Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 721

Chapter 721: Chapter 721 - Taming the Fifth Year - Preamble

Ren had also informed Liora, Larissa, and his close friends about his plan.

In the dining hall, Taro almost spit out his food. "Dance with Luna?" He repeated, incredulous, the words not quite making sense in his brain despite being simple enough individually. "LUNA Luna?"

As if there might be another Luna. A different Luna who wasn’t the terrifying shadow-wielding heiress who could kill you with a look and probably had considered it multiple times. (Taro’s delusions)

Min showed Ren a thumbs up, grinning like this was the best entertainment he’d witnessed in months. "This is going to be interesting."

Interesting was perhaps the second understatement of the year.

Liu, eating quietly in his usual corner of the table, watched with thoughtful expression. He was the quiet one when not using his banshee hyena scream. The observer who noticed things others missed because they were too busy talking to actually see.

"It makes sense," he finally said.

"Makes sense?" Taro looked at him like he’d grown a second head. "How does it make sense? ¿Haven’t they both tried to be indifferent for a while?"

How did any of this make sense? Luna had been avoiding Ren for weeks. Had been cold and distant and clearly signaling she wanted space. And now he was forcing them together for an entire week of coordinated movement and close contact?

This could mean both of them failing very badly in the competition.

"Ren has never been... indifferent with her, neither is she," Liu explained, choosing words carefully. Testing each one before speaking to make sure it captured what he was trying to convey. "I think it’s exactly what’s missing in the case of someone shy. I’m a bit like that so I think I understand her. Considering how she looks at him when she thinks nobody’s watching... It makes sense. It could work better than expected."

The observation landed heavily.

Because Liu was right. Anyone who’d been paying attention had seen those moments when Luna thought she was unobserved. When her careful mask slipped and her expression softened while watching Ren explain something or laugh with friends or just exist in her vicinity without demanding anything from her.

Min smiled mischievously, the expression of someone about to say something that would make this conversation infinitely more awkward. "Real romance for our Player Patinder at last?"

"Maybe," Liu shrugged, refusing to commit to speculation about other people’s feelings when they hadn’t explicitly stated them.

"I don’t know why I tell you these things. But anyway..." Ren sighed, regretting the decision to share with this particular audience who would definitely make it weird.

Too late now... The information was out.

And knowing this group, it would spread through their social circle by evening with embellishments and speculation that would make the reality seem tame by comparison.

♢♢♢♢

Liora had bitten her lip until it nearly bled when she heard she wouldn’t have even a small chance to be Ren’s partner again.

Ren’s announcement had hit harder than she’d expected.

Her expression had been annoyed... Frustrated displeasure that came from forcing down more complicated emotions behind a socially acceptable mask.

But after a moment she’d swallowed it and nodded.

Comradely acceptance even when it hurts. Grace under pressure that her upbringing had drilled into her until it became automatic.

"It’s okay," she’d said, her voice trembling a bit. Just the slightest waver that suggested the composure cost her more than she wanted to admit. "Luna needs you now. And... and if this gets her out of her bubble of sadness, it’s worth it."

Back in the announcement...

The teachers close to Ren had reactions that varied dramatically.

But it was Lin who had the most knowing smile of all.

Lin, who trained Ren personally, who’d seen exactly how he’d changed since Luna started avoiding him. Who’d noticed the cold determination that had replaced his usual impulsive energy.

She recognized the shift. Had seen it over her years of teaching, the moment when someone stopped reacting and started acting. When emotion transformed from weakness into motivation for action.

"My little student," she murmured with pride, watching Ren. "Finally learning to play that game."

Not the combat game. That he’d almost mastered already.

But the social game.... The complex dance of human interaction where power came from understanding what people wanted and positioning yourself as the path to getting it.

Professor Wei had dropped his tea cup when he saw the announcement. Ceramic shattering on stone floor with a crash that made nearby students jump.

"But there are so many books left to complete..."

His horror was genuine. Immediate. The reaction of someone watching a prized research assistant get distracted by romance when they could be translating ancient texts or cataloging crystal formations or doing any of the thousand scholarly tasks that mattered infinitely more than teenage drama.

"I thought they’d take longer," Professor Yang added with an enormous smile, clearly delighted by developments that Wei found catastrophic. "Though maybe it’s exactly what those two need. A reason to stop avoiding each other mutually."

"You support adolescent romance over world changing research?" Wei asked, horrified.