"Eh!? Why would you want to do that?" Brady answered, seeming rather surprised that I would ask to spend lunch with him.

"I-I was just wondering, if not that's fine. I know we are going to be working together at the club meeting, it was just a thought is all," I muttered.

"It's not that I wouldn't like having yuh around during lunch, it's just that I know you and Severa don't exactly get along," Brady explained. He wasn't wrong, I was convinced Inigo was going to be spending lunch with Cynthia, but I completely forgot about Severa. It's not like I was looking for alone time with Brady, but I imagine I'd feel better spending lunch alone rather than spending it with Severa.

"I-I'm sure it'll be fine," That of course was a lie, but part of me wanted to believe. Severa and I have never spent more than a few minutes together if I'm right, maybe if we have some more time together things would be different. All things considered, I was looking forward to lunch less and less.

"Well if you think so, then you're more than welcome to join us, I'll see yuh at lunch Noire," Brady says as he walks off to class.

"Y-Yeah, see ya," I reply, beginning to think I may have made a mistake.

I make it back to class to see Nah receiving an earful from Morgan, despite what my plans happen to be, she still is the one who has the explaining to do.

"I still don't see why you had to keep it a secret all this time," Morgan says.

"Y-You just wouldn't understand okay, I'm not the type of person to be so open about something like that like you are Morgan!" Nah replies.

"What do you mean like I am? I never let it out in the open that I had feelings for Owain," Morgan said, causing both Nah and I to just stare at her. It seems that she really was oblivious to the fact that everyone could see right through them. "Oh ya, well Nah do you know who Noire was with while we were waiting here?"

The traitor quickly shifts the attack onto me. "I take it you were with Brady?" Nah suspects.

"It isn't what it sounds like, we were just leaving Morgan and Owain alone is all," I explain.

"But then why did I get back here before you sister?" A very smug Morgan asks.

"You were closer to the classroom then I was Morgan," At least I think she was.

"Face it Noire, I was able to tell the second I saw the two of you that day pretending to shoot arrows together laughing, you like Brady," Morgan assumed.

"You guys don't get it, Brady and I are just friends, I'll admit that we've gotten closer lately, but we're still just friends," I try to explain.

"Open your eyes Noire, pretty sure you can see he likes you too, take a look at all the recent events around this place, people are falling for each other left and right, why not take a chance," Morgan says.

"But guys you don-"

"Ssshhh, the teachers coming quiet down," Nah interrupts, not allowing me to explain further.

I don't get where Morgan is getting these accusations from, yes she is the smart one and has been right about many things like these in the past, at least things not pertaining to her own love life anyway, but Brady and I have always just been friends. I haven't even told her about when he played his violin for me, but then again, why did he play it for me? I was so surprised with how good he was, it never occurred to me why he chose to show me when he said neither Inigo nor Severa have seen him play before. Morgan couldn't be right could she?

Lunch arrived soon enough and just as anticipated Morgan went off with Owain and Nah went to meet with Laurent. Part of me was beginning to think I should just call it a lunch and eat alone, but I already told Brady I would eat with him and his group, despite him attempting to talk me out of it.

Once I get my food I see the table with Brady, Severa, and, Inigo for some reason, I would have assumed he would be with Cynthia around this time. With each step I find myself wanting to just go eat somewhere else, but the time has already come, "H-Hi guys," I mutter as I approach their table.

"Ah, there yuh are Noire," Brady says greeting me, I take a seat beside him across from Inigo and Severa.

"What is she doing here?" Severa mutters with very clear disdain. She clearly didn't waste any time showing how she felt about me showing up.

"Now now be nice Severa, a maiden is always welcome to join us," Inigo interjects.

"Hmph!" She replies, trying to ignore my presence.

"So Noire, are Brady's archery shots as bad as he says they are?" Inigo asks.

"W-Well, he did just start," I awkwardly blurt out, trying not to make his shots sound as bad as they really are.

"My my, I take that as a yes," Inigo replies.

"Hey! I thought I asked yuh not to bring that up, I told you about them in confidence! Matter fact why are you even here, shouldn't you be with Cynthia right now?" Brady basically asks what I was thinking.

"Wha, that is no business of yours now is it? You weren't even supposed to see that frankly. If you must know she and I are going to go on a date first and foremost, we aren't officially a couple quite yet," Inigo explains. All things considered I still don't see why he wouldn't be spending time with her now. After a confession like hers they might as well be a couple now, but it really isn't my business so I'll keep my thoughts to myself.

"That's hardly an excuse. All you do is get shot down by girls, and now someone actually likes you first, the last place you should be is here right now," Brady says.

"Pff, like you can talk about people who shouldn't be here," Severa interjects under her breath."

"Excuse me?" Brady responds.

"Was I not loud enough for you two?" Severa says before getting up and leaving the table.

"Severa wait! So sorry about this Noire she can get this way sometimes," Inigo says before going after her.

All in the manner of seconds I somehow managed to screw up everything by hardly doing a thing, I lower my head, "I knew this was a bad idea."

"No no Noire you didn't do anything, Severa's just being difficult," Brady says.

"I'm just, gonna go somewhere else," I reply, picking up my food and getting to my feet.

Brady releases a sigh, "I just don't get what her problem is, she don't know you enough to have any real problem with yuh."

"It's fine, it doesn't bother me," A very clear lie. "I'll meet you at the club room later okay?" The last thing I want to do is run into Severa again after school.

"Yeah I, I'll see you there," Brady replies before I leave to go eat somewhere else.

Low and behold I ended up eating lunch alone anyway, and now I feel worse than if I had just done this from the beginning. I would almost consider not even going to archery club today, but I know that wouldn't solve anything, and I'd wouldn't feel any better about abandoning Brady at the club. Once lunch finally ends and I return to class I keep quiet about Severa acting up. Nah and Morgan ask how I spent my lunch and I simply say I was eating by myself.

"If I would have known I would have still spent it with you, the last thing I want is to leave you alone Noire," Nah says.

"No it's fine, I don't mind really, you guys should have fun," I know they care, but I don't want to pull them away from their new relationships just because I'm by myself.

Soon enough the end of the day came, Nah went home and Morgan went off to her book club, I stood outside the club door waiting for Brady, eventually he would arrive just as planned. "Hey Noire, feelin' any better?"

"Yeah I'm fine, let's go," I was hoping he wasn't going to bring it up. The two of us enter the club room and greet the other members along with Professor Stahl, he places us on the far end target just like the first day. Once we get our equipment and set up, I align myself up for my shot.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Release.

Not a bulls-eye, but directly beside it on the outer ring, "Sheesh Noire how are you so good at this? Did you have to have such a good shot from the beginnin'?" Brady asks with a smile.

"T-Thanks, it was nothing really," I reply. Turns out Brady wasn't the only one watching.

"Everyone, take a look over there," Professor Stahl orders, pointing the rest of the club at our direction.

"E-Eh?!" I mutter out of surprise.

"Pay attention to how Noire lines up her shot. Go again Noire," The Professor says.

"O-Okay," I say. Now with all these eyes on me, I get back into position, get into my form, and take my second shot. This time getting the very edge of the bulls-eye.

"You see that, her finger placements, her breathing, and with results like those, you all can learn a thing or two from her," The Professor says before instructing everyone to go back to practicing.

"Sounds like you might be the best in the club Noire," Brady says.

"I-I don't know about that, but I guess I must be pretty good huh," I was really beginning to realize I have a knack for this sort of thing.

"Yeah maybe you could teach me a thing or two, these shots can't be nearly as bad as last time right?" Brady says as he prepares to take his first shot.

"Of course, you'll do fine," I reply as Brady releases his shot. He didn't do fine. He managed to land on one end of the target, in the row next to us.

"Er…" Brady didn't look too pleased with his shot, neither did the duo practicing beside us.

The remainder of the practice went much like the previous one. I managed to pull off multiple solid shots near the middle of the target while Brady's shots landed everywhere but our target. I was just glad it was only his shots going haywire this time, the last thing I wanted was for someone to get hit with one like last time, I still can't thank him enough for going in front of it for me. As time went by, I noticed Brady becoming more and more discouraged about his poor shooting, he wouldn't say anything, but I could figure it out by the look on his face. Once the end of practice came and we put all the equipment away, Professor Stahl gathered all the members together and was giving a bit of a speech, discussing some upcoming events the club is planning to organize in the upcoming weeks, but as I was paying attention, I noticed Brady beginning to slip out, managing to exit the room without anyone noticing. I quietly made my way to the door to follow him.

"Brady!" I said once the door was closed behind us.

"Noire? How come you aren't listening to all the announcements?" He asked.

"I can ask you the same question," I replied.

Brady let out a sigh, "C'mon let's be honest for a second here, it don't really look like I'm getting better at this right? You just wanted someone who will go with you in the beginning right? My work here is done."

"But Brady, I don't want you to quit, I'm sure you'll get better eventually. Do you want to go to the music room again, maybe playing the violin again will put you in better spirits?" I suggested, I wasn't sure if that would even accomplish anything, despite his talent he didn't seem all too pleased with his playing last time, but it was all I could think of.

"Noire I don't think-," He suddenly stopped, like he had an idea or something. "Actually, yeah let's go." He said, the two of us heading toward the music room. Just like last time the room was unlocked.

I sat down in the same spot as before and Brady grabbed the violin, "I'm only gonna play a short piece, since we probably gotta head home soon," Brady explained.

I simply nodded as he began playing. Just like before, I was entranced by the elegant sound that was coming from his violin playing. The melodies he managed to create from the instrument are comparable to birds singing or some sort of gentle winds, you'd think he'd been doing this for decades. Just as soon as he began, he finished, he did say we were short on time.

Brady took a seat beside me once he finished playing, "You know why I haven't told anyone I'm good at playing Violin?"

I shook my head.

"It ain't exactly what I wanna be known for, heck maybe I'll go down in history as the world's scariest violinist or somethin'. We've known each other for a long time right Noire?" He asked.

"Yeah, ever since we were kids we kept getting hurt and sent to the nurse's office all the time. We ended up spending a lot of time together throughout the years now that I think about it, and just look at the other week, we both ended up in the nurse's office that morning, something's never change huh?" I replied with a soft smile.

"Yeah, I'm still as weak as ever ain't I?" He said.

"No no Brady that's not what I meant," I muttered.

"I know Noire, but when you spend so much time in Nurse Offices it leaves an impression on a kid yuh know? Even though I made my Ma and Pa happy being good at the violin and all, I wanted to try sports too. I wanted to get stronger and tougher but everything I tried I was horrible at, I thought maybe this archery thing might be my ticket, but turns out I'm pretty trash at that too. I was tired of feeling like such a weakling, getting hurt by every little thing," He explained.

"Brady, no one looks at you like a weakling, especially not me," I reply.

"But I do, that's why I always tried harder to be stronger, to keep me out of that friggin' Nurse's Office, and too…" He hesitated for a moment. "To protect the girl I cared so much about, to protect the girl who was always next to me in that room."

"B-Brady, what are you…"

"I'm sayin', you're what's been motivating all this time, I've been meaning to tell you, I just never had to courage too. I like you Noire, please," He stopped again and took a deep breath, "Will you be my Girlfriend!?"