I darted a quick look at Zephyr, wondering if he had noticed her behavior.
His sharp, calculating gaze was fixed on the girl like a predator assessing a small, trembling creature. He didn't speak, nor did he move. He simply stared.
Come on dude, you are scaring her.
As if on cue, the girl shifted on her feet, clearly uncomfortable under the weight of his gaze. Her fidgeting increased, her hands clenching into small fists before she quickly loosened them again.
I could almost hear her thoughts.
Why is he looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong? Maybe I shouldn't have said anything…?
…Was she scared of him?
Actually, no. That wasn't quite right.
She was scared. But not because of him.
And she was also nervous. In a completely different way than before.
I nearly choked on the realization.
Wait. Wait, wait, wait.
Was this… one of those situations?
I subtly observed the way she shuffled in place, her shoulders slightly hunched as if trying to make herself smaller. The way she peeked at Zephyr just once—only to immediately look away.
She has a crush on him.
I suppressed the urge to rub my temples.
Of course. Of course, the scary, brooding, socially unapproachable scholar-type would have an admirer. Why wouldn't he?
Not to mention we were in a romcom academy setting.
I stole another glance at Zephyr.
…And of course, the terrifying guy was utterly oblivious.
He simply continued staring at her, expression unreadable, not a single trace of understanding on his face.
Then, finally, he exhaled.
"…Noted," he said, voice as flat and cold as ever.
Not thank you. Not we'll be right there. Just noted.
The girl flinched slightly at his curt tone.
…Ah. Yeah. That probably didn't help.
I cleared my throat, stepping in before things got more awkward. "Thanks for letting us know," I said, offering what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "We kind of lost track of time."
She nodded quickly, still avoiding Zephyr's gaze. "I-It's fine. I just thought… um… you might not realize."
She hesitated, shifting her weight from foot to foot.
Then, after another short pause, she dipped her head in a quick bow before scurrying off.
Her departure left behind a brief silence.
I turned back to Zephyr, raising an eyebrow.
"…You know," I started casually, "you could've at least said thank you."
Zephyr's gaze flickered toward me, confused. "...I did."
The man had the social skills of a rock.
Still, my mind lingered on the librarian girl.
This wasn't the last time she'd try to approach Zephyr, was it?
And judging by his personality, he was going to remain completely oblivious.
For some reason, I had a feeling I was going to be the unfortunate middleman in whatever this was.
Come to think of it... That book's title, the one she dropped... It's name was...
'How To Win Over Your Fiance's Heart.'
The question bounced around in my mind like a rubber ball, refusing to settle.
On one hand, it made sense. The girl's reactions, the book title, her nervous glances—classic signs.
On the other hand… this guy? In an engagement?
I turned to Zephyr, still leaning against the table, arms crossed, staring off into the direction she left with his usual unreadable expression. He didn't look like someone aware of his own love life.
If this was a romcom, it had to be one of those frustratingly slow-burn ones.
The ones where the male lead is too emotionally stunted to realize his own feelings, and the female lead is too flustered to make a proper move.
I could already imagine it.
—She tries to approach him, but he's too cold and distant.
—She gets frustrated but still can't help but be drawn to him.
—She has moments of doubt, maybe even another guy shows up for some unnecessary drama.
—He, despite being an emotional brick, has his occasional moments of unintended kindness that make her heart race.
—They go through countless misunderstandings, but little by little, she breaks through his walls.
A frustrating but oddly sweet love story.
Not as cringe as Aeron's, but still something that would have me palm my face if I had to witness it firsthand.
I sighed, rubbing my temples.
First, I get thrown into this world with no memories and was forced to watch cringe scenes.
Then, I somehow become a study partner for a terrifying scholar.
And now, I'm apparently in the middle of what might be a slow-burn romance plotline.
At this rate, I was going to be the designated "side character who watches from the sidelines and shakes his head at the stupidity of love."
I stared at Zephyr again.
The worst part? I needed this guy's help.
He had knowledge I could use, and this wouldn't be the last time I'd seek him out.
Even if an event pop-up appeared right now, telling me to help these two awkwardly-in-love idiots, I would probably just accept it without complaining.
Because, honestly? I was already resigned to-
[Scenario - "Two Souls, One Fate!"]
"Bound by fate yet separated by hesitation, these two souls find themselves unable to take the first step toward each other. Will you be the guiding force that brings them together?"
Objective: Help the poor souls overcome their hesitations.
Failure Penalty: Relationship regression. (They will grow even further apart.)
Rewards: ??? (Determined by actions taken.)
This system or whatever it is seriously had a twisted sense of humor.
I was just saying it you now, heck nothing else happened to trigger the event too!
Zephyr's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts, snapping me back to reality.
I blinked and turned to him, only to find him still staring in the direction the librarian girl had left.
Then, in a voice quieter than I expected, he asked,
"She hates me, right?"
For a second, I thought I had misheard.
But no, there it was. That rare glimpse of vulnerability.
His voice wasn't its usual cold, unreadable monotone. It was… different. Bittersweet. Like he had already come to terms with something he didn't want to accept.
I barely stopped myself from blurting out, No, you idiot, she likes you. You're her lovely fiancé, after all.
But then I glanced at the mission window still hovering in my vision.
Objective: Help the poor souls overcome their hesitations.
And just like that, an idea struck me.
A way to get this emotionally-stunted scholar to actually think about her feelings.
I nodded solemnly, inhaled sharply, and—
"Yeah, she must totally hate you."
Zephyr's eyes widened.
He slowly turned his head toward me, his normally impassive gaze now sharp and cold, like a blade being drawn.
I blinked at him innocently.
"What?" I said, tilting my head. "Didn't you ask me?"
His brows furrowed ever so slightly, as if he wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or thoughtful.
I shrugged. "Honestly, you must know it too, right? From what I've heard, everyone either avoids you or is outright scared of you."
Zephyr remained silent.
"But," I continued, lowering my voice slightly, "the poor girl still endures it."
His expression flickered.
"Despite everything, she still comes to you, even though she's obviously nervous," I added, watching him closely. "If she really hated you, don't you think she'd be avoiding you, too?"
That brief shift in his eyes.
A sliver of realization.
I leaned back, smirking inwardly.
"Honestly," I added with a casual shrug, "I think you have a chance."
For the first time, Zephyr fully turned to look at me.
The tiniest flicker of light in his otherwise unreadable gaze.