CHAPTER 347: WASTED EFFORT

The strange blue glow, the ripple that had teased the edge of her vision, had vanished as quickly as it came. Nothing remained but those pitch-black eyes staring at her.

Her chest tightened, and her heartbeat hammered faster, louder, until it echoed in her ears.

She exhaled shakily, trying to steady herself, but instead of calming down, the heat in her cheeks only deepened.

A wave of embarrassment swept over her, twisting in her chest, leaving her both flustered and confused.

And then Harry did something that made everything worse.

He lifted a hand and gave the faintest wave. It was quite awkward, almost like he wasn’t even sure if he should have waved or not.

Yet it was paired with a slight smile—subtle, barely there, but warm enough to soften his entire face.

Her breath caught again.

The air in her lungs felt trapped as though she had forgotten how to breathe properly.

Her body refused to move, frozen under the weight of that small, almost careless gesture.

That slight smile... for some reason, it seemed to spread across his features, lighting him up in a way that made him look even more handsome than before.

’Why... why does he look even more...’

She clenched her teeth lightly, realizing how ridiculous her thoughts were becoming. With a sharp inhale, she forced herself to move, to break the spell that seemed to chain her in place.

"Hmph!"

The sound slipped from her lips, soft but sharp enough to cut through the awkward silence she felt swallowing her.

Without another glance, she turned on her heel and began to walk away, her steps quicker than before.

Her hands balled slowly into fists at her sides, trembling faintly with each step she took.

She didn’t even know why she was doing that. Why her body insisted on reacting this way when she had no reason to. Why her heart refused to settle, racing as though she had just been caught in the middle of some childish act.

This wasn’t how she had planned it.

No, her original plan had been clear in her mind. The moment she saw him again, she would at least greet him properly.

She would face him without hesitation, without cowardice, and offer her thanks once more for what he had done during the tournament.

He had saved her life—she hadn’t forgotten that. And she wasn’t the type to leave such a debt unpaid.

Deep down, she had already resolved herself. Someday, somehow, she would return the favour. That much, she had sworn silently to her own heart.

But all of that had vanished.

The instant their eyes met, every carefully thought-out word, every intention she had built up, had simply flown out of her mind.

Like sand slipping through her fingers, they scattered beyond reach, leaving her with nothing but this suffocating embarrassment and the sound of her own quickened footsteps as she walked away.

She bit down softly on her lip, lowering her gaze to the floor as she continued down the hall, each step echoing with the frustration of her own failure.

Instead of greeting him... instead of thanking him... all she had done was flee. And the worst part was—she didn’t even understand why.

Harry blinked as the girl walked away, her steps sharp and quick as though she couldn’t put enough distance between them fast enough.

His hand, which had only just lifted in that small, awkward wave, hung suspended for a moment before lowering back to his side.

His brows drew together faintly, confusion flickering across his face.

’Why... did she just ignore me like that?’ he thought.

He hadn’t expected much—truthfully, he hadn’t expected anything at all.

But he certainly hadn’t expected her to turn her back on him with that sharp little sound, brushing past as though his presence was nothing more than air.

The look in her eyes, the faint tension in her steps, had made it clear: she had chosen not to acknowledge him.

Harry exhaled quietly, pressing his lips together in a thin line.

That wave... it had taken him more effort than anyone could possibly know. To anyone watching, it might have looked small, simple, even careless.

But for him, that slight movement of the hand had demanded quite some confidence.

For someone who had spent most of his life living as trash and snubbed by others, even the smallest attempt at reaching out felt like walking across a blade’s edge.

’So much for being more ’friendly’ to others... isn’t that right, Leon?’ he thought, directing the question at a certain person in his mind.

After all, this same person was the one who recently advised him to be more ’open’ or ’friendly’ to others.

Since he and Miranda interacted quite a bit back at the tournament, that wave had been his attempt at... something. Something he didn’t even know how to name.

And it was wasted.

All his effort had crumbled into nothing the moment she turned away with that faint, dismissive sound.

[Well... perhaps she’s in a bad mood...? It’s nothing too serious.]

Leon replied, letting out a light chuckle.

Harry’s eyes narrowed slightly, but only for an instant.

His expression smoothed out almost immediately after. He wasn’t the type to linger on such things—not anymore.

If anything, he knew better than most how pointless it was to expect kindness or recognition from others. People had disappointed him too many times in the past.

So, without dwelling further, he shifted his gaze away from the retreating figure and turned back toward the woman walking at his side.

She was still speaking, gesturing as she pointed out various parts of the guild hall.

*

A few hours later...

Harry lay flat on his bed, one arm bent behind his head as he stared at the ceiling.

A long breath escaped his lips, the kind that carried both relief and an unshakable weight. The room around him was quiet, lit only by the faint glow of lantern light spilling from the wall.

In his other hand, he held a card.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied it in silence.