~ Her Existence ~

Chapter 4

"Hao, did you see that?"

Nagi asked hao, who was currently lying comfortably on one of the branches of the tree that Nagi was leaning on. Hao visited the lake often, or if he's being honest with himself, he visited Nagi often. Every time he's in the mood to tease someone, he would find the time to come and see the human girl.

He had spent many afternoons with her now. He found her very interesting and witty. The human girl grew on him like how a brother enjoys the company of his younger sister. Which is more intriguing because him and Nagi didn't have any family bond. He wondered why does she have that impact towards him? That was yet to be answered.

He had gotten to know her more after those times they spent together. He didn't asked her questions, Hao never ask or cared to ask personal questions to people. He gotten to know her just by noticing the things that makes her cringe, smile, laugh, pout, glare, angry and what makes her bite her lip. He heard her say that she was turning fourteen in three months and that she and her grandma are going to celebrate it by buying ice cream and cake. He noticed that she liked silence as much as she liked laughing and that she can sense spirits but cannot see them. He learned that she would always be here because of her duty to the trees that she planted which meant she had no plans leaving else where. He found out that she loves the stars too, when they stayed out late one time and was able to see a sky filled with glittering diamonds. He understood that she liked spending time with him and that she was having just as much as fun as he does with her.

The thought of it all makes him feel snug.

Unlike anyone he can talk to her like he talks with Opacho, the only difference was, Nagi doesn't always agree with him, she's not afraid to speak her mind. She states her own opinions and what she thinks is right. None of his followers would do that, they know the consequences. Nagi doesn't. But underneath it all, there really isn't any consequence for her. On the fire shaman's book, she could do no wrong. Sometimes her narrow thoughts makes him cringe, its irritating that he can't figure her out most of the time. But her immaturity makes up for it. He enjoys her funny reactions to every little thing and her pout every time he proves her wrong.

~last week~

"Hao, quit smiling like that! You're creeping me out." Nagi told the smirking Hao.

"Am i?" Obviously amused by her. "Good, I enjoy creeping you out." The human girl shook her head with a smile.

"You're oblivious." She muttered before grabbing a rock and throwing it at his direction. The fire shaman simply tilted his head to the right and completely dodge her attack. His smirk turned dark.

"You shouldn't have done that" he whispered before walking towards her. He knew he looked menacing, he was sending that dark aura of his to scare her. Everyone who has felt it immediately feels terrified. But she just stood up and crossed her arms as he closed the distance between them.

"I knew it. You're a ninja aren't you!" She suddenly accused him which made him stop on his tracks and burst out laughing. "Well, no one could have dodge that easily!" she exclaimed.

"You know, I liked the fact that you thought I was the Devil." He spoke in a sensual tone. "But now you're saying I'm a ninja? Isn't that lowering my standards?" he teased.

"Yeah… for all I know, you could be just a Goblin." She shrugged and sat down again. Hao, who was currently snickering at what she just said, sat down beside her.

"I'm worst than a Goblin, you should probably stay away from me or at least keep your distance." He said before lying on the ground with his hands crossed above him. He stared at her back as he read her thoughts and wait for her reaction. He was clearly joking but her mind raced with different thoughts.

Slowly she starts to speak.

"I Don—I don't think I want…. to do that." Hao kept staring at her crouch back, though he wanted to sit up and see her expression, he didn't do that. He could see in her mind that she felt embarrassed somehow and he didn't like the uneasiness that's coming out of her. That puzzled him though.

"What?" He gently asked, trying not to prolong the uneasiness in her. Her thoughts were floopy and were impossible to understand, he felt a little frustrated.

"Well, what I mean is… even if you are a goblin, I still think I will hangout with you." She told him while looking up into the clouds. He couldn't understand her intentions, why she's saying those words. He was only certain that she was glad that he wasn't looking at her directly.

"Even if I'm the Devil?" he asked darkly.

A sudden breeze passed. Her dark hair swaying with the wind in different lengths, making it impossible for any man to ignore her presence.

"Even then." She muttered softly.

"I knew your ignorance will soon show itself." Hao told her as he closed his eyes.

No words were said after that, they just spent the rest of the time appreciating nature. Nagi staring at the clouds, completely unaware of the small smile on Hao's face.

~End of flashback~

He had accepted her existence to this world, to his world, and she had gain respect from him the day he found out that she was planting trees on her own will to save nature. On his plan to annihilate the human raise, she had already earned the rights to be excepted. Unlike every one else, she can stay. He wanted her to stay.

That one he knew. He admitted he enjoyed her company. He knows that he liked the fact that only him knew her. He loves the Idea that she doesn't know his true identity, that she doesn't know that she's playing with the devil. He wants to see her reaction when she finally finds out his real power.

Would that finally frighten her?

The excitement he was feeling sudden vanished. He wasn't sure if he wanted Nagi to be afraid of him. The thought of her afraid of him wasn't pleasant at all. But why is that? What is she to him now?

Hao have met a lot of girls in his third life but only very few impresses him and normally NO HUMAN girls impresses him. But what is this case with Nagi? What is she really? Another play toy? Another one of those people who he thought amazing at first but would prove him wrong in the end? Or is she something different all together? Something he hadn't experienced before in his past lives. Something good.

And what are these feelings? I'm happy, I'm enjoying this moment? That doesn't seem right.

Am I going obsessed?

"Hao! Look!" Nagi voice broke his train of thought. His eyes followed her lean form on the ground as she slowly crawls towards the bushes. Hao silently wondered what could she possibly be doing now?

"I saw it fell from the tree, I think it's a bird. And I really wanna che-" She stopped for a split second before she screamed bloody-murder and crawling backwards while kicking the ground.

"it's not a bird. It's not a bird" She chanted, fresh shock and fear clear in her voice. Hao lean as far as he could on the branch to see what Nagi had seen and when the creature jumped out of the bushes, the fire shaman laughed to his hearts content.

"hahaha! What did he do, jump on you?" he teased before laughing again.

"JUMP ON ME?" She yelled as she dramatically raised both of her hands in the air. "He slimed all over my forehead! Ugrh!" Nagi wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, her expression was clearly the funniest thing Hao has ever seen. The shaman couldn't stop grinning at the sight of the frail human.

"He's a frog, of course he is slimy. You on the other hand-" He spoke as he jumped from the tree and landing safely to the ground beside her. " – are a human girl, you shouldn't have slime on your skin." He gently teased her.

Nagi glared at him. "Why you…" she muttered darkly. Nagi raise both her hands in an attempt to hit Hao on the shoulders and maybe wipe some slime on to him. But the shaman was fast and cunning, he knew what she wanted to do. He grabbed both her wrist to keep her slimy hands off of him.

"We already know who's going to win at this game Nagi. You wouldn't want to trip or something right? I'm sure you don't like the idea of putting more band aids on your hands." He said with a smirk.

"We never know, you might trip." Hao laughed at her statement. Nagi still pushed her luck, trying to get him on the left, trying to get him on the right but his hold was tight. His hands both reaching out keeping his poncho behind him like a cape. She could see his upper torso and his lean triceps. She knew her chances were very slim.

Damn. How can a kid like him be this strong? And like he heard her thoughts, Hao smiled at her before gently pushing her back towards the tree and pinning both her wrists at the side of her shoulders. Him being an inch taller, causing her to incline her gaze upward and the sight she saw was something she hadn't seen before.

Nagi had spent time with the weird boy and seen many sides of him. She has seen him Smug, glaring, sad, happy, mocking and even peaceful. But she had never seen him look this…. Serene?

"Hao, what are you..." She muttered as she stared into his brown eyes only inches away. She knew she wasn't able to finish her sentence but right now, she couldn't think of anything but his eyes and Him standing so close.

"Nagi." Hao muttered as he released her hands and place his palm on the bark of the tree beside her face. He only said her name but Nagi heard it like a purr. And it did strange things to her, a feeling… foreign and new. Something unknown was stirring deep within her and surprisingly, she didn't hate it.

"You smell like cotton… and clouds." He murmured to her as her hand fell and felt limp beside her. Him, almost like dreamy eyed and her, still wide eyed from shock. He couldn't read her thoughts again, too floopy.

"No… no one can… smell th-the clouds." She was able to say before feeling another jolt of nerves as Hao smirked at her. He liked her reaction, he liked it.

Then it hit her, she knew what was happening and what he was trying to do. She composed her expression and that hint of cleverness was back in her cobalt blue eyes.

"What? You don't think I smelled the clouds before?" he challenge as he noticed the change within her.

… *eye contact# …

"hmm… let me think." She said before kicking him right on the shin. Hao groaned before kneeling on one foot in front of her.

"You really shouldn't have done that." He managed to say but it sounded like a grunt. Nagi leaned down before him.

"Huh. I guess I won that one eh? See? It's not always you who wins the game." She walked away before he could grab her. Hao's breath became harder and harder until real flames can be seen around him but Nagi was already facing away, not noticing him at all. He stared at her back and smirked.

No one has ever done that to him before. NO ONE.

"By the way, clouds don't have any scent. They only smell like fresh rain." She told him without any backward glance. With a smirk on his face, he slowly stood up knowing that the human girl just ignited a fire within him.

And that was it, I'm obsessed.

Sorry it took so long. It's just I've been busy and everything…. anyway…

CLICK

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