Zach's POV
As I stood by the window, I wished I could explain to Jane who I was and why the mask. But she was not going to believe it, and even if I took off the mask, she was going to forget my face. So why worry?
The thought had crossed my mind many times before coming to Lightview Academy.
I knew staying with her in the same room was not going to be easy. She had a body that made me want to be close, but I couldn't—at least not yet. Not until she loved me.
The moonlight outside Ember Hall spilled across the courtyard, illuminating the old stone paths below. The academy looked peaceful at night.
But appearances were always deceiving.
Especially here.
Behind me, Jane shifted slightly in her bed. I could hear the soft rustle of the blanket as she turned over.
She had finally fallen asleep.
For someone who spoke as much as she did, it was surprising how quickly she went quiet once she drifted off.
I glanced back at her.
Her dark hair spread across the pillow, and the moonlight softened the sharp confidence she carried during the day. Without the stubborn expression she usually wore, she looked… younger.More vulnerable.
I forced myself to look away.
That was dangerous territory.
Getting attached too quickly would only make things worse.
The watch on my wrist suddenly pulsed faintly.
I looked down at it.
The glowing heart icon appeared again.
💓 71%
💓 76%
I frowned slightly.
It had gone up again.
That shouldn't have happened.
Not this quickly.
The academy's compatibility system was supposed to take weeks to show significant changes.
Yet somehow, within a few hours, the numbers had already risen twice.
Which meant only one thing.
Jane and I were far more compatible than either of us realized.
And that complicated everything.
I rubbed the back of my neck and looked back out the window.
The mask pressed lightly against my face.
I had gotten used to wearing it over the years.
At first it felt suffocating.
Now it felt normal.
Necessary.
Without it, things would become… difficult.
Not just for me.
For anyone who looked directly at my face except my direct family
Especially Jane.
I sighed quietly.
"Trouble already?"
The voice came from the small device on my watch.
I pressed the side button and lowered my voice.
"Not yet."
A faint crackle followed before the familiar voice responded again.
"You sound unsure."
I glanced toward Jane's bed to make sure she was still asleep.
She hadn't moved.
"I'm managing it," I said.
"You always say that."
I leaned against the window frame.
"You told me the academy pairing system would avoid matching me with anyone."
"That was the expectation."
"Well it didn't work."
"No," the voice replied. "Apparently not."
For a moment neither of us spoke.
Then the voice asked quietly,
"How is the girl?"
I hesitated.
"She's… difficult."
A faint chuckle came through the device.
"That doesn't sound like a problem."
"You don't understand."
"Oh, I think I do."
I rubbed my temples.
"She's stubborn. Loud. Suspicious of everything."
"And?"
"And she doesn't trust me."
"That's normal."
"It complicates things."
Another short silence followed.
Then the voice asked the question I had been avoiding.
"Have you told her yet?"
I let out a quiet laugh.
"Of course not."
"You know you can't hide it forever."
"I know."
"If she discovers it on her own, things might go badly."
I looked over at Jane again.
She was still asleep.
Peaceful.
Completely unaware of the strange situation she had been pulled into.
"She won't believe me," I said quietly.
"Maybe."
"And even if she did…"
I paused.
The rest of the sentence didn't need to be spoken.
The voice on the watch understood anyway.
"Yes," it said softly. "She would forget."
Exactly.
That was the problem.
Anyone who saw my uncovered face eventually forgot it.
Not instantly.
But the memory faded like a dream.
Which meant explaining things was nearly impossible.
I couldn't prove anything.
And if I removed the mask for too long…
Other things could happen.
Dangerous things.
"You still have time," the voice said.
"How much?"
"A month."
I looked down at the watch again.
A month.
Thirty days.
That was the duration of the Subject of Love program.
Thirty days to live in the same room.
Thirty days to interact.
Thirty days for the compatibility to rise—or collapse.
And according to the strange condition placed on me…
Thirty days for Jane Hale to fall in love with me.
Otherwise everything would fall apart.
Literally.
"Zach?"
The voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Yes."
"Don't forget why you came to Lightview."
"I haven't."
"Good."
The line went silent.
I turned the watch communication off and leaned back against the wall.
The academy courtyard was empty now.
Most students were probably asleep.
But I doubted many of them were dealing with a situation like mine.
I walked quietly across the room and sat down on the couch near the window.
Jane shifted again in her sleep.
For a moment I wondered what she was dreaming about.
Probably complaining about this place.
Or about me.
A faint smile touched the edge of my mask.
She really didn't like me.
That much was obvious.
And yet…
The compatibility numbers kept rising.
Which meant her subconscious reactions were different from what she openly showed.
Interesting.
Suddenly_
Behind me, Jane stirred.
"Mmm…"
She rolled over and rubbed her eyes sleepily.
"Why is that thing beeping again?"
I quickly dimmed the watch screen.
"Probably a system update."
She squinted at me suspiciously.
"At midnight?"
"Yes."
She stared at me for another moment.
Then she groaned and pulled the blanket over her head.
"This school is weird.
I almost laughed.
"You're not wrong."
A few seconds later her breathing slowed again.
She was asleep.
I leaned back and stared at the ceiling.
Seventy-eight percent.
After just one day.
If the numbers reached one hundred…
The academy would declare the pairing complete.
And if that happened before the truth came out—
Everything would change.
For both of us.
I closed my eyes briefly.
Jane Hale.
The girl who hated matchmaking.
The girl who yelled at strangers in crowded halls.
The girl who somehow ended up as my assigned partner.
Of all the people at Lightview Academy…
She was the one person I couldn't afford to grow close to.
And yet fate had placed her in the same room.
Same program.
Same watch.
Same month.
I exhaled slowly.
This was going to be harder than I thought.
Much harder.
Because the more time I spent around her…
The more difficult it became to ignore something I hadn't expected.
The truth was—
Jane Hale wasn't just a problem.
She was a temptation.
And if I wasn't careful…
I might end up falling for her long before she ever had the chance to fall for me.