The Great Fluster: How to Panic in Close Quarters

…

"Hold her close, Arion. She will be of great help to you," Shera said inside Arion's mind with great zeal.

'What do you mean?' Arion thought, flabbergasted. 'Hold her close like what?'

His mind couldn't help but begin to spiral into a myriad of meanings, each more ridiculous than the last.

"She had a star that aligned perfectly with you. Make her yours!" Shera insisted, her excitement palpable.

'Huh…' Arion turned speechless at what Shera had just added and what she wanted him to do. "What do you mean by 'make her yours'?" he thought, his brain still trying to catch up.

"Well, the literal meaning of it, of course. Like, take her as your partner. Together, you two will be an unstoppable force," Shera explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Finally grasping what Shera meant, Arion heaved a complicated sigh. "Can you not say something so misleading next time?" he thought, exasperated.

"What??? What did I say???" Shera replied, genuinely confused as if she had just suggested he wear socks with sandals.

Meanwhile, outside of Arion's mind, Nesa looked at him, who was in a daze, gazing at her with empty eyes.

She waved her hands in front of his face, "Hello, I'm asking you here. If you think it was a joke, forget it."

Subsequently, she turned to leave, wanting to escape the awkwardness that hung in the air.

"Wait." Arion swiftly took her hand.

And the moment his fingers wrapped around hers, it succeeded in making her quite flustered, as if a rabbit were jumping around inside her chest.

"I actually," he said, getting closer to her, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "I actually believe you. But we need to talk about it as quietly as possible. I think it was something special since no one other than us saw it that night."

"Uh-huh," Nesa replied, her mind still distracted, wide-eyed as she looked at Arion's face, which was now alarmingly close to hers.

But a second later, she snapped back to reality, startled by what Arion had just said. Processing it clearly this time, she exclaimed in excitement, "You said you believe me? So, I am not the only one that…"

Before she could finish, Arion clamped a hand over her mouth, his other hand gesturing for her to lower her voice. "Susshh!" he hissed, glancing around nervously.

Nesa's face turned even redder as she felt his hand on her lips. Arion, on the other hand, was internally panicking. 'Why is her face so soft? Why is this making me nervous?!'

Clearing his throat awkwardly, he slowly removed his hand from her face, trying to ignore the way his heart was racing.

"I think we need to tone our voices down since it means we two are the only people who saw it. You surely don't want to be branded as mad by others, right?" he said, his tone serious.

Deep inside, Arion really wanted to tell her, 'Girl, you actually have so many enemies among females. What did you do that made them spread the rumor about you being a mad, crazy girl?' He recalled a time when another girl had tried to hit on him, sharing all sorts of gossip, and one of the juicy tidbits was about Nesa.

Honestly, it confused him as to what that had to do with him. He really disliked gossip or anything of the sort, especially when someone talked badly about others behind their backs. Who knew if it was right or not? He had experienced it once in school before the academy, where his name was smeared like some kind of smelly rotten cheese.

And even though none of that was true, since a lot of people talked about it, it became some sort of reality to them.

"Yeah, you're right," Nesa finally responded to Arion's suggestion, her enthusiasm bubbling over. "It was really beautiful, you know. There was a bright light in the direction of your male dorms. I also heard those creatures were burned to ashes out of nowhere. It seems that white light was there to help us. Some kind of spell, perhaps. Who knows?"

"Yeah, it's indeed beautiful," Arion agreed, trying to keep his cool. "Don't forget, I was there, enveloped by that white light. It felt warm… like a cozy blanket, except, you know, magical and less itchy."

Nesa raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. "A cozy blanket? Really? That's your poetic description of such divine intervention? You're such a nerd, Arion."

"Hey, don't knock it till you've been wrapped in one," Arion shot back, crossing his arms. "It's like being hugged by the universe. Not that you'd know, Miss 'I-slap-people-in-the-face-for-fun.'"

"Excuse me," Nesa said, mock-offended, "those slaps were justice. And besides, I don't see you complaining about my slapping skills when it got me on that platform with Miss Bella."

Arion chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, I remember. You looked like a deer caught in headlights up there. I thought you were going to faint."

"Well, I didn't, did I?" Nesa shot back, sticking her tongue out. "And you, Mr. Model Student, came up to me afterward like some kind of knight in shining armor, giving me a thumbs-up. I mean, who even does that? A thumbs-up? What are you, a dad from the 90s?"

Arion shrugged, his smirk growing. "Hey, it worked, didn't it? You looked like you were about to combust from happiness."

Nesa rolled her eyes but couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. "Okay, fine. I was happy. But only because you were, like, the academy's golden boy back then. Being acknowledged by you was like… I don't know, winning a prize or something."

"Wow," Arion said, pretending to be offended. "So, I'm just a prize to you? I feel so objectified."

"Don't flatter yourself," Nesa shot back, grinning. "You're more like… a participation trophy."

The two continued their conversation, their laughter echoing softly in the quiet corner of the academy grounds.

It was a surprising moment for both of them.

Nesa, in particular, rarely had someone to talk to. Her social circle was limited to one friend in a different class and a few others from the orphanage. She had once been close to a trio of girls in her dorm, but that friendship had ended disastrously.

She still remembered the day she overheard them talking behind her back, calling her a "slut" and other disgusting stuff. The betrayal had stung deeply.

She was so angry at that time that she decided to slap them each in the face. And it resulted in her being…

Praised and even brought on the platform in front of all the students, by Miss Arabella who called out all the students who were bullies, or those who only knew how to gossip without focusing on the lesson in the academy.

It also became her first interaction with Arion when she stood awkwardly, feeling both sheepish and vindicated, beside Miss Arabella with her compassionate, fiery speech that left the entire student body silent.

After the line of students in the weekly ceremony was dismissed, Arion came to the front, then went to give her thumbs up, and said, "You are such a champ girl."

At the time, Nesa had been unable to contain her happiness and giddiness. Arion was the model student, the one everyone in the academy admired. He was brilliant, athletic, and disciplined – a shining example of what every student aspired to be.

Being praised and acknowledged by him had been a gleeful occasion for her. She had always considered herself "dumb," barely passing her monthly written tests.

That moment had planted the first seed of fondness in her heart, though she hadn't been aware of it yet.

Arion, on the other hand, was a nerd through and through. He spent most of his time studying, much to the amazement – and occasional horror – of his roommate. His diligence was unmatched, and he was used to being alone.

Despite his reserved nature, he was well-known in the academy, and many girls had tried to get his attention.

Some had attempted to seduce him with subtle touches, while others had been bold enough to sit on his lap. But Arion, shy and reserved, always found a way to escape before his hormonal instincts could betray him.

He would mutter something about needing to study and bolt from the room, leaving the girls bewildered. His reasoning was simple: relationships were distractions, and he couldn't afford to lose focus.

He was a poor orphan, and while others believed in his potential, he was constantly wary of the risks that came with success.

He had read countless books on philosophy – though some of them quite disagreeable for him, nevertheless, it still shaped many of his views on relationships and responsibility.

He frowned upon casual relationships that lacked a strong foundation, and he was particularly critical of those who had children without understanding the consequences. Having grown up in an orphanage, he had seen firsthand the pain of abandonment and didn't want to contribute to that cycle.

The thought of a child being labeled a "mistake" was something he couldn't tolerate.

Despite their differences, Arion and Nesa found themselves locked in long conversations that often strayed into unexpected territory. They talked about everything and nothing, their words occasionally straying into funny tangents.

"So," Nesa said, leaning forward with a mischievous grin, "What's the deal with you running away from girls all the time? Are you allergic to them or something?"

Arion groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not like that. I just… I don't want to deal with the drama, you know? Plus, some of them are terrifying. There was one time a girl sat on my lap directly. Do you know how hard it is to escape from that without looking like a complete idiot?"

Nesa burst out laughing. "Oh, come on! You're telling me the great Arion, the academy's golden boy, can't handle a little attention?"

"Hey, I can handle attention," Arion protested, crossing his arms. "I just prefer it when it doesn't involve physical ambushes. Besides, I have priorities. Like studying. And not dying of embarrassment."

"Sure, sure," Nesa teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Keep telling yourself that, Mr. Priorities."

Their banter continued, light and easy, and for the first time in a long while, both of them felt a sense of connection. It was the start of something – whether it was friendship or something more, neither of them could say.

But for now, it was enough.