synopsis: phainon has been crushing on you for as long as he could remember. Yet every confession he painstankingly prepared himself for never made it past his lips. After countless failed attempts, it seems he requires the help of cupid..or in this case, his professors?
contains: 4.2k wc, modern au, female reader, phainon fumbling to the point where its lowk embarrassing for bro.., pathetic phainon, nerdnon? (he wears glasses here bcs why not), aglanaxa if you squint, characters might be OOC.
notes: guess who lost 5050 hard pity for phainon's eidolons hahhahahhaa...e6 phainon pls come home early im broke </3
i present this as my humble offering..🙏
pls ignore any spelling or grammatical errors..i'll correct them soon enough but it's like 5 in the morning and i can't sleep so i decided to finalise this from my wips and post it..
Phainon remembers the first time he met you.
It was back when Professor Anaxagoras's (Or Anaxa, as Phainon like to call him) had just ended, and Phainon—who had somehow found himself dozing off midway through—was being lightly reprimanded after everyone else had already left.
Anaxa only ever did it because he cared—well, in his own way, sharp eyed enough to notice Phainon's habit of pushing himself too far, and stubborn enough to refuse to let the boy go unchecked.
So he walked out of the lecture hall still half-laughing, half-listening, trading easy jokes over his shoulder as he spoke with the professor.
And then he bumped into someone.
No—he walked straight into them.
The next moment, gravity won.
Phainon barely had time to register the collision before he felt himself falling backwards, and he reached out, just to accidentally pull the other person down with him in a messy tangle of surprise and momentum.
It was only after a short while did he process what he just did.
He pushed himself up immediately, voice sharp with panic as his glasses slipped off his face in the movement. He fumbled for them blindly, too panicked to process things properly, his heart already racing with second hand embarrassment.
Internally, he was already calculating every possible way he had just ruined someone's day.
He knew his own strength. All those gym sessions with Mydei weren't just for show—he could almost lift twice his weight without thinking about it.
Which only made it worse.
What if he'd hurt you when he pulled you down?
What if his grip was too hard?
"I—are you okay? I didn't— I wasn't looking where I was going, I'm really sorry—"
"It's ok, really." Your voice cut through the waves of panic in his mind, holding out his glasses to him.
When he finally looked up, reaching out to take them, his breath hitched the moment your eyes met.
After that one awkward encounter—though it had been far more awkward for him than it ever was for you—Phainon found himself seeking you out more times than he ever cared to admit.
At first, it was easy enough to justify.
The two of you shared lectures under both Prof. Anaxa and Professor Aglaea, so crossing paths was hardly unusual.
You just seem to be in his vision half the time.
Sometimes you'd end up walking the same corridor after class. Other times you'd find yourselves sitting next to each other in lectures, exchanging quiet comments about assignments or complaining about whatever impossible workload the professor had assigned that week.
Those small conversations gradually stretched into longer ones.
A brief greeting became walking together after lectures. Studying in the library became sharing lunch whenever your schedules happened to align.
Before either of you really noticed, spending time together had become effortless.
With Phainon's easygoing nature and your quiet patience, friendship settled naturally between the two of you, as though it had always been there.
But Phainon wished it didn't stop at just friendship.
He wasn't entirely sure when it had happened. Maybe it was the way you had laugh without holding back whenever he said something particularly stupid. Maybe it was the way you'd always listen so earnestly wheneever someone spoke, giving them your full attention and advice when necessary.
Or maybe it was simply because you were you.
In his eyes, you shone far too brightly to ever be ordinary to him.
Your smile lingered in his thoughts long after you were gone. The sound of your laughter had an annoying tendency to replay itself in his head during times he was supposed to be paying attention. Sometimes he'd catch himself looking for you before he even realise what he was doing.
Somewhere deep inside, in a place he refused to acknowledge even to himself, he wishes that warmth you show to others would one day belong to him alone.
Yet he couldn't help longing for it—for the chance to be caught in it entirely, to sink beneath it without struggle and never resurface. And even then, if asked, he would have said it wasn't enough.
Eventually, after weeks of talking himself into it (and yapping Mydei's and Cyrene's ear off), he decided he was finally going to confess.
His first confession attempt failed terribly.
He had spent nearly an hour standing in front of the mirror in his room the night before, repeating the same confession until the words rolled naturally off his tongue.
By the time he finally crawled into bed, he'd convinced himself there was no possible way things could go wrong.
The next afternoon, after Professos Aglaea had dismissed the class, he spotted you leaving the lecture alone.
His heart immediately started pounding.
He hurried after you, weaving through the crowd until you glanced over your shoulder at the sound of your name.
It was a simple smile—one he'd seen dozens of times before.
Yet somehow, the moment it was directed at him, every carefully rehearsed sentence vanished from his mind.
His brain, so dependable in every other situation, chose that exact moment to abandon him.
"..Do you understand today's lecture?" he blurted.
The words left his mouth before he could stop them and immediately, he wanted to disappear, hoping the ground would open up and swallow him whole.
You blinked in mild surprise before giving a thoughtgul hum. "I guess? Did you?"
Relief arrived in the form of conversation, and he grabbed onto it for dear life.
"Yep!" he laughed a little too loudly, cringing at himself on the inside as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Hard not to focus when Professor Aglaea has this look that makes you really pay attention.."
You laughed, the corners of your eyes crinkling ever so slightly.
He laughed too, matching your pace as the two of you continued walking down the corridor as though nothing unusual had occured.
Inside, however, he was silently mourning the death of what had been, in his opinion, the perfect confession.
His second plan never even reached the starting line.
Undettered by the first failure, Phainon adjusted his plans slightly, spending the entire weekened dragging Mydei from one shop to another under the painfully unconvincing excuse that he was 'helping him buy something'.
In reality, he'd been searching for a gift—something small enough not to overwhelm you, yet meaningful nough to accompany the words he'd been trying to say.
Unfortunately, fate seemed to have an exceptional sense of humour.
The very moment he found himself standing in front of a display of adorable chimera keychains, carefully deciding which one you might like most, a familiar voice called out behind him.
"Oh? I didn't know you two liked these kinds of things."
Turning around, he found you standing beside Ciphera, who was already grinning far too knowingly for his liking.
Panic seized him at once. Not that you would judge him—of course you wouldn't. But the thought flashed through his mind anyway, and before he could stop himself, he was already scrambling for an excuse.
"Uh! It's for Mydei!" Phainon blurted out before his brain could catch up, immediately pointing at the unfortunate man standing beside him. "Yeah. Mydei likes these things. Notme."
The accusation came so suddenly that Mydei whipped his head around to stare at him, sending him a glare that said 'I'll deal with you later'. Then, as if deciding it wasn't worth the hassle, he simply looked back at you and Cipher with the same calm expression as always.
"What?" He replied plainly. "They're cute."
He reached toward the display and picked up one of the keychains.
"They are!" You brightened, stepping closer, eyes wandering over the rows of tiny chimera keychains before picking up one yourself.
A small smile spread across your face as you held it between your fingers. "I like Beagle Coconut..but Fig Stew would probably be second on my list."
"I like Beagle Coconut too!"
The words escaped before Phainon even realise he'd spoken.
You look at him, tilting your head slightly.
"I thought..you didn't like these?"
"..Hahahah..did I?" he laughed weakly, rubbing the back of his neck as his mind desperately searched for something—anything—that could save him.
"I meant.." he nodded once.
Before the awkward silence could stretch any further, Cipher clapped her hands together, cutting cleanly through the moment.
"Anyway!" she chirped, already looping an arm through yours. "Our movie's starting soon [Name]! Pink girl and Princess Homebody are waiting. Come on—time is precious!"
Phainon reached out instinctively, but the word came far too late.
You barely had enough time to place back the chimera keychain before you were already being pulled towards the exit, only managing a small wave over your shoulder before disappearing through the shop doors.
And just like that, you were gone.
The shop suddenly felt much quieter than it had a moment ago.
Beside him, Mydei let out a slow sigh before glancing sideways at his best friend.
"You're unbelievable, HKS."
Phainon buried his face in one hand.
Unfortunately, his third attempt wasn't any better than the first two.
By then, he'd stopped trying to come up with the perfect confession.
Every carefully rehearsed speech had somehow fallen apart the moment he stood in front of you, so perhaps he had been overthinking it all along.
Maybe, this time, he just needed to say what was on his mind and let the words come naturally.
When he caught you alone after class one afternoon, he took a quiet breath before calling your name.
You turned toward him almost immediately, offeringhim the same familiar smile that, despite everything, still managed to make his heart skip a beat.
"I..I've been thinking about you..." he began, rubbing the back of his neck as he searched for the right words.
His courage faltered immediately when he realised what he just said.
"Oh uhm—not in a weird way," he added far too quickly.
The instant the words left his mouth, he wanted to take them back.
Now it definitely sounded weird.
You blinked, your head tilting slightly in confusion as you continued waiting for him to explain himself.
"Well..not weird, just.." Phainon let out an awkward laugh, desperately trying to recover, but ever sentence that came to mind somehow sounded worse than the last.
His thoughts tangled together until he couldn't even remember how he'd originally planned to confess.
He sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.
"..It's not important, actually."
Another forced laugh escaped him as he took a small step back, avoiding your gaze.
"Forget I said anything..bye [Name].." he mumbled, before turning and leaving immediately, leaving you there as you watched him, thoroughly confused by whatever that conversation had just been.
Phainon, meanwhile, spent the rest of the day mentally replaying every second of it, somehow finding new ways to cringe at himself with each pass.
By the time evening came around, he had already convinced himself that it was, without question, the worst confession attempt in the history of confessions.
And yet, despite every failed attempt, every missed opportunity, and every spectacularly embarrassing conversation, he never once gave up.
"Does he have any clue how ridiculous he looks?"
Aglaea paused halfway through typing on her laptop, fingers hovering above the keyboard as she glanced up at the sudden comment. Following Anaxa's gaze toward the office window, she looked down into the courtyard below.
Phainon was, by every conceivable definition, failing to be subtle.
He walked beside you for all of three seconds before falling half a step behind. Then, apparently deciding that was too far, he hurried to catch up again, only to realise he was now walking a little too close.
A moment later he awkwardly adjusted his pace once more, caught in an endless cycle of trying—and failing—to figure out what a normal distance between two people was supposed to be.
Furthermore, everytime you spoke, his head would turn towards you almost instantly.
And when you smiled, so did he.
If he had a tail, it would have been wagging.
"..About as much as you're aware how ridiculous that blanket of yours looks." Aglaea replied flatly before returning to her laptop.
"How dare you. This is a limited edition Dromas blanket. Only 50 were ever made." Anaxa glared as he smoothed a hand over the blanket draped proudly across his shoulders, its repeating droma faces smiling with almost unsettling enthusiasm. "Do you have any idea how difficult it was to secure 3 of them?"
"One for the office, one for home, and one for my car," Anaxa replied, as though this was a given. "Preparedness is not a crime."
Anaxa paid her no mind, his attention already drifting back towards the window
"...He's going to ruin it," Anaxa muttered.
Aglaea looked up from her work again, following his gaze.
"That." He gestured vaguely toward the pair of you. "Whatever... that is."
She leaned back in her chair, watching the two of you for another moment. Phainon was saying something with far too much enthusiasm, while you listened with an amused smile that, somehow, only seemed to make him more nervous.
"...He's been like this for weeks, no?"
"No, he’s been at it for way longer," Anaxa corrected.
Another silence settled between them.
Outside, you had just laughed at something Phainon had said—something he very clearly hadn't intended to be funny. They watched as he visibly short-circuited, blinking once before hurriedly laughing along with you, nodding far more times than any normal conversation required.
Aglaea pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Argh..." Anaxagoras groaned dramatically, throwing both hands into the air before turning away from the window altogether. "I can't bear to watch this anymore."
Aglaea raised an eyebrow.
"I say..." He pointed decisively toward her. "We put our differences aside and help them."
"And why," she asked evenly, "would I do that?"
"Oh, don't act all indifferent now, woman." He folded his arms with a huff. "I've seen you watching them too. You're just as invested in this as I am."
Her eyes drifted back toward the window, watching both you and Phainon for a while longer before she let out a quiet sigh.
"...I suppose," she admitted at last, closing her laptop with a soft click, "we should."
A smug grin immediately spread across Anaxa's face, as though her agreement had confirmed a victory in some unspoken contest between them.
"I knew you'd come around."
"[Name], may I have a moment?"
You paused just as you were about to leave the classroom, turning back to find Professor Aglaea standing by her desk. She offered you a small, polite smile, waiting until the last few students had filtered out before gesturing for you to come over.
You nodded, walking over to her desk.
"Is everything alright, Professor?"
Aglaea folded her hands neatly in front of her.
"I've been looking over your recent assessment reports." She paused briefly, choosing her words with her usual precision. "Your mathematics grades have... declined this term."
You let out a quiet sigh, your shoulders slumping ever so slightly.
"...Yeah." You nodded sheepishly. "I guess it's gotten a little harder lately."
"The course becomes considerably more demanding after the midterm."
"It really does..." you muttered.
A faint smile touched Aglaea's lips before she reached for a single sheet of paper resting on her desk.
"Your mathematics professor intended to speak with you herself," she explained as she held the paper out. "Unfortunately, something came up, so she asked me to pass this along instead."
You accepted it, glancing down in curiosity.
"She has arranged for a tutor to help you until the end of the semester."
Your eyes drifted toward the name written neatly across the top.
"I believe the two of you already know each other."
Relief washed over you almost immediately.
"Oh!" A smile spread across your face before you could stop it. "Yeah, I do."
That was...honestly reassuring.
You'd be worried you'd end up paired with a complete stranger, someone you'd have to awkwardly stumble through equations in front of while making a fool of yourself.
Embarrassing yourself somehow didn't seem quite as embarrassing anymore.
"I'm sure he'll explain everything clearly," Aglaea said, noticing the visible change in your expression. "He's one of the strongest students in the math department."
You nodded, carefully folding the paper before slipping it into your bag.
"I'll let him know to expect you."
As you left the classroom, Aglaea watched the door close behind you before allowing herself the faintest smile.
Now she just prayed that Anaxa will do his part well for Phainon.
By the time the agreed day arrived, Phainon had already been sitting in the academy library for nearly twenty minutes.
Not because you were late.
Simply because he'd been early.
His notebook lay open in front of him, pages filled with neatly written equations, diagrams and little notes he'd put together the night before.
Looking back on it now, he had probably overprepared.
He'd rewritten half the chapter in a way he thought might be easier to understand, worked through every example question twice just in case you happened to ask about one of them, and even bookmarked a few extra reference books from the shelves nearby.
The familiar sound of footsteps approaching pulled him from his thoughts. He looked up instinctively, only to see you weaving through the bookshelves before spotting him almost immediately.
"There you are." You smiled, making your way over. "Sorry if I kept you waiting."
"You didn't," he replied a little too quickly, shaking his head. "I only got here a few minutes ago."
But it wasn't entirely a lie either.
You slid into the chair across from him, setting your bag down with a quiet sigh before pulling out your math book.
"I'm honestly glad the professor picked you," you admitted with a small laugh. "I was worried I'd end up with someone I didn't know."
"Yeah." You nodded, absentmindedly flipping through the pages until you reached the chapter that had been giving you trouble. "It's less embarrassing asking stupid questions when it's someone you're already friends with."
That stung a little, but Phainon still gave you a smile, "Well... ask as many as you want."
"I might regret hearing you say that."
The two of you laughed, and just like that, the awkwardness he'd spent the entire morning preparing for quietly melted away.
"So..." he began, glancing over the page before looking back at you. "Which part has been giving you trouble?"
You frowned thoughtfully.
"I understand the examples while the professor is explaining them, but when I get home and try the questions myself..." You sighed dramatically, letting your forehead fall onto the open book with a soft thud. "...It's like everything I learned just disappears."
Phainon let out a quiet laugh, more fond than amused.
"I'll do my best for you then."
Anaxa folded his arms as he peered through the glass window from above, looking down at the library floor below. His gaze lingered on the table near the back, where the two of you sat surrounded by open books and scattered sheets of paper.
"It's seems your plan is working well."
Aglaea stood beside him, her expression unchanged as she observed the same scene. From this angle, Phainon was clearly focused—explaining something steadily, pencil moving across the page as you leaned in slightly, listening with far less frustration than before.
"If you give him something else to focus on," she said after a moment, "he stops getting in his own way."
"Better than whatever plan you had in mind.”
“I say my plan would have been great too.” Anaxa clicked his tongue. "I'll have you know my plan involves careful structuring of the environment and emotional timing."
“Your plan was too much.”
“We should still try it just to see.”
“Please don’t ruin what I created.”
“Ahh… I’m a little nervous for this exam,” you mumbled, lingering outside the lecture hall with your notes clutched a little too tightly in your hands.
Phainon stood beside you, glancing over at your expression before letting out a small, reassuring smile.
“You’ll be fine, [Name].” He placed a hand on your shoulder, “just keep calm. Watch out for careless mistakes—that’s usually what gets people.”
“Ugh… if I fail, I’ll have to attend extra classes…” you sighed, one hand moving to adjust your bag as your eyes flicked back down to your notes. Your lips moved quietly as you reviewed formulas under your breath, like you were trying to cram the entire subject into the last few minutes.
“You studied a lot,” Phainon said with a soft laugh. “I’m sure you’ll pass, maybe even higher! Like an A?”
“Please,” you muttered, still half-focused on your notes. “If I somehow get an A, I’ll treat you to something.”
His smile faltered for the briefest moment before returning far too brightly.
He said it so casually it barely registered as anything unusual, already guiding you forward a step as the crowd around the lecture hall began to shift. You, however, were still too busy murmuring formulas under your breath to catch it properly.
Phainon cleared his throat, forcing his expression back into something normal.
“Good luck, [Name]. I know you’ll do well.”
You nodded absentmindedly, still reviewing your notes as you disappeared into the flow of students heading inside.
Only once you were out of sight did Phainon finally exhale.
“…Please do well,” he muttered under his breath, staring at the closed lecture hall doors for a moment longer than necessary before turning away.
Your voice carried across the courtyard before he even had the chance to properly turn around. He barely registered what was happening before you were suddenly right in front of him, colliding into him with enough force to make him take a quick step back.
His arms came up instinctively in surprise, then hovered awkwardly for a second before settling carefully at your sides to steady both of you. The sudden closeness made his face warm almost immediately.
“Woa—[Name]…?” Phainon let out a breathless laugh, trying to process the sudden impact while making sure you didn’t lose your balance.
“I got an A!” you said brightly, still pressed close to him.
That alone was enough to shift his entire expression. The surprise faded almost instantly, replaced by something warm and relieved as he relaxed into the moment.
“Oh!” he grinned, genuine pride slipping into his voice. “See? I knew you could do it!”
“It’s all thanks to you,” you replied, pulling back just enough to look at him properly, still smiling. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Phainon paused at that, like the words had to settle properly before he could respond. Once it settled however, he was quick to ask.
“Then..! Can we go on our date?”
You blinked, the excitement stuttering for a moment.
The confidence he’d just gathered slipped immediately. His hands moved up to adjust his glasses, his gaze shifting away as if the ground had suddenly become very interesting.
“I-I mean… not a date,” he added quickly, letting out an awkward laugh that didn’t quite hide his embarrassment. “You said you’d treat me to something, so… yeah. Just that. Not a date.”
There was a brief silence between you, the kind that made him very aware of everything he had just said.
Then your voice softened.
For a moment, he didn’t say anything at all, like he was making sure he hadn’t misunderstood you. Slowly, he lifted his head again, his expression full of hope that just couldn’t be contained.
You nodded, a small smile returning.
Words had failed him too many times already. Every confession had tangled itself into something else before it could ever reach you.
So instead, he simply held out his hand, his smile impossibly bright.
“Shall we go on our date?”
