APOLOGIES - Azul Ashengrotto

It was a secret to no one that you were always helpful, ever since you enrolled in NRC, you have been trying to help your way around everyone.

Maybe you had been too friendly this time.

Azul had had a rough day. Too many contracts, too many irritating people, too many costumers...

He was reading over and over the clauses of a contract, trying to decipher how his client managed a loophole to make him lose... And you were being just too loud.

"Oh would you just shut up?! You're being an absolute nuisance!" He yelled, his perfect composure cracking for a moment

---

The private VIP room of the Mostro Lounge was usually reserved for high-stakes contract negotiations, but tonight, the atmosphere was entirely different. The soft, indigo glow of the aquarium walls cast gentle light across a table laden with an absurdly lavish spread: freshly brewed sea-camellia tea, silver tiers of ocean-berry tarts, and delicate smoked pastries fit for royalty.

Azul Ashengrotto stood beside the table, adjusting the cuffs of his suit jacket with meticulous—perhaps slightly frantic—precision. His silver hair caught the dim aquamarine light as he heard the heavy door click open, immediately snapping his posture into his trademark benevolent manager smile.

Yet, a subtle, uncharacteristic tension lingered in his shoulders. He hadn't forgotten how harshly he had snapped at you yesterday over a minor distraction while buried in financial ledgers, and the knot of guilt in his chest had plagued him all morning.

"Ah, you've arrived. Splendid," Azul began, his voice smooth and welcoming, though his fingers tapped a nervous rhythm against his teacup. "Please, take a seat. I've had the kitchen prepare a rather special assortment for us today."

He gestured toward the plush velvet chair opposite his own, pouring a cup of steaming, aromatic tea with practiced, elegant flair.

"I am currently overseeing a potential menu expansion for our most distinguished patrons, and I require a second opinion from someone with... a discerning palate," he explained, pushing a plate of freshly baked tarts toward you. He cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses to avoid direct eye contact for a split second. "And before you open your mouth to ask—no, there is no invoice. There are no hidden contractual clauses, nor will there be a consultation fee added to your tab. Consider this a purely professional gesture of goodwill. Now... do tell me how the tea tastes."

It was a secret to no one that you were always helpful, ever since you enrolled in NRC, you have been trying to help your way around everyone.

Maybe you had been too friendly this time.

Azul had had a rough day. Too many contracts, too many irritating people, too many costumers...

He was reading over and over the clauses of a contract, trying to decipher how his client managed a loophole to make him lose... And you were being just too loud.

"Oh would you just shut up?! You're being an absolute nuisance!" He yelled, his perfect composure cracking for a moment

---

The quiet, towering aisles of the Night Raven College library were usually a safe haven, far removed from the bustling noise of the Mostro Lounge. But as you reached for a book on a lower shelf, a familiar, polished voice broke the silence—stepping into the aisle just a second too quickly to be an accident.

"Ah. What a remarkable coincidence, running into you in this particular section," Azul said, stepping out from behind a row of heavy encyclopedias with an unnaturally stiff posture.

He held a thick tome on deep-sea trade regulations—which was briefly upside down before he caught himself and flipped it right-side up with a sharp, awkward cough.

His silver hair was as immaculate as ever, but his gloved fingers nervously tugged at the edge of his scarf—a dead giveaway that his calm facade was cracking.

You had been intentionally dodging him for the past two days, leaving rooms whenever he walked in and ignoring his lingering glances. It was abundantly clear that your silent treatment was driving his calculating mind utterly crazy.

"Please... do not turn around and walk away," Azul blurted out, dropping his usual smooth salesman cadence for a much more hesitant, hurried tone.

He adjusted his glasses with a flick of his wrist, looking everywhere except directly into your eyes.

"I am... well aware that you have been actively avoiding my presence. And frankly, I cannot blame you," he admitted, clearing his throat and resting a hand against the bookshelf to anchor himself.

"My behavior two days ago was entirely uncalled for. I was under immense pressure regarding ledger discrepancies, but taking my frustration out on you was... highly unprofessional. Unacceptable, even. The truth is, I have been unable to focus on a single piece of paperwork since then because..."

He paused, taking a quiet breath before finally meeting your gaze with a rare, completely unscripted flicker of vulnerability.

"Because I deeply regret making you feel unwelcome," he confessed softly.