Chapter 26: FINN. Shameless display of love

Aaron continued observing the blue-haired girl.

At first glance, she looked like someone who had been heavily sheltered all her life. The kind of girl who had probably never held a sword, let alone participated in an actual fight.

She looked... delicate.

Her composed demeanor, coupled with her rather refined appearance, gave off the impression of someone who had little experience with the harsher aspects of the world.

Aaron raised an eyebrow.

’Wait.’

He suddenly noticed something.

Just like him and Natasha, the girl wasn’t wearing the uniform of any academy. Instead, she was dressed in a pair of long black leather trousers and a loose blouse that complemented her slender figure.

Aaron examined her for another moment. He didn’t know who she was, but one thing was certain.

Her presence here meant she wasn’t ordinary. Looks could be deceiving, after all.

And considering the nature of the Awakening ceremony, nobody without a legitimate reason would simply be allowed to participate.

He was still regarding the blue-haired girl when—

BUMP!

Someone suddenly collided with him.

The impact was unexpected enough to throw him off balance, causing him to stumble sideways. Before he could completely lose his footing, a small hand immediately grabbed his wrist.

"What are you? A child? Why fall like that?"

A rather childish voice exclaimed.

Aaron turned his head.

Standing beside him was a short, black-haired boy with a surprisingly small stature. His appearance was so unremarkable that Aaron initially wondered how someone so small could have produced enough force to throw him off balance.

Successfully regaining his footing, Aaron stared at the boy with an irritated expression before snatching his wrist away.

"You suddenly ran into me! Of course I’d stumble!"

The boy tilted his head.

His childish face carried an uncertain expression, as though he genuinely couldn’t understand what Aaron was complaining about.

"Uhmm... I was walking. Not running."

’What!?’

Aaron stared at him again.

’How can a boy this small be so heavy?’

He couldn’t quite understand it.

The boy was considerably shorter and smaller than him. Logically, he shouldn’t have felt much of an impact from such a collision. Yet, somehow, he had nearly fallen.

A slight flush of embarrassment crept across Aaron’s face, but he did his best to conceal it.

He wasn’t about to let some little brat make a fool of him.

"Then you walked into me. Aren’t you supposed to apologize?" He declared, putting on an offended expression.

A playful smile immediately appeared on the little boy’s face.

"Are you trying to make me forget that a simple collision was enough to send you stumbling?"

Aaron’s expression stiffened.

’This little rascal is still teasing me after all.’

He frowned, tightening his grip. He was beginning to find the boy rather annoying.

However, before he could come up with an appropriate response, a familiar voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"I left you alone for a moment and you’re already having problems."

Aaron sharply turned around.

His frown deepened as he stared at Natasha.

"Why the hell are you talking like you’re my babysitter? We both know it’s the other way around."

Natasha flinched in surprise.

"Wha—What would you say something like that in public for? I... I was just trying to help."

Aaron stared at her blankly.

"You’re not helping. And where are your upperclassmen friends?"

Natasha’s expression changed.

She awkwardly averted her gaze, her fingers fidgeting slightly.

"Uhmm... Turns out they see me as a burden. They ignored me after finding out I’m not from a powerful family."

Aaron gave her a blank look.

’At least they didn’t try to use you.’

In a gathering filled with students from different academies, family backgrounds and social standing were bound to matter. It was hardly surprising that some students would be more interested in associating with influential families than making genuine friends.

Still, he couldn’t help but find Natasha’s initial enthusiasm rather amusing.

She had approached them with such confidence, only to discover that her prospective friendships weren’t particularly interested in her.

Aaron was about to make another remark when he suddenly remembered something.

The short rascal!

He turned his head back, intending to continue their little exchange.

But...

’Huh?’

Where did he go?

The boy had disappeared.

Aaron blinked.

He glanced to his left, then to his right, and even looked behind him.

Nothing.

’Did he just leave?’

His brows furrowed. He hadn’t even noticed when the little rascal disappeared. However, just as he was about to dismiss the matter, something caught his attention.

A familiar patch of black hair. Aaron slowly turned his head...

And there he was.

The short black-haired boy was now holding both of Natasha’s hands, with one knee firmly pressed against the ground.

’...What?’ Aaron paused.

For a moment, he just simply stared.

The boy was gazing affectionately into Natasha’s eyes, wearing an expression so sincere that anyone unfamiliar with his personality might have mistaken him for a hopeless romantic.

Then he began speaking:

"Your beauty is a kind I have never seen before. Your lovely dark eyes and smooth black hair are the kind that can only belong to a goddess. Your fair, smooth skin possesses the power to awaken the deepest desires of any man—"

Aaron’s face twisted.

’What the hell?’

He stared at the boy in disbelief.

"What the hell are you spewing?"

The boy completely ignored him.

"...So, please, do this eligible bachelor a favor by giving him all of you."

There was a long stretch of Silence .

For a brief moment, Natasha didn’t seem to know how to respond.

Her smile had become increasingly awkward, and her eyes darted around as she noticed the curious glances coming from the surrounding students. She gently attempted to withdraw her hands.

However, the boy’s grip remained firm.

Interestingly, the closer her hands came to leaving his grasp, the more dejected his expression became.

It was almost as though someone was slowly tearing his heart apart.

After a few seconds of struggling, Natasha finally managed to free both hands.

She hesitated. Her lips parted slightly, before she finally gathered enough courage to respond.

"Sorry. I’m not ready or... interested in such things."

The boy froze.

His expression went completely blank.

For a moment, he remained on one knee, staring at Natasha as though he hadn’t properly processed what she had just said.

Then—

He clutched his chest with both hands.

"NOOOOO!"

His anguished scream echoed across the field.

Several nearby students turned their heads, throwing curious glances in their direction.

Some looked confused.

Others seemed mildly entertained.

A few simply returned to their conversations.

Aaron watched the spectacle with his eyebrows raised.

’That’s an exaggerated display of heartbreak.’

He couldn’t decide whether the boy was genuinely disappointed or simply putting on a performance.

Either way, it was ridiculous.

He let out a quiet sigh and shifted his gaze away from the little rascal.

His attention returned to Damien.

And that was when he noticed something.

His elder brother was already staring at them.

More specifically, Damien seemed to have been watching the entire exchange.

Perhaps the short boy’s rather unconventional approach to romance had caught his attention as well.

Aaron stared at Damien.

And Damien, seemingly sensing his gaze, eventually shifted his attention from the short boy to his direction.

Their eyes met.

It had been three years.

Three whole years since he had last seen his elder brother.