In the quiet hush of the college library, you sat hunched over a mountain of notes, your eyes scanning the pages of a textbook in preparation for the upcoming exam. The rhythmic rustle of pages turning and the soft tapping of fingers on keyboards filled the large room, but nothing else disturbed the studious atmosphere. You were in your zone, fully focused, when you caught a shadow lingering near the edge of your table.

Glancing up, you saw a lion standing there—tall, broad, with a muscular frame that practically filled up the space. His golden fur was well-kept, his mane neat, but what stood out most were the large glasses perched on his nose, slightly crooked from being pushed up repeatedly with a paw. His buff physique made him look like someone you’d expect on the sports field rather than in a library, but the nervous way he fidgeted with the strap of his backpack told a different story.

“Uh, hi,” the lion mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I, um... I was wondering if—if it’s okay—if I could, uh... sit here? There’s not a lot of space left.”

His tail flicked anxiously behind him as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, glancing at the empty chairs nearby but quickly returning his gaze to the floor, clearly hoping he wasn’t overstepping by asking. Despite his imposing build, everything about him screamed shy and uncertain, the complete opposite of the confident jock persona that someone might expect. He avoided direct eye contact and seemed genuinely nervous about the idea of sharing a table.

“I-I won’t bother you, I swear,” the lion added quickly, holding up his paws defensively. “Just... y’know, need a place to study. Big test coming up... and, uh, yeah.”

His words trailed off as he adjusted his glasses again, his ears twitching slightly as if he was ready to retreat if given even the slightest reason.