?Laughter echoed around him, filling his ears as the rich aroma of the feast Aki and Mitsuki had prepared drifted through the air. Micheal sat at the table, still a little stunned that Mitsuki had decided to throw a party in honor of his "first hit on Aki." Even more surprising was how Aki had taken it in stride, chuckling along with the rest. That alone unsettled Micheal more than the fight itself.
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?Knox was there too—quiet, reserved, his shoulders heavy with something he refused to talk about. When Micheal asked why Axel and Lily weren’t around, Knox had simply said, "some issues," and left it at that. The tiredness in his eyes told Micheal not to press further even though he'd really been looking forward to seeing his best friend.
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?Still, the table was warm with laughter, and for a brief moment, Micheal let himself enjoy it—until he found himself searching the faces around him for a familiar pair of soft brown eyes.
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?But Jasmine wasn’t there.
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?Frowning, he stood up and excused himself from the table, slipping through the halls of the house in search of her. Room after room—empty. Concern slowly clawed at his chest until he finally made his way to the roof.
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?There she was, sitting with her back to him, hair fluttering gently in the breeze. Silent. Still.
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?He walked up beside her and quietly took a seat. She didn’t look at him, but scooted slightly to the side, giving him space. There was a faint smile on her lips.
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?“So...uh...” Micheal rubbed the back of his neck. “What are you doing up here? Why aren’t you... at the party?”
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?She took a breath, voice soft, stripped of her usual fire. “I guess I just needed some fresh air.”
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?“Oh... I see.” He fidgeted, the silence between them growing louder. Something about her mood made him uneasy—like he was walking on glass.
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?Then she asked, “How many times did you lay with her?”
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?The question hit him like a punch. His face flushed as he stumbled for words.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
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?“I... not... too many times.”
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?She let out a low chuckle, shaking her head.
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?“Oh, I see. Just a few times then? Not so serious? Didn't bother to tell me either" Jasmine’s words hung in the air like fog—half teasing, half aching.
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?Micheal’s lips parted, trying to respond, but nothing came out. He looked down, ashamed. “I didn’t think it would matter. Not to you, I mean... back then.”
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?She tilted her head toward him, her smile faltering. “And now?”
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?He glanced at her, the breeze tugging gently at her hair, revealing the furrow of her brow. “Now… I wish I’d seen it earlier.” now that he thinks about it, the sighs had all been there.
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?Jasmine was quiet for a moment, eyes searching the night sky. “You know, when I first met you, I thought you were arrogant. Dangerous. A spoiled brat with too much hatred In his head"
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?He chuckled softly, a bitter sound. “And now?” he couldn't exactly contradict her, she was right.
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?“But then...” she trailed off, voice barely above a whisper, “i realized you're hatred might have only been born out of sorrow?.it doesn't make it right. But something about you drew me in, like a moth to the flame. Maybe it was the way you trained harder than anyone else. You never gave up, even when everyone expected you to.”
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?“I had to prove I belonged here as much as Aki and Knox. That I could be useful too,” he muttered.
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?“No,” she said, turning to face him. “You wanted to be better. You wanted to be good. Even if you didn’t know how. That’s what I saw.”
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?His eyes widened slightly. She’d been watching. Not just fighting beside him—really watching even while training him.
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?“And you,” he said, voice low, “You were always one step ahead. Smarter, stronger in a way... I hated you for it, for being different but...also for being better truth be told I was just trying to keep up."
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?A ghost of a smile returned to her lips. “So... you were chasing me?”
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?He gave her a soft laugh. “Still am.”
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?They both fell quiet again. The world below the rooftop buzzed with music and celebration, but up here, it was like time had slowed. The distance between them seemed impossibly small now, their knees brushing, breaths mingling in the cool night.
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?Jasmine leaned in just a little, her voice barely audible. “Do you still think I’m better than you?”
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?Micheal’s throat tightened his heart racing. “In many ways...yes”
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?Her eyes softened, wide and searching. “I think.....I think I know what drew me in...I think it was the fact that underneath all that anger and hatred was....just that ....a hurting soul...or maybe it was something else....I'm drawn to you Micheal....but I'm also scared of you, of you're hatred"
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?His hand inched toward hers, hesitant, trembling. She didn’t pull away. Their fingers brushed—just barely.
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?“I don't want you to be scared,” he whispered.
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?Jasmine’s breath hitched, her gaze flicking to his lips, then back to his eyes. The air between them felt charged, like something waiting to break. She leaned in, just enough for him to feel her warmth, their faces barely inches apart.
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?Their lips almost met—
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?“Ahem!”
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?They both jerked back as Knox stumbled onto the roof, his face flushed, eyes darting everywhere except at them. “Uh—Sorry. I, um... didn’t mean to interrupt whatever that was.”
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?Micheal groaned under his breath. Jasmine buried her face in her hands, a laugh escaping despite herself.
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?Knox scratched the back of his neck, visibly flustered. “Right. Anyway, Mitsuki’s getting mad that you two missed the toast. And Aki said if you don’t come back, he’s eating Micheal’s share too.”
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?Micheal blinked. “Wait—he what?!”
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?Jasmine stood, brushing off her skirt with a coy smile. “Come on, lover boy. Before your mentor eats your dinner and your pride.”
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?As they followed Knox down, their hands brushed again—and this time, neither pulled away.
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