Mira handed over the final set of documents, neatly stacked, along with the official records and her badge from the summit. “Everything’s here, Professor,” she said, placing a small wrapped box on the desk. “And this is a souvenir from Tokyo.”

  Professor Ikeda, ever composed, took a quick glance through the files before nodding approvingly. “Good work, Mira. Everything seems in order.” He looked up, his sharp yet kind eyes settling on her. “How was the trip? Any problems?”

  Mira shook her head. “No, everything went smoothly. Thank you for the opportunity, Professor. It was an honor to participate in such a high-level summit.”

  Ikeda gave a slight smile. “I knew you wouldn’t disappoint.” Then, after a pause, he leaned back slightly. “And… how was working with Adrian?”

  Mira stiffened.

  Ikeda chuckled, clearly noticing. “I know he’s not the easiest person to work with. Strict, meticulous, hard to please.” He exhaled. “To be honest, I was hesitant to mention his name when asking you to take the position. Thought it might be too much.” His expression softened. “But if it’s you, I knew you could handle it well. And it turns out you really did.”

  Mira blinked.

  Ikeda continued, “Adrian didn’t complain about anything. I suppose, from someone like him, that’s the highest form of praise.”

  Mira took a deep breath and finally spoke, “Professor, you almost gave me a heart attack when I realized who I had to assist.” She let out a small laugh, shaking her head. “Next time, please give me a warning before dropping an atomic bomb like that on me…”

  Ikeda chuckled, clearly amused. “Ah, so it was that shocking?”

  Mira crossed her arms. “Professor, you could have at least hinted at it. Maybe a small heads-up?”

  Ikeda simply smiled. “If I had, would you have accepted the role?”

  Mira opened her mouth, then closed it. He had a point.

  Ikeda leaned forward, tapping the folder lightly. “You handled it well, Mira. That’s all that matters.”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Mira sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I survived, barely.”

  Ikeda laughed. “Good. Then you’re ready for the next challenge.”

  Mira groaned. “Professor—”

  Ikeda simply waved her off with a knowing look, and Mira could only shake her head as she picked up her bag.

  *

  As Mira walked toward her next class, still mulling over her friends' words, a soft voice called her name.

  “Mira?”

  She turned to see Iris, a quiet and kind girl from her class.

  “Iris?” Mira stopped. “What’s up?”

  The girl hesitated before holding out a small, neatly wrapped gift. “I… I was wondering if you could pass this to Adrian for me. Since you both live in the same dorm and he doesn’t have a mailbox...

  Mira stared at the package. Oh no. Not this.

  She glanced at Iris—her nervous fingers clutching the wrapping, the slight blush dusting her cheeks.

  Mira exhaled, offering a small smile. “Why don’t you give it to him yourself? It’d mean more coming from you.”

  Iris’s eyes widened. “I-I don’t think I can…”

  “You won’t know unless you try. Besides, Adrian isn’t scary—just… not great with social stuff.” She shrugged. “He might appreciate the courage.”

  Iris bit her lip, considering. Then, with a small nod, she clutched the gift to her chest. “Maybe… Thanks, Mira.”

  As she walked away, Mira sighed in relief. Crisis averted. For now.

  Just as Mira let out a small breath of relief, her gaze flickered forward—and there he was.

  Adrian.

  She spotted him across the courtyard, and everything inside her went haywire. Her pulse kicked hard, too fast to hide; warmth climbed up her neck, flooding her face before she could even breathe. From that far away, he hadn’t even looked in her direction—yet she already felt undone. She forced herself to walk down the hall with her head slightly lowered, adjusting the strap of her bag, and tried to focus on anything else—anything to avoid thinking about him.

  She couldn’t.

  She had to act normal.

  Normal.

  She turned away quickly, heart hammering like it was trying to give her away.

  Even seeing him from afar was too much.

  Even in the crowd, he was impossible to ignore. He moved through the hallway with effortless confidence, his presence commanding attention without trying.

  For the briefest moment, his eyes met hers. The shock of it made Mira freeze. Her thoughts spun out of control, too fast to catch.

  Before she could stop herself, her body had already moved toward another route.

  All she knew was that facing Adrian right now, after everything, was a scenario she simply wasn’t ready for.

  Even if it meant being late.

  *