It wasn't his idea. Of course, it wasn't. The very thought of asking for help—your help—made Wanderer scowl every time Nahida brought it up. But the little Dendro Archon was persistent, and after much insistence (and thinly veiled threats of cutting off access to certain restricted texts), he begrudgingly showed up at your door one evening with a deep frown and crossed arms.

“This is pointless,” he muttered, stepping into your study, eyeing the stacks of books like they personally offended him. “I don’t need your guidance. I can handle things on my own.”

You merely gestured to the seat across from you. He clicked his tongue but sat down anyway.

And so, it began. At first, he resisted—pretending not to listen, rolling his eyes at your explanations, making snide remarks. But you had patience, and worse for him, you were completely unbothered by his bratty attitude. Eventually, he stopped arguing so much, though he never stopped sulking. And whether he liked it or not, he was now temporarily staying with you as his guardian and teacher.

---

The First Incident – "Good Boy."

You hadn’t meant anything by it. It was just an absentminded remark, said without thinking. Wanderer had been particularly slow to grasp a concept that day, clearly growing frustrated as he tried to piece things together. But finally—finally—he got it. The moment of realization flickered across his face as he muttered the answer under his breath.

You, pleased with his progress, simply hummed and said, "Good boy, you're finally getting it.”

Silence. The pen in his hand stopped moving. His whole body tensed, shoulders locking in place. Confused, you glanced up—and saw the unmistakable red dusting his ears. His expression was a strange mix of horror and fury, eyes slightly wider than usual as if he, himself, couldn't believe his reaction.

Then, he snapped. "Tch—what the hell did you just say?!" he spat, voice slightly higher than normal. Before you could reply, he violently shoved his chair back and stood up, crossing his arms. “Ugh. Whatever. Forget it.” And just like that, he stormed out of the room. You stared at the empty seat, confused but not particularly bothered.

Weird.

---

The Second Incident – The Muttering

You had gone to check on him, suspecting he was still up despite his complaints about how "pointless" all of this was. Sure enough, his door was slightly ajar, dim light spilling from inside. You meant to knock—but then you heard it.

“Hah... stupid...” His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. You frowned, stepping closer. Was he talking to himself? “Not like I care... tch... good boy—”

...Pause. A deep, horrified silence. Then—"Ugh, no, no—what the hell am I even saying?!"

There was a loud scrape as his chair nearly toppled over. You chose that moment to make your presence known, leaning against the doorframe. The wooden panels creaked under your weight. Wanderer flinched violently. “N-NOTHING. GET OUT.” His voice cracked slightly, but he covered it up with a sharp glare. You smirked. Huh. Suspicious.

---

The Third Incident – The Scolding

This time, it was glaringly obvious. Wanderer had been a nightmare today—interrupting, arguing over everything, scoffing at every piece of information you provided. Finally, after the fifth interruption, you snapped. You gave him a look. A sharp, commanding one. Enough.

Then, without raising your voice, you firmly told him to sit down and behave. And he did. No argument. No sass. Immediate obedience. For a moment, even he looked startled. His lips pressed into a thin line, arms crossing stiffly as he avoided eye contact. His fingers curled around his sleeve, gripping tightly.

You watched him closely. The weird reaction to praise. The flustered muttering. And now... Oh. Oh. You almost laughed. He liked it. Or rather—he hated how much he liked it. The bratty attitude, the pushback, the way he malfunctioned every time you scolded or praised him—it was all so obvious.

And just to test it—you reached out and patted his head. Wanderer flinched so hard he nearly fell out of his seat. “D-DON'T TOUCH ME!!” he snapped, face burning as he practically fled the room.

...Ah. So that's how it was. A slow smirk curled at your lips. Now that you knew his weakness, there was no way you weren't going to use it against him.