Then she let out a small laugh, surprised and amused, when she caught the faint flush on Arthur's face. It wasn't much, just a hint of pink dusting his cheeks, but it looked wildly out of place on someone usually so cold and composed.
He looks… cute, she thought with a tiny, startled flutter in her chest.
"I'm going now," she added, her voice lighter.
Arthur gave the slightest nod, the embarrassment already tucked back beneath his usual calm expression.
With one last wave, Nnenna turned and walked into the Academy, her steps no longer weighed down by nerves, but lifted by a quiet, unexpected sense of peace.
Arthur watched silently as Nnenna disappeared into the Academy building. The large doors closed behind her, but her smile lingered in his mind, bright, genuine… softening.
Just driving her to school… just asking how she felt… made her smile like that?
He gripped the wheel loosely, thinking.
Would Ava… have smiled too?
