Overall, her romantic chase to Rolly and confess wasn't working out in anyway a romcom should've been.
That was how real life worked.
But Jennifer still felt it was very unfair, because other things that normally shouldn't work out in real life—like action drama sci-fi—were happening right in front of her.
She watched Awakener heroes enter and greet each other. There were more than one team being sent out. The heroes all had distinct personalities and outfits, but the atmosphere was very professional. No matter how loud or boisterous the heroes got, uniformed personnel guided them efficiently—leading teams to the correct gates for departure, or introducing them to specialists, field researchers, and whoever else was needed to complete the mission.
Jennifer felt like she was in the Pandora Online game lobby. Not that she had ever played. But it really did look a lot like it.
Either that, or she was at a high-end cosplay convention where everyone was taking their roles very seriously.
There were also two crow-masked men in her party. One of them actually had wings—like real muscular-skeletal, biologically attached wings. Jennifer knew, because at one point a group of personnel ran past them, and one wing opened up and shielded her casually. Almost like how a gentleman would reach out an arm to shield a lady.
"Thank you." Jennifer squeaked, more shocked by the black feathers and the warmth of the wing than the people who had just rushed past them.
"Don't mention it." The Aerial nodded politely.
Tell her how this was anything like real life!
It's so unfair! Jennifer wanted her sweet and fluffy romance. Not this… this… she didn't even know what to make of it anymore.
Still, Jennifer was determined.
She made it all the way here.
She had her cute and sassy line.
She looked beautiful and she knew it.
Her feet were killing her, but love required sacrifice.
Anyway, Jennifer carefully looked at the groups of people standing around. Rolly was tall and… well, round. She was quite sure, especially among this crowd of cosplaying—no, uniformed—awakeners, she should easily be able to spot her Rolly.
But Jennifer soon learned that she was looking for love in all the wrong places. Rolly wasn't to be found among the Awakener teams standing or sitting around. He wasn't on the sidelines either.
She realized why a moment later. She was looking for the wrong person entirely.
A small commotion rippled through the hall—and then the entire space hushed at once.
"Attention!" A uniformed Awakener called out.
Everyone snapped to attention as President Xel and Ronan the Dragon walked into the hall.
"As you were." President Xel allowed.
The tension eased, but the attention did not.
She walked directly up to Adrian. "There you are, Adrian."
Of course she saw Jennifer. "Hello Jennifer. It's nice to see you again."
Then she smiled at Ronan the Dragon. "Isn't that nice, Ronan? I suppose she's here to see you off. Adrian, have someone send her home straight after. You know this is against regulations."
And then back to Jennifer, "It's dangerous here. But since you're already here, I'll leave you to say your goodbyes."
Jennifer gulped. "Yes?"
President Xel moved on to speak with another group as if nothing unusual had happened.
"Are you in trouble?" Tien asked Adrian.
Adrian smiled. "Not as much as you are, Tien."
Meanwhile, Jennifer was still trying to remember the line she was supposed to say.
It was hard, because she was acutely aware of the whispers around them—about Ronan the Dragon's girlfriend.
Her face flushed.
At least she was dressed up like a romcom FL.
Ronan was looking down at the floor. He was dressed just like in his videos—dark camouflage stretched across his broad chest. A bag was strapped across him where his knives were kept.
Jennifer had watched all his videos by now. She knew, with an embarrassing amount of detail, everything about Ronan the Dragon. His nine blades in different shapes. How he stored them when he traveled. How he wore them when he fought.
Now they were both standing there, facing each other—
—and both looking at the floor.
And then Jennifer remembered the line.
Strike while the iron was hot.
Which was not the line she meant to say to Rolly.
Actually, she meant to talk to Rolly—not Ronan the Dragon—and definitely not in front of Awakener Central.
"I'm sorry."
Jennifer blinked and looked up, startled. It was Ronan who was apologising.
"I was anxious and ended up pressuring you."
What?
"No! I'm the one who's sorry." Jennifer exclaimed. And in the interest of striking while the iron was hot she blurted out, "I didn't mean no."
"But you said no." Ronan smiled wryly, "It's okay Jenny."
"No!" Jennifer said, "when I said no, I meant yes."
"What?" Ronan looked confused.
"I mean when I say no, I usually mean no, unless I mean yes." Jennifer tried to clarify.
Adrian shrugged, "It's a woman thing Ronan."
The two crows nodded sagely.
"No!" Jennifer yelled at them. They were so not helping.
"So..." Ronan was still trying to understand her though, "When you said no just now, you meant yes?"
"Yes." Jennifer said, and then noticed Adrian's smug knowing look, "I mean no."
"What?" Ronan's brows creased.
"I mean yes. But no." Jennifer tried again, and then she realized she was hopeless. Already every awakener in the departure hall must be thinking that Ronan the Dragon's girlfriend was a lunatic.
"I mean..." Jennifer took a deep breath, "Strike while the iron is hot."
"What?"
Jennifer was quite sure Ronan himself must be thinking that she was a lunatic by now too.
She gave up.
There was no saving this anymore.
"I love you, Rolly."
For a split second—
it felt like the entire world paused.
Ronan's head lifted slightly, "What?"
—
And every single emergency siren in the base screamed at the same time.
Great. She had just confessed to the man she loved—and he probably hadn't heard a word.