"Uhhhh, why... do you even want to see me again?"

Rhys was silent for a moment as he contemplated.

"I… don't know."

Hearing the sincerity in his voice, Inna let out a small chuckle.

"Don't tell me that you actually like me?"

She joked and was about to laugh it off when Rhys's reply made her freeze.

"Yeah, I do."

Inna coughed awkwardly as she muttered.

"Okay, I think I really did hit your head too hard..."

Rhys smiled with amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes.

"Maybe…"

Then, he looked back towards the setting sun. It was now almost fully concealed behind the trees, signaling the start of the night, and he once again reminisced on the events that just happened during the day.

"So, you really don't want to meet with me anymore? Well, I understand. Of course, you don't like me. I did some pretty awful stuff."

Inna can't help but feel pity when she saw him hunch his shoulders. Then, after much hesitation, she sighed and she hoped she's not going to regret her decision.

"Of course, I… like you… a bit…I think…"

Rhys brightened up.

"Then, you mean--"

"But not in that way!"

Inna hurriedly added as she raised her hands slightly.

"Right now, the 'like' i mean is the 'I guess you're okay though a little psycho but you're pitiful and I don't want to hurt your feelings since you can be pretty nice' kind of like. You get me?"

Rhys furrowed his brows as he tried to process what she just said. Inna sighed when she saw that he had no clue on what she meant so she decided to just say it simply.

"I mean, though I can't… uhm... like you back…"

Inna cringed lightly at the phrase as she willed herself to continue.

"…we can always be… friends?"

Rhys looked at her with apprehension.

Well, this is new.

No one really asked to be his friend before.

Most people usually just impose themselves on him ever since he was young.

And after years of experiencing such shamelessness, he learned to distance himself and read people along with their hidden intentions towards him.

Even Raghnall and Favian didn't ask to be his friend back then. They actually became friends naturally by fighting with each other.

And the irony wasn't lost on him.

Raghnall and he always had the itch to compete on everything and anything. And the main reason for that was due to their families being on almost equal standing when it comes to magical abilities. Well, if they didn't become good friends as the years pa.s.sed, he could even say that they were each other's bitter rival. Thankfully, Favian was always there to mediate or stop their fights before they take it too personally.

But to think someone he bullied would offer to be his friend.

Rhys laughed hard as he reached out to pat her head. Inna flinched lightly when she saw him move his hand but when she felt his soft hands giving gentle pats on her head, she relaxed slightly.

"Sure."

Rhys's laughter reduced to a chuckle as he ended his laugh.

Truthfully, he was so sure of himself that she'll accept his confession. But much to his dismay, he certainly didn't think that she'd reject him.

Well, that makes him like her even more.

If she did just blindly accept it, his opinion of her would certainly lower. After all, he never believed the tales of those young women who fell in love at first sight. He had known stories who started with that fictional idea and ended with the people being tricked or conned by their respective partners. Hence, he always believed that the feelings of love start with individual interest and will then be cultivated from mutual understanding and compa.s.sion developed through time.

And so, for her to accept his feelings despite not even knowing much about him aside from the fact that he's strong and he loves picking on people, then it would ultimately mean that she's just like those shallow girls who want men by their looks or power despite them having the worst att.i.tudes or behaviors.

And he would've immediately warned Raghnall about her.

But although his earlier confession was just a test, the growing interest he had for her was something he admittedly can't deny.

She was genuine. She was straightforward. She was real.

And he couldn't help but commend Raghnall for being able to find someone like her in the sea of stuck up self-ent.i.tled delusional women in the Magic Department.

So, with a smile on his face, he looked at her with a bright expression as he mumbled.

"Friends... Can we… really be friends? Despite everything?"

Inna nodded slowly and his smile must've been contagious since she didn't even notice that she was already curving her mouth upwards.

"Yes. My gosh, don't look so happy about it. It just makes you look so pitiful."

Rhys laughed as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well, who wouldn't be happy when they just made a friend?"

Then when he noticed that the sun has fully set and the darkness was looming in, Rhys sighed, his bright demeanor suddenly morphed into a depressed one. He looked at the darkening sky as he mumbled to himself.

"Just realized that you're also in the magic department… I guess you'll have to leave now that it's near night time."

Inna heard his mumbles from her heightened senses and she couldn't help but look at him curiously.

"Don't you consider Orion, Arian, and the rest as friends? You all live in the same roof, after all."

Rhys looked at her like she was stupid while he hunched over and rested his chin on his hand.

"Just because we're in the same dorm doesn't mean we're friends."

"But you looked friendly with them?"

"It's because there's not one rude bone in that Onion so he's always kind to people. But it's only the kindness of an acquaintance at best. They're kind when I'm there, they don't really care when I'm not. If you call that friends.h.i.+p, then everyone in the Combat department is my friend then."

Inna scrunched her face up as she looked at him with confusion.

"What do you mean by that?"

Rhys sighed as he looked away, afraid that Inna would see the mixture of loneliness and irritation in his eyes.

"It's just like I said. When I'm there, they feel obligated to be friendly. But not once did I ever cross their minds in my absence. They go on and invite each other to either hang out and train, but never did they ever invite me on their own volition. I have always been an afterthought, an addition that they can live without. And I'm well aware that it was because of the weight of my name that makes them uncomfortable whenever they invite me or even when they're around me. And I understand that. I really do, hence I don't give anymore effort in trying to be friends with them. Seriously, what's the use if they're only going to get uncomfortable every time I'm there? I find it better just to be alone than to be with people who are always wary and calculative of their actions around me."

He ranted as his eyebrows furrowed greatly, showing the repressed irritation and sadness he felt as he talked. Then, when he slightly calmed down, he finally looked at her and decided to conclude everything he said with one simple statement.

"To put it simply, I just don't belong."