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"Oh, Cater you're quite high on the list!"
"Diamond-senpai, you're amazing!"
"But Cay-kun wants to be in the top 10! Guess Cay-kun will just have to work even harder to be more popular!"
"What are you guys looking at?"
Ace and Deuce freeze as they hear their dorm leader's voice. They immediately try to hide the magazine and pull out their textbooks.
"W-we're just taking a quick break from studying, dorm leader! We will get back to it right now!"
Riddle frowns. He didn't mean to scold them. He genuinely was just curious. Ever since the overblot incident he wanted to spend more time with the other dorm members as friends. He should have known it wouldn't be that easy after all he's done but it still hurts for people to immediately assume the worst.
"Riddle is just asking! He's not going to get mad, aren't you Riddle~?" Cater points with a sparkle.
Riddle can't help but smile as he agrees with him. At least he has Cater and Trey to lean on as he stumbles through this.
"Acedeuce combi are just looking at the student ranking for this fall season! This is the list for desirable partners!"
Deuce nods enthusiastically as he grabs the magazine from Ace to show Riddle much to Ace's disdain.
"Dorm leader, you're in the top 10 and Diamond-senpai is in the top 15! Heartslabyul dormitory is well represented!"
Riddle takes the magazine from Deuce and scans the list. He had never heard of this list before but he had been concerned with more important matters. The life of a dorm leader is too busy to keep up with such negligible trends.
As expected, the list is mostly made up of Pomefiore students and dorm leaders. The Leech twins are up in the list as well as several Savannaclaw students. He frowns again as he finds something troubling. More accurately, something is missing.
"Where is Trey on this list?"
The three are silent as they glance at each other before looking back at their dorm leader.
"Uhm, he's not on there," Ace confesses.
"What?! Why wouldn't he be on this list?!" Riddle flicked through the pages, scanning through the names and portraits for green hair and gold eyes.
"Trey-kun is a nice guy but I don't think anyone outside of the dorm really knows who he is," Cater explained. He doesn't add that Trey probably prefers it that way.
"He is quite high on the list for the inner dorm rankings," Deuce offers.
Ace lays his head on his hand as he puffs out a sigh.
"I mean he's definitely not normal, but compared to everyone else Trey-san is just boring."
Riddle freezes and slams down the magazine on the table.
"Boring? Trey isn't boring! Even so, this is a list ranking desirability as a partner and does Trey not meet all the criteria for a desirable partner? He is caring and gentle. He knows how to cook a variety of dishes. He grows his own produce. He has immaculate organization skills and self-hygiene. If you are looking for children, he has experience handling young children as well!"
"You're describing a housewife, dorm leader."
"I-I'm not! This is simply the logical requirements one would look for in a partner! B-besides Trey is also conventionally attractive. He is sufficiently muscular and tall (not that height is at all the sole indicator of good looks). He has a sharp jawline and broad shoulders which are ideal to an attractive masculine image. Objectively his eyes are very beautiful and remind one of honey. He also has a wonderful smile, perfect teeth, full lips and just looking at his hair, makes you want to ruffle it. His hands are also very gentle yet dexterous. To not be attracted to Trey Clover is impossible."
The three are silent once more as their leader finishes his speech with a huff and red in his cheeks. They look at each other, then back at Riddle.
"Dorm leader, do you have a crush on Clover-senpai?"
Riddle attempts to make a comment but his words get stuck. He stares at Deuce as slow realization dawns on him and redness flushes his face brightly. Oh, no. He does. He does have a crush on Trey Clo-
"Riddle, the tart is ready for teatime," says the man of the hour.
Riddle turns around wildly to find Trey with a troubled smile and a shining strawberry tart in his hands.
"Did something happen, Riddle? You're all red."
"It's nothing. Nothing. I am perfectly fine, just a little warm is all," he swallowed hard and tried not to look at Trey directly in the face. Or else he will do something silly like confess his undying love or remember how he waxed poetic about his face just a second ago. He can feel the eyes of the three behind him bore into his back. Oh, they are so very lucky that he is trying not to raise suspicion or it would be off with their heads!
"Trey, it's alright. I unfortunately cannot share tea time with you today as I have much work to do for class. I shall take this."
"O-oh, sure…"
Riddle moves to take the tart when his hand brushes against Trey's. He freezes stiff.
"Seriously, Riddle are you okay?" Trey asks, worried. He bends down to meet Riddle's eyes and Riddle gets a full and much too close view of Trey Clover's face. Full with beautiful eyes like honey and a strong jawline. Perfect mouth. Kind and gentle. Housewife-
"Trey!" He shouts and stares straight at amber eyes widened in shock, "I will! I-I will work hard!"
He takes the tart from Trey's slackened grip and scurries away as fast as he can. The deputy dorm leader could do nothing but watch Riddle run faster than he has ever done for any PE class in his life. He jolts as he is taken out of his confused stupor by a hand on his shoulder.
"Good luck, Trey-senpai," Ace tells him solemnly. Before leaving, a red-faced Deuce and a much too smug Cater follows him.
"S-stay strong, Clover-senpai!"
"I'm cheering you on, Trey-kun!"
Trey's left alone with no tart and no clue at all into what just happened.