My Romance Life System-Chapter 96: Drama At School

The next morning was a familiar routine, Kofi moving through the motions of getting ready for school, his brain already on the low-power mode he reserved for weekdays.

He was in the entryway, pulling on his shoes and running through the final mental checklist. His mind briefly landing on Thea’s closed door before he decided against knocking, figuring it was better to just let her be, to not force another awkward interaction so early in the day.

He was just about to make his escape, his hand reaching for the doorknob, when a soft click from down the hall stopped him.

He turned slowly, and there she was, standing in the doorway of the guest room, dressed in the new jeans and the gray shirt with the little blue jay on the pocket. Her hair was still damp from a shower, and she was nervously twisting the hem of the shirt, a gesture that told him she had clearly been waiting for this moment, psyching herself up to do it.

She looked from the floor to his face, then back to the floor.

"...Good morning."

The words were a quiet, fragile, and Kofi felt that strange, warm feeling settle in his chest again, a small, genuine smile forming on his face.

"Morning, Thea."

She seemed to draw a bit of courage from his simple reply, taking another hesitant step out of her room, her gaze still not quite meeting his.

"Have a good day at school."

It was the most normal thing anyone had ever said in this apartment, a simple phrase that landed with the weight of a major event, catching him so off guard that his own response was a clumsy mess.

"Thanks," he said, his brain immediately short-circuiting. "You too. I mean—just, you know. Have a good day. Here."

’Idiot. Absolute idiot.’

She didn’t seem to mind his awkwardness, and he saw the corner of her mouth twitch up in what was almost a real smile before she just gave a small nod.

"The spare key is on the counter if you need to go out," he said, pointing toward the kitchen. "Just make sure to lock the door behind you."

She just nodded again.

"I’ll, uh, see you later."

He gave her one last look before turning and opening the front door, stepping out into the hallway. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving him alone with the lingering feeling of that simple, two-sentence conversation.

His life was a complete and utter mess, complicated and exhausting and he had no idea what he was doing.

He started walking toward the elevator, a slow, stupid grin spreading across his face.

The walk to his usual meeting spot with Nina felt different, the normal weight of morning dread replaced by a strange, quiet lightness.

The brief, normal interaction with Thea had re-calibrated something in his brain, and he was walking down the street with the ghost of a smile on his face, a development so rare it was practically a historical event.

He saw Nina leaning against the wall at their corner, scrolling through her phone with a bored expression that was her default setting for anything happening before lunch. She looked up as he approached, her eyes immediately narrowing.

She had the social perception of a hawk, and his good mood was a brightly-colored mouse scurrying in an open field.

She pushed herself off the wall as he came to a stop, her arms crossing over her chest.

"What’s with the face? You’re actually smiling. Before 8 AM. Are you sick? Is this a fever dream?"

His smile widened a little. He felt... fine. Which was, in itself, a weird feeling.

"Maybe I’m just becoming a morning person."

"Liar. You have the soul of a grumpy owl that’s been woken up too early. You hate mornings. Spill. What happened? Did your weird manga about the guy with the cursed sword finally get a good Chapter?"

He just shook his head and started walking, Nina falling into step beside him, her eyes still fixed on him, waiting for an explanation.

"Things are just... less weird at home," he said, deciding on a partial truth that was the easiest way to explain it without explaining anything at all.

Her teasing expression softened instantly. She understood exactly what ’home’ meant now. She bumped her shoulder against his, changing the subject.

"I was worried you were going to turn into a full-on brooding hermit who only communicates through grunts and sighs."

"That’s still my plan for my thirties. I’m just getting a late start."

"So this is about Thea, isn’t it?" Her teasing tone was gone, replaced by a quiet, genuine curiosity. "Is she doing okay?"

’She sees right through me. It’s terrifying and also kind of the best.’

He just nodded, the ghost of his smile still there. He did not bother with a lie.

"We had a conversation this morning. A normal one. She said good morning and told me to have a good day at school."

He knew how it sounded. It was the most boring, mundane exchange in the world, but to him, it felt like he’d just witnessed a miracle.

She stopped walking for a second, just looking at him. Her own face broke into a small, understanding smile.

’Wow. That’s... actually a huge deal.’ She understood immediately that for two people as broken and awkward as them, a simple ’good morning’ was the equivalent of a peace treaty and a celebratory parade all rolled into one. ’Look at him, being a responsible adult-ish person. I’m so proud of him.’

"Well, look at you," she said, her voice light as she started walking again, bumping her shoulder against his. "Solving international crises. What’s next? You going to fix the economy with your power of quiet awkwardness?"

"It’s a gift."

"It’s something, alright." She grinned. "So your grand plan is to just... keep making her life easier until she’s a normal person again?"

"The plan is to not have a plan. I think that’s the new plan."

"Groundbreaking. Truly revolutionary stuff, Kofi."

"Yeah, I am trying my best."

"You know, for real though, Kofi. What you’re doing... it’s a lot."

He immediately tried to deflect, a reflex born from a lifetime of avoiding serious conversations. "Yeah, it’s a lot of laundry. I’m gonna have to buy more detergent."

She ignored the joke completely. Her gaze was steady, her expression one of quiet seriousness. "No. I’m serious. You took in a girl you barely know. A girl whose life is a complete disaster. You’re feeding her, you bought her clothes, you’re giving her a safe place to live."

’No one I know would ever do this. Tyler would have made fun of her. My old friends would have called her a charity case and taken pictures. But he just... did it. Because it was the right thing to do. He didn’t even think about it.’

"I’m really proud of you," her voice was soft but clear.

The words hit him hard. He immediately looked away.

’Why is she looking at me like that? It’s making my face feel hot again.’

"It’s not a big deal," he mumbled. "The doctor basically gave me no choice."

"Stop trying to downplay it." She took a small step closer, her voice insistent. "It is a big deal. You’re being a good person, a genuinely good person, and you don’t even seem to realize it. That’s... that’s the best part."

He risked a glance up at her. She wasn’t teasing. She wasn’t performing. Her expression was completely, achingly sincere, and it made his stomach feel weird.

’She really means it. What am I supposed to say to that?’

’He’s so clueless. He has no idea how cool he is right now.’

She reached out and lightly punched his arm, but it wasn’t one of her usual playful jabs. It was a soft, affectionate gesture, a physical punctuation mark to her words.

"You’re a good guy, Kofi L Dameire."

He didn’t know what to do with that, so he just stood there, his brain a mess of short-circuiting wires while his face continued its journey toward becoming a full-blown furnace. She just smiled, a small, knowing look in her eyes, and then started walking again.

hey were almost at the school gates, about to fall back into their usual pointless arguments.

A sharp voice cut through the air, stopping them both.

"Hey. You."

They turned.

Jessica was standing a few feet away. Her two friends were behind her, looking bored. Jessica’s arms were crossed and her eyes were fixed on Kofi with an intense, calculated expression.

"I need to talk to you."

The world, for a brief, beautiful moment, had been simple. And then, as if summoned by the universe’s terrible sense of comedic timing, the final boss of the school’s social hierarchy appeared.

Nina’s posture changed instantly, a subtle shift from relaxed friend to protective bodyguard. Her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed, and a look that could curdle milk settled on her face.

’Oh, look. The queen bee and her drones. What does she want with Kofi?’

Kofi just looked at Jessica, his good mood evaporating not into fear, but into a profound sense of exhaustion. He had dealt with a traumatized girl, a cynical doctor, and the emotional whiplash of his own parents in the last Forty-eight hours.

This felt like a pointless side quest he did not have the energy for.

"I’m busy," he said, his voice completely flat.

The response was not what Jessica expected. She was used to people stammering, or getting defensive, or at the very least acknowledging her status. This flat dismissal was a new and unwelcome experience. Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows drew together.

"I wasn’t asking." She took a step closer, her two friends flanking her like a pair of bored, identically dressed statues. "I heard you talked to the principal about Thea."

’So that’s what this is about. She’s worried she’s in trouble.’

"So?"

"So," her voice took on a sharp, condescending edge. "I don’t know who you think you are, showing up out of nowhere and getting involved in things that have nothing to do with you. Thea is my business. Not yours. You need to stay out of it."