Villain Ch 99. Embarrassment
"Books, of course," he said without hesitation. Allen leaned back on his chair, running his fingers through his hair before continuing, "Books about women's psychology, mostly. Articles related to that as well." His voice was calm and collected.
"Oh…" Zoe felt a knot in her stomach loosen. She had been worried that Allen might have conducted investigations with various women, like a player with a long list of one-night stands. She was glad to know that wasn't the case.
A sense of relief washed over her, and she couldn't help but let out a sigh.
Allen's chuckle interrupted her thoughts, and she quickly tried to compose herself. "You look relieved. Tell me, what was your previous guess?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
Zoe's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She realized that Allen might have guessed that she thought he was some sort of womanizer. She quickly covered it up by saying, "Nothing. I'm just relieved." She nodded her head confidently, trying to maintain her composure.
"Does your guess have anything to do with sexual experience?" he guessed. It was a bull-eye guess.
Rather than quickly answering him, nervously, Zoe picked up her hot chocolate again, took a sip, and felt the warm liquid travel down her throat. She glanced awkwardly at the window and thought hard about what she should say, avoiding Allen's gaze.
'What should I say to him?' she thought in panic. She was the one who asked him to meet up and it wasn't even fifteen minutes since they met, but Zoe wanted to leave because Allen exposed what was on her mind too much. It made her embarrassed.
"I- I didn't have any guess, Allen," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt nervous and exposed as if he could see right through her. "I just--I just wanted to know more about your research," she said, trying to change the subject.
'Ah… looks like I made a bull eye guess,' thought Allen. He could guess it from Zoe's expression. He didn't know since when he could pay attention to this little thing.
Allen observed Zoe's nervousness and sensed that she was uncomfortable with the conversation topic. He knew that not everyone liked to discuss their kind of matters, and he respected that. He sighed, trying to ease the tension in the air.
"I see…" He decided to drop it and didn't mention it again. "Anyway, you look uneasy. Just tell me if I crossed the line. I wouldn't guess too much if it makes you uncomfortable," he explained, giving her an out. He knew that some people preferred to keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves, and he was no different.
Zoe, looking worried, lowered her drink. She was apprehensive that she had upset him in some way. "Did I upset you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
He shook his head from side to side. "That should be a question for you," he said, indicating that he was okay with it.
"No, you don't," Zoe said, feeling guilty. "But yeah… you make me nervous," she admitted, her voice faltering.
Allen could tell that Zoe was not used to opening up to people, especially not to someone she had just met. "Then I won't talk much about that and let you take over the topic," he said lightly, hoping to ease her nerves.
Quickly, she raised her head, her eyes wide with apprehension. "No, that's not what I wanted. I mean…" She cringed, feeling embarrassed. "I'm not good at bringing up a new topic except with people I know," she admitted.
Allen sipped his tea again and lowered it. "Just tell me what you want to talk about, as simple as that," he said simply. There were only the two of them, he didn't mind being a listener either. "Like, what do you usually talk about with your friends?" he asked calmly, taking another sip of his tea.
Zoe thought for a moment, furrowing her brow. "Well, we're all in the same class, so we talk about assignments, exams, and stuff like that," she said. "But you and I don't have the same class or work, so I don't know what to talk about."
Allen smiled gently, setting down his tea. "It doesn't have to be about school or work. You can tell me about your day, your interests, your hobbies," he suggested.
Zoe took another sip of her hot chocolate, trying to think of what to say. It wasn't that she had nothing to talk about, but more that she didn't want to talk about anything too personal. She didn't know Allen very well, after all. He might be not interested in it.
"It was just a normal day," she finally answered, feeling somewhat disappointed in herself for not being a more interesting girl.
But Allen didn't seem to mind. "That's fine. How about we talk about the game? Specifically, what's bothering you about my request?" he asked in curiosity. It was a real question. Although he didn't want to force her, he knew she would need the attributes for their mid to late games.
Zoe's mind was racing with thoughts, and her heart was beating fast. Her cheeks were flushed with a deep crimson hue as she tried to compose herself. She couldn't even look Allen in the eyes, afraid that he would see how flustered she was. She felt like a deer caught in headlights, frozen and unsure of what to do next.
"I... I don't know what to say," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. Her face felt hot. She didn't understand how Allen could ask that bluntly. She knew after a while; he might feel like he was starting to open up to her. Moreover, he had said his job and had done it with several. So, this was normal for him.
Allen nodded understandingly. "That's okay," he said, taking another sip of his tea. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that."
Zoe let out a small sigh of relief, grateful that he wasn't pressing the issue.