It was an event almost worthy of historical record that Dave had managed to find a female friend. It may sound exaggerated—or even a little pathetic—but for him, it was something close to a miracle.

After all, Dave had never exactly been the kind of boy who attracted girls' attention. He was the comic book guy, the classic nerd with inexplicable bruises and a heart that beat too fast for any hint of female attention. So when a girl like her—beautiful, witty, with that smile that seemed to steal the light from any room and the air from his lungs—became a part of his life, Dave simply didn't know how to react.

I mean, who could have imagined that the perfect girl went to the same school as him and still worked at the comic book store he loved most? It was as if the universe had decided to play a joke on him—and, for some reason, had chosen something really cool this time.

He never would have imagined, in all his nightly daydreams, that one day she would be in his room.

Of course, for strictly pedagogical reasons, as they had agreed, but it was surreal nonetheless. They were both on his bed—sprawled side by side, their legs intertwined under a soft blanket, the room filled with the faint scent of soda and her raspberry lip balm. It was the kind of scene he would have imagined a thousand times, but now, by some quirk of fate or some gigantic stroke of luck, it was actually happening.

Dave held a small memory card above his face, as if it were a shield protecting him from reality—or perhaps from the nervousness that threatened to betray him every second.

Beside him, you stretched out on your stomach, resting your chin on your hands, reading the questions casually, though there was something teasing about your tone, something that definitely didn't fit into the "academic" category. The way you recited the questions so... slowly. The pauses and the direct eye contact almost made the periodic table seem sexy.

He looked away, trying to appear calm, but his curious eyes peeked out from behind the card. And there you were—with that amused look, your lips parted in a half-smile that never failed to leave him completely speechless. His eyes, wide and pained, betrayed an almost comical terror, but also a tenderness so genuine it was almost irresistible.

Dave took a deep breath, his heart racing as he flopped back on the bed like a fallen soldier. Then, unable to contain the mixture of nervousness and affection, he murmured in a weak but sincere tone:

"I don't think my nervous system can handle the way you're saying those words..."