231 This feeling

"Feeling drowsy?" I asked Raven as she rubbed her eyes and struggled with her fork.

"Yep," she responded with a brief acknowledgment, explaining, "I was kept awake by others."

"You could skip," I suggested, nudging my dessert onto her plate.

"No, that wouldn't be right. I shouldn't skip good lectures," she replied, displaying her usual diligence.

I quietly ate my salad, the atmosphere surprisingly tranquil considering Raven's friends had only returned the day before.

'Seems like those dates paid off,' Smokeball remarked, swiping some meat from my plate before darting away.

"You should get some sleep," I suggested, twirling my fork, but a commotion drew my attention to the entrance of the cafeteria.

A sigh escaped me as the group entered, attracting everyone's eyes and sparking whispers.

Helga clung on Adam's back as Elsa walked behind them with a smile on her face, she's completely in love- one flag was captured huh.

Besides her walked Mary Kleine.

'Fucking bitch.' blaze cursed as if she was the most hateful thing he saw in his life.

I chose to ignore their arrival until—

"Raven!" The inevitable call interrupted.

Raven smiled and waved back at them but appeared less than enthusiastic for some reason. Leaning towards me, she whispered, "I'll introduce you to them."

"Sure," I chuckled softly at her approach.

Lounging back in my chair, I observed the boy, whose expressions seemed to shift with each step, from excitement to a scrutinizing gaze that he directed my way.

"Hey—" Raven greeted, attempting to initiate introductions.

"What are you doing here?" Mr. Protagonist ignored her, directing his question straight at me.

I casually picked at my salad, replying with a simple, "Eating."

It wasn't the response he expected, judging by the irritation flashing across his face.

'Are you going to start a fight?' Smokeball inquired within my mind.

'... I won't be the one to initiate it.' I am a good guy.

***

[Third person view]

"You both know each other?" Raven's eyes darted back and forth between the boy sitting calmly in front of her and her friend who stood with an air of quiet irritation while observing Ren.

"Hm?" Ren's brow rose slightly as he delicately wiped his mouth with a tissue. "Maybe I do. Senior here is quite adept at treating his juniors." His statement hung ambiguously between praise and sarcasm.

"Oh, that's..." Raven sensed an underlying tension, her voice trailing off uneasily. "Anyways, Adam, this is Ren Hilton, a first-year and my friend. Ren, meet Adam Stales, my classmate and a good friend."

She completed the introduction, but Ren appeared disinterested, his gaze not quite reaching Adam. In contrast, Adam's eyes remained fixed on Ren, seemingly scrutinizing every nuance of Ren.

Raven's discomfort settled over her like a thick, suffocating fog. She couldn't shake the feeling of being an unwanted addition to the scene, her mind racing with doubts. Had she inadvertently misstepped somewhere? The weight of this unspoken tension intensified as Ren's voice cut through her thoughts.

"You gonna eat it?" Ren inquired, his eyes fixed on the untouched dessert he had placed in front of Raven moments ago.

It was a familiar scenario, this unspoken gesture of Ren's, offering items that, inexplicably, always resonated with Raven's preferences. She clutched onto the plate, her grip tightening as if her existence hinged upon that single slice of pie.

"Y-yeah," Raven stammered, her gaze flickering between Ren and the dessert, feeling the pressure of time slipping away as the break neared its end.

"Then you should hurry, the break is about to end." He chuckled as he reminded.

A strange sort of tunnel vision enveloped her, narrowing her focus solely on Ren's words. It was as if everything else around her, including Adam standing beside her and their other friends, faded into a blurry background whenever Ren spoke.

"Raven, I think you should come with me," Adam's hand landed gently on Raven's shoulder, his concern palpable.

"I am eating," Raven responded immediately, a knot forming in her stomach as she observed the palpable tension between Ren, Adam, and even the discomfort etched on Elsa's face as she glanced uneasily at Ren.

"...okay, let's talk later," Adam's mind raced, sensing an unspoken and palpable unease. He couldn't act on his instincts if Ren remained unresponsive. Though he recalled their previous encounter, a clash that revealed Ren's physical strength, now there was no provocation to warrant a confrontation.

It wasn't just dislike; there was something uncannily unsettling about Ren, an inexplicable aura that made Adam's skin crawl. With a deliberate turn, Adam departed, leaving Raven to grapple with the bewildering turn of events.

The air hung heavy with the weight of discomfort. Adam's brief visit, the strained conversation with Ren, and his subsequent departure had left an awkward imprint on the cafeteria space, the most uncomfortable encounter Raven had ever witnessed.

It was a puzzling moment—Adam's arrival, the interaction with Ren, and his swift exit—leaving Raven to mull over the enigmatic dynamics that had just unfolded before her eyes.

"...," one person remained, their gaze fixed on Ren, face drained of color, resembling a statue frozen in awe.

Mary's heart surged, her thoughts turning to mush, her feet rooted to the spot.

Her eyes locked on Ren, who appeared entirely transformed. From the way he tied his long hair to the radiant intensity in his eyes, an indescribable charm enveloped him, rendering her immobile.

'Is this... my Ruu?' she questioned herself, baffled by the stark changes she observed. 'And when did his hair acquire that red tint?'

The cute boy she once knew seemed to vanish; the man in the grey robe was anything but adorable.

Her breaths quickened, making it hard to divert her gaze from him.

'Calm down!' she urged herself, attempting to regain composure. She needed to stay focused, even if Ren harbored feelings for her; she had to maintain a sense of discipline.

"Mary," Raven's voice broke her trance.

"Huh?" Startled, Mary responded, her thoughts momentarily disrupted.

"Princess is calling for you." Raven gestured toward Elsa, who departed alongside Adam.

Adam and everyone else's attention fell upon Mary, but her focus remained fixated on Ren, an air of bewilderment clouding her expression.

'Why isn't he saying anything?' Irritation bubbled within her.

'Why won't he even say hello, tell me how grateful you are to see me! I came back!' Her mind surged with these frustrated thoughts.

"Mary, do you have anything to say?" Raven inquired, noticing a departure from Mary's usual composed demeanor. Today, everyone seemed a bit off.

"..." and then realization dawned, 'Why is he having lunch with her?'

It made no sense to Mary. Why would he share a meal with a girl from a different year? How had they met, and what right did she have to share such an intimate moment with him?

"Hey, don't you have anything to say to me?" Mary finally voiced her internal turmoil, a struggle against her own pride.

Ren, on the other hand, seemed oblivious, glancing around as if unaware of whom she addressed, then pointing to himself, "me?"

The disdain etched on his face jolted Mary.

'What kind of expression is that? For a guy who was practically groveling a few months ago!' Mary's jaw clenched, an undercurrent of frustration building within her.

Unable to endure it any longer, she briskly walked away from the table, consumed by anger and annoyance directed towards Ren.

'What kind of behavior is this that he can exhibit toward the person he loves?' Her thoughts raced, even as she moved away, a silent query lingering in her mind, 'Is he not going to stop me?'

Observing the dynamics, Raven cautiously asked, "Do you know her?"

"Her mother is a good friend of my parents and was a teacher to me, about her... nothing much." Ren explained, a nonchalant shrug punctuating his response.

"Kay....."Raven absorbed Ren's response, noting the casual dismissal in his tone. His indifference to Mary's departure didn't align with the undercurrents of tension radiating from the cafeteria table.

Ren returned to his meal, seemingly unaffected by the turmoil left in Mary's wake. His eyes scanned the surroundings, his focus shifting as if contemplating something far beyond the present conversation.

Meanwhile, Mary stormed away, a tempest of emotions swirling within her. Anger mingled with hurt and confusion. Her steps quickened, each stride an attempt to distance herself from the baffling encounter.

and without going towards her friends, she left the cantine itself,"I'll talk to Raven later."

Her mind whirled with unanswered questions. Why was Ren acting so distant?

Doubts gnawed at her, casting shadows over the once-clear landscape of her understanding.

Adam watched Mary's departure with a furrowed brow, registering the tension in the air. His gaze shifted between Ren, whose composure remained stoic, and the retreating figure of Mary.

"This guy is a problem," Adam was sure about it, It's a very subtle feeling.

There's much more going on that he shows.

***

'I told you, man, you need to get your palm read,' Blaze said.