The Divine Twins

A Date Instead

The remaining part of the school day didn’t pass quietly. In every class, students whispered about what had happened between Anna and Sonia. Some praised Anna for standing up to Sonia, while others said she had been foolish and had only gotten herself into trouble.

A few hours later, the final bell rang.

The sound echoed through the hallways, and the classroom instantly filled with noise, chairs scraping against the floor, students laughing, and bags being slung over shoulders.

Stefin stood up slowly and slung his bag over his shoulder.

Bob and Jerry walked toward him from the front row where they sat.

“That was… a day,” Bob muttered, letting out a breath of relief.

Jerry nodded slightly as he adjusted his glasses. “Yeah, I could say the same.” Then he glanced toward Anna’s seat by his left where she sat close to Stefin and noticed it was empty. Slowly, he turned back to Stefin, whose gaze was fixed on them. “Where is she?” Jerry asked, gesturing toward her desk with his head. “The new girl?”

At that moment, Stefin and Bob both looked toward Anna’s seat and realized she truly wasn’t there. There was a brief moment of silence between them.

“She was there a few minutes ago when we came here,” Bob said in surprise. “I didn’t even notice her leave.”

“I guess she left already,” Stefin replied with little disinterest. “Why wouldn’t she? It’s not like she has friends she’d want to wait for.”

The moment Stefin said that, silence returned. This time, he noticed it because his friends didn’t respond. He glanced at them and saw they were staring at him as if they had just gotten an idea from his words. An eerily silent stare.

Stefin frowned slightly, both confused and irritated. “Guys?” he said, stretching the word. “What’s with that face?”

They didn’t answer immediately. Instead, they kept staring at him with the same knowing look.

Then Bob stepped closer. “Why don’t you ask her out to a date instead?”

Stefin blinked. “…What?”

Jerry nodded thoughtfully, pushing his glasses up. “It makes sense,” he said. “You already know her. She sat next to you. And you were the only one in class who wasn’t staring at her like a fan.”

Bob crossed his arms with a grin. “Plus,” he added, “she owes you for the cab money.”

Stefin’s face instantly darkened. “…I’m not asking her on a date.”

Bob smirked. “Why not?”

Stefin turned and started walking toward the classroom door. “Because,” he muttered flatly, “I’d like to live a long life.”

Behind him, Bob and Jerry burst into laughter as they hurried to catch up with him. They quickly caught up with Stefin in the hallway, still laughing.

“Come on, man,” Bob said, nudging him with his elbow. “You can’t deny it. That girl is interesting.”

“Interesting?” Stefin muttered. “She slapped the most feared girl in school in front of everyone.”

Jerry pushed his glasses up thoughtfully. “Exactly. That’s what makes her interesting.”

Stefin rolled his eyes and kept walking toward the school gate. “Forget it,” he said. “I’m not getting involved in whatever trouble follows her.”

“Come on, man, it’s not like you’ve ever been on a date before,” Bob pushed.

“Yeah,” Jerry added, adjusting his glasses once more. “Last time I checked, you were looking for a girlfriend, and because of how carefree you are, you always do something stupid whenever you’re around a girl you like.”

Stefin turned toward Jerry. “That’s the point,” he said, gesturing with his hand straight ahead. “If I try, I might end up looking like an idiot in front of her and become a laughingstock too. And I don’t want her to be added to the list of girls who’ve rejected me.”

Bob stopped mid-step. “Wait, man,” he said in surprise, and both Jerry and Stefin stopped, staring at him.

“What is it?” Stefin asked, curiosity flickering across his face.

“You have a list of girls that had rejected you?” Bob questioned, a mix of confusion and surprise in his voice, a little smirk forming at the side of his lips as though he was trying not to laugh. “Tell me you’re joking.”

“No, I’m not,” Stefin admitted without hesitation.

Bob and Jerry exchanged incredulous glances.

“You… actually kept track?” Jerry asked, his voice a mix of disbelief and amusement.

Stefin shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I? It helps me remember who I need to avoid embarrassing myself around.”

Bob shook his head, laughing. “Man, only you would make rejection into a strategic operation.”

Stefin just rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, “…Yeah, laugh it up. You’ll see who’s laughing later.”

But as they stepped outside the school building, Stefin suddenly slowed down. Standing near the gate was Anna. Her hair was still slightly damp from earlier, but she looked completely calm, as if nothing unusual had happened that day. She stood there quietly, her bag resting on her shoulder, scanning the street like she was waiting for something.

Bob immediately grinned. “Well,” he whispered, nudging Stefin again, “looks like your chance just walked back into your life.”

Stefin sighed. “…You two are impossible.”

But before he could call out to her, she turned and started walking home. The expression on her face was calm, the same as it had been yesterday when he met her at the blighted realm, and something held him back from moving any closer. It was as though he suspected she was going to ignore him again, like she did the day before. That feeling hadn't left him and his friends didn't know about it. With so many people around watching, he hesitated. Then he glanced at his friends, who were a few steps away from where he stood.

Bob kept gesturing with his hand for him to follow, while Jerry remained calm, his hand resting on his glasses as he continued staring at Stefin.

A few minutes passed, and Stefin still couldn’t bring himself to speak to her. She had already moved and gotten a little bit further away from the school entrance where Stefin stood.

Bob rushed forward, while Jerry walked up to them slowly and deliberately.

"What's wrong with you, man?" Bob asked through gritted teeth. "You had your chance, and you missed it."

Jerry didn’t say a word. He just kept staring.

Stefin finally exhaled, tension in his shoulders. "I… I don’t know what to say," he admitted, his voice low. "I just… I can’t seem to get it right with her."

Bob groaned. "You’ll never get another chance if you keep hesitating like this!"

Jerry finally spoke, his voice calm but firm. "Sometimes," he said, "it’s not about what you say, it’s about showing her that you’re willing to try."

“But… she’s walking away!” Stefin muttered, his voice tight, frustration rising. “I don’t even know if she wants me to follow.”

Bob threw his hands up. “That’s exactly why you go! You can’t just stand there staring like a fool!”

Stefin hesitated, glancing at the crowd of students still milling about, some whispering and glancing at Anna as she walked. “What if she ignores me again?” he asked quietly.

Bob shook his head, exasperated. “Then fine, she ignores you. At least you tried, instead of standing there like a statue!”

Jerry finally spoke, calm as ever, adjusting his glasses. “You’re overthinking it, Stefin. Just walk up. That’s all. Nothing fancy, nothing dramatic. Just talk.”