The journey to the academy had been unusually quiet.
Or rather—
one side had been quiet.
Kael had attempted several times to start a conversation.
Each attempt ended the same way.
Ignored.
Not misunderstood.
Not avoided.
Ignored.
Which was somehow worse.
Elior sat beside the window the entire journey, his gaze fixed outside as though the passing scenery was far more interesting than the person sitting opposite him.
Kael had eventually fallen silent.
For the first time in a very long while, he discovered something unfortunate.
Elior's silence was surprisingly loud.
...
By the time they arrived at the academy, classes began shortly afterward.
The morning lessons passed normally.
At least on the surface.
Kael remained his usual self.
Elior remained attentive.
Neither spoke much to the other.
"..."
The afternoon break arrived quietly.
Warm sunlight filtered through the academy courtyard, painting the stone paths in gold.
Students gathered in small groups beneath trees and around tables, enjoying the brief freedom between classes.
At one of the tables near the garden—
Elior sat quietly.
A book rested open before him.
Though in truth, he had not turned a page in quite some time.
Across from him sat Kael.
And unfortunately—
Kael had spent most of the afternoon attempting to repair the damage he had caused earlier.
"Elior."
No response.
"Elior."
Still nothing.
Kael rested his chin against one hand.
"..."
The silence was becoming increasingly unpleasant.
Not because Elior was angry.
Kael could handle anger.
Not because Elior was glaring.
He could handle that too.
The problem was—
Elior was acting perfectly normal.
Just not toward him.
Which somehow felt much worse.
Before Kael could attempt another conversation—
a familiar voice appeared.
"Elior."
Elior immediately looked up.
"Aevrin."
The response came naturally.
Without hesitation.
Without silence.
Kael's eye twitched almost invisibly.
Aevrin noticed.
And nearly smiled.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The black-haired noble sat beside them before placing a beautifully wrapped box onto the table.
"I brought something."
Elior blinked.
"What is it?"
"Open it."
Curiosity won immediately.
The moment Elior lifted the lid—
a pleasant sweet aroma drifted into the air.
Inside were neatly arranged cookies and pastries.
Golden.
Fresh.
Beautifully prepared.
Elior's eyes widened slightly.
"Woah..."
Aevrin looked pleased.
"Try one."
Elior picked up a cookie.
Took a bite.
Then another.
His eyes visibly brightened.
"It's good."
Aevrin smiled.
Elior immediately grabbed another.
"No."
He shook his head.
"It's really good."
The smile on Aevrin's face deepened.
"I'm glad."
For several moments, Elior continued enjoying them happily.
Then Aevrin suddenly spoke.
"It took longer than I expected."
Elior looked up.
"Hm?"
"Making them."
The cookie paused halfway toward Elior's mouth.
Aevrin casually continued.
"Finding the ingredients alone took nearly two weeks."
Elior blinked.
"Two weeks?"
Aevrin nodded.
"One ingredient had to be brought from the northern territories."
"And another was specially ordered."
Elior slowly lowered the cookie.
Aevrin continued naturally.
"The preparation wasn't easy either."
A faint chuckle escaped him.
"I ruined the first batch completely."
"..."
"I nearly ruined the second one too."
"..."
"But eventually they turned out well."
Silence.
Elior stared at the pastries.
Then at Aevrin.
Then back at the pastries.
A small frown appeared.
"...You bought all those ingredients?"
Aevrin shook his head.
"No."
"Then?"
"I made them."
The answer landed heavily.
Elior froze.
"You... made them?"
Aevrin nodded.
"Every one of them."
Silence followed.
Aevrin suddenly felt a strange sense of danger.
Because he recognized that expression.
Unfortunately—
he was correct.
Elior slowly placed the half-eaten cookie back inside the box.
Carefully cleaned his fingers.
Closed the lid.
Then picked up the entire box.
"A-Ah?"
Before Aevrin could react—
Elior stood up.
Walked around the table.
And placed the box directly into Aevrin's hands.
"...Elior?"
Elior looked genuinely troubled.
"I think I owe you an apology."
Aevrin sighed internally.
There it is.
"What for?"
"You should have told me earlier."
"Told you what?"
"That these weren't ordinary pastries."
Aevrin blinked.
Elior continued.
"If I knew the ingredients were difficult to obtain..."
His gaze dropped toward the box.
"And that you spent so much time preparing them..."
A small guilty expression appeared.
"I wouldn't have eaten them so carelessly."
Aevrin stared.
For several seconds.
Then suddenly laughed.
Not mockingly.
Simply because the situation was absurdly Elior.
"Elior."
"Hm?"
"If I wanted someone to admire how expensive they were..."
He lightly tapped the box.
"I would've attached a price tag."
Elior froze.
Aevrin's expression softened.
"I didn't make them for that."
Silence.
"I made them because I wanted you to eat them."
The courtyard suddenly felt quieter.
Elior looked at him.
Aevrin continued.
"If you enjoyed them..."
A small smile appeared.
"Then my effort wasn't wasted."
"..."
"If anything, returning them now would waste my effort."
Elior immediately looked troubled again.
Aevrin almost laughed.
Then, with dramatic sadness, he sighed.
"I suppose throwing them away is the only option."
Immediately—
"No!"
Several nearby students turned around.
Elior's face warmed instantly.
Aevrin fought back a smile.
"No?"
"No throwing them away."
"Why not?"
"Because..."
Elior hesitated.
Then slowly took the box back.
"...Because that would be a waste."
Aevrin nodded seriously.
"I agree."
Elior looked down at the pastries.
His expression softened.
"Thank you."
Aevrin blinked.
"For what?"
"For making them."
A small smile appeared.
"And..."
He glanced at the box.
"They're really good."
For a brief moment—
something warm flickered across Aevrin's eyes.
Every ingredient.
Every failed batch.
Every hour spent learning recipes.
Every bit of effort suddenly felt worthwhile.
Unfortunately—
someone nearby was not enjoying this heartwarming atmosphere.
At all.
Kael had been watching the entire exchange.
Every smile.
Every thank you.
Every moment.
A dangerous calm settled over him.
Then—
a hand suddenly entered the box.
A cookie disappeared.
Crunch.
Both Elior and Aevrin turned.
Kael chewed thoughtfully.
"...Nothing special."
Silence.
Aevrin stared.
Elior stared.
Kael swallowed.
"Too sweet."
Aevrin raised an eyebrow.
"Then don't eat it."
Kael calmly reached for another.
Crunch.
"This one is worse."
"..."
"You just took another."
"I needed confirmation."
Aevrin stared.
Elior stared.
Kael reached for a third.
"This one contains too much sugar."
Crunch.
"What if Elior develops diabetes?"
"...What?"
"He likes sweets."
Kael nodded seriously.
"If he develops diabetes, he won't be able to eat sweets anymore."
Aevrin looked genuinely speechless.
Kael continued.
"I am protecting his future."
Then grabbed another cookie.
Aevrin immediately narrowed his eyes.
"You're eating half the box."
"Investigation requires sacrifice."
"..."
"..."
Nobody knew how to respond to that.
Kael picked up another pastry.
Took a bite.
His eyes brightened very slightly.
Only slightly.
Then he immediately frowned.
"Terrible."
Aevrin laughed.
"That one was your favorite, wasn't it?"
"It was not."
"You looked happy."
"I was disappointed."
"Liar."
Meanwhile—
Elior had finally reached his limit.
"Hmph."
The sound immediately silenced both of them.
Elior hugged the pastry box slightly closer.
Then looked toward Aevrin.
"Aevrin."
"Hm?"
"Don't listen to him."
Kael looked over immediately.
Elior ignored him.
"They're good."
Aevrin smiled.
"They are."
Elior nodded.
"I like them."
Then—
for the first time since morning—
he glanced toward Kael.
Only briefly.
Just long enough.
"Hmph."
And looked away again.
The pastries suddenly tasted far less important.
Because Kael finally realized something.
The thing bothering him today...
Had never been the pastries.
Or Aevrin.
Or even the argument.
It was the fact that Elior's smiles were reaching everyone else.
Except him.
"..."
The afternoon training passed much as it always did.
Sword practice.
Magic practice.
Combat formations.
Partner exercises.
The academy's routine rarely changed.
And usually—
neither did Kael and Elior.
Whenever partners were needed, they naturally ended up together.
Today should have been no different.
Yet when the instructor announced partner training, Kael found himself hesitating slightly.
After all...
Elior was still angry.
At least, Kael believed he was.
After the morning.
After the pastries.
After everything else.
Changing partners would not have been surprising.
Yet when everyone began moving—
Elior simply walked toward him.
Just as he always did.
No hesitation.
No complaint.
No expression.
He simply stood opposite him and drew his practice sword.
"..."
Kael stared for a second.
Elior looked away.
The lesson began.
Throughout the entire afternoon, they remained partners.
They practiced sword forms together.
Sparred.
Exchanged magical attacks during training.
Corrected each other's positioning when required.
Everything happened exactly as it did every day.
Except for one thing.
Elior never spoke.
Not once.
"Your stance is slightly off."
Silence.
"The instructor said left side."
Silence.
"You're using too much mana."
Silence.
Even when Elior clearly struggled with something—
he refused to ask.
Normally he would.
Normally he would look toward Kael.
Ask a question.
Argue.
Complain.
Anything.
Today—
nothing.
And somehow that bothered Kael far more than actual anger would have.
By evening, classes finally ended.
The academy slowly emptied as students returned to their dormitories.
Kael and Elior walked side by side.
Just as they always did.
The familiar path stretched ahead.
The evening breeze drifted through the trees.
Leaves rustled softly overhead.
Yet the silence between them remained.
Heavy.
Unbroken.
Kael suddenly realized something.
The silence had become so long—
that he could hear the wind more clearly than Elior's breathing.
For someone who never minded quiet—
it felt unbearable.
The dormitory buildings slowly came into view.
A little further.
Just a little further.
And they would separate for the night.
The thought made Kael stop walking.
Without thinking—
his hand reached out.
He grabbed Elior's wrist.
Elior blinked.
Before he could react—
Kael pulled him toward a narrow space between two stone walls.
A quiet corner hidden from the main path.
The sudden movement startled Elior.
His back lightly touched the wall.
Kael's arm landed beside him.
Blocking the escape route.
For a moment—
neither spoke.
Elior simply lowered his gaze.
Still refusing to look at him.
"..."
Kael felt strangely nervous.
Ridiculous.
He had faced nobles.
Kings.
Political negotiations.
Life-threatening situations.
Yet this silence was somehow worse.
Slowly—
he released Elior's wrist.
"Elior."
No response.
"Elior..."
Still nothing.
Kael swallowed.
For the first time all day—
he genuinely didn't know what to do.
The silence stretched.
And stretched.
Until finally—
something inside him simply gave up.
His shoulders relaxed.
The stubborn confidence disappeared.
The teasing vanished.
The shameless smile was nowhere to be found.
Slowly—
Kael lowered his head.
And rested it against Elior's shoulder.
"..."
Elior froze.
He could feel Kael's warmth.
Feel his breathing.
Feel the slight weight leaning against him.
Then came a quiet voice.
Small.
Tired.
"I am sorry."
The words were almost swallowed by the evening wind.
Almost.
But Elior heard them clearly.
Every single one.
Kael closed his eyes.
His voice sounded strained.
As though he had been holding something back all day.
Not crying.
Not even close.
Yet there was a helplessness inside those words that Elior had never heard before.
"I shouldn't have done that."
Silence.
"I'm sorry."
Another pause.
"I know I was annoying."
Elior almost smiled.
Almost.
Kael continued.
Still leaning against his shoulder.
Still keeping his eyes closed.
"I know you're angry."
The corner of Elior's mouth twitched.
Angry?
Not anymore.
Truthfully—
he had stopped being angry hours ago.
The moment Kael first apologized.
That had already been enough.
Kael simply didn't know it.
And somehow—
watching him struggle like this was becoming increasingly difficult.
A tiny smile appeared on Elior's lips.
Faint.
Small.
Hidden from Kael's view.
Unfortunately—
Kael couldn't see it.
Which meant he continued misunderstanding everything.
"...Elior."
No answer.
"I am really sorry."
Still nothing.
Kael's heart sank.
Then, almost unconsciously—
he rubbed his forehead lightly against Elior's shoulder.
Like a puppy trying to earn forgiveness.
"..."
Elior nearly lost the battle right there.
What was this?
Where did all that shameless confidence go?
Where was the Kael who could argue against reality itself?
Now he was acting like an abandoned puppy.
And somehow—
it was ridiculous.
Completely ridiculous.
Kael remained unaware.
Still convinced Elior was furious.
"...Say something."
His voice became quieter.
"Anything."
The faint smile on Elior's lips grew slightly.
Then—
before Kael could apologize for the fifth time—
Elior finally spoke.
Very softly.
"...You're heavy."
Kael froze.
Completely froze.
Because after an entire day of silence—
Elior had finally answered him.
And somehow—
those two simple words felt more precious than anything else he had heard today.
"..."
Kael's entire body seemed to loosen at those words.
The tension he had carried since morning quietly drained away.
A slow breath escaped him.
Not forced.
Not relieved.
Simply... natural.
For the first time that day, he allowed his weight to rest against Elior without holding anything back.
The evening breeze drifted softly through the narrow space between the walls.
Neither of them moved.
Kael's breathing gradually became steady.
Calm.
Unhurried.
As though the restless thoughts that constantly occupied his mind had finally found a place to settle.
Elior remained still.
Watching.
The fading sunlight painted faint shades of gold across Kael's dark hair.
For once, there was no teasing smile.
No clever remarks.
No schemes hidden behind half-truths.
Only quiet.
Only someone who looked unexpectedly tired.
Unexpectedly human.
The sight felt strangely unfamiliar.
And yet—
strangely comforting.
A small warmth spread through Elior's chest.
Not because of anything Kael had said.
Not because of the apology.
But because Kael had chosen to place this unguarded version of himself here.
Beside him.
Trusting him enough to lower every defense for a few brief moments.
The wind continued to move through the trees.
Leaves whispered overhead.
Somewhere in the distance, students laughed while returning to their dormitories.
Yet none of those sounds reached this small corner.
For a fleeting moment, it felt as though the world had politely stepped away.
Leaving only a quiet stillness between them.
A stillness that required no words.
And neither of them hurried to break it.
—by Aurea; "Some people think forgiveness begins when the right words are spoken.
Sometimes it begins much earlier.
Sometimes it begins the moment someone chooses to stay."