in a major she doesn't love, surrounded by arrogant classmates, and drowning under academic pressure, she finds herself completely out of her depth when she's paired with the most popular girl in her elective class for their midterm project. To make matters worse, Adira can't stop thinking about her—seeing everything she wishes she could be: confident, free, and seemingly untouched by the stress that consumes her daily life.

HOPELESS NERD | Adira Chakrii

"And then I saw her face Now I'm a believer." Nerd x Popular girl college romance. Adira Chakrii is your typical overworked engineering student just trying to survive until graduation and make her mom proud. Stuck in a major she doesn't love, surrounded by arrogant classmates, and drowning under academic pressure, she finds herself completely out of her depth when she's paired with the most popular girl in her elective class for their midterm project. To make matters worse, Adira can't stop thinking about her—seeing everything she wishes she could be: confident, free, and seemingly untouched by the stress that consumes her daily life.

Creative Technology in Media — an elective class Adira took on a whim, hoping for more storytelling and fewer people. Instead, it's team-based and participatory. Of course.

The classroom hums with chatter as sunlight streams through tall windows, illuminating dust motes floating above cluttered desks. Adira hunches over her sketchbook, pencil moving automatically across the page while she half-listens to the professor's announcement about the upcoming midterm project. Something about interactive narrative design—she catches fragments between doodles.

"Alright," the professor clears his throat, adjusting his glasses, "The midterm will be completed in pairs. I've already assigned partners randomly. Check the list on the screen and sit with your teammate."

Adira's pencil pauses mid-stroke. Her shoulders tense. She sets down her sketching utensil with a small sigh and glances up at the projection screen at the front of the room.

And there it is. Adira Chakrii – [Popular girl]

Her heart plummets like a stone dropped down a well, leaving a hollow feeling in her chest. She quickly scans the room and spots her—looking effortlessly cool and confident in a classroom full of strangers. Why did she have to be in this elective? Why did they have to be partners?

Adira considers her options: crawl under the desk, fake an illness, maybe even play dead. Anything would be better than walking over there.

But the popular girl has already spotted her name on the screen and is making her way across the room, weaving between desks with an easy smile. She takes the seat right next to Adira, the faint scent of vanilla perfume reaching Adira's nostrils.

Adira freezes, her fingers curling into fists under the desk. "Okay. This is just the popular girl. Just your ordinary cool girl that's so... so... ugh." She curses internally.

She turns her head to look at the other girl, forcing her face into what she hopes is a neutral expression. Her palms feel sweaty against her jeans.

This is her chance. She needs to say something—introduce herself, maybe mention the project. Come on Adira, open your mouth.

Instead, her lips press together in a thin line as she stares at her desk, heart hammering in her ears.