It was late night and the quiet tapping of pens filled the room as they all sat cross-legged on the floor.
Ruby was teaching them math again.
Her voice was calm, explaining things patiently, pointing at formulas and scribbles on the notebook.
Julian sat beside her, eyes fixed on his paper... or pretending to.
Because every time Ruby looked at him, even for a second his face turned redder than the tamato.
His heartbeat thundered in his chest, so loud he felt like it might echo through the walls.
What if she hears it? he thought, panicked. What if she knows I’m still thinking about that kiss?
Every number on the page blurred.
Every time her hand brushed past his to turn a page, his whole body tensed.
Meanwhile, Karl was sitting across from them with a furrowed brow, completely focused on his notebook.
Ruby smiled faintly at him, pleased.
So serious today, she thought.
Until Karl loudly slapped the notebook down in front of her and said proudly, "Done! Check mine, Wife!"
Her smile slowly faded.
Because every answer...every single answer was wrong.
Not just a little off.
Ruby blinked at the paper like she was having an out-of-body experience.
Her hand trembled slightly as she turned to look at Karl, who was grinning like he’d just solved the mysteries of the universe.
"...Karl," she said slowly, "what... what is this?"
Karl scratched his head confidently. "Math!"
Julian tried to hold back his laugh, but a soft snort escaped.
Ruby closed the notebook gently, stared at the floor for a moment in silence, and whispered to herself:
"Am I... the problem?"
She was still holding Karl’s math notebook like it was a personal betrayal.
She hadn’t moved in a full ten seconds, staring at the page where he had written "4 x 5 = 205"
She was questioning her life choices, her teaching ability, and possibly the meaning of mathematics itself.
Then a hand slid a neat notebook toward her.
He didn’t say a word.
Just gently placed his notebook in front of her with the same silent grace he always carried.
A flicker of light in his calm, serious eyes.
As if he was silently telling her:
"You’re not alone. Logic still exists. Math is not dead."
Ruby hesitated... then opened the book.
She didn’t know whether to cry or build him a statue.
"...Thank you," she whispered, voice trembling with relief.
Adrian gave a faint nod, expression calm like saving her sanity was just another task he happened to check off his to-do list.
Meanwhile, Karl was still peeking over her shoulder, trying to understand what was so different about Adrian’s answers.
Julian, on the other hand, had his face buried in his notebook, his cheeks still glowing like tamato. Every time Ruby reached over to check his work, he forgot how to breathe.
And Milo had started scribbling drawings of houses in his notebook instead of numbers, because, in his words, "math is too square-shaped."
Ruby sighed, clutching Adrian’s notebook like it was holy scripture.
That night, Ruby was so exhausted, she didn’t even remember falling asleep.
The moment her head touched the pillow, her body gave up.The soft bedsheets, the faint scent of soap in the room, the peaceful silence—it all wrapped around her like a lullaby.
She didn’t stir until the sun rose again.
The next morning, after a quick breakfast and tying her hair into a loose, elegant braid, Ruby headed to the shooting site of Director Sylvia’s movie.
The place was lively with quiet activity, but there was no rush anymore because everything was almost done.
The editing, the color grading, the final audio layers...the entire post-production process that normally took months had moved like water under her guidance.
Ruby had been there for every little glitch, every scene that needed smoothing, every cut that didn’t feel right.
And now, they were ready.
As she stepped onto the set, her eyes wandered to the people around her and her heart warmed.
Many of the crew were wearing robes from her company.
Comfortable, stylish, perfectly stitched.
Her dream on people’s backs. It made her chest tighten with something quiet and beautiful.
I did that, she thought.
"Hahaha! You deserve it, Ruby!" Director Sylvia’s cheerful voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Ruby turned and smiled as Sylvia clapped her shoulder.
"We’re going to get you exclusive premiere tickets when the movie releases! You’re practically part of the crew now!"
Ruby laughed softly, the sound light in the morning air.
"Don’t forget front row seats," she said with a wink.
Sylvia grinned. "You’ll get front row, center and a seat for each of your husbands if they behave."
Ruby chuckled, hiding her amused sigh behind her hand.
Director Sylvia walked beside Ruby across the lot.
The morning sun painted golden streaks across the ground, and a faint breeze carried the scent of warm pastries from the crew’s breakfast table nearby.
"You really changed everything for us," Sylvia said, glancing sideways at Ruby. "Most people think post-production is just cutting and gluing scenes, but what you did? That was art."
Ruby smiled modestly, adjusting the sleeve of her robe. "I just made things smoother. It wasn’t that big."
Sylvia scoffed. "Not that big? Ruby, you literally color-corrected an entire rainy scene in two hours. And your sense for pacing? Perfect. I usually have to argue with editors for days."
Ruby chuckled. "Well... it helps when you know what rhythm feels right."
Sylvia slowed a bit, eyeing her thoughtfully. "Honestly, if I start another movie... would you join again? I mean it seriously."
Ruby blinked, caught off guard. "Me?"
"Yeah. You have an eye," Sylvia said. "Not just for design or business. You see things. You feel what scenes need. I’d be lucky to have you."
Ruby looked away for a second, the compliment hitting deeper than she expected. No one had ever said that to her before.
"And not just me," Sylvia added with a smirk. "I told a few of my friends—other directors and producers—about you."
Ruby’s eyes widened slightly. "You... did?"
"Oh yes," Sylvia grinned. "They’re already curious. Want to meet the mysterious woman who fixed our film in half the time, owns her own robe brand, and somehow juggles five husbands like it’s normal."
Ruby laughed, rolling her eyes. "It’s not five. And I don’t juggle them."
—To be continued...🪄