Happy August, guys! Who knew my comeback story would be Jerza? Definitely not me.
Alright, so I guess I shouldn't say comeback when I don't have anything planned after this story... Oh well, I'm going to keep saying it.
This story is actually going to be a two-shot because 10k words is just too much for me to throw out at you guys, so I'm giving you some time to soak in this half and reflect lmao.
I'm not very sure if I'm still relevant on this site (probs not) but if there is anyone here who remembers me, you're awesome! I can't believe I've been writing on this site for like 3 years now. I turn 18 in two weeks and I started writing on here when I was just 14. I really can't believe it!
I'm starting to ramble omg okay, please keep in mind this is my first time writing Jerza! I appreciate any critique, though!
Thank you for reading, please leave a review, and I'll see you soon for the next half!
Erza Scarlet only has two hobbies in her life—school and a personal pastime she would never dare tell a soul. But on most days, school consumes most of her time.
Although it normally isn't seen as a hobby and more so as a job, school has always been a hobby for Erza. She genuinely enjoys the classwork, the homework, and the rush of taking a final exam. Her passion is the result of her flawless grade point average, deeming her to be the smartest student in school.
But her status isn't as glamorous as it sounds. A barrier exists between Erza and her classmates. Whether it is out of jealousy, intimidation, or admiration, it doesn't matter. Day after day, the barrier only becomes stronger.
"Erza, since you're the only one finished with your worksheet, will you take these papers to the office?" Her teacher asks with a proud smile.
"Of course," she nods respectfully while standing from her desk. Naturally sitting in the front row, she is already out of the classroom within two steps.
This is what it's like every day. The teacher lectures, assigns a worksheet, allows the class to work together if they need to, and accepts it when they're finished. And yet, no matter how boring or tedious, Erza loves it all; she hasn't missed a single day of school since elementary.
She understands why she's been labeled nerd and lame, but after hearing it so many times, she simply doesn't care anymore. There isn't anything lame about doing what you love. That's what Erza has decided to believe, at least.
"Here are today's papers, Mira." She enters the office, neatly placing the stack of papers on the front desk.
"You're always a great help, Erza." The secretary sends her an admiring smile identical to her teacher's. "What would we do without you?"
Erza slightly returns the smile, sitting down and making herself comfortable in her usual chair in the corner of the office. She unzips her bookbag to remove the book she's been looking forward to continue reading all day. It's hard to hold back her content smile when she starts to read.
"How have you missed fifty days of school when we've been in session for two months?!" A yell bounces off the walls of the office, enough to shake the entire room.
Erza is normally oblivious to voices surrounding her when reading, but this time she curiously lifts her head to sneak a glance in the principal's office. A male student she has never seen before nonchalantly sits back in his seat while Makarov has visible veins popping out of his forehead as he shouts.
Erza's eyes return to her book, yet she can't help but continue to listen. From what she gathers, this student has been to school a total of five times in two months. His grades are nonexistent. He absolutely hates going to school.
A greedy part of Erza wants to keep listening to hear just how much of a disaster this student's situation is, but her eavesdropping is cut short due to the bell signaling lunch.
"It's time for lunch, Erza," Mirajane tells her across the desk. "Why don't you go talk with your friends for a while?"
"Yeah, okay," she responds, having no choice but to rise from her seat. She moves slower than she should simply because she wants to hear the plan Makarov has for the student.
"We're going to get you a tutor," Makarov states.
"No way," the student refuses.
Erza hums under her breath, nodding to herself. She always liked Makarov's ideas. There hasn't been a day when she disagreed with him before. His ideas always serve their purpose.
Satisfied with how the problem is resolved, the male student in Makarov's office is already drifting away from Erza's mind while she leaves. If she's being honest, she doesn't even remember his face.
Now, she can eat her lunch on the rooftop and continue reading in peace.
There's always a speck of happiness within Erza when the school day ends. Not because it's over, but because she has the entire classroom to herself for the rest of the day. Every day, she can eat, sleep, listen to music, and do her work for as long as she wants. That is until the janitors shoo her away, of course.
Today is no different—except for one thing.
"Erza, you'll be staying here after school today, right?" Her teacher asks her with the ongoing appreciative twinkle in his eye.
"Yes, I will be," she replies. "Is there something you need?"
"Makarov will be bringing someone in for you," the teacher explains. "He'll be here after the bell."
"Okay." She nods in understanding, not thinking too much of it and returning to her classwork. If anything, she thinks she'll be asked to give another speech during one of the assemblies.
Erza isn't aware how long it's been since her teacher last spoke to her, but she's unexpectedly removed from her thoughts when she feels a tap on the back of her head. She raises her gaze, vacantly blinking at the stranger in front of her.
The stranger's brown eyes are shielded with cold. His burgundy face tattoo threatens her.
"Always working hard, aren't you?" Makarov praises with a chuckle, directing Erza's attention to him beside the stranger. "Erza, I have a request for you."
"What do you need?" she asks. It is now when she realizes that perhaps this isn't about a speech after all.
"I need you to tutor this student here," Makarov gestures to the boy. "This is Jellal Fernandes. Jellal, this is—"
"I know who she is," Jellal interrupts him with an eyeroll.
"Anyway," Makarov dismisses him with a wave of his hand. "Would you mind doing this? The faculty would really appreciate it."
Before Erza can stop herself, she begins to nod. Whether she wants to or not, she knows she can't refuse Makarov's request. He has done more for her than he will ever know.
"I don't need a tutor," Jellal states firmly.
Erza quirks a brow, suddenly feeling offended at the disrespect he has given Makarov today. "Your grades say otherwise," she remarks.
Jellal instantly scowls. "I'll be fine on my own. I don't need you to tutor me."
Before Erza can retort something back, Makarov reveals the news to her. "If Jellal doesn't pass the midterms next month, he will not pass this school year."
This seems new to Jellal since his eyes widen. "When do they start?" he demands.
Makarov sends Erza a look, clearly suggesting that there isn't much to work with here. "So, will you really do it? We're not allowed to pay you, but I can—"
"I'll do it," Erza confirms. "I'll tutor Jellal without any compensation."
Genuine relief flickers in Makarov's eyes. He begins to take a few steps back, sending them a wave. "Thanks, Erza. I'll allow you to create a tutoring schedule with him, then. See you two tomorrow."
"Alright, let's get this over with," Jellal says plainly once Makarov has left. He lazily sits in the desk beside hers with a heavy sigh. "I'm busy every day from five to midnight."
"That really limits my options here," Erza mutters, clicking her pen along with her thoughts.
"Unfortunate," he replies with artificial pity. His lips slightly tug up to a smirk as he watches her contemplate. "Well, I guess this won't work for either of us, so I'll just leav—"
"Here is your tutoring schedule," she presents while tearing a sheet from her notebook. "I'm afraid you'll have to not be busy a few days a week."
"I can't just change my schedule like this," he counters, brows furrowing. "You know what? I really don't need this tutoring anyway. Thanks, but no thanks."
Erza's eyes follow Jellal as he surges from his seat and nearly storms to the door. "Tell the underclassmen I said hello on your way out," she smoothly taunts him.
Jellal freezes in his footsteps, clenching his jaw. He takes a deep, even breath before going back to the desk and returning the schedule to her. "Alright, I can do Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from after school until five. Take it or leave it."
"One Saturday and you'll have a deal," she proposes. She can see the frustration in his shielded eyes, but it fades away when he takes a brief glimpse of the time.
"Whatever, it's a deal," he accepts more easily than expected. Without as much as a blink, he is already heading towards the door.
"Where are you going?" she inquires. "Today is Wednesday."
"I have to go to work. I'm going to be late if you keep bothering me," he states bluntly. "We'll start on Friday."
For the first time ever, Erza sits in her seat stunned, dumbfounded, and irritated all at once. There is absolutely no way she will settle for this. He at least needs to take something today, even if it's a piece of her mind.
Hastily shoving all her belongings into her bookbag, she exits the classroom and trails after him. She's seconds away from calling out his name down the hallway, but she's distracted by the teachers strolling past her.
"Erza, you're going home already?"
"Is everything alright?"
"I have a stack of papers—"
"I have to get going, but I will answer all your questions tomorrow!" Erza hastily explains before nearly running to catch up with Jellal. It isn't until she is a few yards away from him when she decides the best option is to quietly follow him to his work.
His brisk pace tells her that he can't deal with any distractions right now. And somehow, a part of her is curious—what kind of place does he work at?
They are nearing the city once Jellal stops at a building and enters from the back. Erza is rarely ever in the city. Her only destinations are school, the library, her home, and occasionally the bakery by her home. So naturally, she has never seen this building before.
She decides to wait about five minutes before entering the place, not only to come to terms with the fact that she just stalked someone to their work, but also to observe her surroundings. From her observations, only women with extremely revealing clothes are moseying inside.
Erza isn't sure if she will be accepted inside with her school uniform, but figures she might as well give it a shot. Finally forcing herself to step towards the building, she tries to remain calm while opening the door. She's forced to squint to see in the dimly lit room. When her eyes adjust, she realizes what kind of place this is. Her heart pounds in her throat.
"Welcome to our club! Who would you like to treat you?" A man greets her with teeth so bright, it's blinding. "Or are you new here? Let me show you the catalog of our hosts."
"I want Jellal," Erza answers, surprised by how even her voice is.
"Jellal truly is one of our finest men here," the man sighs happily. "Unfortunately, Jellal is entertaining a guest right now. You may either wait an hour or pick another host."
Erza can't figure out if she should laugh, feel embarrassed, or just be angry. Deciding to settle with the latter, she ignores the man and strides right past him into the main area; however, her dignified steps immediately come to stop when her eyes fall on Jellal.
Just from the sight of him she can tell that he's a completely different person. He's dressed nicely, his eyes match his smile, and his face tattoo compliments his complexion. To say the least, Erza is blown away by how beautiful he is.
The appreciative moment comes to an end once Jellal's eyes connect with hers, suddenly returning to being shielded like ice. He whispers into his guest's ear before swiftly heading towards her.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he demands harshly.
Erza can't find the words she wants to say; she's entirely tongue-tied. Maybe it's because of how his suit perfectly fits him, maybe it's because of his sweet smell, or maybe it's because he is a lot more handsome than she initially thought. But after reminding herself what she is actually here for, she digs into her bookbag.
"These are the notes I wrote for you before you came today," she states before shoving them into his hands. Not giving him a chance to respond, she quickly turns around to exit the club. She keeps her gaze withdrawn to ignore all the stares she receives.
Jellal watches her, entirely awestruck. He looks down at the paperclipped sheets of paper, skimming her neat handwriting. It's the same paper he saw her writing on before Makarov tapped her head to get her attention.
"How was she able to write all these notes so fast?" he mutters to himself.
Hearing the clear of his coworker's throat beside him, Jellal is suddenly removed from his daze, being met with bewildered eyes from the guests. He sends them all an assuring smile in response.
With that, he gently slides the papers into his suit jacket before returning to hosting with an interesting thought of how Erza's scarlet hair looked as it flowed behind her as she left the club.
Erza has never felt such a strong sense of what she is experiencing right now—tranquility. With what happened with Jellal at the club, she knows that any other person would be apprehensive to see him again. She, on the other hand, cannot afford to feel that way.
I'm as cool as a cucumber, Erza mentally braces herself for the hundredth time when entering school the next morning.
Truthfully, she has never seen Jellal in class before. It's not like she pays much attention, but she is certain she would at least remember his face. Regardless, since it's Thursday, she won't see him anyway. If anything, Jellal would only be a distraction. Now, she can continue doing what she loves most—school.
But she knows that somewhere deep inside of her, she can't face him after seeing his alternate persona as a host. The way her heart leapt into her throat was completely uncalled for. She never wants to experience something like that again.
As Thursday morning begins to flow into early afternoon, Erza isn't sure if she should feel disappointed or relieved that Jellal never shows up for class. Perhaps he doesn't care about failing the school year, after all.
By the end of the day, all of the thoughts about yesterday have almost been pushed all the way back to her mind. She isn't one to dwell on the past; thinking about the past is only a distraction from living in the present.
And just like that, she finds herself entering school the next morning—Jellal completely gone from her mind. It's Friday, meaning she will have an extra hour to lounge in the classroom before being shooed away. Right now, that's all she's looking forward to.
It's not difficult to feel a sense of déjà vu as Erza listens to her teacher's lecture, accepts the worksheet, and completes it before anyone else. On cue, she's given the daily stack of papers.
"Sorry, I forgot to give you yesterday's stack," the teacher apologizes at the large pile of papers. "If you need any help, you can ask someone to take the other half."
"No, it's okay. I got it," Erza assures. As she picks up the papers, she knows that this heavy stack is nothing compared to holding a textbook in one hand and writing notes with the other.
"We missed you yesterday, Erza," Mira says as Erza enters the office.
"My teacher forgot to give me the papers yesterday," she explains, placing the papers on the front desk.
"You never fail to be a great help." Mirajane sends her a warm, appreciative smile.
Erza returns the smile once again, wondering if Mira will ever know just how awkward she feels forming the smile. Her legs move on instinct as they take her to the chair in the corner of the office. She is about to reach into her bookbag to start her new book, but she pauses when she notices the person in Makarov's office.
Jellal sits in a desk, scribbling across a sheet a paper. Just by his intense gaze, Erza can tell he is completely absorbed in his thoughts. She wonders if that's how she looks like when she works, too. But overall, she's impressed.
"Erza!" Makarov enthusiastically proclaims while popping his head out of his office, causing her to jolt in her seat. Did he catch her staring inside his office?
"Hi, Makarov," Erza politely stands from her seat to greet him. He waves her over to his office, leaving her no choice but to step inside.
"We have Jellal on a tight schedule right now so he can catch up on everything that he's missed," Makarov states. "How are the tutoring sessions coming along?"
The question is enough for Jellal to immediately lift his head up from his desk, connecting eyes with Erza. Time seems to be at a standstill as they both try to communicate thousands of thoughts at once. How is she supposed to answer when they haven't even started?
"Jellal is making progress," she eventually replies, her tone much stiffer than it should be. There's some truth in her response, but her stomach slightly churns in discomfort.
"Excellent!" Makarov grins, absolutely pleased. "I knew this would arrangement would work out."
"Of course," Erza answers with an anxious laugh leaving her lips. She presses her lips together in a thin line to prevent anything else from escaping her. Fortunately, she is saved by the bell as it chimes throughout the school.
"Take a break and enjoy your lunch, alright?" Makarov tells her with a gentle pat on the shoulder.
Erza nods, although they both know break is not in her vocabulary. Her eyes flicker at Jellal once more before she leaves the office. She doesn't think twice in heading to the rooftop; it's the second best place for some peace and quiet.
She makes herself at home in the bench that waits for her every day. For the next thirty minutes, it's just her, a book, and this bench; however, she's in the midst of taking a bite of into her lunch when she hears the door to the rooftop creak open.
Her eyes try not to widen too much as she locks eyes with Jellal. She's supposed to be cool like a cucumber, but it's much easier said than done once he starts to walk towards her.
"Are you really eating lunch by yourself right now?" Jellal asks incredulously. "Where are all your friends?"
"I don't have any," Erza answers casually, resuming her lunch.
"Why? Do you think you're better than everyone?" he counters.
She pauses before raising her gaze to look at him. "What if I am?" she asks with not as much confidence she would have liked.
Jellal lets out a dry laugh, falling back into the open space at the opposite side of the bench. "If you really meant that, your voice wouldn't be shaking as much as it right now."
Erza bites her lip as she feels an unfamiliar sense of warmth swirling on her cheeks. She can't be cool like a cucumber when it comes to him. She feels anxious, out of control, and a little excited.
She sneaks a glance at him as he eats, now noticing all his features presented by the daylight. Everything she saw of him in the club last night is still there, but much dimmer than it should be. His charming aura from last night has completely vanished.
"Anyway, thanks for lying for me back there," Jellal mentions. "Makarov has no idea we haven't started yet."
"I've never lied to a teacher before," Erza admits quietly, refusing to look at him to see his reaction.
"No way! That's amazing!" he exclaims.
Erza raises her brows, perplexed by his words. If anything, it sounds lame. She waits for him to say it, but he's already onto the next subject.
"I hear your name a lot in the office," he reveals. "That's how I knew of you in the first place. They're always talking about how helpful you are."
She feels her lips tug upwards as a sense of joy floods into her chest. She's more than happy to be the one to make the faculty's job easier. For everything they have done for her, helping them is the least she could do.
"You're a lot different than I thought you'd be…" Jellal's voice trails off for a moment. "Even though you haven't lied to a teacher before, you had the audacity to barge into my work."
Erza's breath hitches in her throat as she finally turns to him and connects gazes with him. "I'm sorry for that. I really didn't mean to become so angry when I gave you the notes. Did you get in trouble for it?"
"No, the boss was fine after I explained the situation," he guarantees, his lips gradually forming into a smirk. "Were you mad because I was giving other girls attention?"
"No, I was upset because you can't have a job while you attend this school," she explains simply.
"I can't believe how much of a goody two shoes you are," he immediately scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Rules exist for a reason," she defends herself. "We should always follow them."
"Rules are meant to be bent a little," he responds nonchalantly.
It's Erza's turn to shake her head in disbelief. Jellal, too, is a lot different than she thought he'd be—they're polar opposites.
"Lunch is ending soon. You should probably stop eating your dessert and actually get to your meal." He begins to stand up from his spot.
Erza blinks a couple of times, not being able to understand how lunch is almost over and she hasn't even finished eating yet. What has she been doing these past thirty minutes?
"I'll be at tutoring today, but only until five," he reminds her before sending her a lazy wave and leaving the rooftop.
"Okay," she responds, although he's already left. She stares at the closed door for several moments, wondering what in the world this feeling in her chest is.
Even though she didn't get the chance to start her book, her heart is beating as fast as it would as if she had been reading it this entire time.
By the end of the school day, Erza is genuinely looking forward to their first tutoring session. Admittedly, she's excited to talk to Jellal again, but that's only part of it. She's ready to give it all she has to help him; Jellal needs to pass the upcoming midterm.
Once school is finished for the day, she sits in the desk she normally would for class, trying to busy herself while waiting for the door to open. Sure enough, Jellal eventually saunters in with a notebook and pencil in hand.
"Give me a minute," he sighs, falling into the desk beside her and leaning his head back on the seat. "Makarov really worked my ass off today."
"We don't have time for a break," Erza states firmly as she sets another group of paperclipped sheets onto his desk.
"More notes?" he inquires with bewilderment. "How do you have the time to write all of these?"
"By spending it wisely," she replies. "Did you use the notes I gave you on Wednesday?"
"Yeah, they really helped actually," he answers. He places his hand over his mouth. "Thanks," he mumbles.
She can't hide the playfulness in her tone. "Sorry, what was that?"
"Whatever, let's just get on with this." He rolls his eyes in response.
Erza's lips slightly form a smile as they get started. She is prepared to take baby steps while showing him the math equations; she even is anticipating taking this entire session reviewing over ways to solve it. However, none of that happens. Instead, Jellal is finished with the math section within an hour.
"You're actually smart?" Erza says, although it comes out sounding more like a question.
"Yeah, I guess. I don't really care about it." He shrugs half-heartedly.
"Why don't you apply yourself in class?" she asks.
"I don't care about school," he answers plainly. "It's boring."
Erza's eyes widen, completely baffled by his words. "School is amazing!" she proclaims. The rest comes flying out of her, wanting to protect her love of school as though it is her child. "One second you're learning about life, and the next second you're learning about what happened five hundred years ago. It's always a journey, day after day!"
Jellal views her as she catches up with her breaths, puzzled. "Why do you like school so much?"
"No reason," she responds a bit too quickly. "It's just a hobby."
"Do you have any other hobbies?" He slightly leans forward, propping himself up on the corner of her desk.
As if a light switch has been flipped on, Erza notices Jellal's alternate persona making its appearance. Their eyes connect so intensely; she can't look away. Had there always been a sparkle in his eyes? She isn't very sure if she wants this to stop or keep going, even as he leans even closer.
"We have the same eye color," he mentions softly.
"And here's your next assignment!" she loudly declares, blatantly ignoring him and forcing another set of papers into his face. She refuses to make direct eye contact as she resumes writing notes for him.
Jellal quirks a brow while accepting the papers, sensing her obviously frantic emotions. He decides to keep his thoughts to himself as he mindlessly works on his assignment.
Erza's thoughts have never gone this haywire while sitting next to someone before. Could he tell she's never experienced something like this before? Could he tell she's been trying her best to close off her emotions?
"It's five now," she says after thirty minutes of agonizing silence.
"Oh, really? Thanks for letting me know." Jellal pushes his seat back to stand up. "Got any more notes for—" His words are cut off as she gives him another set. "Why did I even ask?"
Erza watches him as he gathers his belongings. "See you on M-Monday," she tells him, slightly stumbling over her words. She can't remember the last time she ever told someone that.
Again, Jellal senses the reluctance in her voice. He's silent as he heads towards the door, feeling her eyes settled on him. He pauses before stepping outside.
"Maybe you do have some emotions inside of you, after all."
Erza's heart jumps into her throat, being left alone in the classroom with the door creaked open. It is in that moment when she realizes—Jellal really can see right through her.
And for some reason, she is not only stunned once again, but also utterly relieved.
After reflecting on her actions over the weekend, Erza decides she cannot be anything but as cool as a cucumber during her time with Jellal. She won't allow anything to happen again; her time with him is strictly a tutoring session. To keep her promise, she even changes the seating arrangement.
"You're unnecessarily far, you know," Jellal nearly scowls during their next session. They sit facing each other, but with three desks between them.
"It's so I can give you papers easier," Erza explains falsely.
To maintain a professional environment, she gives him no breaks in between tutoring sections from then on. She intends for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons to only consist of work and nothing else. However, her mindset doesn't go as planned when Jellal's stomach rudely interrupts.
"You need to eat a bigger lunch," she mutters under her breath.
"I would if I could," he retorts.
As a result, Erza has no choice but to bring in something for Jellal to snack on in exchange for some silence. She isn't sure what to bring until she finds herself craving something—sweets. It's then when she settles with that as his treat. Not only does she want to bring them because she'd enjoy eating them herself; it's also a strategy to keep him motivated to work.
But as much as it pains her, she also has to deal with the fact that this brief time of snacking also brings conversation that she'd much rather avoid.
"These sweets are great!" Jellal proclaims, nearly stuffing an entire muffin into his mouth. "Where did you get these?"
"I live near a bakery," Erza replies.
"I could eat these all day," he says with a satisfied smile. He views her handful of sweets. "It looks like you can, too."
"Their cakes are my favorite," she admits without a second a thought. She bites her tongue, mentally punishing herself for revealing something she probably shouldn't have.
"I'll have to try some of their cakes someday," he responds.
"I'll bring some in next time," she states.
He quirks a brow. "So, you're saying you're going to bring sweets from here on out?"
Erza can't decide whether she's being manipulated or that this is truly the only way to keep him motivated. Regardless, she begins to nod. "I just hope your stomach doesn't make too much noise anymore."
"I promise it won't," he assures.
From then on, Erza brings a box of sweets for Jellal every tutoring session. She limits their break to ten minutes in hopes that they won't talk too much. Yet somehow, she finds herself knowing more about Jellal after each session, even if he's three desks away with a mouth full of chocolate.
Every day, she learns little things about him like, he really enjoys physics, he's incredibly patient, he isn't as tough as he presents himself to be, and lastly—much to her surprise—he loves sweets.
And at the same time, Erza is unconsciously revealing herself to him, too—little by little. She accidentally let it slip that she loves sweet just as much, she loves all subjects, and she's not as patient as she would like to be.
She isn't sure if it's okay for someone to know these things about her, but somehow, she wants him to. She wants him to know the parts of her that not very many people know.
So here they are, nibbling on sweets during their ten minute break before returning to their intense studying. For the most part, they speak about nonsense during the time, but today the conversation is much different.
"It sucks that these tutoring sessions aren't forever," Jellal admits. "I want to eat these sweets for the rest of the school year."
"I'm sure you'll be relieved when these sessions end," Erza remarks.
"True," he chuckles, not trying to hide it. "But I got used to it, you know? You're not as horrible as I thought you'd be. You're actually pretty cool."
It takes a few moments for her to understand his words, blinking several times in the process. She hesitantly opens her mouth. "You're a little cool, too."
"Only a little?" he scoffs. "I'll have you know, I'm known as the coolest person at my job."
"They have it all wrong," she responds with a shake of her head. "I think the man with the shiny teeth is the coolest."
"Hibiki?" he asks curiously, tilting his head as he thinks about it. "I guess his teeth do make him sort of cool."
"The coolest," Erza corrects him.
"Nope. I even think you're cooler than him," Jellal promptly shoots back.
"He's definitely cooler."
"No, you are."
"He is."
"You are!"
"He is!"
"Am I?"
"Of course," Erza blurts out without a second thought. She pauses at her mistake, instantly rolling her eyes at Jellal's reaction.
"I knew I was more than a little cool," he declares with a grin. Once he's finished celebrating, a faint smirk forms across his lips. "Don't worry, you're still pretty cool."
It takes every fiber of Erza's being to not release her smile. She forces herself to eat what's left of her bread in one bite, taking another sheet of papers. "Let's get back to work now."
As the sound of their chewing is replaced by pencils writing and papers ruffling, it's difficult for Erza to stay focused. She can't help but endlessly replay their conversation, promising herself that she's truly content like this with him. Sure, her heart skips a beat every so often and sometimes the image of how he looks like as a host flashes across her mind, but that's it.
She doesn't need anything more than this.
Jellal hasn't made any physical advances towards her since their first tutoring session, surely because he can sense the determination within Erza. Her efforts at being cool as a cucumber have certainly paid off.
But as the weeks continue and Erza has spent an embarrassing amount of money on sweets, the midterms become dangerously close. It's time for their tutoring sessions to shift into second gear and cram in everything that's left.
"Are you free this Saturday?" Erza asks one day.
"What time is the date?" Jellal teases.
She vacantly blinks in response, abiding by her professional environment stance. Jellal caught on as soon as she started, so he doesn't mind. If anything, her blank expressions are amusing to him.
"Yeah, I have the morning and afternoon off this Saturday," he answers seriously this time. "We can do it then."
"Prepare for a long tutoring session," she states.
"Oh, I do every day."
Erza smiles to herself, proud that her tutoring sessions have impacted him. But that's not all—Jellal has made a tremendous amount of progress these past few weeks. Although it's more like he's polishing his already advanced skills, she cheers for him every session.
She has high hopes for him and for his midterm; yet, there's a part of her that feels he still needs an extra boost of motivation. Once an idea enters her mind, she doesn't hesitate.
"What's your favorite dessert?" she asks as nonchalantly as she can.
"Strawberry cake," he responds.
"So is mine!" she blurts out more eagerly than she intended.
"Good choice," he remarks with a commending nod.
Erza returns the nod, already planning out her idea in her mind. And with the plans to meet at the library this Saturday at noon, she decides that it's finally time to put her second hobby to good use.
She only hopes that it won't result in a total disaster like she fears it will.