[ Zephirin's message alerts are unobtrusive, lighting up the screen of his phone without the accompaniment of any obnoxious beeping or loud tune. Though a reply isn't needed, Francel swiftly receives one: a matching pair of emoticons, and one more depicting confetti.

Pocketing his phone, Zephirin seeks the younger boy's gaze, in part to determine whether today's Francel has an easier time making eye contact. ]

I don't expect you to repay me, but if you're offering to bake something for us to share, I won't refuse it. What are our choices?

[ Around them, the library has emptied of the last lingering students, leaving them alone in the building with the head librarian. Zephirin should go. ]