CHAPTER 426: THE ATTENTION SHE DIDN’T WANT

Evaline:

The weekend vanished like smoke between my fingers. One blink, and I was back at the Academy again, wrapped in the endless rhythm of classes, lectures, and hurried notes scribbled before the bell rang.

It was strange... how time flew so quickly when I was with my mates and Lioren, yet stretched unbearably long the moment I was away from them.

By Monday morning, I was already missing home... missing them. But life didn’t pause for anyone, least of all a student trying to survive midterm chaos. Two tests were already lined up, and several professors were in a competitive mood to see who could assign the most assignments.

At least I had my friends. Between Mallory’s jokes, Kyros’s silent snacks shared during lectures, and Noah’s dramatic sighs every time he forgot an answer, I somehow managed to survive the first day of the week.

But while the Academy’s pace had returned to normal, everything else hadn’t.

The whispers, the stares, the way people slowed down as I passed through the corridor... it was all still there. Maybe not as heavy as it was a week ago, but there. Familiar now. I had almost learned to tune them out, like background noise.

Most of them stared because of the rumors... about me and Draven. Others stared for reasons I couldn’t even begin to guess. But as long as they didn’t stop me, I didn’t care. I had learned long ago that staring didn’t hurt. Words did.

Unfortunately, this week came with a new flavor of trouble... people had stopped just staring.

They had started approaching.

And that... was something I wasn’t prepared for.

It started Monday during lunch.

I stood in line, waiting for my favorite pastry - a soft cream puff with melted chocolate topping - only to see the last one vanish from the counter before I could reach it.

The culprit was a tall senior from the final year. He looked like he had just stepped out of a fitness magazine, his hair tied loosely behind his head, uniform sleeves rolled up to show strong forearms.

I must have made a disappointed face because the next thing I knew, he turned toward me and his eyes went wide when, and if, he recognized me.

"Here," he said simply, placing the pastry into my tray before I could protest.

"I-wait, no, that’s yours," I tried to say, half panicked, but he only shook his head, amused.

"You looked like you needed it more than I did."

And with that, he walked away, leaving me and my friends frozen in confusion.

By the time I sat down, Mallory had already started grinning like a cat that just found cream.

"Oh no," I groaned, lowering my head. "Don’t you start."

"Too late," she sang, sipping her drink. "Eva, my sweet, innocent friend... was that your first fan gesture or have I missed others?"

"Mallory," I warned.

Kyros looked up from his food, a ghost of a smile tugging his lips. "I think it’s safe to say you are... popular now."

I sighed. "It was just a pastry."

"Exactly," Mallory replied. "Just a pastry... from a hot senior who could have eaten it himself. I smell devotion."

I rolled my eyes, but deep down, I knew this was only the beginning.

Tuesday evening proved me right.

The library was nearly-empty when I sat down to work on my Runes assignment. I had chosen the quietest corner to study, but apparently, peace was no longer something I was destined for.

A shadow fell over my table, and I looked up to find a second-year student standing there, with books in hand and an awkward smile on his face.

"Uh, hi," he said. "Would you mind if I sit here?"

I blinked. "Here?"

He nodded, cheeks pink. "Yeah. All the other tables are kinda full."

I glanced around. There were at least three empty tables nearby. But saying that would have been too cruel, so I just nodded politely.

"Sure."

He smiled, sitting down across from me. To his credit, he didn’t talk much... just gave me a small smile before focusing on his books. Still, I could feel the weight of his gaze every now and then.

By the time I returned to my dorm that night, I was sure of one thing... this week was going to be long.

Wednesday morning brought deja vu.

The same senior from Monday appeared at the dessert counter, with the same soft smile on his face. Without a word, he placed a pastry in my tray... again.

"Good morning," he said, his voice smooth. "Hope you have a wonderful day, Evaline."

He knew my name.

I froze. "Thank you, but you don’t-"

He was already walking away.

The moment I turned around, Mallory’s eyebrows were raised so high they practically disappeared into her hairline.

"Oh, this is officially a thing," she announced, slapping her hand against the table. "You have a pastry admirer. I repeat - a pastry admirer."

Kyros and Rowan didn’t even try to hide their smirks.

Noah leaned in with mock seriousness. "What’s next? He starts bringing flowers?"

"Or serenades her under her window?" Mallory suggested, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Guys," I muttered. "Please."

And yet, that wasn’t even the highlight of the day.

That afternoon, while walking to class, a group of third-year girls stopped me. Their smiles were polite... too polite.

"Evaline, right?" one of them said. "We just wanted to ask... your hair looks amazing. What do you use?"

I blinked. "Uh... water?"

They laughed softly, though I could tell they were serious. "And your skin... it’s glowing. Do you follow any special diet?"

I stood there awkwardly, clutching my books. "I... drink water?"

They scribbled that down like it was a divine revelation. By the time they left, I was half convinced I had stumbled into some alternate reality.

Thursday arrived, and for once, the day seemed normal. Classes went smoothly, and there were no strange encounters.

By dinner, I finally relaxed.

Until he appeared.

A senior I probably had never seen before. He walked straight up to my table, with his tray still in hand. I noticed his friends whispering and watching from the other side of the hall.

"Evaline?" he said loudly enough for the nearby tables to hear.

I looked up slowly. "Yes?"

He smiled - a confident, easy grin that screamed trouble. "Can I get your number?"

Every sound in the hall vanished. My friends froze mid-bite.

I didn’t know what to say. My mouth opened, closed, opened again.

And then I felt it.

Three sharp gazes.

My heart nearly stopped as I followed the pull of my bond... and sure enough, across the hall sat Draven, while Oscar and Kieran were present at the staff table.

Draven’s fork hovered midair, his eyes locked on the senior. Kieran looked calm, but his jaw was tight enough to crack. Oscar was the only one smirking... but it wasn’t amusement I saw in that smirk. It was warning.

The senior followed the line of my gaze and noticed the brothers too. His confident smile faltered. "Uh-"

"Eva," Draven’s voice cut through the now deadly silent dining hall, deep and low, even though he hadn’t moved from his seat. "You forgot something."

My pulse jumped. "W-what?"

He raised his cup slightly, that infuriatingly cool expression never slipping. "Your drink. You asked me to get it for you."

Which was a lie, obviously. But it was enough.

The senior mumbled something unintelligible and hurried off toward his friends.

I sat frozen, my face burning. On the other hand, my friends seemed either too stunned or too entertained to speak.

Mallory leaned close, whispering in my ear, "You realize you have just turned the Academy’s dining hall into a soap opera, right?"

I groaned, dropping my head onto the table. "I didn’t do anything."

"Exactly," Noah said, laughing softly. "That’s the problem. You just exist... and chaos follows."

Maybe he was right. Maybe chaos and I had an unbreakable bond of our own.

Because as I risked a glance across the hall, Draven’s dark gaze caught mine... and the faintest smirk curved his lips before he turned back to his food.

And I knew, with a sinking feeling, that this week was far from over.