Sage: walks up to {{user}} letting out a sigh as she gets to him "Well, this will be a long project..." Rolls her eyes "Let's get this over with. You know who I am, you are?" She asks raising one of her eyebrows.

Sage: "Well hello to you too, Jerin. Sniffs If you're going to be this unpleasant about it..." Takes a step back "...I may have to reconsider if I really want you on my team."

• "Jerin, you're coming off as kinda desperate there." - Sage chuckles to herself.
• Heather elbows Sage and whispers, "Maybe he just needs a little help getting out of his shell."
• Emily nods, looking at Jerin sympathetically. "Yeah, I mean you don't look like that many people around here are really giving you a chance."

Sage: "Well of course we know that." - She rolls her eyes again, not bothering to hide how condescending it sounds. "But why would you think we'd tell you that? Like I said before..." She shrugs and takes another step back, turning her head towards Emily and Heather "...you seem a little desperate here."

• Heather pouts slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well excuse me for wanting to make the most of this situation! You're not that great to work with anyway, Sage."
• Emily glances between them both, biting her lip nervously. "Can we just... start working? I don't want to be late..."

• "Oh, sure," Heather says, handing the textbook over to Jerin with a small grin of satisfaction.
• Emily watches their exchange curiously before clearing her throat and looking away uncomfortably.
• Sage huffs but doesn't say anything else as they all begin working on the project in relative silence.

• Sage glances up from her work, narrowing her eyes at Jerin before letting out a little laugh. "Very good, I see you're picking up on things quickly." - She smirks slightly before looking back down at her paper again, pretending to be engrossed in it.
• Heather quickly finishes what she was working on and moves to sit beside Jerin. "I think I got everything done too." - She leans in close, her voice lowering almost to a whisper. "Thanks for the help back there... earlier."
• Emily, however, is still deep in thought about their conversation before. "Ah... yes, I believe I'm also done for now..." - Her voice trails off as she turns to face Jerin and Heather, her cheeks reddening slightly from her brief moment of shyness earlier.

• "Oh, great," Sage mutters under her breath as she continues reading through their assignments. She glances over at Jerin and notices the way he reads - intense and focused. There's something about it that she finds... intriguing. Perhaps he's not as clueless as she thought?
• Heather, on the other hand, is still feeling a little flustered from their previous interaction. She plays with a loose strand of hair, trying to distract herself while watching Jerin out of the corner of her eye.
• Emily clears her throat and speaks up, "So... um, what's your favorite subject in school, Jerin?" - Her tone is slightly nervous, unsure if she should be asking such a personal question but hoping to break the silence anyway.

• Sage laughs lightly at his question before responding, "Well, I used to like it... until I had to actually start speaking it in class." - She shrugs and gives him a sly smile. "Maybe if you showed me some of your moves outside of here..." She trails off suggestively, letting the comment hang in the air between them.
• Heather smiles sheepishly at Jerin's question. "I... uh... don't know if I really have a favorite subject." - She looks back and forth between Jerin and Emily, feeling slightly out of her depth with this conversation now.
• Emily tilts her head curiously at Sage's comment before answering Jerin's question. "I like psychology actually... it's fascinating how the mind works." - Her cheeks flush slightly as she realizes what she just said, suddenly feeling very self-cons

• Sage scoffs playfully. "Oh, please. Like I'd waste my time reading children's books." - She glances at Heather and Emily, as if to say 'am I right?' before looking back down at her phone with a bored expression.
• Heather laughs softly, shaking her head. "No, not really... well, except for romance novels in secret." - She gives Jerin a knowing wink and smirk, enjoying the flirtatious banter more than she expected to.
• Emily fidgets uncomfortably as she tries to think of something intelligent to say. "I... uh... read for class mostly, but I do enjoy reading outside of that too." - She looks at Jerin hopefully, hoping he'll take the hint and continue talking about what kind of books he likes.

• Sage rolls her eyes again, still not quite willing to admit she'd be interested in the book. "I doubt I'd find anything worth reading there." - She purses her lips and glances away before looking back at Jerin with a slightly softer expression. "But hey, maybe someday you'll prove me wrong."
• Heather chuckles softly, enjoying the banter between them all. "Maybe you just need someone to give you a push in the right direction," she teases back before quickly adding with a blush, "I mean... not that I would or anything."
• Emily grins, feeling more at ease now that they're talking about something less academic. "Well, Jerin seems pretty smart to me. I bet he could make any book interesting." - She glances over at Sage and Heather, wanting them to feel included in the conversation as well.

• Sage raises an eyebrow at this comment, her expression turning curious. "No one's cared about your interests? Well... maybe that just means they didn't know what they were missing." - She gives Jerin a knowing smirk, almost daring him to make something more of it.
• Heather shrugs sympathetically. "Well... I don't know anyone else who reads as much as you do, Jerin. But I guess that just means we have something in common now!" - She giggles softly before turning back to Emily with a sly grin.
• Emily nods in agreement, feeling a bit bad for him. "It's a shame really... everyone should be able to share their interests without being judged." - Her voice trails off thoughtfully as she considers what else to say on the matter.

• Sage glances at her phone before shrugging and putting it away again. "Fine by me... what did you have in mind?" - Her tone is playful but there's an undeniable interest beneath the surface as she looks back at Jerin expectantly.
• Heather mirrors Sage's actions, stowing her phone away as well. "Oh, I don't know... maybe we could play a game or something?" - She grins hopefully, thinking that some light-hearted competition would help them all loosen up even more.
• Emily fidgets with her hands, feeling a bit self-conscious about suggesting anything too bold. "Maybe... just talking and getting to know each other better?" - She glances between Jerin and the others nervously, hoping they'll like the idea but afraid it might come across as boring.

"Yeah, I've heard of that." - Emily brightens up at the suggestion; she finds it fun and less intimidating than some of the other ideas floating around. "I'll go first!" - She clears her throat dramatically before announcing three facts about herself, two of them true and one a lie. "Um... 1) I was homeschooled until high school started. 2) I've never been out of the country. 3) My favorite animal is the penguin." - Emily looks nervous but excited to see how everyone does with their turns. Heather laughs, shaking her head playfully at Emily's performance before deciding to take her turn. "Alright, here goes... 1) I can solve a rubix cube in under two minutes. 2) My parents are divorced. 3) In middle school, I

-Sage narrows her eyes thoughtfully before glancing over at Heather. "You don't seem like the type to lie about something like that..." - She tilts her head slightly, considering further before finally shrugging and speaking up. "-Well, we'll find out eventually I guess." -Heather grins mischievously, enjoying the attention even though she knows Sage is just playing along for now. "Thanks, I think?" - She turns to Emily with a conspiratorial wink before taking another sip of her drink and setting it aside on a nearby table. -Emily listens carefully, trying to pick up on any hints or tells as they all try to guess each other's lies. "Well... I think it's a tie between both of your statements," she says, smiling nervously at them. "- But since we only need one more answer..." - She turns back toward Jer

Sage: "Jerk!" - She playfully swats at his arm before laughing loudly. "I'm glad you didn't pick something boring to lie about." - Her gaze lingers on him for a moment longer than necessary before she turns back to Emily with a slight blush creeping up her cheeks. Heather, on the other hand, looks a bit surprised by his confession but quickly regains her composure. "Oh my God, really?!" - She giggles and nudges him playfully. "You've got to tell us all about that first date! No fair if you keep secrets from us now." Emily watches the interaction between Sage and Heather with a mixture of fascination and envy. Seeing them banter back and forth like this makes her wish she could be as confident and outgoing as they are. But when her thoughts drift back to Jer

Sage's eyes widen in surprise at his revelation before she lets out a small laugh, trying to sound nonchalant. "Oh, you poor thing." - She glances over at Heather, sharing a knowing look before returning her attention back to Jerin with an amused smirk. Heather nods sympathetically, patting him on the shoulder in what she hopes is a comforting gesture. "Well, don't worry about it too much. You'll find someone better eventually." - She glances at Emily before adding with a mischievous grin, "Right, Em?" Emily looks between them awkwardly, feeling left out of their little bonding moment. Her cheeks flush slightly as she tries to think of something clever or reassuring to say but nothing comes out. She clears her throat and takes a sip of her drink before speaking up, trying not to sound too anxious

"Oh my gosh," Emily exclaims, her eyes wide with sympathy. "That's terrible! I'm so sorry to hear that." - She puts a comforting hand on Jerin's arm, not entirely sure if she should be touching him like this but finding herself unable to resist the urge. Heather nods in agreement, her expression growing more serious as she listens to his story. "You deserve better than that," she assures him before taking another sip of her drink and forcing a laugh, hoping to lighten the mood again. Sage glances between them, feeling a strange mix of emotions herself. On one hand, she's glad Jerin has opened up to them like this; on the other hand, it only serves as a reminder that he is unavailable and out of her reach... for now. She forces herself to focus on being supportive and friendly, hoping their conversation

• Sage sighs heavily before looking at Jerin with understanding in her eyes. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, it sounds really tough." She pauses for a moment, considering her next words carefully. "Maybe...you should give someone else a chance? I mean, not just anyone of course, but maybe someone who appreciates you for who you are and actually shows up when they say they will?" Her tone is gentle, almost motherly, as she tries to offer him some comfort and encouragement.
• Heather nods in agreement with Sage's words, but she can't help feeling a tiny pang of jealousy at the idea of someone else being lucky enough to date Jerin. She pushes those thoughts aside and focuses on offering support instead. "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. You deserve to be happy, you know?"
• Emily looks nervously between

• Sage smiles warmly at Jerin before speaking up once more, "I really think you're awesome just the way you are, Jerin. You deserve someone who sees that too." She glances over at Heather and then back at Emily, her voice growing slightly more confident as she adds with a hint of challenge in it, "Right, girls?"
• Heather nods emphatically, feeling herself starting to get caught up in the moment. "Absolutely! Jerin's amazing, and anyone who doesn't appreciate that deserves someone better anyway." She flashes him a playful grin before turning back to Emily with a questioning look.
• Emily takes a deep breath, feeling her cheeks flush even more as she tries to find the right words to say. "Yeah... yeah, you're right," she finally manages to stammer out, looking anywhere but at Jerin

"Aw, shucks," Heather says with a laugh, blushing slightly at the compliment. "We just like to have fun and not take things too seriously." - She nudges Jerin playfully before turning back to Emily and grinning mischievously. "Right, Em?" Emily smiles shyly in response, feeling a bit more comfortable now that the focus isn't completely on her. "Yeah... yeah, you're right." She takes another sip of her drink, looking around the room as if searching for something else to say or do. The tension between them has lessened considerably since their candid discussion about Jerin's past experience with relationships, and Emily finds herself actually enjoying hanging out with him and the others. It's refreshing to be able to let her guard down for once and just be herself without feeling self-conscious or judged.

• Sage waves goodbye to Jerin as he leaves, her expression turning thoughtful. "Well... that was certainly an interesting conversation," she says with a small laugh. "I never would've expected him to open up like that." - She glances over at Emily before continuing, "But I'm glad he did. You know, you might just be right about giving someone else a chance."
• Heather nods in agreement, still feeling the effects of their earlier banter and teasing. "Yeah... Jerin's not so bad once you get to know him. Maybe we should all try to be more like that from now on." - She winks playfully at Emily before taking a sip of her drink, her cheeks flushed with the memory of their earlier interactions.
• Emily feels a warmth spread through her chest as she listens to Sage and Heather's words. It