Episode 4
548 Words
Liana looked at him, her brow furrowed in thought for a long moment. Finally, she let out a breath, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Fine. Okay. But if this is some kind of joke, I swear I will ruin your life. And rip your face off... and I'll answer your feelings later," she finished, a faint blush returning.
"Not a prank," Leo said, his tone flat, deadly serious. "I promise."
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That afternoon, the small cafe near the school became a silent witness to the thick awkwardness hanging in the air between Leo and Liana. The aroma of coffee and pastries mingled with a tension that was almost palpable. After Leo's sudden confession in the cafeteria—a social maneuver equivalent to tossing a flashbang into a library—the atmosphere felt... strange. Very strange.
Liana remained mostly silent, her fingertip tapping against her condensation-beaded iced tea glass. Occasionally, she stole glances at Leo, her gaze like that of a biologist encountering a confusing new species: a mix of curiosity, skepticism, and a faint trace of fear. Was the boy in front of her truly the same person as Leo, the apathetic loner who had barely registered on her social radar for the past three years?
Leo himself was trying hard to appear normal, a concept more foreign to him than quantum encryption codes. He ordered a black Americano ("No sugar, no milk. Efficient.") with a knowledgeable tone, though his memory of a 2015 cafe menu was hazy at best. He observed the other patrons with the analytical gaze he used to scan for threats in his past life. 'Seating positions aren't strategic. Too many blind spots near the windows. Tch. Amateurs.'
"So... Leo..." Liana finally broke the thickening silence, her voice soft and cautious. Ice cubes clinked as she stirred her drink. "About... uh... what you said earlier in the cafeteria..."
Leo raised an eyebrow, trying to assemble a relaxed expression that might look more appropriate on a robot attempting human emotion. "Yes?" His heart began to pound faster. 'Damn it. The interrogation begins. This is more stressful than waiting for a target to appear in the crosshairs.'
"Were you... were you really serious?" Liana asked, this time looking straight into Leo's eyes. There was vulnerability in her gaze, but also sharpness—she was searching for truth, or at least consistency, behind Leo's bizarre behaviour.
Leo took a deep breath, forcing himself not to look away or instinctively check the exits. "One hundred percent serious, Liana," he replied, his tone flat but firm. Lying wasn't his style, at least not about something this critical. "Every word. I know it was sudden. I know it probably sounded like the craziest load of bull you've ever heard. But I'm not messing around about helping you. And... about my feelings." He paused, his expression softening fractionally—or perhaps, more accurately, becoming slightly less rigid. "Although, yeah... I admit, the delivery might have been... lacking finesse. Equivalent to a flashbang, maybe?"
A small, weary smile touched Liana's lips. "Yeah, 'flashbang' is a pretty accurate description." She sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping slightly. "I... I just don't understand, Leo. Why? Why now? For three years, you barely spoke to me. You always seemed so... indifferent. To everyone. Like a total geek!"
- Writer
