?"You messed up, didn't you, pal?" Aki's tone was deadpan as usual, though there was a hint of amusement in it. He withdrew his hand from Micheal's shoulder.
?
?Micheal’s head hung low, mind racing for a way out of the mess he'd made. Why couldn’t he just tell Jasmine about Mitsuki? Why was he afraid of her reaction? It’s not like they were serious or anything… right?
?
?"I... I—ugh... I don’t know what to do. Can’t you advise me?"
?
?A small smirk crept up on Aki’s face. "You really think I'm the one to ask for help? If I had that kind of game, do you really think I’d be wasting my time teaching a no-good loser like you?"
?
?"Hey! I landed a hit on you!"
?
?"Barely. And I was holding back. I thought that much was obvious."
?
?Micheal scowled. He knew Aki had gone easy on him during their fight, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating to have all his hard work brushed aside.
?
?"Yeah, well… I just started elemental manipulation. It takes time to master."
?
?"Oh, is that so?"
?
?"I’m pretty sure when you started, you were—"
?
?"I summoned my first lightning storm when I was five," Aki deadpanned.
?
?Micheal froze, speechless. He had really underestimated this guy.
?
?"Yeah... well..." he sputtered, scrambling for a comeback but finding none. They had reached the door to his room.
?
?Aki smirked. "Go get some rest, kid. You’ve got a big day tomorrow." His tone was a warning—reminding Micheal of the mess he was now neck-deep in.
?
?Micheal gulped, nodded wordlessly, and stepped into his room. He pulled on his nightshirt and crawled into bed, drifting off into an uneasy sleep.
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?---
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?Sometime deep into the night, Micheal jolted awake, gasping as he felt a weight pressing on his chest. Eyes flying open, he blinked through the darkness—and immediately recognized the silhouette straddling him.
?
?Mitsuki.
?
?Her flirty eyes locked onto his, lashes long and curled, her eyeliner a sharp electric blue that matched her gaze. That familiar smirk danced on her lips, the kind that always set his heart racing.
?
?"Hey, handsome," she purred, legs on either side of him as she sat casually on his chest. "I bet you missed me, didn’t ya~?"
?
?His heart pounded, heat rising in his chest—but something stopped him. Something unfamiliar. A hesitation.
?
?"M-Mitsuki... I don’t... I don’t think we should..."
?
?Her smirk faltered, clearly taken aback. But just as quickly, it returned. She held his gaze for a moment longer, then gracefully swung her legs off him and stood up.
?
?"Well… I didn’t know you had it in you, to be honest," she said with a small chuckle, lighting a cigarette.
?
?"H-huh? What do you mean?" He sat up, cheeks warm, pulse still racing.
?
?"I mean loyalty," she said, exhaling smoke. "To a bloodless one, no less."
?
?"L-loyal?! What the hell are you on about?" he stammered. But deep down, he already knew—Jasmine. It was the thought of her that had stopped him.
?
?"Don’t kid yourself, Mikey. I’ve known you since we were kids. I know a look when I see it. And you two were practically lovestruck back there."
?
?"I-I—we didn’t—what are—" Words failed him.
?
?"I never would've expected it," she said, voice quieter now. "With the way you used to rant about people without cursed blood... I would've thought my brother would’ve put you down as one of those ruthless dictators we read about."
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?Her tone wasn’t teasing anymore.
?
?"I… I’ve changed."
?
?"I doubt that," she muttered. Then, softer, "She’s a good girl. Treat her right."
?
?"What do you—"
?
?"Micheal." Her voice was stern. It froze him. He had never heard that tone from her before.
?
?"I... I promise. I’ll treat her right."
?
?"Good. I’d have been really disappointed if I had to help you two sort out your marital issues."
?
?The teasing lilt returned.
?
?His cheeks burned. Again. "You’re going a bit fast, don’t you think?"
?
?"Oh, trust me—innocent little puppies like you two end up getting married as fast as you can manage."
?
?"Ha. Ha. And you’re one to give marital advice, right? A woman with a boyfriend count higher than Aki’s kill count?"
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?"To be fair," she said, taking another drag, "his kill count isn’t really that high to begin with."
?
?The flicker of her lighter briefly illuminated her smirking face before darkness reclaimed the room.
?
?A comfortable silence settled between them. After a moment, Micheal broke it.
?
?"Hey… how would I even know if she likes me back? I wasn’t exactly... fair to her when we met."
?
?He could practically feel her rolling her eyes before she smacked the top of his head.
?
?"Don’t get all mushy and vulnerable on me, dude. I’m not good at that stuff." She took another drag, then sighed. "She does. I’ve seen the way she looks at you. Honestly, it’s hard to believe someone can find your scrawny ass attractive."
?
?"H-hey! I’m not that bad! Besides, you of all people shouldn’t be saying that!"
?
?"You’re good for money and drinks. That’s all."
?
?"Fuck you." He paused, then lowered his voice. "...Besides… aren’t you… mad?"
?
?Her face brightened with amusement. She snorted, pushed off the wall, and walked to the door.
?
?"Ah yes, I’m inconsolable. How will I ever recover now that one of my flings has found a wife? The other twenty people on my call list will have to wait while I mourn this great loss."
?
?She laughed at her own joke and stepped out, shutting the door behind her.
?
?Micheal lay in the dark, scoffing to himself. "Jerk," he mumbled—unable to stop the smile tugging at his lips.
?
?Not because of the teasing. Not even because of the peace Mitsuki offered.
?
?But because Jasmine liked him back.
?
?And right now, that was all that mattered.
?
