Chapter 5: How to Avoid an Engagement(4)

But I couldn’t bring myself to say such harsh words to the kind Aren who was trying to help. I mumbled and lowered my head. It was surprising to realize how distracting a person’s gaze could be. Thanks to Aren, I was discovering a new fact.

‘Right. Ignore it, ignore it.’

Scritch-scratch. I grabbed my pen and diligently wrote formulas on the paper. Determined to ignore the gaze, I focused on the black letters on the page and soon forgot about the stare.

“It’s hard……”

Had it been about 30 minutes? I didn’t realize my concentration was so lacking. I could do physical tasks all day without getting bored, but why did studying tire me out in less than an hour? I suddenly wondered about the brains of people who say, “Studying is the easiest.”

“If it’s too hard, take a short break.”

“Yeah, I should.”

Listening to Aren, I slumped down and buried my face in the book, closing and then opening my eyes briefly. Ah, I’m so tired. I turned my head towards the window and looked outside.

Even though it was dark outside and not much was visible, looking out into the darkness made me feel calm.

It was winter now, so the days were shorter and it was already dark. I thought I should finish up soon and head home, and I gently closed my eyes.

I only meant to rest my eyes for a moment, but my brain seemed to decide it was time for sleep. My body quickly became languid and sleepiness washed over me.

***

Aren looked at the woman sleeping so vulnerably in front of him. It seemed she had fallen asleep while looking out the window. It was amusing how she said she would rest for a moment but ended up sleeping immediately. Aren smiled faintly as he watched the peacefully sleeping Radel.

“Mmm……”

Her sleep talking made her seem like a child. Aren turned off all the lights in the library to allow Radel to sleep more comfortably. Anyone who had seen the lights disappear in an instant with just a gesture would have surely been amazed.

‘Too vulnerable.’

Currently, only Aren and Radel remained in the library. Not only the students but even the librarian had long since gone home. Being alone in such a confined space was quite troubling for Aren. He admonished himself to avoid losing his composure and reaching out to Radel.

‘……It’s dark.’

The darkness was palpable after turning off all the lights. Although the intention was to make Radel comfortable, it was quite frustrating not being able to see her face clearly. Aren flicked his fingers to create a small light.

He then moved to sit beside Radel and draped his outer garment over her shoulders. She shouldn’t be cold now.

“Mmm.”

After brightening up the surroundings with the light, Aren tried to see Radel’s face, but her hair was in the way. After gently tucking her stray hair behind her ear, Aren was able to smile with satisfaction.

Good, now I can see her clearly.

He gazed at Radel as she lay on her stomach, only turning her head to look at her. Her smooth, unblemished skin and her small, red lips were striking. Though her golden eyes, always sparkling, were closed now, they made her appear beautiful. As Aren stared at Radel, he had to take a deep breath.

‘Endure, endure.’

He had to restrain himself from acting on his feelings. To avoid startling her, to avoid her being uncomfortable or avoiding him, he would approach her very slowly. Even though he desired those red lips and longed to press his lips against her white, slender neck, he had to suppress his urges. Aren bit his lips to keep his desires in check.

As always, he had to approach her kindly and gently. Aren gently pressed his finger against Radel’s cheek. The softness of her skin was transmitted through his fingertips.

“Ugh…”

Pressing her cheek, Aren found her frowning and mumbling in her sleep to be adorable. When he gently tugged on her soft, pliable cheek, Radel mumbled even more.

Aren, who had been playfully tugging at Radel’s cheek, sighed. He was surprised by how deeply he had fallen for someone, especially considering they had once been at odds. It was amazing how they had grown so close.

‘Should I just kidnap her to the Magic Tower?’

It was a fleeting thought, but it seemed quite appealing. Imagining throwing everything away and taking her to live a cozy life in the Magic Tower made him smile. Although he would never act on it, the impulse to just abduct her while she slept so defenselessly was strong.

After observing Radel’s face for a while, Aren finally stood up abruptly. He felt that if he continued to watch her, his emotions might overwhelm his reason. Sighing deeply, he moved to the window to distract himself. Looking down from the window, he saw a familiar figure.

The cream-colored hair that stood out brightly from afar was gracefully fluttering in the wind.

Aren clicked his tongue upon seeing the beautiful woman.

Seria, she’s still here. It hadn’t been apparent before, but since recently discovering her true nature, she had become one of the most unsettling people to him.

Similar in nature. A person who does not reveal their emotions or inner thoughts outwardly, making them completely inscrutable.

I have no idea what she is thinking or what her intentions are. One thing is certain: she holds ill feelings towards Radel. Last time, Seria had casually talked about her malicious actions with a smile. Seeing that cruel smile made me realize she feels nothing about harming others. A frightening woman. I am worried she might harm Radel.

‘I’ll make sure to stop it before it happens.’

Thinking that, Aren fixed his gaze downward. Seria and a man who seemed to be an academy guard were talking. He was curious about what they were discussing at this late hour but decided not to worry about it.

More importantly, when will Radel wake up? He turned his gaze from the window and looked at Radel, who was sleeping soundly like a baby.

Not wanting to wake the sleeping Radel, Aren sat back down and opened his book. He decided to quietly pass the time until Radel woke up.

***

Drowsy, warm, and comfortable. It’s the perfect condition for sleeping, heh. But my back has been hurting for a while. I should change my position a little……

“Eek!”

“Hmm, we were studying in the library. This isn’t the time to be sleeping,” I said, rubbing my sleepy eyes and lifting my head. The surroundings seemed unusually dark. Blinking slowly, I saw that only a bright light was surrounding Aren.

“Aren?”

I stretched and called out to Aren. He looked up from the book he was reading and smiled gently.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah… But did you put this coat on me?”

I felt warm because a coat was draped over my shoulders. When I asked Aren, he smiled slightly. I guess you did. I was touched by this small gesture of Aren’s and handed the coat back to him.

“How long did I sleep?”

My body felt stiff, but my mind was clear. I must have slept quite a bit, but surely not for hours?

“Well, it seems like it’s been about two hours.”

“Two hours?”

I came to study for two hours, but I ended up sleeping for two hours. Surprised, I quickly closed the book and looked outside. The moon was high in the sky. Wow, it feels like midnight.

“Aren, let’s go!”

Anyway, studying in the library just made me sleepy, and it’s already late. I hurriedly packed my things and got up from my seat. Seeing me, Aren also closed his book and put it back on the shelf.

“Are we leaving?”

“Yeah, if we’re not careful, the door might lock…?”

I walked toward the library door, turned the handle, but it wouldn’t open.

I wondered if it was just old and jammed, so I tried pulling and pushing with force, but it didn’t budge. Even kicking or knocking didn’t make a dent. The door was really solid… Could it be that we’re locked in?

“Radel?”

I turned to Aren with a serious expression. I was quite flustered by the unexpected situation and rolled my eyes in confusion.

“Um, Aren.”

“What’s wrong?”

Aren tilted his head and approached. Hmm, it felt awkward to say that we might be locked in after he stayed with me so late.

“Um, the thing is… the door won’t open. It seems like we’re locked in.”

I stammered as I spoke.

Feeling extremely sorry, I bowed my head, but then I heard Aren’s voice from above.

“That’s a big problem.”

…His face doesn’t look like he’s in trouble at all?

When I slowly lifted my head, I saw Aren’s face blooming with a bright and pretty smile.

You look happy? In this situation of being locked in the library, it felt like Aren was quite pleased, which struck me as odd.

Is it already a hallucination?

***

In the dark library, it seems that I’m locked in with Aren. The guard must have locked the door because it was late, and my head isn’t working well due to the sudden situation.

Am I going to have to spend the night here? I swallowed hard with a sense of foreboding. This is troublesome, very troublesome. It’s definitely a difficult situation…

“Aren, this is definitely a troublesome situation, right?”

“Of course!”

Looking at Aren’s face, it didn’t seem like he was in trouble at all. That calm, relaxed smile. It was definitely not a troubled expression. As expected, Aren remains composed even in these situations. I shouldn’t just be panicking; I need to come up with a proper plan.

“Oh, right! Teleport!”

“That won’t work.”

Aren gently touched the door and then shook his head. Did that magic genius just say it’s not possible? What on earth? I stared at Aren with wide eyes.

“The entire library has multiple magical wards to prevent theft.”

“Seriously, so we really can’t get out?”

I gaped in shock at the news. I hadn’t expected this at all. It felt like being hit on the head with a hammer, so I blinked blankly at Aren.

“Wh-what do we do now, Aren?”

“Shouldn’t we just stay put until someone opens the door?”

“I guess so.”

It was the worst-case scenario. Who would come to the library at this hour? The guard seemed to have already gone home, so the library door might not open until tomorrow. So, we’d have to sit crouched here with Aren until then.

Oh my god.

“Radel?”

Still, finding or making an escape route seemed more efficient than just sitting around. I clenched my fists and approached the door again. Alright, let’s try one more time. I bit my lip tightly and tried pulling or banging on the door with all my might. The result, of course, was just that my hands turned red. Ugh, what kind of door is this so solid?

“Oh, right. The window!”

Suddenly, I remembered the existence of the window. Filled with hope, I dashed to the window and tried to open it with all my strength, but it was firmly closed, just like the door. It looks like I’ll have to break it. I threw a thick dictionary at the window. I thought it might shatter easily due to its thickness, but it didn’t even leave a scratch. Is this bulletproof glass?

I can’t believe it, the academy’s security is this thorough…

This isn’t going to work. I need to throw a chair. I steeled myself and picked up a chair. But upon hearing Aren’s calm voice, I stopped my actions.

“Radel, calm down.”

“Aren…”

It seemed I was so anxious and agitated because it was my first time being trapped like this. I put the chair back down quietly, feeling a bit embarrassed for making a scene in front of Aren.

Okay, calm down. Calm.

I took a deep breath and moved next to Aren. Right, Aren is here with me. With reliable Aren by my side, I have nothing to fear!

After calming my excitement, I found this situation to be absurd. To suddenly be trapped like this. In a confined space, just Aren and me! Although Aren and I had become quite close, we weren’t at the level where being alone in such a confined space was comfortable yet. The awkwardness lingered in the space, and I took a step back from Aren.

Oh, this is awkward.

“Why are you like this?”

Aren stepped closer. I looked around, overwhelmed by the rising awkwardness.

What, what should I say? I couldn’t just tell Aren, “You suddenly make me feel awkward, so I want to keep my distance!” I had to think hard, like when taking an exam.

“Oh, fire!”

“Fire?”

“I’m trying to turn on the lights because it’s too dark!”

The idea of lighting came to mind. The library was so dark that only silhouettes could be seen. I thought it was a pretty good excuse and praised myself for coming up with it. At least my brain is still working. I wish I could study with this kind of brain.

“Oh, you should have said so earlier.”