WHEN DID THIS 'HAPPEN'?

ASTRID blinked. He was so surprised that he didn't even know how to react. But when he felt the warmth that suddenly enveloped him, his heart did the most clichéd action—it skipped a beat. And then after that, it did the most predictable thing it could possibly do—it started to beast faster and faster, as if he would have a heart attack any minute.

So, his body just completely froze, not knowing what he should do next.

Subconsciously, he knew that this reaction he was having now was not just because he was surprised. And because he understood that, it felt even more awkward.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and slowly exhaled, trying his best to return to normal. Even though his heart and his brain were doing a lot of gymnastics right now, he still managed to calm himself. He was truly thankful for his past life experience, his acting skills, and his real mental age that he managed to do just that.