Chapter 302: Wearing the mask for too long, you might not be able to take it off.
“Hewinia?” Ogg exclaimed in surprise. “How are you here?”
“I’ve told you not to call me ‘senior’ anymore, we’re from the same year… and who knows, I might even be younger than you.” Hewinia tilted her head, her golden curls cascading down like a waterfall. “Besides, haven’t I already said that I’m here to hang out with you?”
“To hang out with me?” Ogg still couldn’t believe it.
Hewinia patted the chair beside her. “Don’t just stand there, sit down.”
Although Ogg didn’t know what was happening, he found himself sitting down without much thought when Hewinia patted the chair.
In the dim candlelight, Hewinia’s perfect profile was faintly visible, drawing his gaze downward unconsciously.
And then he saw Hewinia’s body wrapped in his robe.
Ogg was not tall, even shorter than Hewinia, and particularly slender, so his robe was a size smaller as well.
Thus, the robe on Hewinia looked less like a coat and more like a fitted garment, outlining the curves of her body, usually hidden under her loose coats, very clearly.
So it was that Ogg only glanced once before his cheeks flushed, and he had to shift his gaze down again.
But then he saw Hewinia’s small bare feet exposed.
There was truly no avoiding it; Ogg had been sitting for less than ten seconds before he suddenly stood up again.
“What’s wrong?” Hewinia asked.
“You, you, you’re not wearing shoes.”
“Ah, the shoes?” Hewinia looked down at her feet and shrugged. “Couldn’t help it, I had bad luck on my way here, accidentally stepped into a snow pit, fell quite hard, and got all wet. I had to take them off temporarily, and also had to borrow your clothes… hmm, is that okay? Don’t be so stingy, I’ll wash them for you.”
Ogg was somewhat dumbfounded; he felt something was off but couldn’t pinpoint what it was. He didn’t even know where to look and after a long while managed to murmur, “I’m sorry.”
“Huh? Why are you apologizing to me?”
“If you hadn’t come to see me, you wouldn’t have fallen.” Ogg could only look down at his worn shoes. “So… I’m sorry.”
Hewinia burst into laughter. “That reason is really… well, okay, then it’s your fault. Can you sit down now?”
“I’d rather stand…” Ogg still didn’t dare to sit.
Hewinia sighed. “Come on, I’ve already taken a fall, I’m a mess and tired, do you really want me to keep looking up at you?”
Ogg immediately sat down.
“Look up,” Hewinia commanded.
Ogg instinctively lifted his head.
He then saw Hewinia pulling a corner of the shirt she wore underneath the robe, speaking lazily, “I am wearing clothes inside, you know.”
Ogg wanted to lower his gaze again.
“Don’t look down,” Hewinia said. “I came all the way here to find you, and you can’t even look at me? Don’t you consider me a friend?”
Ogg didn’t dare to look down anymore and reluctantly kept his eyes on Hewinia.
“That’s more like it,” Hewinia nodded in satisfaction. “It’s just like in class, isn’t it? You dare to look at me under Professor Arianna’s watchful eyes, and now you’re afraid?”
Hewinia propped up the book lying on the table in front of Ogg as a makeshift barrier, then leaned down and hid her face behind the book before looking at Ogg and making a shush gesture.
“How about that? Doesn’t it feel like being back in class?” While speaking, Hewinia deliberately lowered her voice. “Be careful! Don’t let Professor Arianna catch us!”
In that moment, Ogg felt as if he had been transported back to the classroom where he first met Hewinia. Back then, just like now, she had used the upright book as a shield and whispered to him, “Hey hey hey, what’s your name?”
So, Ogg relaxed, and the nervousness and unease in his heart dissipated at that moment.
“Hewinia… did you know that I’m on night watch duty today?” Ogg asked.
“Of course,” Hewinia said with a smile. “You told me, didn’t you?”
Ogg couldn’t quite remember.
But he didn’t dwell on it, instead, he asked worriedly, “But is it really okay for you to not return for the night?”
Then, Ogg heard Hewinia sigh gently. “Ogg, you’re really not good at chatting.”
“Whenever something happens, you shouldn’t start by asking such pragmatic questions,” Hewinia explained. “I’ve come out to play in the middle of the night; why do you think that is?”
Ogg panicked. “Ah, I don’t know.”
“You don’t know, and yet you say you’re my friend… pfft, okay, okay, don’t look like that, I’m just joking.” Hewinia sprawled out on the table, her voice growing softer, “I’m just… a bit tired, and wanted to escape for a bit, so could you not ask so much for now?”
“And, don’t tell anyone, okay? You know, if the teachers find out I didn’t return for the night, especially with the Snow Thorns Beast around, they would kill me.”
“Of course!” Ogg responded earnestly. “I won’t tell anyone.”
“Good.” Hewinia smiled. “I trust you.”
Seeing Hewinia’s smile, Ogg instinctively lowered his head, then suddenly remembered her warning not to look down and quickly lifted his head again, only to see Hewinia studying the book he needed to read tonight.