The end of class came with the usual rustling of books, the scraping of chairs, and the chatter of students eager to leave.
I exhaled quietly, packing up my things. My plan was simple—head to the cafeteria, grab a few meals for lunch, and then spend the rest of my time in the library with Zephyr(if he was there and was willing to help).
A quiet and productive afternoon.
Or so I thought.
Just as I slung my bag over my shoulder and turned to leave, a familiar voice called out.
"Aman, can you stay behind for a moment? We need to discuss something."
I stopped mid-step, casting a glance toward the speaker—Aeron.
My first instinct was to reject. I wasn't in the mood for unnecessary conversations. "Can't it wait? I have somewhere to be."
Aeron, unfazed, leaned back against his chair, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. "It's about what to wear to the ball."
I froze.
"..."
A moment of silence stretched between us.
Damn it.
My lips parted, but no words came out. I couldn't deny the truth—I didn't have anything remotely suitable for a formal event. My wardrobe consisted of my academy uniform and… well, more academy uniforms.
Aeron's smirk widened, as if he had anticipated this exact reaction.
I sighed in defeat and slowly sat back down in my seat.
A few minutes passed in relative silence. Then, the classroom door swung open, and a familiar figure entered.
Livia.
She was carrying an extra bag.
The moment my gaze landed on it, an ominous feeling stirred in my chest.
I watched as Aeron gestured toward the desks they had pushed together—his and Emilia's.
"Come, take a seat. We've got everything ready," Aeron said with a tone far too casual.
Livia nodded, walking over and placing the bag down on the makeshift table. Emilia, seated beside her, simultaneously reached into her own bag and pulled out drinks and utensils.
I narrowed my eyes.
Deja vu.
And just as I was about to open my mouth, I heard it.
━━━◇◆◇━━━
[Scenario - "Homemade Hospitality"]
"A classic moment in many tales—where companions gather to share a homemade meal. Whether it's a friendly gesture, a test of culinary prowess, or a hidden battlefield of unspoken rivalry, the atmosphere is anything but ordinary. Regardless of intent, participation is inevitable."
Objective: Play along and navigate the situation.
Failure Penalty: Unwanted attention from Leroy.
Rewards: ??? (Revealed upon completion.)
━━━◇◆◇━━━
…I sighed internally.
So it was this kind of event.
This was a textbook romcom scenario—the kind where the heroines prepared homemade meals, and the protagonist was expected to eat them.
Sometimes, the competition between them would be not so subtle. Other times, their cooking would be an outright biohazard.
I prayed it wasn't the latter.
And I should've seen it coming.
But wasn't this happening a bit soon? It's been only three days after all.
My gaze flickered toward Aeron. He was acting a little too smug. I wanna see if he can keep that expression later.
And the punishment… yeah, now I could guess the reason.
Leroy must have caused trouble in the cafeteria yesterday. Most likely, he had annoyed them enough that they decided to avoid the place entirely and opt for this instead.
Alas, that stupid third-rate villain. Instead of creating trouble for Aeron, he had unknowingly helped him instead.
Aeron turned to me, grinning. "Come on, Aman. Sit beside me."
I glanced at Livia and Emilia.
They didn't seem particularly bothered by my presence. No awkwardness, no hostility. Just… neutral acceptance.
With no other choice, I nodded, taking a seat. "Thanks."
At the very least, the food was free.
Now, I just had to survive this scenario.
...
━━━◇◆◇━━━
The moment the meal began, everything unfolded exactly as I expected.
Livia was asking questions without hesitation. Emilia, on the other hand, maintained her composed and refined demeanor, speaking in measured, eloquent phrases.
And of course, our protagonist Aeron was the center of it all.
"Aeron, which one do you like better?" Livia asked, resting her chin on her hands as she watched him expectantly.
Before he could answer, Emilia added, "Yes, I would like to hear your thoughts as well." Her tone was calm, but the subtle glint in her eyes told me she wasn't about to lose.
Aeron stiffened slightly, clearly realizing he was in dangerous territory. Haha, serves you right.
He then let out a nervous chuckle and picked up a bite from each of their meals, taking his time to chew. Must be racking his brain.
"Well..." he started, clearly stalling for time, "....Both of them have their own unique charm. Livia's dish is warm and hearty, full of personality, while Emilia's is refined, balanced, and elegant. It's impossible to compare the two directly. They each shine in their own way."
…Ah. A textbook diplomatic answer.
Classic survival instincts at play.
While they continued their little back-and-forth, I quietly ate my own portion, savoring each bite.
A free meal was a free meal, after all.
Then, without warning—
"Aman, what do you think?"
I paused, fork halfway to my mouth.
I turned to Aeron, who was giving me an innocent smile.
Damn liar.
That smile wasn't innocent at all.
This was a hidden attack.
He was clearly trying to drag me into the chaos.
But, sorry, you are too young to mess with me.
"..."
I calmly set down my fork, meeting his gaze with unwavering composure.
"I'm not a exactly picky eater. And everything here tastes good," I said evenly. Then, without missing a beat, I added, "Besides, didn't you say we were going to discuss something?"
Aeron blinked.
Then, as if finally realizing that I wasn't about to play along, he let out a sigh of defeat.
"Fine, fine. You win." He waved a hand, officially changing the topic. "Let's talk about the ball."
"Oh, right. We were going to discuss it, huh." Emilia and Livia reacted as if they had no idea. They must have forgot about it already.
"So," Aeron leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "What's your plan?"
I gave him a blank stare. "Plan?"
"For your outfit," he clarified.
"…I don't know what to wear," I admitted, placing my utensils down again. "And I probably don't have anything suitable."
Three pairs of eyes locked onto me.
Three identical 'as expected' expressions.
I wasn't sure if I should feel insulted or not.
Before I could dwell on it, Aeron picked up the conversation. "I have a few extra outfits, but honestly, it'd be better if we wore matching attire for the occasion."
"That does make sense," Emilia nodded in agreement.
Then, as if on cue, Livia suddenly lit up.
"Then why don't we go shopping this Sunday? That's three days from now. I'm totally free that day."
"Oh?" Emilia considered it for a moment, then gave a small nod. "That sounds reasonable. I happen to be free that day as well."
Aeron leaned back. "I can make some time."
They all turned to me.
I exhaled. There was no escape from this, was there?
"I should have free time," I said at last.
Guess, I signed up myself for another event...
Ding-!
[Event triggered...]
...
Thought so...