Awakening: Starting With The Villain System-Chapter 63 - 62: Chloe (2)

Why do I feel something is off?

The synchronized outburst, the intensity of Yara's blush… it felt like I'd stumbled into a minefield I didn't know existed.

"No... No, not like that," I quickly corrected, holding up my hands in a placating gesture.

The last thing I needed was Yara thinking I was implying something romantic.

That was a one-way ticket to getting turned into a human popsicle.

"I mean… Allies. We are only just allies, nothing more, nothing less." The words tumbled out in a rush.

That was a close call.

Chloe then looked at me, her head tilted.

Then she looked at Yara, whose glare could have melted steel.

Then she averted her gaze, looking down at the floor.

I saw her lips move slightly, muttering something to herself I didn't catch. It was a quick, quiet whisper.

Then she looked up, the smile back on her face, though it seemed a little more fragile now.

"I understand," she said softly.

Yara then glared at her, her focus shifting entirely.

"You do?!" she snapped, the question sharp and almost challenging.

Why was Yara asking her that question? It was so aggressive, so pointed.

It wasn't just annoyance; it was a demand.

But... What was it that Chloe was supposed to understand?

"Of course I do," Chloe replied, her voice still gentle.

Yara then just proceeded to ignore us, or at least, she made a very loud, theatrical show of ignoring us.

She put bright white ear plugs in her ears, effectively shutting us out.

It was a childish move, but a clear one: she was done with this conversation.

The silence she left behind was awkward, charged with her unspoken irritation.

Chloe seemed to sense it too, her smile becoming a little more determined, a little more forced.

"So," Chloe began, her voice softer now, "would you still need help with history or...?"

She let the question hang, giving me an out if I wanted to flee the suddenly frosty atmosphere.

I first paused, then slightly looked at Yara out of the corner of my eye.

She wasn't looking at us, but I could see her profile.

She was glaring straight ahead, but I could feel the heat of her attention, a side-eye so potent it practically burned the air between us. It was a clear warning.

But a warning about what?

I don't understand what she means. I am not able to understand sign language, and her particular brand of silent, seething communication was even more cryptic.

Was she telling me not to accept? Why would she care? The whole situation was bizarre.

"Yes, sure," I answered, turning back to Chloe.

My curiosity, and my genuine need for help, outweighed Yara's mysterious displeasure.

Chloe's eyes gleamed brightly, the awkwardness momentarily forgotten.

"That's great! I can add you to my study group, if you don't mind that is?" she asked, clasping her hands together.

"No, I don't mind," I answered.

A study group sounded painfully wholesome, but it was probably more effective than trying to decipher the textbook on my own.

"Can I give you my number?" Chloe said. Then she continued sheepishly, a faint blush returning to her cheeks. "Because if you give me yours, I am sorry, I might forget. My memory is... not the best."

"Okay." It was a simple, practical request.

I took out my phone, my brand new, top-of-the-line phone, a replacement for the one shattered during my "claiming" of the ability core, and handed it to her.

Chloe typed her number into my contacts with quick, efficient taps and gave it back.

"Just call me when you are free or something," she said. "That would make me remember to add you to the group chat."

I nodded.

"Thanks."

"Sure, no problem," she replied with a final, warm smile.

After saying that, she gave one last, slightly hesitant glance towards Yara's rigid back, then left, her footsteps echoing softly in the nearly empty classroom.

I looked down at the screen of my phone. A new contact: Chloe.

This was the first number I had in my new contact list, and also the first number I had in my contacts since entering this academy.

And it was a girl's number.

I sighed.

A strange milestone but... Seems legit.

My life had somehow gone from being a villain, to exchanging numbers for a study group.

The whiplash was real.

Just as I was about to put my phone in my pocket, a voice cut through the quiet.

"You are not planning on calling her, are you?" Yara suddenly asked.

She had removed one earbud, her gaze fixed on me. Her voice was deceptively calm.

I looked at her, baffled.

"What are numbers used for? For decoration? Obviously not." It was the most logical answer.

Why else would you get someone's number?

Yara's gaze intensified, her eyes narrowing.

Then, with a movement almost too fast to follow, she suddenly snatched my phone from my hand.

I was so surprised I just stayed still, my hand still outstretched.

She glared at me just as I was about to take it back, a look that promised immediate and severe consequences if I tried.

And obviously, I stopped.

I wasn't about to start dragging phone with a girl in class.

She began typing something on my phone, her thumbs stabbing at the screen with aggressive precision.

"Hey careful, it's new" I said to Yara.

And obviously it was like I was talking to a rock, she didn't reply.

After a moment, she thrust it back towards me. Of course, not peacefully.

Her glare became more intense, the type that makes you think endless times before taking your phone back, as if it might be booby-trapped.

I took my phone carefully, like it was a live grenade, and checked what she had done.

My contacts list, which was supposed to have only one entry, now had two.

Right below 'Chloe', was a new entry: ' Miss Yara'.

She had saved her own number on my phone.

"You should be happy," she said, her voice tight. "I don't give people my number."

I stared at the screen, then back at her.

"Why?" I said, showing her the phone as if she didn't know what she'd just done.

She crossed her arms, looking away.

"... Well, didn't you say earlier that we were allies?" she said, the words sounding like they were being dragged out of her. "Isn't it normal for allies to have each other's contact information?"

She paused, then added, a challenge in her tone.

"If you don't want it, there is no problem."

To emphasize her point, Yara moved her hand to grab my phone again, as if to delete the entry herself.

I didn't make any attempt to stop her. I just let her collect it.

Let her delete it if she wants.

This whole performance was confusing, and I wasn't going to beg for a number she clearly didn't want to give.

Yara collected my phone and glared at me again, her fingers hovering over the screen. But she didn't delete it.

"Just so you know," she said, her voice dropping to a low, serious note. "It isn't only one number that is going, it's two."