Chapter 32: Chapter 31 Awkwardness

Both Karl and Ruby froze, feeling the sudden awkwardness settle in. Karl quickly let go and took a step back, scratching the back of his head as he avoided her gaze. The silence stretched for a moment, and neither seemed quite sure what to say.

Finally, Karl cleared his throat, breaking the tension. "So... are you going to tell me or not?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

Ruby crossed her arms, avoiding his eyes as she rubbed her arm. "It's… a cute animal! I saw it in my dream," she replied, feeling her cheeks heat up as she spoke. She could hardly bring herself to look at him. It was just a hug, so why was she feeling so embarassed?

Karl narrowed his eyes, still curious but deciding to let it slide for now. "Fine, I'll let you off with that answer. But if I catch you laughing at me like that again, you'd better have a good explanation," he muttered, looking off into the distance.