The second period had just begun, and Kael found himself in another class with Aurora. The desks were tightly packed, leaving little room to move around. Kael took his seat near the middle of the room, waiting for the teacher, Mr. Carter, to start the lecture. Aurora was settling in beside him when, in her usual clumsy way, her bag slipped off the desk and spilled its contents all over the floor.
Aurora gasped, her hands flying to her face in horror. "Oh no!" she whispered, crouching down quickly to gather her things.
Kael, always eager to help, slid out of his chair and knelt beside her. "Hey, I got it," he said, reaching for one of her notebooks.
As he leaned forward, Aurora did the same, and their heads collided with an audible *thud.*
"Ah!" Aurora yelped, sitting back on her heels and rubbing her forehead.
Kael winced, laughing nervously as he rubbed his own head. "Sorry about that. Are you okay?"
Before Aurora could answer, the room erupted with laughter. Their classmates had seen the whole thing, and the teasing started immediately.
"Nice going, lovebirds!" someone called out.
"Guess they wanted to get closer!" another added, sending the class into fits of giggles.
Aurora's face turned beet red. She kept her gaze on the floor, too embarrassed to look at anyone, especially Kael.
"Don't mind them," Kael said softly, offering her a reassuring smile. He reached for the rest of her scattered belongings, handing them to her. "Here, I think that's everything."
"T-thanks," Aurora stammered, barely managing to meet his eyes. Her hands trembled slightly as she took her things and quickly stuffed them back into her bag.
Kael stood up and helped her to her feet, ignoring the lingering chuckles around the room. He shot a glare at a few of the louder students, and the laughter eventually died down.
The class carried on for the next twenty minutes, though Aurora seemed unusually quiet. Kael noticed her glancing at him occasionally, her blush still lingering. A little while later, Aurora raised her hand and asked for permission to go to the restroom. Mr. Carter waved her off without a second thought, and she hurried out of the room.
Kael watched her leave, his mind wandering. He couldn't help but think about the way she had blushed earlier, how flustered she always seemed around him. Was it possible she felt the same way about him as he was starting to feel about her?
Aurora returned a few minutes later, slipping back into the room quietly. She hesitated for a moment, looking around for a path to her seat. The desks were so tightly packed that there was barely any room to squeeze through, and she didn't want to cause a scene.
Finally, she decided the easiest way was to just sit down quickly. Unfortunately, in her rush to get to her desk, she misjudged the distance—and instead of landing in her chair, she ended up sitting squarely on Kael's lap.
Kael froze. Time seemed to stand still as Aurora's weight pressed against him, her warmth radiating through the thin fabric of his uniform. She gasped, realizing what had happened, and tried to scramble off of him, but the compacted desks left little room for movement.
"I-I'm so sorry!" Aurora stammered, her voice high-pitched with panic.
"It's fine," Kael managed to choke out, though his face was burning brighter than the infernal flames outside.
But then, Kael's body betrayed him. *It's natural. It's normal,* he told himself, but the realization did nothing to ease his growing embarrassment. He shifted uncomfortably, willing his body to calm down, but it was no use.
Aurora, too flustered to notice Kael's predicament, finally managed to slide off his lap and into her own seat. Her hands flew to her face, hiding her deep red blush as she mumbled apologies under her breath.
Kael kept his gaze fixed firmly on his desk, praying that no one else had noticed. He risked a quick glance around the room and sighed in relief when he saw that most of their classmates were too distracted to care.
The rest of the class passed in awkward silence. Kael couldn't bring himself to look at Aurora, and Aurora seemed determined to keep her face hidden behind her notebook.
When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the period, Kael stood up quickly, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "Uh, I'll see you in the next class," he said hurriedly, not waiting for a response before bolting out the door.
Aurora sat there for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. She peeked over her notebook, watching Kael's retreating figure with a mixture of embarrassment and affection.
The End of Chapter 2