Poor Emily!

Tyson returned home after what was undoubtedly the strangest vacation of his life. From the beginning, something felt off, but he could never have guessed that his brother would get engaged—especially since Alex had no idea it was coming.

Tyson felt relieved; now, there was someone Alex could rely on. He needed someone to look after him and see the good in people. There was no one better than Seraphina for him.

She was smart and could manage him well, but those old guys succeeded in their plans. 

"That old man must have planned this the instant he invited us to his farmhouse," Tyson muttered, gazing at the ceiling as he lay stretched out on his bed.

His eyes drifted to the artificially glinting stars he had painstakingly affixed to the concrete surface above. They reminded him of the real deal—beautiful, yet distant like everything he had felt lately.

"Anyway, why is she upset with me?" His gaze shifted to his phone, where his unanswered messages stared back at him. He had sent several since returning, but Nancy had only read them and never replied.

Tyson sighed, frustration rising within him. Was she upset about something? Was it something he had said?

"I'll talk to her tomorrow at school," he resolved, closing his weary eyes, even though sleep didn't come easily.

---

Tyson sprinted as fast as he could, his bag bouncing wildly on his back. He was late—again—but this time, he had a good reason for wanting to arrive early. He needed to talk to Nancy.

"I'm here!" he shouted as he slid open the classroom door, his voice echoing. All eyes turned to him, a mix of surprise and amusement on their faces.

The teacher, who had been writing on the board, stopped mid-sentence as his expression darkened. "Tyson! Five laps around the field—now!" he barked, flinging a piece of chalk in Tyson's direction.

"On it, sir!" With a grin, Tyson caught the chalk in mid-air, tossing his bag to the girl closest to the door. As he headed out, he glanced briefly at Nancy, hoping she would notice. "Take care of this until I'm back,"

The classroom buzzed with whispers as Tyson vanished down the hall.

"Oh my gosh," one girl whispered to her friend, gripping the bag. "I have his bag!"

"Do you think something interesting is there? Should we take a look?" her friend whispered back, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Nancy sat quietly in her seat, noticing the growing commotion. The girls giggled as they rifled through Tyson's bag, pulling out a small jewelry box.

"Is this... ?" one of the girls gasped, holding up the box.

Nancy's heart skipped a beat. Could it be for me? she wondered, her surprise quickly morphing into irritation as the girls poked through Tyson's belongings.

The teacher continued the lesson, unaware of the whispered chaos. Nancy, however, couldn't pull her eyes away from the nosy girls. Eventually, she had had enough.

Without a word, she stood up abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. The entire class, including the teacher, froze as she strode across the room. Approaching the girls' desks, Nancy swiftly grabbed Tyson's bag and the scattered items in a firm motion.

"Mind your own business," she said icily, her voice slicing through the silence.

The girls stared at her, amazed, as Nancy walked back to her seat with her head held high.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with even the teacher momentarily at a loss for words.

Nancy set Tyson's bag beside her, her expression inscrutable as she concentrated on the lesson. But beneath the surface, she questioned what Tyson had in mind—whether that little box contained the answer.

Nancy ignored Tyson all morning, not even glancing in his direction. Her cold demeanor left him feeling confused and uncomfortable. By the time the bell rang for the mid-break, he had had enough of her silent treatment.

Dragging his chair to her desk, Tyson plopped down in front of her with a determined look.

"What's happening with you?" he inquired, gesturing around her. "Why do you appear so distant all of a sudden?"

"Don't talk to me," Nancy said sharply, avoiding his gaze.

"Why?"

"Why? How dare you ask me that?" she snapped, swatting his shoulder. "First, you made me feel like an idiot, and now—"

She halted, biting her lip, her voice wavering.

Tyson tilted his head, studying her. "What are you talking about?" he asked, genuinely confused.

Nancy opened her mouth to respond but quickly shut it again. She didn't know why she was this upset. Yes, Tyson was her boyfriend, but the sight of those girls touching his things and Seraphina's name stirred something unexpected—a pang of jealousy she wasn't sure how to handle.

"Just… go to hell!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms and turning away from him.

"It's 'go home,'" Tyson quipped with a mischievous grin. "Your home. Remember? Your mom invited me over for dinner tonight."

Nancy's head whipped around to him, her cheeks turning a deep pink. "W-What? She… she did?"

Tyson chuckled. "You don't remember? She invited me over a video call. You were there, and it seemed like she wanted us to spend more time together."

Nancy's heart raced. In the whirlwind of her emotions, she had forgotten entirely about her mom's invitation. The reality of Tyson meeting her mother tonight struck her like a ton of bricks.

"Y-You don't have to come," she stammered, nervously fidgeting with the pages of her notebook. "I mean, it's so sudden. You shouldn't feel obligated or anything..."

"You don't want me to meet your mom?" Tyson asked, leaning in slightly, his grin growing wider.

"N-No! I mean, yes! I mean—ugh, I don't know!" Nancy groaned, burying her face in the notebook.

She couldn't understand why the idea of Tyson meeting her mom made her feel so flustered. Was it because her mom was already viewing Tyson as her future son-in-law? Or was it because, deep down, Nancy was beginning to see him that way too?

Tyson chuckled gently, reclining in his chair. "You know, you look really cute when you're nervous."

Nancy glared at him between her fingers, her face still flushed. "I'm not nervous!"

"Sure, sure," Tyson said with a knowing smile. "Just ensure your mom likes me. First impressions matter, right?"

Nancy groaned again, attempting to conceal the small smile that threatened to break through her flustered expression.

"Hello! There are other people here, you know," Emily interrupted with a theatrical yawn. She had been observing their exchange with barely concealed amusement.

Nancy and Tyson turned to her as if they had just realized she was present.

"Now that I have your attention," Emily said, leaning back in her chair with a grin, "can we discuss something other than your cute little drama? I'm starving. Let's go get something to eat."

"Sure, why not?" Tyson said, getting up and stretching. "My treat. Let's go."

---

Later in the afternoon, the trio exited the school together.

Tyson stretched his arms high above his head and let out a deep yawn. "Man, I'm sleepy."

Nancy glanced at him with concern, her thoughts spiraling. The idea of Tyson meeting her mother later kept replaying in her mind. How would it go? Would her mom like him? What if something went wrong?

"Nancy?" Emily called, pulling her bike along. "Hello? I've been talking to you! Why do you think Tyson treated us earlier?"

Tyson walked before them, chuckling to himself with a sense of pride.

Nancy blinked, pulling herself out of her thoughts. "Uh… I'm not sure," she mumbled absentmindedly. 

"Ha! See? You two can't even guess!" Tyson turned back with a smug grin. "Because Alex got engaged yesterday."

Nancy's heart skipped a beat. Alex got engaged? That was so sudden. Her gaze shifted to Tyson, her mind drifting to the small box she had seen earlier today. Tyson also brought something with him… Could it be…?

A wave of nervousness washed over her chest. Her heart raced as her mind whirled with possibilities. What could that mean? For them? for her? 

Tyson glanced at Nancy. "Hey, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Nancy shook her head quickly, dismissing her overwhelming emotions. "I'm fine," she muttered, but her flushing cheeks revealed her true feelings.

"Good. Then how about—" Tyson halted his eyes moving to Emily. "Emily?"

Nancy turned to look and froze. Emily's carefree demeanor had disappeared, replaced by worry and pain, and her lips trembled as she bit them to suppress her tears. Finally, she met Tyson's gaze, "Did he?"

Tyson and Nancy exchanged bewildered looks. Ever the vibrant, easygoing one, Emily was now on the brink of tears. 

"Are you okay, Emily?" Nancy stepped forward. "Talk to me, please."

Emily shook her head, gripping the handlebars of her bike tightly. "Leave me alone. I'll be fine," she choked out before turning and running off, dragging her cycle behind her.

"Emily, wait—" Nancy called, but the girl didn't stop.

"What just happened?" Tyson inquired,

Nancy sighed softly, her gaze fixed on where Emily had vanished. "I think… she really liked Alex."

Tyson's jaw clenched as the realization set in. "Alex? I thought she was just... you know, a fangirl."

Nancy slowly shook her head. "No, Tyson. I believe he meant a lot more to her. She must have cared about him deeply because he wasn't just an idol."

Tyson rubbed the back of his neck as a heavy wave of guilt washed over him. "I'm such an idiot. We've been friends since middle school, and I had no idea she felt that way."

Nancy gave a gentle, understanding smile, eager to alleviate his guilt. "It's not always easy to recognize what someone is concealing, even when you are close. Perhaps after she has had some time to cool off, we could speak with her."

Tyson nodded with a tinge of frustration on his face. "Yeah, we should. She deserves that much."