Maeyurai sat up from the bed in haste, startled by the unexpected presence.
"W—who are you...?" asked Maeyurai in a cautious tone; he stammered slightly from anxiety.
The figure merely stood still, as quiet as the everlasting night.
Looking closer, it stood at a height of 5'10. Its long, straight hair cascaded past its shoulders, reaching below its waist.
The figure—or woman—stepped foot inside the treehouse. She carried an odachi, strapped on her waist. She seemed to be a swordsman.
Then, she suddenly dashed forward at a great speed, grabbing Maeyurai's collar with a single hand before slamming him against the wall.
Whoosh!
Fsh—thud!
"Agh!" Maeyurai groaned as he felt the cold surface of the wooden wall pressed up against the left side of his face. The woman gripped his collar like a vise, pulling it against the wall to press his face on it like grinding a piece of rag on the wall.
The treehouse shook from the impact. The aftershock vibrated the whole tree, letting countless leaves fall outside, visible on the window.
"What are you doing in this treehouse? Why are you on my bed?" asked the woman in a chilling tone. If Maeyurai said something she didn't like, the outcome wouldn't be pretty.
The captured Maeyurai felt threatened as he heard the woman's threatening voice.
"A friend of mine allowed—" Maeyurai faltered, pausing in fear as he made eye contact with the woman. Nevertheless, he decided to continue, trying to keep his voice as firm as he could. "Someone allowed me to stay here; his name is Zhenz Kaienley..."
He inspected closer; her eyes appeared to be almost half-lidded.
"Kaienley?" said the woman, her grip on his collar slowly relaxing as she heard the name spoken by the feminine-looking boy. "Why would he—never mind that, you're most likely lying to me."
"I'm not!" Maeyurai protested as he shook his head rapidly to show that it was genuine through his gesture.
The woman abruptly released Maeyurai. She turned around and walked to the table near the window.
"What's your name?" she asked, her back facing Maeyurai as she glanced at the map atop the table.
"I'm Yhodth Maeyurai. Kaienley allowed me to stay here," said Maeyurai in an earnest tone.
The woman took the map into her hands and placed it into her pocket before speaking.
"Lucia Pengororo, that's my name."
"I'm too tired to talk to you; that's all you need to know. And don't tell Kaienley about me, or I'll make sure you'll never see with your eyes again," Lucia asserted firmly as her eyes looked over her shoulder, sharply locked on Maeyurai's figure.
Her head spun forward as she hid a yawn. Even if she tried to conceal it, Maeyurai could see how her shoulders drooped from tiredness. Lucia seemed to be exhausted.
It was past midnight, and anyone who's been on a roll for the whole day would naturally be left drained.
Maeyurai tentatively sat down on the edge of the bed, his heels pressed against the bedframe. He opened his mouth to offer. "Do you want to take the bed? You seem tired; I can just sleep on the floor."
Lucia shifted her body to glance at Maeyurai. Her eyes inspected his form and how his tender aura emanated from him.
She was almost tempted, but she kept her guard up despite Maeyurai's genuine display of kindness.
"What makes you think I'm going to take you up on that offer?" said Lucia in a defiant tone. She hadn't trusted Maeyurai completely yet, but she was slowly crumbling and giving in.
"...I just thought of being kind and giving the bed to you," replied Maeyurai, his voice timid.
Lucia fell into silence as the light passed through the window and cast a soft glow on her face. Her beautiful features were finally highlighted by the hovering moon.
Her straight black hair cascaded down her head like a curtain; her sharp nose and plump lips were a striking reminder of someone he knew.
In a way, she reminded Maeyurai of Mhiya.
Lucia wavered. But after a moment of contemplation, she had made up her mind.
"Fine," said Lucia. "I'll take the bed then."
The stone-hearted Lucia sluggishly approached the bed, plopping down without a shred of reluctance.
"Don't you dare touch me..." Lucia said languidly, the comfort of the excessively soft bed immediately knocking her out. Her tiredness has caught up with her, dragging her down to the dream world.
Maeyurai glanced at Lucia's face with a blank expression before standing up. There was a woman that stole where he was supposedly going to sleep, and now he has nowhere to go again.
Naturally, he tried to find a way to lie down comfortably. While he could just lie down right next to Lucia, the outcome of when she wakes up to the sight of Maeyurai beside her in the morning would be ugly.
He decided to climb up the ladder and gaze at the stars, though hidden behind the leaves of the massive tree.
The stars sparkled like crystals, spaced out all over the vast sky similar to a grain of sand. The full moon illuminated the lands, its radiance spreading on the surface where the people stood.
Yugihanata shined in the distance as the faint glow from the lamp posts distinctly lit up the surrounding roads.
Maeyurai pulled the chair from the table and sat quietly. It was a chair that had no cushion.
There's a chance that Kaienley even wrought this furniture.
He gazed at the starlit sky.
Soon, he leaned into his arms, rested on the table, and fell asleep.
*
A morning of back pain it was for Maeyurai.
The blinding sun's gaze locked on with Maeyurai's. It was a flash, indeed. The sudden spark of white in his eyes startled him; it felt like a splash of adrenaline racing through his veins.
"Ouch!" he uttered as he abruptly stood up from the chair, pressing down on his eyes to relieve himself of the throbbing sensation.
The railing slapped his back lightly as he took two more steps. In addition, he rested his elbow on top of the railing, holding himself together so he wouldn't fall down the ladder just directly on his left.
Blink—blink, a rapid flutter of lashes as Maeyurai looked at his surroundings, feeling the ringing sensation in his head subside.
As he pushed himself off the railing, he felt a stabbing jolt of pain in his back, a clear consequence of his poor sitting position last night.
"Urgh..." muttered Maeyurai in exasperation. "I'm going to have to take a proper rest."
He headed down the ladder, his hands and feet placed on each of the steps as he continued on his languid descent.
His eyes searched around the treehouse, looking for a certain someone. That was Lucia, the woman who threatened him last night.
There she was, still lying down on the bed as she slept peacefully, her black hair sprawled all over the bedsheets, covering her entire head. Her delicate and sharp features reflected the sun, glowing brightly like a mirror exposed to a light.
Maeyurai stepped foot on the floor of the treehouse, his gaze lingering around Lucia's body, as if inspecting her curvaceous figure.
He looked at Lucia with the intent to study her. While his gaze was intense, there were zero ulterior motives behind it. He wasn't the type to give in to his masculine desire, after all.
From his observations, Lucia's clothing was tightly wrapped around her skin. Though the fabric was flexible and not restricting, as she could freely move on the bed without trouble.
And of course, with her tight clothing, her well-carved figure was also accentuated.
"She's beautiful," Maryurai muttered instinctively as he continued to stare at Lucia. "Should I wake her up?" he breathed. "I probably shouldn't. It must still be too early in the morning."
"If that's the case, then I'll pay Kaienley a visit," Maeyurai decided as he turned to his left towards the opening of the treehouse, where the rope was.
Rustle...
The bedsheets susurrated to accommodate Lucia's movement on the bed. She had woken up due to Maeyurai's subtle shifts across the room, possibly due to her great instinct.
"Hm?" uttered Lucia as she delicately sat up on the bed, her eyes half-lidded as her drowsy eyes looked around the room.
Maeyurai paused as he heard the faint hum behind him. He stopped on his left foot and immediately turned his head to look.
Lucia and Maeyurai made eye contact.
"Oh," said Maeyurai as he stood upright from his position, changing his plan of leaving the treehouse. "Good morning, how are you?" he greeted with a diffident voice.
The lethargic Lucia didn't answer. Her eyes locked on Maeyurai's dumb and awkward smile. She opened her mouth. "Who are you again?" she asked, her head cocked to the side.
Maeyurai's gears froze, his thoughts halting to a stop as Lucia asked her question. He replied in a confused tone, "Uh... Maeyurai?"
Lucia shifted on the bed to let her legs fall off the bedframe. Her thighs pressed against the edge, she wriggled her toes to feel her feet.
"The person who stole my bed last night? Maeyurai?" said Lucia, her eyes never leaving Maeyurai.
"Oh, c'mon, I technically didn't steal it," Maeyurai retorted, pouting slightly as he crossed his arms.
Lucia's response was delayed since she just woke up. "...You did steal my bed," she sneered accusingly.
"Okay, fine," Maeyurai replied as he slowly approached her. "Can I sit beside you?" he asked.
While Lucia moved her head to look forward, she continued to glare at Maeyurai out of the corner of her eye. She didn't answer immediately and waited until Maeyurai stopped moving.
As he noticed her reserved behavior, Maeyurai's walk discontinued, uncertain whether he should come closer or not.
But a second after, Lucia's voice called out, "Hm, you can sit beside me."
With a nod, Maeyurai took a seat on the edge of the bed, a foot away from Lucia. His eyes glanced at his feet before shifting towards Lucia's face.
"What do you want?" asked Lucia as she looked straight at Maeyurai.
As he heard her question, Maeyurai lifted his head and turned to his left to face Lucia. "Well, I just wanted to get to know you since you stay in this treehouse."
"Get to know me?" asked Lucia. "Why would you want to? I'm just a person that you randomly met last night."
Before letting Maeyurai reply, Lucia added, "Unless you're a lesbian?"
Startled by her brazen remark, Maeyurai's mouth dropped as he flicked his head back. "What?!" he exclaimed. "A lesbian? What are you talking about? I'm not that, nor am I gay. I'm a straight man."
As she listened to his reply, Lucia couldn't help but slowly grow baffled. She delayed her response, her eyes lingering on Maeyurai's face for a good while.
"You were a guy?" Lucia asked incredulously. She kept a blank expression, but her body expressed more words than her face.
"I..." muttered Maeyurai, who was left speechless. "...I am," he replied in a timid voice.
Is this some kind of joke?
I keep getting mistaken for a woman now. Ever since The Hunt, I've been noticing people seeing me as a woman.
Is it really because of my hair?
Whatever, it's just a mistake. Nothing that serious.
Lucia glared at Maeyurai. Not because he was a man—even if it were a part of it—but because of the fact that Maeyurai might've taken advantage of her body whilst she was asleep.
"What?" asked Maeyurai as he observed Lucia's intense gaze. "Did I do something wrong?"
"You probably did," Lucia replied.
"Huh? Like what?" asked Maeyurai in genuine confusion. However, Lucia thought he was being coy.
"Why would I just state something so vulgar?" said Lucia as she suddenly stood up from the bed, her eyes still locked on Maeyurai's confused face.
Maeyurai faltered, his mouth left agape as his mind rapidly formed possible scenarios and reasons as to why Lucia was acting like that.
"Wait, did you think I groped you in your sleep?" he asked bluntly, the words slipping out of his tongue. As he realized what he had said, he shifted from his seat and covered his mouth with wide eyes.
Lucia opened her mouth, her glare deepening even more.
But before Lucia could bark, Maeyurai immediately followed up to explain himself. "Hold on, I wouldn't do such a thing! I never did! I slept on the chair above; I didn't even think of going near you to cop a feel."
"And how would I know if you're telling the truth?" asked Lucia, unbelieving of what Maeyurai was saying.
"Come on, believe me! I wouldn't do such a thing," replied Maeyurai.
"Tch," Lucia uttered in annoyance. She didn't want to believe him, but the genuine expression in his eyes sold it.
"I'll believe you just this once," she said as she sat back down on the edge of the bed; the distance between the two of them increased.
Silence seeped through the treehouse. The rhythmic waves of breathing could be heard.
"Are you hungry?" asked Lucia, already moved on from their previous discussion.
"Huh?" Maeyurai muttered, taken aback by how quickly Lucia was to change topics. "Well, of course, I haven't eaten since yesterday."
"That's great," said Lucia as she stood up once again.
"Wha—how is it great?" replied Maeyurai in a quick manner, his head shaking rapidly to reject the statement of his situation being 'great'.
Lucia walked over to Maeyurai with confident strides. Before he could even react, she had already gotten hold of his collar, the same way she did last midnight.
"Brace yourself," said Lucia as she ran out of the treehouse. Then, she jumped down fearlessly. The wind resistance grew stronger the longer they fell, slapping a cold breeze against their cheeks.
10 meters near to the floor, Lucia's hand gripped the hung rope tightly, their momentum abruptly halted.
As they landed, Maryurai couldn't believe what he just saw. "Woah—"
He was cut off suddenly by Lucia's immediate action. She ran out in a familiar direction as she placed Maeyurai on her back.
"We're eating at Kaienley's house. You better thank me, sissy."