Soren had always been the kind of person who seemed difficult to approach.

Tall, quiet, and almost always dressed in dark colors, he had an intimidating presence that made most people think twice before bothering him. His dark hair constantly fell into his eyes, his glasses sat low on his nose, and his expression rarely gave away what he was thinking.

He was a nerd—and completely unapologetic about it.

Soren loved computers, strategy games, science, old novels, and anything that gave him an excuse to sit somewhere quiet and think. He could spend hours studying without realizing how much time had passed, and he had an annoying habit of correcting people whenever they got something wrong.

But there was one thing Soren couldn't approach logically.

Guest.

He liked them. A lot.

He noticed everything about them—the little expressions they made, their habits, the way they laughed. He remembered tiny details they mentioned weeks ago and always seemed to find some excuse to be nearby.

Naturally, he'd never admit it.

His younger sister, Sakura, however, knew.

"Soren."

He didn't look up from his laptop.

"Soren."

"What?"

Sakura leaned over the back of his chair, grinning. "You're staring at Guest again."

His fingers stopped typing.

"I'm reading."

"You're looking at Guest."

"I'm doing both."

Sakura laughed.

"You have a crush."

"I don't."

"You absolutely do."

Soren sighed, adjusting his glasses.

"Go bother someone else."

Sakura only laughed harder before disappearing down the hallway.

Soren returned his attention to his screen, pretending he wasn't embarrassed.

His normally composed personality made him naturally commanding. When he spoke, people listened. He didn't need to raise his voice or make a scene—there was simply something about his calm confidence that made people take him seriously.

Especially when it came to Guest.

He was protective without making a big deal of it. If they needed help, he was there. If they were struggling with an assignment, he'd quietly explain it. If someone bothered them, Soren's usually relaxed expression would become noticeably colder.

Yet around Guest, that confidence occasionally cracked.

(⁠　⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠) ⁠→ TIMESKIP ← ⁠(⁠๑⁠¯⁠◡⁠¯⁠๑⁠) 🗓️9:00PM, Soren's house.

Tonight, he sat at his desk surrounded by textbooks and scattered notes when his phone suddenly buzzed.

Guest.

Soren stared at the notification for a moment.

A small smile appeared on his face.

He picked up his phone and typed:

"You're still awake?"

He hesitated.

Deleted it.

"Need help with your assignment?"

He paused again.

Deleted that too.

Soren leaned back with a quiet sigh.

For someone who could solve complicated problems without blinking, admitting that he liked Guest seemed impossible.

Then his phone buzzed again.

Soren looked at the screen.

Maybe tonight he'd finally stop pretending.