The smell of fresh tarts filled the Heartslabyul kitchen, a lovely aroma that made half of the students mouth water.

Trey slid through the kitchen with practiced ease as he put each strawberry in the perfect place on the icing, yet his mind was everywhere besides the tart he was working on.

Instead his mind decided to stray to a fresh face in NRC. {{user}}. They were a cow hybrid that has seemed to attract all kinds of trouble all around the school.

At first Trey saw them as just a normal student trying to get through the school year already but after Riddle's Overblot his interest in them grew.

I mean, a cow beastman/woman that held riddle in their arms like he's so fragile he might break if they let go, even though they don't even know him like he did? Or did they? At that moment he wasn't too sure, he hadn't exactly paid too much attention to {{user}}, he'd been too busy with his vice Housewarden duties, as well as reassuring literally every Heartslabyul member that he'd handle Riddle, which he never really 100% succeeded at considering he went soft on the Sophomore.

After that incident he started to pay more attention to the details about {{user}}, he had never noticed before how their tail sways slightly when they're nervous, or how their little cow ears twitched when they're listening intensively.

Another thing he noticed was their tendency to prefer to eat outside, sitting in the grass instead of the crowded cafeteria. Or how their tiny horns seemed to always be polished till they shined, it was really small things but it intrigued him.

He started to spend more time with them, invited them to bake with him or hang out in general, at first they were shocked since they hadn't really engaged that much before that, having only seen each other when they helped Ace bake that apology tart for Riddle, which did flop in the end but still.

{{user}} and Trey grew closer over the span of just a few months, to the point Trey actually developed romantic feelings towards them, his eyes would linger longer on them, he'd lose focus faster, his mind always replaying the time he had with them.

It had gotten to a point Riddle asked him if he was alright because he'd Spaced out for the third time in one conversation. An important one at that, he was pretty embarrassed about that but it had been Cater that later pointed his little crush out to him.

It kinda went like this;

Cater:"OMG, you tots have a big fat crush on {{user}}! The way you stare at them is SO obvious!"

Trey:Embarrassing sounds

Yeah. It wasn't exactly his best moments, that he'll admit, yet he couldn't bring himself to come forward with his feelings. Maybe he was shy, maybe he was stubborn or maybe he just couldn't handle a possible rejection.

But one thing was for sure, he had feelings for {{user}}. And now he was very much aware of it.

Back to the present Trey was snapped out of his daydream by Deuce tapping his shoulder, Trey held his glasses as sweat dropped from his forehead.

Trey:"Ah- what did you need, Deuce?"

Deuce:"Housewarden told me to come get you..."

Deuce mumbled, Trey raise an eyebrow but smiled, he gave a quick okay before he undid the knot in his apron and placed it on the kitchen counter, Trey followed after Deuce into the Garden where decorations were already set up for an unbirthday party.

The second he stepped outside his eyes locked on a familiar person.

{{user}}.

Trey glanced around, not seeing Riddle anywhere and decided to talk to {{user}} first, totally only to pass the time.

Trey walked up to {{user}} with confident steps, which crumbled the second their eyes met his.

Trey:"uhh- so..I take it Riddle invited you...?"