CHAPTER 331: YOU’RE NOT WHAT I EXPECTED EITHER

Then, after a short silence that felt like it could’ve ended in a hundred different ways, she said something.

It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t dramatic. And it didn’t sound like she meant for it to land with any weight.

But it stuck anyway.

"You’re not what I expected either."

She didn’t say it to provoke him. She didn’t even look at him when she said it. She just let it hang there like a casual thought that slipped out before she could pull it back in.

Ethan didn’t ask her what she had expected.

He could have. It would’ve been easy to press, to try and get her to explain.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he met her eyes when she glanced at him, held the look for just a second, and gave her a quiet smile.

Nothing smug, nothing forced, just a simple smile that said he understood—maybe more than she realized.

And this time, she didn’t look away.

She didn’t shift her gaze. She didn’t close herself off like she had when he first walked into the room.

They just stayed like that. Sitting on the floor. Not speaking and not needing to.

They weren’t student and teacher, not yet. That label didn’t fit them—not the way they were now.

They weren’t partners either. And they definitely weren’t rivals or enemies.

They weren’t friends, but maybe not strangers anymore either.

Something had started between them.

It didn’t have a name.

Neither of them tried to define it.

But whatever it was, it had begun quietly, and it had already moved into the space between them before either one of them said a word.

And that felt right.

——

Meanwhile, far away from that still room, on the other side of campus, a soft wind moved through the air around the eastern slope.

A floating path stretched across the sky bridge that connected the central tower to the upper classroom wing.

The sky above was pale blue, with thin streams of light cutting past the tall spires that reached higher than most clouds ever touched.

Two figures walked side by side on that path.

Their steps matched without them trying.

They didn’t speak. They didn’t have to.

That’s just how they were—always in sync without needing to think about it.

Below them, people noticed.

The crowd always noticed the Moonshade twins.

But this time, something was different. It wasn’t just the usual second glances or casual curiosity.

There was more to it. People turned fully when the twins passed, even if they tried to hide it.

The looks weren’t casual—they were focused. Like something had shifted, and everyone could feel it even if they didn’t understand what had changed.

Maybe it was the faint glow in their skin. A soft, almost impossible-to-describe shimmer that hadn’t been there the day before.

Or maybe it was the way their hair caught the wind differently, softer somehow, like the strands still held the touch of whatever they’d experienced the night before.

Or maybe it was just their eyes.

There was something quiet in them now. A glow that wasn’t light, exactly. More like fullness.

Like their emotions were closer to the surface than usual, but not in a way that made them fragile.

In a way that made them real.

Evelyn felt it too.

The difference.

She noticed how people’s conversations would pause as she and her sister walked by, and the space around them seemed to widen without anyone saying a word.

People moved aside a little more easily. Looked a little longer. Watched a little closer.

Usually, she wouldn’t have cared. She might not have even noticed.

But today, she did.

She felt it under her skin. That strange, subtle pressure in the air. Like the world hadn’t fully gone back to normal yet.

Everly leaned in, her voice just loud enough for her sister to hear. "They’re all staring again."

"I know," Evelyn replied, still walking.

"It’s worse than last week."

"It’s because we’re glowing."

Everly smirked, amused. "So you noticed too?"

"It’s kind of hard not to."

They kept walking. The path curved gently ahead, humming softly beneath their feet as it guided them toward the upper classroom buildings.

Everly looked sideways at her sister. "Not gonna lie—it’s a good look on you."

Evelyn glanced at her. "We’re identical."

"Sure," Everly said, grinning, "but I’m me. You’re still the one who acts like she has everything figured out."

Evelyn didn’t answer that. She didn’t need to.

The tiny curl at the edge of her lips said enough.

By the time they reached the steps outside the eastern wing, a small group of students had gathered nearby, trying not to stare.

They didn’t speak or point. But it was obvious they were watching.

The twins didn’t stop.

Their pace stayed the same as they stepped through the doorway and into the building.

Inside, the sound softened again.

Not silence, but a calm that seemed to live in this part of the campus. Voices dropped. Footsteps quieted. Even the air felt steadier.

They didn’t check the room number. They didn’t need to.

The main lecture hall was already opening up ahead. It was built in a circle, seats rising tier by tier around a lowered center. Everything felt balanced, clean, and built to focus.

"Same class again," Everly said under her breath.

"Makes sense," Evelyn replied simply.

They chose seats halfway up. Not right in the middle, but not tucked away either. Just enough to stay out of the crowd while still having a good view of the center.

Once they were seated, Everly let her shoulder gently rest against Evelyn’s.

"So... what did you think?"

"About what?"

"The café from our last date."

Evelyn paused for a second, then nodded. "It was nice."

"Just nice?"

"The quiet helped."

Everly smiled. "Same. I liked it."

Evelyn pushed her hair back behind one shoulder and looked ahead. "We should do more of that. Make time. Do something different once in a while."

Everly looked at her with warmth in her eyes. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Not just cafés," Evelyn added. "Somewhere far. Somewhere, we can actually stop and breathe."

Everly grinned. "Are you asking me on a getaway?"