“Sorry, Junior Sister, I really didn't do it on purpose.”
Greg reached out, pulled Victoria up from the ground, and casually brushed the dust off her clothes.
“Junior sister?”
Their respective roommates voiced their curiosity almost simultaneously.
Kayla tilted her head slightly, her gaze shifting back and forth between Greg and Victoria, while Adele also wore an intrigued expression.
Rom scratched the back of his head, looking at Greg with utter confusion.
Greg had no choice but to explain, “Since Victoria and I share the same instructor, she's technically my junior sister. Sometimes I just call her that.”
The others nodded in sudden realization.
Victoria, however, added with a look of sheer disgust, “If I had known I'd end up stuck with this guy, I'd rather not have an instructor at all!”
Greg immediately put on a hurt expression. “Junior Sister, how can you say that? Have you already forgotten the countless trials and tribulations we overcame together in the lab?”
“Then let me ask you,” Victoria said, crossing her arms and glaring at him with sharp eyes, “who exactly brought those trials and tribulations upon us in the first place?”
Greg didn't even blink. “That's not important. What matters is—we overcame them together!”
“But why do I recall someone abandoning me and running away once?”
Greg: “...”
Kayla and Adele watched the two banter back and forth, unable to resist exchanging a look.
Although one was constantly tearing down walls and the other was constantly rebuilding them, they could both tell that the two actually had a very good relationship.
That rhythmic, tacit bickering and familiar way of interacting was definitely not something people who disliked each other could fake.
At the same time, because of the close proximity, Kayla and Adele were once again struck by Greg's good looks.
When they had seen him from afar, they only thought he was a handsome guy, but standing close to him now, his sharp, chiseled face looked as if it had been meticulously sculpted by a deity.
They couldn't help but sigh in their hearts: only someone like him could possibly be worthy of their roommate.
In their eyes, a beautiful girl of Victoria's caliber belonged with a handsome guy like Greg. They looked like a match made in heaven!
They glanced at each other, subtle smiles playing on their lips—they couldn't help but want to ship them.
On the other side, Rom and Corwin were equally stunned by Victoria's beauty.
It took them several seconds to snap out of it, and they simultaneously looked at Greg, their eyes filled with a sense of admiration, treating him like their ultimate role model.
Combining this with Greg's previous mention of “she dislikes me quite a bit,” they immediately determined that this must be the girl Greg liked!
After all, the two of them were just too good-looking together!
Thus, to help his companion and to make the planned triple date a reality, Rom decided to take the lead and set an example.
He took a step forward, a bright grin on his face, and greeted Kayla first:
“Kayla, what a coincidence. Are you guys out shopping too?”
Kayla nodded and politely replied, “Yeah, since we'll be busy once the exchange officially starts, we're taking the opportunity to relax.”
Rom seized the opportunity to say, “Right, speaking of relaxing, we're planning to hang out during the Imperial Festival after the exchange ends. Would you guys like to join us then?”
Kayla was outgoing, and this wasn't the first time Rom had invited her out, so she didn't show much hesitation and simply replied with a smile:
“I don't mind, but I can't make decisions for my roommates. It depends on whether they want to go.”
Hearing this, Rom immediately turned his gaze to Corwin, gesturing for him to make his move.
Feeling Rom's encouraging look, Corwin took a deep breath, as if summoning all the courage he had ever possessed, and stepped forward to stand before Adele.
His face flushed bright red, and his voice trembled noticeably, but he still managed to deliver his invitation:
“U-Um... Adele... if it's convenient... on the day of the festival... would you like to... go together...?”
Adele was slightly taken aback.
Although she and Corwin were from the same academy, they didn't have much interaction, and her impression of him was limited to “a quiet boy.”
But right now, seeing this boy summon his courage to invite her despite being so embarrassed his ears were red, she fell silent for a moment before nodding gently:
“...Sure.”
Corwin looked as if a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He let out a long sigh of relief, his face a complex mixture of relief and absolute ecstasy.
...
Now, the pressure was on Greg.
He could clearly feel Rom and Corwin's gazes locked onto him, filled with brotherly expectation.
Although he didn't know exactly what they were thinking, Greg knew very well that if he invited Victoria right now, given her personality, she would definitely shoot him down instantly with some biting sarcasm, throw in a few sarcastic remarks, and cause him to suffer social death on the spot.
But feeling the expectant gazes of his two roommates behind him, Greg braced himself and walked over to Victoria.
He carefully weighed his words and spoke in as natural a tone as possible:
“Um... Victoria, why don't you join us when the time comes?”
Victoria kept her arms crossed, her gray eyes staring straight at him without saying a word.
Greg couldn't help but swallow. He was already prepared to be rejected, and had even formulated an excuse in his mind to smooth things over.
However, after a brief silence, Victoria merely sighed and said in a somewhat helpless tone:
“...Then you're paying.”
Although she didn't give a direct answer, the implication of her response was already crystal clear.
Greg stared blankly, completely unexpected that Victoria would actually save his face at a time like this.
He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Rom and Corwin had already slung their arms around his shoulders from both sides, slapping his back hard while cheering and teasing him.
Their antics gave Greg the illusion that he hadn't just successfully invited her on a date, but had actually pulled off a successful love confession.
From the side, Kayla quietly glanced at Victoria, who had already turned her face away—the tips of her ears seemed to be flushed with a faint blush.
Kayla withdrew her gaze, cleared her throat, and timely reminded them:
“But don't forget, until the exchange is over, our primary focus must still be the exchange. Don't put the cart before the horse.”
Rom immediately patted his chest in reassurance. “Of course! We'll all do our best during the exchange!”
The group felt a bit more anticipation for the upcoming exchange.
Although Greg hadn't originally planned on this, at this moment, he had to admit—he was indeed looking forward to it a little more now.
Rate on N.U.
