"I... can't. I'm sorry."I wonder how long it took me to reply. The disappointment on his face afterward was a dagger to my heart."I mean... my mom would never allow it," I added quickly.
Serco turned away and continued down the stairs.
"But... I don't think she'd care... on my birthday... if I'm out late," I rambled. That caught his attention—he glanced back with a smirk.
At the bottom of the staircase, motion-sensitive lights flickered on, illuminating a sleek car lot. Three expensive-looking vehicles gleamed in the artificial light—one red, one black, and one white with red detailing.
"How would you like to go home?" he asked. "This way... I at least get to spend an extra 30 minutes with you."
Once again, I had no idea how to respond. Honestly, I was shocked he hadn't gotten bored of me yet.
We chatted about random topics on the way back. Serco kept steering the conversation back to me—my views, my opinions, my thoughts. It was... unnerving, how focused he was.
When we finally arrived at my house and I was alone again, it was awful. I hated how intensely I missed him.I hope it doesn't feel like this forever.
One Saturday morning, I received a text from Serco:"Call me when you wake up."
Still groggy—and usually averse to speaking first thing—I called anyway. He answered almost instantly.
"Hello?" His voice perked me up more than I cared to admit.
"Good... morning." I yawned. "Was there anything you needed?"
"No... just wanted to hear your voice. Bye now."Then he hung up—before I could even react.
He's such an oddball sometimes.
I stayed in bed for another hour before dragging myself downstairs for breakfast. I was halfway through a muffin when Nacina walked in like she owned the place.
"I... think we should talk," she declared, standing in my doorway.
"Okay... right now?" I asked, gesturing at my muffin.
She nodded, so I crammed the rest into my mouth and followed her upstairs to my room.
"So... I have this friend," she began. "She—uh—they got close to someone, and I worry that I might not get to spend time with them anymore."
"Is this about me?" I asked.
She shushed me, pressing a finger to my lips.
"Listen to me, my puppet. Not everything is about you."
I huffed. "But!... I do want your advice on what I should do."
She removed her finger. I replied carefully.
"My advice? You're my only friend—how could I possibly know what to do?"
She gave me a sad expression.
"If that person was me, you wouldn't need to worry, because they'll always love you and be there for you. I don't know about anyone else, though."
She hugged me tightly.
"That's good enough, my puppet."
"...Could you please stop calling me that?" I mumbled.
"No." She continued petting my head.
We spent the rest of the afternoon together. She left when it started getting dark. After she was gone, I checked my phone—no new messages.
That was... disappointing.
The TV woke me up the next morning. I'd forgotten to shut my bedroom door. I wandered downstairs. Mom was already watching the news.
"Our Guardian just prevented a raid of over 20 Afrarions by himself," the reporter gushed. "We're lucky to have someone so dependable and strong watching over us."
The camera panned to Serco. The reporter tried to keep it professional, but I could tell she was swooning. I didn't like it.
"It wasn't easy, but I did it for all of you," he said.His tone was overly cheerful, but his face looked... irritated. Bored, even.
"I have to go now. I appreciate the acknowledgment. I'll continue doing my best."He forced a tight smile, then—just like that—he was gone. The camera barely caught it. One second he was there. The next, he vanished like smoke.
"You saw it here! An exclusive interview with our Angel! Keep watching WCLTV 9 for premium news!"
I stared at the screen.
What's bothering him?Maybe he's just tired...
"Good morning, Aki," Mom greeted. "I'll make you some tea."
I nodded, still too groggy to reply.
Once I perked up, she chatted about her editing job. I listened, even though I didn't have much to contribute. Then I went back upstairs and played games until it got late.
I yawned, thinking about bed, when there was a knock on my window.
I locked my bedroom door and rushed to open it. I already knew who it was.
The moment the window was up, Serco climbed through and tackled me onto the bed, embracing me tightly. His wings were still extended, and the heat radiating off him made my heart race uncontrollably.
After a few long moments of cuddling, his wings faded away. He kissed my forehead and whispered,
"I missed you."
He's trying to kill me. My heart can't take this many surprise attacks.
"I missed you too."I tried to say it smoothly, but my voice was trembling, and I was lightheaded from all the heat and blushing.
Our legs brushed before he finally let me go. My body was buzzing.
He placed both hands on either side of me, propping himself above me.
"How was your day?" he asked.
"G-Good," I squeaked.
I wanted to say something more interesting—but my mind was blank.
He chuckled softly, then lowered onto his elbows and kissed me.
"My day was bad... but it's suddenly gotten a lot better."
I couldn't take it anymore. I covered my face with both hands, hoping it would somehow slow my heart down.
"Good night, Akina."
A moment later, the weight beside me disappeared. I was alone again—left with only the echo of his touch and my tangled emotions.
I hope I didn't make him think I wanted him to go...
When I woke up the next morning, I expected normalcy. A walk with Nacina. Mindless chatter. School.
Instead, I opened the door to find the sky engulfed in flames.
The fire burned so brightly, the morning light was nowhere to be seen. Red and black flames swirled above, painting the sky in chaos. A suffocating, dry heat pressed against me.
I broke into a sweat instantly and collapsed at my doorstep.
I'd gotten so comfortable with Serco...I forgot what he was capable of.I forgot what he was.
Two figures clashed above, the sound of their collisions like thunder. I heard laughter—unmistakably Serco's.Then more fire. It lasted longer this time.
Eventually, the sky cleared. I heard two massive whooshes as Serco and his opponent flew further away.
The air was thin. I panted, struggling to breathe, until Mom opened the door—probably on her way to water the garden—and quickly helped me inside.
The house wasn't much cooler, but I could finally breathe.
"This hasn't happened in 30 years," Mom muttered, handing me a glass of water.
"The... fire?" I asked.
She scoffed. "I mean the fight. Our Angel hasn't had trouble defeating anyone in a long time."
The way she said our Angel made him sound so distant. I didn't like it.
"I forgot... he was the Guardian even when you were my age," I said, just to keep the conversation going.
"If you're feeling better, you should head to school."
I steadied myself and blurted out,"Shion and I are together now... We're in a relationship."
Mom raised her eyebrows but barely reacted.
"Okay. We'll talk more after school." Then she gently pushed me out the door.
Outside was still warmer than usual, but bearable.
Nacina ran over, clearly relieved.
"Did you see all of that? I was too scared to come out. I thought you already left without me."
She hugged me tightly. I returned it, trying to comfort her, but my mind was with Serco.
"I saw. I'm glad you're okay," I said.
She hugged me tighter. "Let's hurry. I'm worried—no one's answering their phone."
I pulled out my phone... the screen was shattered, and it wouldn't turn on.
Maybe it happened when I stepped outside during the chaos.
Nacina didn't wait. She grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the academy. My anxiety spiked.
What if Serco's hurt?
What if he tries to contact me and thinks I'm ignoring him?
I need to get this fixed. Fast.
At school, students were talking about strange tech malfunctions—dead batteries, cracked screens, random shutdowns.
I took my seat quietly.
"Hey... Akina. I'm glad you're okay," Will said, sitting beside me.
"...I'm glad you're okay too," I replied.
"I'm tired of avoiding each other. We're still friends, right?"
I didn't answer. Kriss appeared, grabbed Will by the wrist, and gave him a warning look. She didn't even glance at me as she led him away.
I wasn't bothered. I'm used to being alone.
I never expected our friendship to last forever.And I'm still not ready to trust him again.
Will sat next to me again in Culinary class. His face was still partially bandaged from his encounter with Serco, and the bridge of his nose was red.
I didn't realize how badly he'd been hit.
"We have a test coming up. Have you been studying?" he asked.
I chuckled. "Yeah. I know all about food vitamins, supplements, and meal prep now."
"Then you'll make a great wife one day. I haven't studied at all."
That threw me off.
Would Serco even need me to cook for him?Do Infaniyans even need vitamins?
I should ask him.
It's weird—almost everything makes me think of him.Even after seeing that terrifying display of power...I still can't bring myself to be afraid.
"Actually... I'm sorry if I come off as flirty. I'm not. Kriss and I are kinda dating now."
"That's great news!"Even I could hear how forced my enthusiasm sounded.
Will frowned and mumbled,"Yeah... wonderful."
Months passed.
Similar days filled my life,but my excitement every time I saw Serco never faded.
The school year is almost over.And my birthday is coming soon.
I'll gain more freedom. More power over my own life.I still don't know what I'll do.
But one thing I know for sure—I want Serco by my side.