My Romance Life System-Chapter 69: Library

This was the 5th time I’d seen her like this, completely stripped of the bright, easygoing armor she wore, and it hit me that this fragile, tired person was just as much a part of her as the one who teased me about my taste in anime.

"You know," I started, the words feeling surprisingly steady and clear in my own head, "If you ever need someone to just listen to all the crap, or just to sit in silence with, I’m here. For real."

’That sounded way less dumb than I thought it would.’

A small, watery smile touched her lips. She wiped at her eye with the back of her hand, a gesture that was becoming achingly familiar.

"Are you sure you’re ready for that? I’m a mess."

"I think the official terms and conditions of our friendship state that we’re both allowed to be messes. It’s in the fine print."

She let out a little laugh, a sound that was half a sob, and the tension that had been holding her so rigidly seemed to finally break.

"You’re an idiot."

"Yeah, but I’m your idiot after all."

The moment the words left my mouth, I had a split-second of panic, but seeing the genuine, grateful smile she gave me in return made it all settle into something that felt right.

The rest of lunch passed. We didn’t need to fill the silence with jokes or chatter, we could just be, and for a guy who had spent his entire life mastering the art of being alone, sharing a silence with someone felt like a whole new kind of skill I was learning.

The bell eventually rang, signaling the end of our small moment of peace and the beginning of the slow march toward the end of the school day.

Walking back to class was nice.

We had just unpacked some pretty heavy stuff out there on that bench, and the conversation had left behind this new kind of connection that was more solid than anything we’d had before.

It was like we’d moved past the tutorial levels of friendship and were finally in the main story.

’So this is what it feels like,’ I thought, ’to actually know someone.’

The rest of the school day was surprisingly calm, almost like the universe decided I’d hit my drama quota for the week. The final bell rang, and it felt less like an escape and more like a starting pistol.

The walk to the club felt different, which was a relief because I honestly didn’t think I could handle another heavy conversation for at least a week. The air between us had finally cleared, and we fell back into our usual rhythm of stupid jokes and pointless arguments, which I was starting to realize was my favorite kind of communication.

I felt a lot more settled, like I didn’t have to constantly worry about saying the wrong thing and accidentally detonating a hidden emotional landmine.

"So, are you ready to face the final boss again?"

"Please, after your epic manga monologue yesterday, I think Yuna respects us now. We’re practically her disciples."

’I don’t think "disciples" is the right word, more like hostages she’s decided not to execute just yet.’

"I wouldn’t push it. I’m pretty sure she has a whole scoring system, and ’making noise’ is probably worth negative a million points."

"Fine, I’ll be on my best behavior. But if she gives me that death glare again, I can’t promise I won’t start singing just to see what happens."

"Don’t you dare. I am not getting involved in a turf war. I just want a quiet place to sit so I don’t have to join another weird Club."

The club room was exactly as we’d left it, a pocket of silence in the middle of a loud school. Yuna was already at her table, completely absorbed in her book.

she didn’t even acknowledge our existence when we came in. We took our usual seats and for the next hour, the only communication we had was through a series of increasingly ridiculous memes Nina was sending me on her phone under the table.

It was honestly pretty peaceful, and I was starting to understand the appeal of Yuna’s one-woman fortress of solitude.

When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of our silent vigil, Yuna just gave us a curt nod as we were leaving, which I took as the highest form of praise she was capable of giving.

Stepping out into the hallway felt like re-entering the real world, and I immediately remembered that my day of navigating complex social situations was far from over.

"So what’s the real plan for this study session?" Nina asked, bumping my shoulder as we walked. "Because I know for a fact you don’t need my help with chemistry, and your brain is practically a calculator, so this isn’t about you. You’re up to something."

’She sees right through me. It’s terrifying and also kind of impressive.’

"I have no idea what you’re talking about. I am a benevolent pillar of academic support, and I just want to help my friends succeed."

"Uh-huh. You’re a terrible liar, you know that? Your ears get red."

I instinctively touched my ear, which only made her laugh. Before I could come up with a better lie, I saw our target. Ruby was a few feet ahead, just closing her locker. Phase Two was a go.

"Hey, Ruby!"

She turned, a little surprised to see us, but she gave a small, shy smile in return, which was a good sign.

"Oh, hey, you guys."

"We still on for that study session?" I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible, like this was a completely spontaneous thought and not a semi-elaborate scheme I’d cooked up on a rooftop. "We were just about to head to the library now if you’re free."

Her face lit up with genuine relief, and it was obvious she had been worried we’d forget. "Yeah, definitely! I’m free now. That would be amazing."

"Cool, let’s go," Nina said, looping her arm through Ruby’s with an ease that I found both baffling and admirable. "We’ll protect you from Kofi’s boring logic-bot explanations. We can make it fun."

Ruby laughed and let Nina lead her toward the library. I followed a few steps behind them, feeling like a puppet master who was about to lose control of his puppets.

The library was quiet, which was exactly what I needed. I spotted Jake almost immediately, lurking near the history section and trying to look casual by pretending to be intensely interested in a book about the Ottoman Empire.

He was a terrible actor, and he looked so nervous I was worried he was going to start sweating through his shirt.

’Deep breaths. Just execute the plan.’

"Hey, Jake, what’s up?" I called out, making sure my voice was loud enough for the girls to hear.

He jumped like he’d been tasered, then spun around with a ridiculously exaggerated look of surprise on his face. "Kofi! Hey! What are the odds? I was just, uh, researching... empires."

I had to physically restrain myself from putting my head in my hands. ’He’s going to blow this. He’s definitely going to blow this.’

Nina was looking at me, one eyebrow raised so high it was practically in her hairline, a smirk on her face that said, ’So this is your master plan, huh?’

"We’re about to have a study group for the chemistry test," I said, ignoring her completely and focusing on Jake. "You wanna join? We could use another brain."

Jake looked from me to Ruby, whose eyes had gone a little wide with surprise, and then back to me. "Oh, uh, yeah! Sure! I’m totally free. I’d love to study."

He said it with so much enthusiasm you’d think I’d just offered him a million dollars and a lifetime supply of pizza.

We found a big, empty table in the back, and the seating arrangement happened so fast I didn’t even have time to plan it. Nina and Ruby sat on one side, and I sat down next to Jake on the other, directly across from Ruby. This was either perfect or a complete disaster waiting to happen.

For the next twenty minutes, we actually studied. It was surprisingly productive, with Nina asking questions, Ruby taking notes, and me explaining the concepts in a way that didn’t involve comparing them to video game mechanics.

Jake just sat there, completely silent, his knuckles white from gripping his pen so hard. He kept sneaking these panicked glances at Ruby, looking like a man on death row.

’This is painful to watch. I have to do something.’

I decided it was time. "Man, stoichiometry is so tedious," I said, leaning back in my chair and stretching. "It’s almost as weird as those Nazca Lines in Peru. Did you guys ever see that documentary about them?"

Ruby’s head shot up from her notes, her eyes wide with interest. "The one on NetTV? About the giant drawings in the desert? I love that show!"

This was Jake’s cue. His big moment. I gave him a subtle nudge with my foot under the table. He just looked at me, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated terror.

’Say something, you idiot. Say the line.’

"Yeah," he finally choked out, his voice a full octave higher than usual. "They’re... they’re hella weird."

’Hella weird? That’s it? That’s all you’ve got after I gave you a whole documentary to work with?’

Ruby just blinked at him, her enthusiasm deflating a little. "Yeah, I guess."

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