After an exhilarating sparring session in the training grounds, the relationship between Kael and Theresa seemed to enter a more subtle and warm phase.
Deep within the headquarters' library, sunlight streamed through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, casting dappled light and shadow upon the ancient bookshelves. The air was filled with the quiet, distinctive scent of paper and ink.
Kael sat at a long table by the window, several weighty treatises on warship engine theory and some historical documents spread open before him.
He needed to find theoretical support for the Asgard's next upgrade, while also consulting past mission archives for reference.
His brow was slightly furrowed, and his fingertip traced a complex formula as he immersed himself in his world of thought.
Faint footsteps approached, and a cup of warm bitter melon milk tea was gently placed beside his hand, making hardly any sound.
Kael snapped out of his contemplation and looked up. Theresa was standing beside him, holding a book herself, and made a 'shush' gesture to him before pointing to the empty seat opposite him, silently mouthing: "Can I sit here?"
Today, she wore a simple, elegant dress rather than her usual somewhat lively attire, and her white hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, making her look quiet and well-behaved, as if she feared disturbing the atmosphere of the place.
Kael was a little surprised but still nodded.
Theresa immediately broke into a happy smile, quietly sat down opposite him, and opened the book she had brought—a thick, illustrated edition of "The Epic History of Haxxor Bunny Civilization."
The two sat in silence, each reading their own book.
The only sounds in the library were the rustling of turning pages and the occasional faint footsteps from afar.
But Theresa wasn't truly engrossed in the history of Haxxor Bunny; her gaze mostly lingered on Kael opposite her.
Watching his focused profile, seeing him sometimes furrow his brow in thought, sometimes quickly jot down notes, and watching him unconsciously pick up the bitter melon milk tea and take a sip, her heart felt like it was soaking in warm water—warm and soft.
She liked this.
She liked the feeling of quietly being by his side, as if they were people from the same world, sharing the same tranquil time.
She even wished time could stop at this moment forever.
And even more, she wished... Kael could stay with her forever... Kael occasionally looked up and saw Theresa quietly reading, and he also found it somewhat novel.
This usually boisterous fellow, when quiet, truly had a touch of a literary girl's demeanor.
He didn't disturb her, just continued his work, but for some reason, knowing she was opposite him, the irritation he felt from the complex data seemed to subside considerably.
The sunlight slowly shifted, lengthening their figures and intertwining them. It wasn't until the reminder on Kael's terminal went off that he realized an entire afternoon had passed so peacefully.
"Time to go," he said, gathering his materials.
"Mm!" Theresa closed her book, which she had barely read a few pages of, and stood up in high spirits, "Kael, will you come here to read again next time?"
Kael thought for a moment: "Probably, the material here are quite comprehensive."
"Then it's a deal! I'll come with you again next time!" Theresa immediately interjected, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
Kael looked at her 'plan-succeeded' expression, smiled helplessly, but did not refute her.
A sudden heavy rain struck the headquarters. Kael had just emerged from the tactical meeting room and, looking at the pouring rain outside the window, frowned; he hadn't brought an umbrella.
Just as he was about to contact a logistics robot to send an umbrella, a cute umbrella, printed with Haxxor Bunny's smiling face, was already held over his head.
"Hehe, I knew you didn't bring an umbrella!" Theresa's triumphant voice came from beside him, "Let's go! I'll walk you back!"
Kael looked at her: "When did you bring an umbrella?" He remembered it was sunny this morning.
"This Young Miss is a brilliant strategist, I had a premonition it would rain!" Theresa puffed out her small chest; in truth, she had checked the weather forecast and specifically brought it.
Kael looked at her 'praise me' expression and could only say: "...Thank you."
The two walked side by side into the rain. The umbrella wasn't very large, and to ensure neither of them got wet, they inevitably had to stay very close.
Theresa was almost pressed against Kael's arm, clearly feeling the warm touch from his arm.
She secretly, little by little, tilted the umbrella more towards Kael's side, and didn't care at all when her own half-shoulder quickly got wet from the rain.
Kael noticed this small action, sighed, and reached out to take the umbrella: "I'll hold it."
He adjusted the angle, steadily covering both of them with the umbrella, and at the same time, subtly tilted the umbrella slightly towards Theresa's side.
The rain drummed on the umbrella, making a pitter-patter sound, yet it seemed to enclose the space beneath the umbrella into a separate, small world.
Around them was the misty rain and hurrying figures, but only the two of them walked in unison on the wet road.
Theresa's heart was beating a little fast; she could even smell Kael's faint scent, mixed with the smell of rain.
She quietly raised her hand, hesitated for a moment, and finally, carefully and gently, tugged at the corner of Kael's uniform.
Kael's body stiffened imperceptibly, and he looked down at her.
Theresa immediately lowered her head, pretending to look at a puddle on the ground, but her earlobes were completely red.
Kael ultimately said nothing, letting her tug, and continued walking forward.
This path, which usually took only a few minutes to walk, seemed exceptionally long today, yet also so brief that one wished it could be a little longer.
It wasn't until they reached the base of Kael's dormitory building that Theresa reluctantly let go of his hand.
"Come up for a hot tea, don't catch a cold," Kael said, looking at her somewhat damp shoulder.
"No need, no need!" Theresa quickly shook her head. Although she really wanted to, she was afraid that if she went up, she wouldn't want to leave. "I... I'll just go back and change! Kael, you should go up and rest quickly too!"
After speaking, as if afraid she would change her mind, she turned and rushed into the rain, running a few steps before looking back and waving vigorously at him.
Kael stood under the eaves, watching the white figure holding the Haxxor Bunny umbrella, bouncing like a happy little deer and disappearing into the curtain of rain. A corner of his heart also seemed to have been softened by this rain...
A few days later, Kael returned to his dormitory after a day's work and found a somewhat crookedly packaged small box at the door. A sticky note with a drawing of Haxxor Bunny's smiling face was attached to it, the handwriting delicate but with a hint of nervousness:
[To Kael! I made it myself! No disliking it! — Theresa Apocalypse]
Kael opened the box curiously; inside was a dark blue knitted scarf.
The stitches... well, one could only say they were very unique, sometimes tight, sometimes loose, the width also uneven, and one could even see several obvious traces of being unraveled and re-knitted.
But the material was very soft, and the color was one he often wore.
He picked up the scarf, and underneath it was a small card with a big smiling face drawn in crayon, and next to it was written: "Winter is coming soon! Kael always forgets to wear a scarf! This is my 'practice piece'! I'll knit better next time!"
Kael held this scarf, which could be described as "terrible," yet he could imagine Theresa clumsily following a tutorial, probably poking her fingers countless times, to knit it.
He couldn't help but smile, a complex warm current surging in his heart.
The next day, when Theresa, with a mix of trepidation and anticipation, pretended to "casually" encounter Kael, she was delighted to see—around Kael's neck, was the dark blue scarf she had knitted, with its crooked stitches!
He wore his neat uniform, paired with this slightly naive-looking scarf, which seemed a bit out of place yet strangely harmonious.
He went about his business with his usual expression, as if wearing a roughly handmade scarf was the most natural thing in the world.
Theresa's eyes instantly lit up, and her heart pounded. She practically flew over, pointing at the scarf, her voice stuttering with excitement: "A-Kael! You... you really wore it!"
Kael looked up at her, his expression unchanged, merely giving a faint "Mm," as if saying "The weather's nice today."
But that was enough to make Theresa ecstatic! She circled Kael twice, looking at her "masterpiece" being worn by him, feeling happier than if she had won a major award!
"I knew it would suit you!" She smiled so wide her eyes disappeared, and couldn't help but reach out, carefully touching the material of the scarf, making sure it was snugly wrapped around Kael's neck.
Kael watched her, looking so happy she seemed about to float away, and couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth curl slightly upward.
He reached out and gently ruffled her head: "Your craftsmanship still needs improvement."
"I know! I'll definitely knit better next time!" Theresa nodded vigorously, her heart bubbling with sweetness.
He wore it! He really wore it! This made her happier than any sweet words!
💎 Power Stone Bonus: Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter
🌟 5-Star Review Bonus: Every 5 (5-Star) Reviews = +2 Extra Chapters
💬 Comment Speed-Up: If any chapter reaches +10 Comments = The Next Chapter Will Be Released Faster!
🔥 Want to Read Ahead? If you want to read advanced chapters, check out my buymeacoffee(.)com/02netnovel