The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 169

Back in the day, Sophia was in the same grade as everyone else but looked way younger and greener than her peers.

She was the new kid on the block, transferring in mid-term, and all the front-row seats were already taken.

The only vacancy left was next to Brandon, the tall dude chilling solo in the back row.

Brandon was a skyscraper of a guy who wasn't exactly Mr. Sociable, so he'd voluntarily claimed the last row corner spot as his own little island.

When Sophia showed up and there were zero extra seats in class, the teacher had no choice but to park her next to him.

But since Brandon was ace at academics and the teacher knew his lone wolf vibe, they were careful to consider his feelings. After Sophia's brief intro, the teacher scoped out the room, saw the only empty seat was by Brandon, and politely threw him the question. "Brandon, mind if Sophia sits next to you?"

The moment the teacher finished, the class went nuts, everyone craning their necks to get a look at Brandon and then sneak a peek at Sophia up front.

Even Brandon couldn't help but steal a glance at Sophia at the podium.

The whole class reaction had her feeling all kinds of awkward, with a side of jittery when she looked his way.

Brandon saw right through her jitters—probably had him pegged for the kind of bully who preyed on the little guys.

It all added up—tall guy, back row hermit, teacher sweet-talking him, class in an uproar—it sure painted a picture of someone to steer clear of.

Brandon wasn't into being disturbed, but with no other seats up for grabs, it's not like he could have her standing at the door for class, so he just nodded his head in agreement.

That was a look Brandon knew all too well.

Sure, he wasn't the stuff of nightmares, but he wasn't exactly the warm and fuzzy type either, so even after they got to know each other better over time, the unease Sophia felt around him never completely disappeared.

Brandon wondered if Sophia's recent comment, "It's not just your employees who are scared of you—I am too," stems from those days.

He knew she was always a bit tense around him, but never thought to really address or fix it—he didn't see why he should.

Even though back then, he'd gotten into the habit of quietly watching her, especially after they switched seats midterms and she ended up in the front. He'd often find himself in class, his gaze drifting to her side profile as she tuned in and took notes, zoning out big time.

Brandon didn't know if that's what people call liking someone.