Chapter Text
Artemas’s face was buried in his arms. For someone who dressed so much like a businessman, he sure didn’t seem interested in business classes. He was clad in his typical black suit with spiral, golden accents. His sleek sunglasses rested on the table beside him. He really did have a remarkable sense of fashion, but everything else about him—particularly his avoidant, flavorless personality—seemed awfully dreadful.
As the professor continued to drone about test topics, Seraphina began to feel her eyes flutter closed. As if in a trance, she grabbed her coffee and forced the rest of the drink down her throat. She hoped the caffeine would help her stay awake. While she had the next week off school, exams were in a few weeks, and she couldn’t afford to let her grade drop further.
Seraphina tapped her pen on the table—an anxious habit of hers. Then she glanced at the man beside her, who, quite unsurprisingly, hadn’t stirred an inch.
Seraphina and Artemas have never talked. They’ve been taking the same business class ever since the start of the year, but Artemas was always huddled in the corner sleeping, distancing himself from the rest of the class. There was never any reason or opportunity to approach him.
He was so mysterious, and he acted like he hated everyone around him. Being the type of person who believed everyone had good in their hearts, Seraphina was admittedly excited for someone to finally prove her wrong.
The professor shut down the monitor with a click, dragging Seraphina out of her daydream. Seraphina blinked, her brain trying to register what was happening. To her utter horror, the lecture had ended, and most of the class was already halfway out the door.
Her notes weren’t even finished! Gosh, she was definitely failing this class.
Seraphina accepted her fate as she slid her laptop into her backpack and hauled the bag over one shoulder. Just as she was about to leave, something caught her attention from the corner of her eye.
An umbrella leaned quietly against the wall. More specifically, Artemas’s umbrella.
Seraphina’s eyes flicked towards the door, where Artemas had just left the classroom. There was probably still time. Still time to grasp his attention, still time to yell something along the lines of, “Artemas! You left your umbrella! Come back here, you little shit!” to the entire class.
Seraphina cringed inwardly. She should call out to him—it was the thoughtful, efficient way to get his attention. Most importantly, it avoided any redundant detours.
The problem was that it was embarrassing. Truthfully, Seraphina preferred to remain the quiet, compassionate girl everyone knew her to be. And Artemas, well, his entire thing was not wanting to be noticed, right?
And so Seraphina remained silent as the room emptied. After making sure everyone was out of her line of sight, she quietly prayed she wouldn’t regret the decision as she took his black umbrella with her.
On the way back to her place, Seraphina sent a quick text to her friend Adriana.
Seraphina: Hey, do you know where Artemas lives? He left his umbrella, and I was hoping I could give it back to him.
Adriana: i wouldn’t go near him if i were u
Seraphina: Why not? I thought you two were close friends?
Adriana: yeah, before he changed. he started distancing himself from all his friends a while ago, and no one knows whats gotten into him.
Adriana: i think he’s sick in the head. u should really stay away from people like him. theyre beyond saving. we’ve tried to talk to him, believe me, but he keeps pushing us away.
Seraphina: Oh. I didn’t know, sorry.
Adriana: its alr. unfortunately, knowing u, you’ll still try to find him because you’re too nice. you’re a people pleaser, sera, and i’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing, but it might hurt u someday. heres what i think: u go to his place, drop off the umbrella, and never speak to him again.
Seraphina: I understand. Thank you, Adriana.
Seraphina: As for the address…? ;)
The last two days have been a restless downpour. Seraphina sat at her desk, her lips in a pout. It was finally the day for her to return Artemas’s umbrella to its rightful owner. She had been so busy studying for her exams that she’d barely carved out an hour for her brief trip.
Wouldn’t it be funny if Artemas missed his colorless umbrella like how toddlers miss their poorly stitched teddy bears? Seraphina stifled a laugh as an unwelcome image of Artemas cuddling his umbrella popped into her mind.
She would miss this umbrella. It was a spark in the dark—the only object she’d managed to get that was connected to Artemas and the enigmatic truth surrounding him. To say her final goodbyes, Seraphina decided to open it for the last time. She sighed, pressing the button as she slid it upward.
It broke.
The umbrella, as if taking a shuddering breath, extended its limbs for a split second before collapsing to the ground. The thin beams holding its shape snapped, the damage clearly irreversible.
Well, shit.
After getting off the bus, Seraphina walked down the street toward a weathered brick building. She eventually reached a wooden door, its faded paint peeling away in uneven patches. Her chest tightened as she slowly rang the doorbell.
It took a moment for someone to answer the door. After maybe a minute of waiting, the door swung open with so much force that Seraphina thought it could double as air conditioning. Unluckily for her, she could no longer focus on her thoughts because Artemas was now standing in front of her. He was taller than she had initially anticipated, and it was made painfully obvious in the way he gazed down at her.
It was also her first time seeing him without sunglasses.
His eyes were as beautiful as the rest of him, no surprise there.
Seraphina cleared her throat. “Hi. You might remember me from your business class. I’m Seraphina. You left your umbrella, and I was going to return it to you, but I might’ve accidentally broken it.”
The confusion on Artemas’s face vanished into his usual, composed impassiveness. “I remember you,” he said simply.
“So, about your umbrella…”
“No worries. I’ll just get a new one.” He started closing the door.
“Wait!” exclaimed Seraphina. Artemas sighed, stopping the door in its tracks and throwing a side-eye. “I’m so sorry!” Seraphina rambled on. “I just feel like I should make it up to you, so I brought you this. I know it doesn’t fit well with your, uh, aesthetic, and for that I really do apologize.” Seraphina rummaged through her bag and handed Artemas a pastel-pink umbrella.
Artemas stared at the tiny kittens painted on the handle, and Seraphina thought she might die of embarrassment. Seriously, what was she thinking? Why did she think it was a good idea to come here?
“Thank you,” Artemas said, accepting the umbrella rather reluctantly. “Now, if you don’t need anything else, please excuse me.” He set the umbrella on the nearby counter and started swinging the door shut again.
“Wait! Stop!” Seraphina shouted a second time. This time, her hand flew to catch the door, stopping it from closing. The awkwardness was astounding; both Seraphina and Artemas froze, as if they were unsure what to do next.
“Um. I was wondering if you wanted to go out for coffee sometime. With me,” Seraphina managed to say.
Silence. Pure silence.
Seraphina couldn’t describe the look in Artemas’s eyes. They harbored this distinct, quiet intensity, as if his mind were filled with a sea of unspoken thoughts. He was staring into her soul as if he were trying to dig through her mind, searching for a reason why she would propose such a preposterous idea.
They were standing a little too close.
The air between them was stretched taut.
Artemas searched her eyes. “Okay,” he whispered finally, his gaze never leaving hers.