Chương 3: Mr. Sweets Fairy

Why is everything going south for her today?

Is this the consequence of getting a hundred?

"I'm very sorry if I'm intruding. I just came by to check since you're kind of loud."

So as to not appear rude, Eli finally turned to face the speaker.

Spiky pitch-black hair that appears dishevelled at first glance, and a pair of round amber irises reminiscent of the scintillating sun – a familiar face appeared in her view.

The boy is just around her height, Eli speculated, perhaps a few centimetres taller than her. Despite looking a little bit run-of-the-mill, for some reason, she couldn't help but feel fascinated by his eyes that seem to glow a golden colour once streaked by light.

"H-Harrison?" Eli nervously replied, hoping she got it right.

She was never the kind who memorized faces despite not spending a considerable amount of time with them.

"You can just call me Hal," he beamed at her with a generous grin.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you... H-Hal," she stuttered, a bit too timidly for her liking.

"It's all right. You're not disturbing anyone," he assured her while still smiling.

Who would've known that this 'Louen' dude was this much of a gentleman?

Perhaps, everyone in class but her.

Despite being classmates for two years now, Eli didn't really exert any effort in getting to know him, but she did learn by observing and interacting with him occasionally.

Hal is pretty much average.

He gets along well with all of their classmates and easily fits in the crowd. The girls in their class sometimes label him as a cool person. Like the others, he belongs to a circle of male friends. His grades are also mediocre. Moreover, despite this guy's short stature, he's surprisingly very athletic.

"Claes?" he called after a moment of silence, halting Eli's silent background checking.

"About earlier... Are you okay?"

It's like a bomb being dropped, though he sounds nothing but genuine.

Out of all people, it had to be someone in class who saw her like that. Eli really wants to dig a hole right now and bury herself alive. Getting swallowed by the earth is acceptable, too.

No, screw the earth, she should just really summon a black hole right now.

Blood crawled up to her pale face and small beads of sweat formed on her forehead. The flustered girl fidgets on her seat, letting the quietude stretch on until a pin can be heard dropping.

"W-Whatever could you mean?" she feigned innocence, yet her fake, wobbly smile gave her away.

"You sounded like you've been through something bad," he answered, concern laced in his voice.

Eli then paused and gave him a look.

Hal asked in such a sincere way that it almost seemed like she looked fragile in his eyes and would break into pieces the moment he said it. Scratching the back of his head like a boy who just did something he shouldn't have, he looked like he's truly worried for her.

Eli reacted with disbelief since she didn't expect to see such a sight. She then pursed her lips, thin eyebrows scrunched together as she scrutinized her classmate.

"It's not a big deal, really..." she started.

She then clamped her hands together, head stooped low, as she tried to figure out what to say next. At that moment, two options are weighing heavily on her mind – either to escape this situation she made herself or to open up to someone who's willing to lend an ear.

Hal noticed Eli's shrinking figure, slowly getting smaller and smaller than it already is. He then walked closer and lightly patted her shoulder, making her look up to him in surprise.

"It doesn't look like that, though."

Several minutes after this momentous exchange, Eli suddenly found herself munching on sweets.

Maybe the cookies are just so divine that she turns her focus on how they grace her taste buds instead, or perhaps, the macaroons are just so sweet that she forgot how bitter she was feeling earlier.

Indeed, eating is such a wonderful escape from one's despair, especially when the food's free. She continued to bite and chew in bliss, eyes sometimes dramatically closing in pleasure.

All the while, Hal just watched her with amusement.

"It's good that they lifted your mood somehow," he voiced out with a smirk.

"Why wouldn't they? They're sweets...! And they're free!" Eli cheerfully enthused as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, earning a chuckle from him.

"I'm glad I could help even though you really didn't tell me your problem in the end."

Actually, the sweets are better than running her mouth and getting depressed all over again.

She didn't really feel uncomfortable in talking it out, but then, her stomach gave out a loud growl just before she turned into a drama queen in front of him. It's the second time she felt her cheeks heat up like a teakettle that day.

She was so embarrassed that she just covered her face and silently cursed whatever kind of prank that fate was pulling on her today.

Fortunately, Hal is such an understanding and considerate person. He left her for a moment and before she knew it, he offered her a tray of various kinds of delectable snacks like some kind of a sweets fairy.

"If you're not used to receiving something out of nowhere, then just think of this as a reward for your hard work on the exams," he said when she just looked at the delightful sight in surprise and bafflement.

Of course, she wouldn't decline such an amazing treat.

That led to the present situation where she's joyously chomping on a donut with dry chocolate syrup and rainbow-coloured toppings.

"Thank you for these, Hal. Oh, you can just call me Eli," she managed to say even with her mouth full.

"Well then, Eli, you actually act like a normal teenager, huh?" he mused out of nowhere, making her stop chewing for a moment. Her shoulders slightly slumped as she tried to evade his gaze.

"What do you mean?" she asked, disheartened, making Hal flinch for a second.

"Oh, I didn't mean anything particular by it. It's just that you always stand out like some kind of a genius or something, which I think you're probably not. You can't really judge a book by its cover, you know," he reasoned.

Eli gave him a look for the second time that day.

She then found him staring at her as if he's reading an open book. There's no mockery in his expression, but a look of reminiscing was what she started to see as he continued talking.

"Actually, I always see you here in the library. You seem to like reading a lot. While everybody else had gone home already, you'd always stay here and read. That's why I wasn't surprised when I saw you again before exams. For a genius, you sure were studying really hard," Hal explained as an image of Eli, face buried in a book, crouching down in intense focus flashed through his mind.

She should've felt like tearing up for finally being appreciated - not because of how smart she is, but because of how hard she worked all this time.

She should've felt like thanking him with immense happiness for finally being noticed that way, or perhaps, she should've felt grateful or flustered, at the very least.

Really, she should've.

But what came out of her mouth was, "Are you stalking me?"

At that, Hal only gave Eli an incredulous, deadpan look in reply.

"Then why do you know that?" she asked in confusion.

"I'm the library assistant, you know."

"Oh, you're the- Wait, what?"

Hal, a student sought after by every sports department in Canaan Private Academy.

A second year who had beaten a group of seniors in a basketball trial game all by his own.

A consistent MVP during the school's annual Sports Festival.

A highschooler scouted by several sports agencies outside the campus.

A promising athlete with a bright future in that expertise.

Now that Eli thinks about it, Hal isn't really that average.

He actually has something he excels at, but it's quickly overshadowed by his carefree lifestyle and outgoing personality.

Even so, the library is something like a close relative of academics and studying. There's no strenuous activity here where you can kick a ball or have a long sprint. It's just about plopping your butt on a chair, a book in hand all day.

Sports, on the other hand, is more in the non-academic category where one is bound to get physically exhausted.

An athlete as a librarian – plausible, since Hal does exist.

"So, you're telling me that you're a mere librarian?" Eli asked with an incredulous look.

"Yep...! Isn't that awesome?" he cheerfully responded.

"Huh? Why?!" she questioned, banging her clenched fists on the table.

"What why?" he repeated while innocently tilting his head on the side.

"No, I mean, aren't you supposed to be in the Soccer Club or something?"

"Hmmmm... to be honest, I'm not really into that kind of thing. Those persistent club presidents do annoy me, though. That's why I'm using this library assistant thingy as an excuse," he mused in such a playful tone that he almost sounded like a child explaining why he chose Literature as his favourite subject despite liking PE the most.

"You're unbelievable," she deadpanned.

"Enough about me. Why do you love reading, then?" he questioned, changing the topic.

"O-Oh... I just..." she trailed off, hesitating for a moment.

By then, Eli realized that it's either of these two – Hal having a talent on catching her off guard with what was supposed to be genuine curiosity or her being too sensitive about everything that involves her.

Once again, she remembers the scene inside the classroom earlier, but this time, it's followed by flashes of distant memories –

That time when her childhood friends never showed themselves before her again.

That moment when the other children would gossip about her looks.

And even that day when nobody congratulated her for winning a writing contest.

Ever since becoming a scholar, what was supposed to be an achievement became an expectation of her, and she couldn't really help but feel crestfallen by that thought.

"Books are just better companions than people, I guess," Eli finally continued after a short pause, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.