I WAS The Rank–1 Hero-Chapter 90 : She Waited For Me

"..Hey."

A soft, familiar voice called out from my left.

I flinched to the sound.

Turning my head, I saw her.

The slight blush on her cheeks. The way her crimson eyes shimmered under the sunlight.

Her fiery crimson hair swayed slightly in the light breeze.

I suddenly found myself short of air, as if the sight of her had sucked the oxygen out of me. My heart raced like a trapped butterfly, my chest tightening with each beat. My eyes widened instinctively, desperate to capture her beauty in a single glance. A heat surged through my entire body, spreading from the tips of my fingers to the very core of my being.

At that moment, nothing else mattered to me. The world blurred into insignificance.

She smiled. It was a soft, almost hesitant curve of her lips. Her gaze flickered downward, avoiding my gaze, as if she was hiding something in her eyes.

'Oh no...' I thought.

It was happening again to me.

A burning sensation crept up my face. I was certain—Right now I looked like a damn tomato. I wanted to turn away, to act cool, to keep my cool… but my eyes refused to move from her. They were locked onto her, as if drawn by an invisible force.

I wasn't dense. I knew exactly what this feeling of mine was.

Maybe I had felt this way towards her for years…

I wasn't sure…

But… I didn't hate this feeling.

"R-Ruby… why are you here?" The words tumbled in my mouth, before I could stop them.

'What are you, an idiot?!' Sera scolded. And I wasn't angry at Sera, she was right.

Of course Ruby would be here. The students were here. She was the headmistress of Nova after all.

Ruby shifted slightly, her hands clasped together.

"O-Oh, Umm… I was keeping an eye on my students," she replied. Her voice was calm, yet she still refused to meet my eyes, her gaze stubbornly fixed on the ground.

"I see… Thank you, Headmistress." I bowed slightly, keeping my tone as formal as possible. We weren't alone here. Someone could be watching us.

Then we went silent.

The kind of silent that stretched and lingered between us, neither of us daring to speak.

Two whole minutes passed. It felt eternity.

Neither of us moved. Neither of us spoke.

And then I realized—I was avoiding looking at her face too.

'Don't react. Don't react. Don't react.' I chanted the words in my head like a desperate repeated prayer.

Damn this puberty!

I needed to change the topic. Fast.

"Umm…" I broke the silence first, my voice slightly strained from before.

"You're going public with your real identity?" I asked.

Ruby blinked, caught off guard by my question. For the first time, she looked at me.

"Yes. It's the only choice I have left now, and it's for the best."

For the best, huh?

Some heroes revealed their identities to gain public support, securing higher noble status and influence. But Ruby… She wasn't like them. She was different… She had no noble title to protect, no family name to elevate either.

She was doing all this for her students, and Nova.

She wanted her students to trust her, to believe in her. If a Single Ranker was guiding them, parents would have no reason to doubt Nova Academy.

But… I saw it in her.

A flicker of hesitation in her eyes.

Loneliness. Uncertainty. The same emotions I knew all too well.

I had experienced it too.

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Right now, I was the only one standing by her side. After all, I was the only family she had.

"You're doing great."

I said it firmly, without hesitation.

My gaze locked onto hers. I didn't look away from her.

And for a moment, she did the same for me.

For that brief sliver of time, we forgot everything—the world around us, our titles, our responsibilities. None of it mattered to me currently.

My words weren't meant for Headmistress Ruby, nor the Single Ranker Pride, the hero who will be carrying the weight of countless students on her shoulders.

They were meant for her—the one person dearest to me. My one and only support.

And so… I would return the favor to her.

My heart ached with the words I wanted to say to her.

For as much time as I have left in this life… I want to see you rise. I want to see you fight. I want to see you smile. I want to see you happy…

I wanted to promise her that no matter what, I would stand by her side—to be her unwavering anchor, to be her silent supporter, until my very last breath.

But the words wouldn't come from my throat.

They stuck in my throat, tangled in the weight of emotions I wanted to share with her. So I could only hope—that my eyes, my lingering gaze towards her, would somehow convey everything I couldn't say.

I really wished for it to happen.

And then… she smiled.

The kind of smile that could steal the breath from my lungs. The kind of smile that made the world seem a little brighter.

It was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen.

"I do too," she whispered.

My eyes widened.

Did my feelings… reach her?

I wanted to ask. I wanted to be sure. But I couldn't, because I already knew the answer.

"Your parents are waiting," she added softly.

"Yes… I should go now," I murmured.

She gave a small nod. "Mmhmm."

I turned and started walking toward the gate, my heart was still pounding in my chest. A ticklish feeling stirred inside my stomach, a mix of excitement and something else I couldn't quite place rightfully.

But, I knew it.

I knew I was blushing. Pretty damn hard.

So I kept on walking. I didn't look back at her.

I wanted to. I really did. Just one more glance at her, one more second to see her.

But I stopped myself.

I really am hopeless.

My steps quickened, almost as fast as my heartbeat. The exit was closed. Beyond it, I knew—my parents, my sister, they were waiting for me.

I had almost the gate, the exit was just a couple of steps away—

"Zane!"

But then, I halted.

And before I could stop myself, I turned around.

And there she was, I saw her one more time.

Ruby.

The most breathtaking sight this world had to offer to me.

Seeing her again, even for a second, made my face heat up all over again.

She didn't care about the people around us. She didn't care who was watching.

Her next words were meant only for me.

"Happy 18th birthday!"

End of Chapter.

A/N: Happy Birthday Zane!

Today is December 4th, Year 5048~