Chapter 76 - 75: He has to go[GTG]
"Lyra?" Ryan’s voice cracked with surprise, his mind struggling to catch up with her impulsive outburst. But before he could react, her bossom pressed against his hands, and he could see clearly through the loosened panels of her training suit, sending a jolt through him.
He tore his gaze away as if burned, a surge of heat flooding his face.
The sterile environment of the VR chamber suddenly felt even more suffocating, charged with an unexpected tension. He hastily banished the lewd thoughts that threatened to erupt, shoving them deep into the recesses of his mind.
Lyra’s lips curved into a knowing smirk. She wasn’t oblivious to the direction of his stolen glance. "Yes, Ryan?" she purred, her voice dripping with amusement, the playful glint in her azure eyes a stark contrast to the seriousness of the situation.
"Coughs," Ryan stammered, his stoic facade fracturing under the weight of her intense gaze. "Can you please get off?"
She complied with a theatrical sigh, though not without lingering a touch longer than necessary, ensuring his eyes lingered on the tempting expanse of skin revealed by the torn seam. The physical contact, though brief, sent another jolt through him, a potent reminder of the confusing web of circumstances he found himself entangled in.
He scrambled out of the pod, blinking away the disorientation that clung to him like cobwebs. Glancing around, he found the other students in a similar state of bewildered disarray. A heavy premonition settled in his gut – why would the teachers leave them all alone like this? The unanswered question hung heavy in the air, thick with unspoken dread.
His own discomfort was magnified tenfold by the envious glares and muttered curses cast his way. Just a few days ago, he’d been entangled with the stunning Helen, and now fate, or perhaps a cruel twist of circumstance, had landed him in the arms of Lyra, the undisputed beauty and top-ranked student of the first years. She was every man’s fantasy, and his current situation was fueling a storm of resentment amongst his peers. He could practically feel the invisible barbs of jealousy prickling at him, a constant reminder of the fickle nature of popularity.
Steeling himself, Ryan finally managed to mask his emotions with a carefully constructed indifference. "Why’d you do that?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm, the question laced with a hint of suspicion.
Lyra feigned innocence, her eyes wide and doe-like. "What do you mean? Didn’t you accept Scarlet’s proposal?" A tremor of fear flickered behind the facade, quickly extinguished. She wasn’t entirely confident in her gamble, unsure if Ryan really would accept her company after all she did.
Ryan let out a humorless chuckle, the sound devoid of mirth. "Yeah, I did. But that’s not what I was asking." He decided to let the issue slide for now, more pressing matters demanded his attention.
A sharp pang of dread shot through him as he spotted the one person he desperately hoped wouldn’t witness this scene - Helen. But avoidance was a luxury he couldn’t afford. He had to face her sooner or later, and the sooner he addressed the elephant in the room, the better.