"A horror movie?" Yuki asked, raising an eyebrow as they stood in the lobby of the cinema.
"It's a classic choice," Seri insisted, trying to regain her composure after the café incident. "It builds... fortitude."
They walked into the theater and realized they were the only ones there. The lights dimmed, and the screen flickered to life with The Haunting of Hill House 4.
Twenty minutes later, Seri's "fortitude" had crumbled.
A jump scare flashed on the screen—a ghost screaming directly at the camera.
"Eek!" Seri squeaked, burying her face into Yuki's arm and clutching his bicep like a lifeline.
Yuki looked down at her, amused. "For a girl who can summon vines to crush cars, you're surprisingly jumpy."
"Shut up," she muffled into his sleeve. "Ghosts are different. You can't punch a ghost."
He looked at her trembling shoulders. His expression softened.
"Don't worry," he whispered, his voice low and comforting. "I'll protect you."
He shifted, lifting his arm and draping it over her shoulders, pulling her into his side.
Seri froze for a second, then melted. She rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady, calm rhythm of his heartbeat. It was better than any lullaby. The screams from the movie faded away. Surrounded by his scent—winter rain and safety—her eyelids grew heavy.
Within minutes, the Kyorin Princess was fast asleep.
Seri woke up to a flash of light.
She blinked, disoriented. She wasn't in the theater anymore. She was in a tiny, enclosed space. Her knees were touching Yuki's.
"Where... where are we?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Did we get kidnapped?"
Yuki chuckled. He was sitting opposite her, phone in hand. "You fell asleep during the climax of the movie. I carried you out. We're in a photo booth."
"You carried me?" Seri felt a fresh wave of heat hit her cheeks.
The screen counted down. 3... 2...
"Smile, Seri," Yuki commanded, looking at the lens.
She turned her head, looking straight at him. In the harsh light of the booth, he was breathtaking. The sapphire earring sparkled. His lips were curved in a small smile.
She felt like she was hypnotized. She couldn't look away.
1...
She leaned in. She didn't even realize she was doing it. The space between them shrank. She wanted to know what he tasted like. She wanted to close that final inch.
Yuki turned his head. He didn't pull away.
He reached up, his fingers gently grasping her chin, tilting her face up. His blue eyes bore into hers, intense and unreadable. His thumb brushed her lower lip.
Seri's breath stopped. He's going to do it, she thought. He's going to—
FLASH.
The camera blinded them with a burst of white light.
Yuki immediately pulled back, releasing her chin. He grabbed the photo strip as it printed out, acting as if the air in the booth wasn't electric enough to power a city.
"Hmm," Yuki mused, looking at the photos. "I look great. But in the last one... you look like you're trying to eat me."
He flashed that dangerous, playful grin again. "Let's go, Princess. The date isn't over yet."
Seri sat there for a moment, touching her chin where his fingers had been, her heart beating so hard she thought it might bruise her ribs.
He did that on purpose, she realized. That jerk.
But she couldn't stop smiling as she followed him out.
The photo strip fluttered in Yuki's hand as they stepped out of the booth, the heavy velvet curtain swishing shut behind them. Seri was still touching her chin, her face flushed, the ghost of his touch lingering on her skin.
For a moment, the world was perfect.
Then, a voice shattered it.
"Seri-chan? Is that you?"
Seri froze. Her posture stiffened instantly, the "Princess" mask slamming back into place. She turned slowly to see two figures standing near the air hockey tables.
They were beautiful, in the way expensive statues were beautiful—flawless, cold, and dripping with arrogance. The boy, Ren, wore a tailored designer suit with the Kyorin crest stitched into the lapel. The girl, Emi, twirled a strand of green hair, her eyes scanning Yuki up and down with hungry curiosity. They were Seri's cousins.
"Ren. Emi," Seri greeted, her voice dropping twenty degrees. "What are you doing here?"
"Shopping, obviously," Emi giggled, stepping closer to Yuki. She circled him like a shark, her eyes wide. "But forget that. Who is this? He's gorgeous. I didn't know you had taste like this, Seri."
Ren scoffed, stepping forward. He was tall, but unlike Yuki's dense, compact muscle, Ren looked like he had never lifted anything heavier than a champagne glass. He narrowed his eyes, extending his senses.
A second later, Ren's face twisted into a sneer of pure disgust.
" gorgeous?" Ren laughed, a harsh, barking sound. "Emi, check your senses. The guy is empty. He's a Zero."
Emi paused, blinking. She focused, and her smile vanished instantly, replaced by a look of revulsion, as if she had stepped in something wet. "Oh. You're right. I can't feel a single drop of Ki. He's... hollow."
"Don't be deceived by the packaging, Seri," Ren mocked, crossing his arms. "You can wrap a trash bag in silk, but it's still garbage. Why are you parading around with a commoner? It's embarrassing the family."
"Shut up," Seri snapped. The air around her began to vibrate, invisible vines of energy curling around her ankles. "He is not a commoner. He is Yuki Kinatarou. He is a Royal, and you will show him respect."
Ren and Emi stared at Yuki for a beat. Then, they exploded into laughter. It was worse than the insults—it was genuine, pitying laughter.
"A Kinatarou?" Ren wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. "Oh, that's even better! All the Kinatarous are well known, but I haven't heard of him before, maybe his family was so ashamed they kept him secret. Seri, that makes him a disgrace, not a Royal! A lion that can't roar is just a oversized cat."
"He's a defect," Emi sneered, looking at Yuki like he was a disease. "A biological mistake. Maybe his parents died of shame just to get away from him."
Yuki's head hung low. His bangs shadowed his eyes. He didn't say a word.
Seri's vision went red. Veins bulged on her forehead, and the concrete floor beneath her heels began to crack as her Kizo flared out of control. "I will kill you—"
She stepped forward, but Ren was faster. He stepped into Yuki's personal space, placing a heavy, condescending hand on Yuki's shoulder.
"Know your place, defect," Ren hissed, leaning into Yuki's ear. "You don't belong here with us. You belong in the trash heap with the rest of the mistakes. Do us all a favor and—"
GRAB.
The air in the arcade vanished.
Yuki's hand had moved. It was a blur, too fast for the eye to track. He had gripped Ren's wrist—the one resting on his shoulder.
"Let go," Ren demanded, trying to pull his hand back.
He couldn't.
Yuki's grip was like a hydraulic press.
CRACK.
The sickening sound of cartilage grinding against bone echoed through the silent arcade.
"Gah—!" Ren's knees buckled. His eyes bulged. He tried to channel his Ki, tried to blast Yuki away, but his body wouldn't obey.
Yuki slowly lifted his head.
His blue eyes weren't just cold; they were glowing with a feral, predatory luminescence. His pupils had constricted into slits. A smile slowly carved its way across his face—not the gentle smile he gave Seri, but a jagged, terrifying grin that promised absolute violence.
"So..." Yuki's voice was a low rumble, vibrating in their chests. It carried the undeniable, crushing authority of a King. "You're the kind of people who give Royals a bad name."
He squeezed.
SNAP. CRUNCH.
"AAAAHHH!" Ren shrieked, dropping to his knees, his wrist bent at an impossible angle.
Emi opened her mouth to scream, to summon herKizo, to do something. But she couldn't breathe.
It was Fear. Pure, distilled, primal terror.
Yuki was projecting an aura of bloodlust so thick it felt like drowning. To Ren and Emi—sheltered elites who had only ever fought in tournaments—this was the feeling of standing in front of a starving wolf with no cage in between. Their survival instincts screamed one thing: Run or Die.
Seri stood frozen, her heart pounding. She knew Ren and Emi were stronger. On paper, their stats were higher. Their Kizo could level a building. But right now? They looked like children.
A dark stain began to spread across the front of Ren's expensive trousers. The smell of urine hit the air.
Yuki looked down at the weeping boy, his glowing eyes bored. He released Ren's wrist, letting the boy flop onto the dirty floor.
"Get lost," Yuki whispered. "You're bothering us."
"M-Monster!" Emi shrieked.
She didn't help Ren up. She turned and ran. Ren scrambled to his feet, cradling his broken wrist, sobbing as he sprinted after her, slipping on the polished floor in his haste to escape the predator.
Yuki stood there, the glow fading from his eyes, his posture relaxing back into a slouch. He rolled his shoulder, looking bored.
Seri stared at him, her mouth slightly open.
She looked at Yuki's back. He hadn't used power. He had used presence. He had simply convinced them, in the depth of their souls, that if they moved, they would die.
"Sorry about that," Yuki said, turning around and scratching the back of his head, the terrifying aura completely gone. "They were kinda loud. Want to go get some ice cream?"
Seri blinked, looking at the puddle on the floor where her cousin had stood, and then back at the boy asking about dessert.
"Yuki..." she whispered, a shiver running down her spine that had nothing to do with fear. "What are you?"