The chatter of students echoed through the silent hallways. A metallic scent, mingled with the enticing aroma of carboxylic acid, filled the air. The sleek white floor extended throughout the building, while large pillars rose majestically from the ground, supporting the grand tapestry above. The guide, a young man who appeared to be in his early twenties, greeted the visitors. It was unusual for such a large crowd to wander in, at least not since he had begun working there.

  His first tour left him overwhelmed by a sense of paranoia. 'what if I mess up?’ He thought. Not only would he make a fool of himself, but he was also mortified of his superior seeing him as incompetent. His first job, a disaster.

  Taking a deep breath, the young man brought forth the courage to face the crowd in front of him. “Hi.” He said, his pitch a little higher than he had intended.

  The man nodded. The guide froze seeing the frown on his face. “Um… We apologize for being late.” The teacher said, his tone soft and apologetic. Weird, he thought. But he didn't have time to waste. If he didn't start reading the script he had been memorizing for the past hour, the awkwardness itself was going to bury him. The job doesn't suit him, he regretted. He probably should have gone to some office, sat behind a computer, became lazy and more introverted than he already was.

  “Good morning, everyone! Welcome to the National Museum of Robotics. We're thrilled to have you with us today. I'll be your guide. My name is Xavier. As you may already know, the museum hasn't been open for very long.” He started. While his intention was to stick to the script, at that moment he didn't feel like the students would enjoy a monotonous experience.

  “What comes to mind when you hear the word, Robotics?” He asked, praying that someone would answer. “For me personally, I have always thought of robotics as involving humanoid robots that might take over the world in the future.” He continued, noticing that the audience was more interested in taking pictures for their social media than in his words. It stung a bit, but he relaxed slightly; at least people weren't focusing solely on him.

  Xavier started walking through the museum, towards their exhibitions, gesturing for the teacher and students to follow. “Robotics isn't just about machines.” He said. “It's about how they interact with the world and transform industries.”

  “From manufacturing to healthcare, and even space exploration.” The students gasped in awe, as if they had stepped into a palace from the future. The air was crispy, chilled by the hum of ventilation systems and the constant whirr of machinery hidden behind sleek walls. The floors were smooth, polished to a reflective sheen. The hall was bathed in soft white light.

  “Over here is an exact—well, almost exact—replica of the flying machine designed by Leonardo da Vinci, all the way back in 1488.” Xavier said, gesturing towards the exhibition. As he had predicted, none of them really focused on what he was saying. Pictures and their indulgences were priority. Sighing with slight disappointment, Xavier continues.

  ~~~

  Nathan and Jenny trailed behind the group of students, occasionally feeling as though they might get lost. For the past twenty minutes since the tour began, they had been engaged in conversation, with Jenny mostly rambling on while Nathan chuckled in response. Jenny believed that their interaction was going better than she had anticipated. Little did she know that Nathan had already made up his mind regarding their relationship.

  “And then, as always, my siblings get in the way. Which reminds me, do you have siblings?” Jenny asked, her hands clasped behind her back. Unbeknownst to her, she was leaning toward him. But, Nathan knew.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “No. I don't.” He chuckled. “Wish I did, cause that sounds ‘fun’.” He added, his words dripping with sarcasm. Jenny couldn’t help but chuckle along with him. Nathan took a deep breath and sighed. “So? How was it?” he asked.

  Jenny tilted her head in confusion. “How was what?” she asked instinctively.

  “This.” Nathan said, opening his arms to encompass the conversation between them. “Am I what you expected me to be?” he asked.

  Jenny frowned and shook her head. “I don't get it.”

  “When you like someone, you make assumptions about them. Which most of the time are not true at all. You're liking the idealized version of that person and not the person themselves.” Nathan explained. “I'm not the type of guy that you'd like, Jenny.” He shrugged.

  “I mean, I'm trying to get to know you so maybe—”

  “I like someone else.” Nathan said, cutting her off. “And I recently got rejected by that someone.”

  “Oh…” Jenny’s gaze dropped to the floor. She felt a mix of disappointment and confusion. Should she be happy that he was rejected, or sad that he was hurt?

  “What I'm trying to say is… It's not the right time for me. I'm not interested in relationships right now.” Nathan said. His body came to a halt, along with Jenny, who had been slowing down since earlier.

  Nathan turned to look at her. Her hands fidgeted as she struggled to find the right words, unsure of how to react or what to feel. “I’m sorry, Jenny,” he said, offering her an empathetic smile.

  “At least you didn’t reject me with a ‘Hell no!’.” Jenny said, chuckling as she tried to laugh it off. She didn’t want to admit it—definitely didn’t want to show it. It hurt. She had been harboring feelings for him for so long, masking them as hate and lying to herself. Finally, she had found the courage and the opportunity to approach him and tell him how she felt. She hoped things would turn out better than her previous attempts at relationships with Nathan.

  She had hoped that something more would come out of her confession. Don't guys like girls who make the first move? The thought crossed her mind. However, it didn't go as she had expected at all. Rejection? She had never experienced rejection before. Sure, the guys she had asked out before were actual as*holes. But they had never turned her down. 'So this is how it feels...’

  Her emotional roller-coaster came to a halt as a young boy approached them. With his blonde hair, he caught Jenny's attention. As she glanced past Nathan to look at the boy, Nathan turned to see what had captured her interest. "You look like uncle.”

  “I'm sorry what?” Nathan asked, smiling as he knelt down.

  “You look like my uncle.” The child repeated, tilting his head as his mesmerizing green eyes studied Nathan’s face with curiosity.

  “Oh, I'm sure he looks as handsome as I do,” Nathan said jokingly, mimicking pride.

  “No, Uncle looks better.” The child said straightforwardly.

  Nathan's jaw dropped. “That was harsh,” he said, his face melting into a warm smile.

  Jenny walked over and knelt beside Nathan. “I think his father was looking for him back at the hotel,” she whispered to Nathan.

  “What's your name?” Nathan asked playfully.

  “Cassius. But everyone calls me Cass—except dad when he's mad.” The boy pouts.

  “And where is your dad?” Jenny asked him. “I think your dad was looking for you. But far from here,” she added.

  “I was just playing hide and seek with my friend…” The boy lowered his head, unwilling to make eye contact. “Please don’t tell him.”