A relieved sigh escaped Sebek's lips when he finally was allowed to remove the eyesore from his head. In one easy motion, he flung the hat right at Ace, who was thrown back by the sheer amount of strength put into the throw.

"Well, what do you suggest we do, Jack?" Sebek asked loudly, the anxiety causing him to lose control of his voice's volume.

"Uh..." Jack scratched the back of his neck. "I honestly don't have a lot of experience with this sort of thing," he trailed off sheepishly.

Epel couldn't help but roll his eyes at the beastman. "Come on, girls must be lining up for good ol' Jack with how buff he is!" he exclaimed and playfully punched the wolf's shoulder, earning him a little growl. Despite the warning, Epel continued to laugh bravely. "All girls are into strong guys."

Jack's ear began twitching in exasperation. "I wouldn't be so sure about it. Strength isn't necessarily required to woo someone, I'd say. What about intelligence?"

Epel hummed along absent-mindedly, rubbing his chin, as if deep in thought. "Eh, Sebek's got both, doesn't he?" he began, which earned him a curious glance from everyone in the room. A little chortle escaped the blue-eyed boy's rosy lips. "He's like a mixture between Deuce and Ace, added with a sprinkle of an alarm siren." An almost evil grin adorned his adorable face when he finished his sentence.

Sebek looked almost offended. "What is that supposed to mean—" he barked and sprang up from his seat, ready to jump at Epel and wrap his hands around his throat.

"All Epel meant to say is that you're perfectly suited to woo (Y/n)," Deuce cut in before one could attack the other.

The aggressiveness that clouded Sebek's eyes up until vanished into thin air, now replaced by a sheen of sadness and frustration. Like a dejected puppy, he ventured back to his original seat and sank into the chair in exhaustion. "I am grateful, really—" he began, exhaling. "But how exactly am I supposed to start? That's what I've been asking you for the last hour, and I don't feel like I'm smarter by now..."

Ace, Deuce, Epel, and Jack all shared a pitiful look with one another. To see their usually lively and loud friend in such a distressed state was an off-putting experience. However, none of them dared to say anything, knowing that they wouldn't be able to provide any useful advice.

Deuce was the first one to shift uncomfortably, letting out a nervous chuckle. "I guess we're not that helpful, are we?" he said in an attempt to brighten everyone's mood. "You went to the wrong people. None of us had a girlfriend before, aside from Ace maybe— but she broke up with him, anyway."

An offended gasp escaped the red-head's throat. "You got it all wrong! I broke up with her, tsk," Ace corrected and rolled his eyes.

That was the last straw for Sebek; he couldn't take this any longer. In a sweeping motion, he rose from his chair and carried himself over to the exit of the room. He could feel four pairs of eyes boring holes into the back of his head, but he couldn't bring himself to really care about their worried gazes.

"I guess I should leave... I need some time for myself," Sebek murmured quietly before he shut the door behind him. He quickened his pace, just wishing to get away from his friends and throw himself into his bed to sulk for the rest of the day.

°°°

"Sebek? May I enter?"

The first-year groaned into his pillow while shifting around in his bed, however making no attempt to sit up and open the door. He recognised the owner of the voice when it reached his ears for a second time, this time inquiring if he was alright.

Sebek let out another groan. "Leave me alone, Silver."

The voice died down immediately, and silence returned to the first-year's room. Yet, it was soon broken by the audible click the door produced when it was pushed open. Sebek curiously raised his head to find Silver entering carefully, a worried look on his face.

"I heard you're having issues—" Silver muttered under his breath as he sat down on the right side of the bed. "Matters of the heart, no?"

Sebek hesitated for a moment, unsure how to answer, which was highly unlike him. Usually, he would simply say the first thing that came to his mind; however, this time, he couldn't make sense of all the voices that echoed around in his head. So, burying his face in his pillow, he let out a scream. "...I don't know what to do," he admitted upon having finished venting his frustration.

An amused smile adorned Silver's lips as he reached out towards his fellow dorm member to put a hand on his shoulder. "Worry not," the second-year muttered and nudged his side with the object he was carrying with him. "Here, take this."

His gesture caused Sebek to sit up curiously, easily swiping the mysterious object out of his hands. On closer inspection, he noticed that it was a book — bound in a leather-cover, although he did not recognise it on first glance at the title.

The curiosity in his eyes was soon replaced by annoyance. "A book? I'm not in the mood for reading..." he mumbled under his breath, about to throw the book into the corner of his room when he was stopped.

"It's (Y/n)'s favourite book," Silver revealed.

His green eyes grew large at that revelation. Suddenly, his grip on the book tightened, and he eyed the cover in admiration. "How do you know?" he breathed out in genuine astonishment.

A chuckle escaped the second-year's lips. "With how much you stare at her, I would have thought you had noticed by now how she always carries it around with her," he commented playfully, causing his friend to turn red in embarrassment. Yet, the playfulness in his eyes soon turned into genuine kindness. "It's the perfect conversation starter, no?"

Sebek let out a sigh, unable to believe his luck. "You're a life-saver, Silver..."

Silver waved him off. "That's what brothers do..." However, the soft look in his eyes quickly morphed into an amused grin. "Besides, Lilia has been breathing down my neck because he wants baby pictures."

"Pictures of whose babies?" Sebek asked obliviously.