Vernon stopped typing and leaned back slightly in his chair, peeling his eyes away from the laptop screen. He'd assumed Jane would eventually give up and ask for his help, but as time ticked by, a faint worry began to creep into his thoughts.
Why was she so silent?
He glanced at her face, intently focused, and couldn't suppress the smile tugging at his lips—the sight was utterly irresistible.
Sticking the tip of her tongue out in concentration, Jane was hunched over the desk, her bright blue eyes glued to the screen. Her long, slender fingers danced over the keyboard, typing out strings of code with surprising speed.
Look at her… she's like a kitten struggling to do something perfectly for the first time.
A soft chuckle escaped him, though he quickly swallowed it down with an awkward cough. But even the noise didn't break Jane's immersion.
If anything, she seemed completely absorbed, her excitement growing with every step she advanced in the game. For the first time, Vernon watched her with a sense of quiet relief.
It wasn't her progress that impressed him—no, not exactly. What he felt instead was a sense of pride in himself, knowing he'd managed to make someone like Jane Devold push herself this hard for her own sake. She was an easy target.
Glancing down at his phone, Vernon noted that there wasn't much time left before the alarm would go off. Shifting his gaze to Jane's laptop, his brows lifted slightly in surprise.
She was already at the final level.
Not a single mistake? Quite impressive, Your Highness.
Vernon left his seat and moved to stand behind the young woman's chair, his sharp gaze fixed on the screen. The white cursor hovered hesitantly over the "Finish" button, and his brown eyes narrowed as he realized she had already completed all the tasks. The only thing left was to press the button.
Why is she hesitating?
He frowned and let out a tired sigh. "What are you waiting for? You've finished everything. Click the button."
Jane flinched, startled by how close he was. She hadn't expected her tutor to be standing right behind her. Swallowing hard, she replied without turning to face him. "What if I f-failed? If I made even one m-mistake, it'll erase the entire g-game…"
"Why do you think you've made a mistake?"
"I'm n-not sure… I feel l-like… it was just t-too easy."
Vernon sighed again, leaning slightly forward. His chest brushed against her shoulders as he slid his arms to her sides, closing the space between them. He wasn't wearing any cologne, but his natural scent—surprisingly soothing—filled the small gap between them.
Jane's heart began to race, pounding wildly against her ribcage. She held her breath, terrified that the proximity might betray her, letting him hear the sound of her galloping heartbeat.
Without sparing her a glance, Vernon reached down and covered her right hand with his, his touch steady and unhurried. His voice was utterly nonchalant as he said, "Just because something feels easy doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. You've been doing your homework, so it's only natural you've improved. Now…"
He turned his head slightly to the right, and Jane felt his warm breath brush against her ear as he murmured, "Sometimes, even people like you need to be brave."
Before she could react, he pressed his index finger over hers, guiding her to click the button with the bold, blue word "Finish" emblazoned across it.
Jane didn't even have the chance to feel scared; her thoughts were entirely consumed by Vernon's presence. His closeness, the quiet warmth radiating from his body, felt almost as though he had been designed to bring comfort to those within his reach.
Drawn out of her own thoughts, Jane turned her head slightly to the left and met his gaze. For the first time in weeks, she noticed every subtle stroke of brown in his irises, even though his slightly smudged lenses seemed determined to hide the intensity of his narrowed eyes.
He was staring back at her, his expression calm yet unwavering. What was he thinking at that very moment? The question lingered in Jane's mind as she remained frozen, too afraid to even breathe lest it shatter this strangely tranquil moment.
The sharp chime of the timer broke the spell, a loud, cheerful melody blaring from his phone's speaker. Vernon jerked back abruptly, clearing his throat as he fumbled with the device, slamming the screen in his haste to silence the noise.
Jane's attention snapped back to her laptop, and her eyes widened in disbelief. The game was still there—still running. On the screen, a flickering digital window lit up with a cascade of flashing lights, framing a bold message at the center:
Congratulations!
"I d-did it..." she whispered, her wide eyes darting to her tutor. "It's still there! I f-finished it!"
Jane's face lit up with triumphant excitement, her joy almost contagious. But Vernon's expression remained stoic. Without a hint of emotion, he shoved his laptop into his black canvas backpack, refusing to meet her gaze. His voice, colder now, broke the moment.
"Good job. Now you know what to prepare for Professor Austin's project."
His sudden shift in demeanor wasn't entirely unexpected, but Jane couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. The Vernon who had leaned over her shoulder, helping her press the final button, didn't feel like the same Vernon snapping at her now.
Was it all an act? Not just for her, but for everyone?
"The class is over for today," he said briskly, slipping one strap of his backpack over his right shoulder and steadying it with his left hand. "With the Spring Expo coming up... Well, just focus on your assignments for now. See you around."
"Thank you..." Jane managed to murmur, her voice softer than she'd intended.
Vernon didn't acknowledge her response. Instead, he grabbed the plastic cup of now-cold coffee from the desk and headed for the exit. His pace was so quick it felt as though he were running away from her.
Lost in his thoughts, Vernon barely noticed his surroundings as he slid the door open. The sharp groan that escaped him was involuntary—the result of colliding with someone and spilling the remnants of his coffee over his hand.
"Ugh… Watch where you're going, Lin."