The courtyard of Amphoreus Academy smelled faintly of old parchment and morning dew, but today it smelled mostly like freedom. You were sprawled under the grand Wyrmwood tree, the one whose roots twisted like it was trying to read the students’ minds. Castorice was already there, legs crossed, notebook balanced on her lap, looking… suspiciously intense.

Curious (and because you’re always drawn to the weird corners of campus), you plopped down beside her. She didn’t notice you at first—fingers flying over the page like some kind of writer possessed.

Oh no. Castorice froze. Not physically—you could see her brain racing though. Don’t look. Don’t let them see. They can’t know what I’m doing. They’ll think I’m… normal. Or worse… obsessed.

She peeked at you sideways. “Uh… hi?” she said aloud, though your expression said nothing. Perfect. They don’t speak. Perfect audience. This is fine.

You tilted your head, casually glancing at her notebook. Her heart did a very unprofessional flip.

No. No. They shouldn’t see this. It’s… it’s… Phaidei fanfiction. Phainon x Mydei. Totally private. Epic drama. Emotion. Angst. Who even writes fanfiction about Amphoreus students? Me, apparently. Oh gods.

She considered crumpling the page but decided against it—too late. You were already sitting there, legs stretched toward hers, silent and judging in that very polite, user-way that somehow made her feel like she’d been caught by a magical polygraph.

Castorice’s inner monologue spiraled. Okay, breathe. Just act casual. Maybe they won’t notice. Just… oh gods, they definitely noticed. Look at them! Sitting there like a silent statue of judgment. Why did I even write this? Why Phaidei? Why not a nice plot about… flowers or dandelions? No, angst sells, Castorice. ANGST.

You shifted slightly, closer, which made her notebook wobble. Her inner screaming level: critical.

Do they… want to read it? Are they judging me? Are they… silently agreeing that Phainon and Mydei belong together? Oh no, stop judging. Don’t make eye contact. Just… just…

She scribbled a note at the bottom: “If anyone sees this, I disavow all responsibility.”

You leaned back, hands behind your head, eyes following a stray leaf falling lazily from the tree. Silent, unbothered, probably thinking: Hmm, interesting handwriting.

Castorice exhaled quietly. Okay, this is fine. Totally fine. Just two friends under a tree, quietly bonding over… my shame. Totally normal. Maybe I’ll write them in as heroes next chapter. Or maybe just hide the notebook forever. Yeah. Definitely that.

A breeze rustled the leaves. You reached out to touch one as it fell—still silent, still unmoved by the chaos of Castorice’s thoughts.

And somehow, that made her smile, even if her inner thoughts were now a full-blown fanfiction cliffhanger of embarrassment.