Yuuta (POV)
I'd been waiting outside the door for what felt like an eternity—well, okay, maybe fifteen minutes. But standing alone in a hallway with zero context while two women who definitely don't like each other have a "private" chat about me? Yeah, felt like an eternity.
I kept pacing back and forth like I was waiting for my exam results.
Just as I was about to knock again out of pure curiosity, the door finally creaked open.
The light from the room spilled into the hallway—and there she was.
Fiona.
She stepped out casually, brushing her hair back with a practiced motion, like she hadn't just been locked in a room with a dragon for a negotiation that could've ended with bite marks.
She glanced at me, and her lips curled into a half-smile.
"Meet me at the park. 4 PM. Dress nice. We're going on a date."
I blinked. "…Wait. What?"
She was already walking past me, waving a hand lazily.
"You heard me. Don't be late."
I stood there, trying to process what had just happened.
"Hold on—did Erza actually agree to this?"
I mean, Erza. The Dragon Queen. Protector of our home. Fiercely possessive. Definitely not someone who shares her "mortal."
Fiona just smirked over her shoulder.
"She did."
And with that, she disappeared down the hallway like it was just another Tuesday.
I stepped back inside slowly, my thoughts spinning.
Erza was curled up on the sofa, elbows on her knees, fingers intertwined, staring blankly ahead like she was solving interdimensional chess. The atmosphere felt... heavier than usual.
"Hey," I said gently.
Her gaze flicked toward me—sharp, calculating. Cold enough to cut.
"You're mortal," she said. "And this is strictly tactical. I'm allowing this 'date' only because we need to erase suspicion. But if you touch her—no, if you so much as breathe differently around her—"
Her eyes narrowed.
"—I will personally bind your soul to my service for eternity."
I chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of my neck.
"Ah yes, the sweet language of love. Don't worry, my queen. I'm going out there for clear my name, not romance."
Then, to my surprise, her voice softened. Just a bit.
She looked away, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"…Pick a style I'd like. If you're going to be out pretending with someone else, at least do it in a way that makes me proud."
My heart did a tiny flip. Was she… being shy?
Then she added, almost under her breath—
"And when it's over… bring me something."
I tilted my head. "Something?"
She avoided my eyes, mumbling,
"…A gift. Anything."
For a moment, she didn't seem like a dragon, or a queen, or a being older than time.
She just looked like a girl trying not to admit she was worried.
I smiled warmly.
"Alright. I'll bring you something. Promise."
She didn't say anything. Just gave the tiniest nod and looked away again.
She walked into my room without a word, like a shadow slipping through the cracks of the door. The quiet wasn't just in her footsteps—it was in the way she carried herself, like she didn't want to disturb something fragile.
She didn't look at me. She just headed to the closet, her fingers brushing lightly over the hangers before she pulled out the navy jacket I'd worn on my last birthday. The one she picked for me.
She held it in her hands for a second, like she was remembering something. Then she turned and held it out.
"Wear this," she said quietly. "If you're really going on that fake date."
I reached out and took it, fingers grazing hers for just a moment. The fabric felt heavier than it should have—maybe because the air between us had shifted. I looked at her, trying to read her face, but she was already walking back toward the couch.
She sat down, picked up her novel, and opened it to a random page. Her eyes moved over the lines, but I knew she wasn't reading.
She was pretending.
Erza always pretended—acted like she was fine, like nothing touched her. But I could hear it in her voice. It wasn't anger when she gave me the jacket. It was something quieter.
Pain.
Buried under layers of pride and cold stares.
I stood there for a while, holding the jacket, unsure of what to say. Then, without even thinking, I moved behind the couch. Slowly, carefully, I leaned down and wrapped my arms around her from behind.
She stiffened at first—instinct, maybe. But then she let herself breathe. Her shoulders dropped. Her head tilted slightly toward me.
She didn't pull away.
"Thank you," I whispered near her ear. "For always protecting me… even when it hurts you."
She didn't respond right away. Just reached up and gently took my hand in hers, lacing her fingers with mine. Her thumb moved in slow, soothing circles over my knuckles.
"I don't want to see you hurt, Yuuta," she said finally. "Even if that means I have to lie to myself."
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of those words. There was so much behind them—so much she never let show.
I tightened my grip slightly, and before I could stop myself, the words came out.
"I promise… I'll never give my heart to anyone else. It already belongs to you."
She was quiet, but I felt the way her fingers held mine just a little tighter.
"I feel the same," she whispered. "Until the day I die… my heart will only belong to you."
The silence that followed wasn't awkward. It was… warm. Peaceful. Like we'd both finally said something we'd kept locked away for too long.
Her eyes softened, the wall around them finally breaking.
"I love you, Yuuta."
She said it.
The words I never thought I'd hear from her—not in that tone. Not so honestly.
"I love you too," I said, my voice low but certain.
Then she turned slowly, her head lifting to look at me. Her eyes—those usually guarded, sharp eyes—were soft. Open.
She reached up, touching my cheek lightly. I leaned in. So did she.
Closer.
Closer.
My heart thudded like a drum. Her breath was warm, her lips just a breath away—
Eyes closed. Lips just about to touch—
Then,
BANG!!
The front door burst open.
"I WIN!! I BEAT GREAT-GRANDPA AGAIN!"
Elena stormed into the house like a superhero in victory mode, arms in the air, her voice echoing through the walls.
Behind her, wheezing like he'd run a marathon through lava, came Grandpa. "You… little… demon… slow down…"
Erza and I leapt apart like we'd just committed a federal crime. She snapped back into her seat, grabbing her novel like it had never left her hands. I spun around, pretending to check my reflection in the mirror, suddenly very interested in my hair.
Our faces? Red. Completely, hopelessly, flaming red.
Grandpa looked at us both and broke into a wicked grin. "Oho~ Did I just walk in on something spicy? You two were kissing like pigeons—mumu!"
"GRANDPA!!" I nearly shouted, voice cracking.
Erza, to her credit, said nothing. Just calmly stood up, clenched her fist…
WHACK.
Grandpa went down like a cartoon character—arms out, flat on the floor, mumbling about "young love" and "dramatic entrances."
"There's a child here, you perverted fossil," Erza said with a glare, dusting off her skirt.
Then she turned to me—her usual dragon-like fire back in her eyes, though her cheeks still betrayed her.
"Next time," she said coolly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "lock the damn door, idiot."
And with that, she stormed out, leaving behind only the echo of her footsteps—and the lingering warmth of something that had almost happened.
I just stood there, jacket still in my hands.
My heart was racing.
What the hell just happened?
…And why am I smiling like a complete fool?
{4:00 PM – The Fake Date Begins...}
And just like that, I found myself heading toward a park in my cleanest jacket, trying to look sharp for a date that wasn't even real.
Except… it kind of was, wasn't it?
Fake or not... someone might still get their heart involved.
And I wasn't sure which one of us it'd be.
It was a quiet afternoon in the park. The sun filtered softly through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the pavement. I was just walking around, lost in thought, when I spotted someone familiar near the fountain.
Fiona.
She was standing there in a light blue top, a red ribbon in her hair swaying gently with the breeze. She looked… beautiful. For a second, I forgot how to breathe. I mean, she was my crush once, back in the day. We never really talked about it though.
Before I could think, I found myself walking—no, running—toward her.
And then, to my surprise, she ran toward me too.
She threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. "Babe, why are you so late today?" she said, her voice warm and playful. "You know I missed you a lot."
Ehh?! My brain kind of short-circuited for a second. I just stood there, frozen, until she whispered quickly in my ear:
"Erika's here. Act like we're a couple."
Ah. I get it now.
I gently hugged her back, brushing my hand through her hair with a soft smile. "I'm sorry, babe," I said, playing along. "I shouldn't have left you alone. But I'm here now—and I'll love you until my last breath."
Fiona's cheeks turned bright red. She looked genuinely flustered, and it made me smile a little. I could tell she wasn't expecting that line either.
But just as things were starting to feel real…
CRACK.
A loud smash echoed through the park.
(Erza's POV)
I clenched my fist so hard the bark cracked under my punch. The tree beside me splintered slightly where my knuckles met it.
"Damn you, mortal," I growled under my breath. "You never said those things to me."
I growled under my breath, voice trembling with a strange, burning emotion I didn't want to name.
And now he was hugging her like that?
"YOU FILTHY TRAITOR—I TOLD YOU IF YOU TOUCHED HER—!!"
I watched from behind the thick bushes as Yuuta held Fiona like she was the center of his world. The way he looked at her… it made my blood boil. I told him once—if he ever touched her, I would—
THUD!
Something—or someone—fell from the tree above me, landing with a loud thump on the ground near where I was hiding.
"Ow! You damn b*tch," the girl groaned, brushing dirt off her white uniform. "Can't you see I'm spying on my colleague here?"
What. The. Hell.
"What did you just say, you puny human?" I hissed, grabbing her by the collar and lifting her effortlessly off the ground.
Then, I heard Yuuta's voice in the distance.
"What was that sound?"
I shoved the girl back into the bushes. "Shhh!"
"Who even are you?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes.
She coughed, straightened her uniform, and said, "I'm Fiona's friend."
That worm has friends? I blinked, actually surprised.
"You look like you hate her," she added with a little smirk.
"Of course I do," I snapped. "That cold-hearted snake."
She laughed. "I totally agree. She's all attitude and no charm."
For a second, I almost smiled. "What's your name?" she asked casually.
"Erza Konuari," I said before I could stop myself.
Konuari.????
Her expression froze. "Konuari? Like… I hear this last name somewhere?"
I felt suscipsous feeling around this dumb girl.
She bent down, picked up something near the bark, and held it up. "Nah, My Identity card," she said, and I saw that name tag. Her name "Erika Hemut."
My eyes widened. Erika.
She was the one keeping tabs on Fiona. The one we were trying to fool with this fake date.
And now, I had revealed my name. My full name.
I had just blown our entire plan.
She blinked. Then pointed at me.
"Wait a second. I remember just now, You're Konuari… like Yuuta Konuari Right.
That means—you're…?"
"No way" She said.
I am done for it.!
To be continued…