TBBS 05

Chapter 05…

The small storage room felt even more cramped because of Erik’s large frame.

Too close…

If the door were to open and someone saw us like this, it would be obvious that we might be mistaken for being in some kind of special relationship…!

“Th-then, maybe we should…”

I tried to turn my body slightly to avoid his shoulder, which seemed just about to touch my chin, and Erik took a step back as far as he could, apologizing once again.

“Ah, sorry.”

That was the tenth apology today.

Even so, we were still close enough that our breaths could brush against each other.

Turning my body didn’t really help…!

I just avoided locking eyes with his unreadable green eyes, but my shoulder was still pressed against his chest.

Erik’s upper body, honed by countless exercises, was solid and so warm that the air conditioning we’d just been enjoying seemed meaningless.

In no time, the small storage room was filled with his heat.

It would’ve been better to awkwardly walk together through the corridors than be stuck like this…!

Then, a voice came from beyond the door.

“Did you leave something behind, Christina?”

It had to be the librarian, coming out into the hallway to leave for the day.

“Ah! Hello, Miss Schellin. Is Erik still working?”

Her high-pitched voice rang out nearby, and Erik’s low sigh reached my ears.

What’s going on? He’d avoided her the whole time at the library, so is Christina just chasing him around unilaterally? Do they have some kind of family connection or something?

Soon, I heard the librarian’s sympathetic reply.

“Oh dear, he just left, maybe you missed him.”

“Excuse me? I’ve been waiting right by the door…”

Suddenly, Erik reached toward the door.

Is he really going to open it now?!

I panicked, thinking he’d finally given in, but instead, he held the doorknob tightly so that it wouldn’t open.

Thanks to that, I had to continue eavesdropping on the librarian and Christina’s conversation in the cramped silence.

The librarian had a good idea.

“Oh, maybe he went out the back because of the recycling?”

Ah, right. Recycling…!

It finally occurred to me that I had left the cardboard box under the desk, and I banged my forehead lightly on the door.

“The back door?”

Christina asked urgently, then quickly added:

“Th-then, see you next time! Goodbye!”

After the hurried sound of her footsteps faded, a complete silence fell.

Relaxing from the tension, I muttered, forgetting who was next to me.

“Hey, did she owe you money or something?”

The silence stretched for a few seconds after that.

Well, of course. Who else in Sweden would ask the heir of Branel if they’d borrowed money from a classmate and not paid it back?

Before I could take back what I’d said in embarrassment, a soft chuckle came from above.

Looking up in surprise, Erik was smiling brightly.

Even laughing at a trivial joke amidst mops and dusters, he shone with a kind of mysterious radiance, like an actor on stage.

No wonder girls were always chasing him.

I tried to ignore that smile, but the more I relaxed, the louder Erik’s laughter became.

It even seemed to tap my shoulder, which was pressed against his chest.

Eventually, I couldn’t help but laugh along with him and asked,

“Are you laughing at this situation?”

We could have gone out into the hallway by now.

Erik looked down at me, holding the doorknob firmly.

“There’s probably just one person in school who owes me money.”

His unexpected words made the smile on my face vanish awkwardly.

Surely he wasn’t talking about me…?

I had no debts owed to him, at least.

But there was no benefit to continuing this conversation, so I quickly changed the subject.

“Is that so? Well… I am curious who this impressive person might be.”

As I forced my voice, his green eyes darkened with the same meaningful expression as on the first day.

Perfectly green, yet calm, his face now had his brows clearly furrowed.

I resolutely continued, pretending not to notice.

“First, can you open the door? Looks like your debtor has already left.”

Just as Erik shrugged, the door finally opened.

Stepping into the empty hallway, I heard a voice behind me.

“I’ll pay you back for today separately.”

I hated the idea of being owed by Branel.

But I couldn’t just ignore it, and when I looked back, he was still watching me with that unsettling gaze.

A look that awakened the survival instincts of the weak.

Alright, now it’s my turn to run from the lion.

I hurriedly said goodbye.

“Fine then. See you Friday.”

Despite having apologized to me ten times that day, Erik didn’t even bother to smile.

He only replied with a straight face:

“No, you’ll see me tomorrow too. Forgot? We’re in the same class.”

Damn, he was right.

In the evening, I ran to the dormitory to avoid being late for dinner, my heart fluttering pathetically like a startled deer.

No, it wasn’t fear or surprise… I was just running too fast.

Even though no one asked, I found myself making excuses.

When I finally reached the cafeteria and gasped for breath, my eyes fell on Christina’s empty seat. Imagining her fumbling with the recycling bins made my mouth bitter.

Karin said to the dorm supervisor:

“Christina isn’t feeling well.”

Ah… just thirty minutes ago she had been running around so briskly.

It was an interesting subject, but I pretended not to care and looked down.

The teacher gave a model response.

“Oh dear, tell her to drink some warm water and rest well.”

Yeah, if you’re going to fake being sick, please do it properly…

But unlike Erik, it felt like my troubles weren’t over yet…

My bad feeling was confirmed even before I returned to my room.

Christina, looking perfectly healthy, was standing in front of my door.

“Hej, Vivi.”

She greeted me as naturally as if we’d talked ten times before and introduced herself.

“Is this our first proper conversation? I’m Christina Oxenscherna.”

“…Nice to meet you, Christina.”

Despite my lukewarm response, she remained friendly and asked:

“It’s your third day here, right? How do you like Branel so far?”

“Well, I’m not sure yet.”

Trying to hide my discomfort, I replied, and she glanced briefly at my door.

I gritted my teeth. I hoped Olivia would be my first guest in my room…

“Oh, my room’s empty, nothing inside yet.”

So, shall we just talk here briefly?

…Of course, I couldn’t say that directly.

“If it’s okay, would you like to come in for a bit?”

Silly, naive Vivi.

“Thanks.”

Christina smiled kindly, as if returning the favor, and took a step back.

As I reluctantly opened the door, I suddenly remembered Erik’s large hand gripping the storage door, along with that strange warmth and unique scent.

“So, you’re saying you want me to give up the internship for you?”

For such a ridiculous request, Christina smiled calmly with her eyes closed.

“Of course, but there’s a price. I’ll give you the internship I’ve been doing at the Shite Museum every vacation.”

Wait, did she just say Shite Museum?

Seeing my wavering gaze, she added confidently:

“You know how difficult it is to get an internship at a national museum, right?”

It would’ve been a lie if I said my heart wasn’t stirred…

Experience at a museum internship was exactly what my résumé needed, but I only had brief volunteer experience at a local museum.

For Christina, it was probably just a coincidence, but my dream was to be an art historian.

Hoping my wavering eyes hadn’t betrayed me, I asked:

“…Even if you gave up that tough position, would it really be transferred to me?”

Christina winked one large eye, and under her impossibly long lashes, her blue eye peeked out and then disappeared again.

“Usually, it wouldn’t work. But I can make it happen. I promise.”

Probably only someone like her, an Oxenscherna, could pull that off.

I felt completely alert now.

“Truly amazing, Christina.”

I tried to smile confidently, even if not as much as she could.

“But I’ve been doing library internships at my previous high school too. Now that I’m a sophomore, I have lots of planned activities, like leading collections. And, above all…”

I added personal details I didn’t really need to, hoping to discourage her.

“As you know, I’m a scholarship student. Even a lucky scholarship student who gets dorm support still needs living expenses. In short, I desperately need a paid internship.”

Do you understand the plight of a high school student who has to get a job outside school if she can’t do an on-campus internship?

I hoped she understood.

Now, Christina, being an Oxenscherna, had no choice but to step back. That was the noble attitude Sweden spoke of—paying no inheritance tax.

Of course, Christina might turn out to be less capable than I expected…