No matter how my eyes swept left, right, up and down, I couldn't ignore the desperate waving across the lecture hall when I first stepped past the double doors. That, along with the fiery red hair, was like an eager beacon practically begging for attention, and if I let that beacon wave like that for much longer, I was afraid that her arm might fly off. 

My hand tightened around my briefcase when I noticed a couple of heads whirling around, their eyes eventually landing on me when they figured out the recipient of the heroine's gesturing. I could only make eye contact with the girl's green eyes, hoping she would stop her movements as I flashed a tight smile and nod and moved towards her. 

At least she's not shouting my name. Small wins, small wins. 

Augustus turned away from Yohan when I was halfway towards them, his gaze shifting from the redhead beside him to see what - or who, rather - she was looking at. His perfect grin visibly stiffened the moment his stare found me, the man's glance briefly dropping down to the protagonist before rising up to watch me again. I blinked, and his smile returned to normal. I decided to take that little spectacle as another small win, consoling myself as I edged through the row of people to reach the empty seat at Elinka's side. 

"Hi! Is it okay for you to sit next to me again today?" Her question was accompanied by a welcoming pat on the chair next to hers after she took her briefcase off of it.

I'd like to know the answer to that too, main character.

"Maybe."

"What?" Her thin brows rows, but the rest of her countenance didn't change. 

"No, nothing. Thanks for saving me a seat."

I shot her a grin and sat down, the girl's expression eventually mirroring my own as she leaned towards me. Elinka's smile flattened, and her dimples deepened with the change.

"I'm nervous!"

"Yeah?"

She nodded emphatically, reiterating. 

"Yeah! I'm strong-willed though, so I know I'll get through it!" She raised her chin and jokingly flexed an arm, prodding her bicep with another hand. The sudden action got a chuckle out of me. 

Is 'strong will' developed through muscle exercises?

The young woman seemed to appreciate my humor, her eyes crinkling before she tilted her head. "But, you don't look nervous at all!"

"No," I hummed, my gaze moving away from her and settling on an expansive, dimming light on the ceiling, "I'm still a little nervous to be in front of so many people," I paused in thought, "But thinking back to the hard work I put in helps."

"Hard work?" The students' voices lowered along with the lighting, and Elinka's tone seemed to quiet down as well. She nodded twice after a second, "I understand. Then," her smile widened, Freyda's paper ruffling almost obscuring her energetic whisper, "Being confident in everything you do, and having a strong will in everything you do - isn't that the key to a good presentation?"

Principal Freyda cleared her throat, silencing the class before I could respond. Her little cylindrical box of popsicle sticks shook once, and then, cutting through the thickening atmosphere with her pointed nails, the woman speedily picked out the next victim. 

"Augustus Ervinhart and Elinka Cote!"

They're first!? 

My mental calculations guesstimated that there was about a 10% chance of this actually being their natural luck and a 90% chance of it being a plot device in the game. Although, I guess their natural luck is built to invite plot. 

The duo at my side exchanged a look, Augustus flashing a reassuring and impeccable smile towards the heroine as he stood up. 

Oh. 

His smile may have been impeccable, but his tie...

It's crooked.

My brows jerked up in the next second. 

The protagonist - whose expression was, unfortunately, not visible to me - sat still for a beat, only to swiftly raise her arms and jump up to her feet, her fingers latching onto the guy's tie and moving quickly as she nudged and straightened it. Then, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, the redhead turned back to look at me with an anxious grin. My face instinctively formed a comforting visage; it seemingly fulfilled its purpose as the girl squeezed past Augustus and edged out of the row and walked towards the front of the room. 

My gaze shifted, only to catch the golden boy looking at Elinka in that same, fascinated way as that time in the cafe. 

The plot works fast.

I blinked and the blonde turned, his face leaving my view as he made his way to join his partner at the front. The pair didn't say much, just exchanging glances as they speedily set up their the projector and attached the mics to their uniforms' lapels. I blinked again, a short, curt breath leaving me as I refocused. 

It didn't take long for them to start, Augustus introducing himself first. The golden boy's golden voice flowed along evenly and easily; it wasn't too loud, and it wasn't too quiet. I couldn't even hear his inhales when he paused to take a breath. 

Woah, what a god. As expected of the number 1 love target. But...

My eyes narrowed as the heroine pointed at something on the slide, her first syllable just slightly louder than the rest of her sentence - slightly louder, but unnaturally so. Her words tumbled out of her mouth, dangerously nearing a breakneck pace. 

What are you doing, Elinka?

My hand involuntarily rose to my face, partially covering the mouth that had twisted into a grimace. 

Slow down! You sound hasty!

Just when she was on the precipice of nervous, bolting rambling, her part ended; the redhead nodding at her partner, who promptly took over. A silver glint from my peripheral vision temporarily hijacked my thoughts as I quietly listened. 

Augustus speaks in a reliable manner, but maybe she would have benefited from Yohan more. A calming creek to juxtapose her brewing storm...Did I bring my water bottle today?

It wasn't long until the feminine voice rose up again. I glanced up, and my eyes caught hers. Her tone shifted, rising noticeably higher again.

Breathe! Don't forget to breathe! 

My fists clenched, and then my actions overtook my brain: I subtly raised a hand, poking my bicep as my other hand bent into a fake flex. The pose faltered when I finally realized what I was doing, but when Elinka's green eyes widened, I stayed still. 

She paused.

She smiled. 

I squinted.

Too bright. 

The girl resumed her part, her sentence easily seeping past her lips and gracing the world. Still bubbly, but slower - calm enough to sound nice. 

The rest of the presentation was painless, the duo finishing beautifully and returning to their seats after receiving a cursory ovation from the class (although it might have been genuine this time). 

Elinka gave a quiet sigh as she sat next to me, her cheeks nearly matching her hair color. She didn't bother to move a strand out of her face, her brows scrunching up and her eyes fluttering shut as she leaned back into her seat and softly murmured. 

"I messed up, didn't I? I was just so nervous to be the first to present..."

"You really improved halfway," Augustus spoke before I could, shooting her a sparkly grin, "And if it was that bad, I would have interrupted."

Oops, he would've saved her presentation? Did I accidentally mess up a story point in their blooming romance?

"Oh!" Elinka's gaze fluttered towards me, widening as she remembered something, "Thank you, Sh-"

"Shion Maliki and Bai Yul Tadal!" 

...What?

A/N: Thanks for reading+sharing ur thoughtsssss