Two weeks later, Lena, having completely forgotten about the matter, found herself heading to Alaric’s house.
It was the same familiar yard. The maple tree in the garden was still standing tall, its leaves starting to change color. She had been here once before, back in middle school, when a group project paired her with him by sheer bad luck. She had spent an entire afternoon here with a few classmates working on the assignment.
That day wasn’t unpleasant, but what caught her attention back then...
“Creak.” The door opened, interrupting her memory. A fresh, clean scent wafted out as Alaric appeared, dressed casually. His hair was unstyled, with his bangs naturally falling over his forehead—it looked like he had just taken a shower, which gave him a boyish charm that matched his age.
L
