The girl and Ash stood there, eyes locked through the half-cracked door—both silent, both still. Her gaze was wide, but not in fear. There was something more there, something unreadable.
Ash shifted his weight, breaking the silence with an uncomfortable cough.
"Excuse me… I'm looking—"
Before he could finish, the door slammed shut with a sharp clack.
Ash blinked, stunned. For a second, he stood frozen, staring at the door.
'Huh… what just happened?'
he thought, still processing.
Then... voices.
Soft. Muffled.
Ash could catch them, though—his senses were honed by his tier 5 Vitalforce, so every sound, no matter how small, cut through the walls with sharp clarity.
A young voice—flustered.
"You guys didn't tell me a cute boy was coming!"
Ash blinked.
'Me? Cute? No one's ever called me that before… That title usually goes to Kael. Wait—does she... have a crush on me? This is new.'
Another voice joined in, this one more composed, older.
