"I used to love him," Carmel murmured as she stared blankly at the light pole. Her fingers traced the hem of her dress, a nervous habit she had when she let herself slip into her thoughts.
"I met Jimmy through my line of work," her voice faltered slightly. Her hand drifted to her arm, rubbing it absentmindedly. "I was his bodyguard, and he was this up-and-coming politician."
Neo's eyes flicked down, catching the motion of her mother's hand. She narrowed her gaze slightly, feeling irritated. 'She's lying again', Neo thought, recognizing the sign. Carmel always rubbed her arm when she wasn't telling the full story.
Carmel's hand dropped back into her lap as her tone shifted. "Truth be told, I hated your father when I first met him."
She turned her gaze toward Neo, her expression harsher. "He was weak, timid... a coward."
She paused. "But he was also smart, cute, and I admired how he took risks."
Her voice trailed off, eyes glazing over as memories pulled her away from the present.
Carmel's hair was cut short into a Hime style, resembling Soi Fon's look. She wore a brown jacket, a black skirt, and black boots with striped socks. She sat in a cramped, messy apartment, her expression bored as her eyes skimmed over the scattered clothes and dirty dishes piling up.
Her scroll rang suddenly. She reached out lazily, picking it up with little enthusiasm before pressing it to her ear.
"Hello," she greeted, her tone sharp and impatient.
"Ms. Vanille, we have another job for you," a calm voice responded from the other end.
"It better pay well because the last one's barely covered this month's rent," she rolled her eyes with annoyance.
"I can assure you it will pay handsomely," the voice replied.
Carmel's eyebrow twitched as frustration bubbled over. She shot to her feet, slamming her hand against the table. "It fucking better! If not, I swear I'm gonna start working for someone else!" she yelled.
"There's no need for that," the voice replied, unfazed. "Your task is to protect an upcoming politician. He's managed to piss off some powerful people, and now he needs 24-hour protection. Can you manage that, Dulcis Menta?"
The mention of her alias made Carmel's eyes grow emotionless. The anger in her voice extinguished, "Yes, ma'am," she replied.
Without wasting time, Carmel walked to her dresser, picking up a pearl necklace and fastening it around her neck. She opened a cabinet, retrieving two white earrings and placing them in her ears. Turning toward the mirror, her face was shadowed, her eyes dark and menacing. She gave one last glance before stepping out of the apartment, the door closing softly behind her as she disappeared into the night.
Carmel walked down the street, blending into the crowd. As she walked, she pulled out her scroll, glancing at the picture of the man she had been hired to protect.
'A politician with a snarky-ass attitude,' she thought, narrowing her eyes at his smug face. Something about him instantly made her blood boil. She studied his features more closely, her brow furrowing in disbelief.
'He doesn't even look like someone who'd need protection from someone like me,' she thought, resting her chin on her hand as she mulled over the details. His face didn't scream "in danger" to her—if anything, he seemed more like the type to cause problems, not avoid them.
Carmel shook her head, dispelling the thoughts. 'Doesn't matter,' she reminded herself. 'I just need the money.'
With that, she slipped the scroll back into her jacket pocket, her pace unfaltering as she navigated through the crowd, disappearing into the sea of people as she approached her destination.
Once inside, Carmel made a beeline for the elevator, hitting the button for the lowest floor. The ride was silent, the sound of machinery the only sound as she stared ahead. When the doors slid open, she stepped out and strode down the long, dim hallway, her eyes flicking over the grand paintings lining the walls, their eyes seeming to follow her every move. The eerie stillness made her uneasy, but she stopped in the middle of the corridor, exhaling softly before speaking.
"Through life and death, balance is what keeps us whole. Through life and death, balance is what shapes the world," she recited. She glanced down at her feet. "Open, Gate to the Underworld."
The floor beneath her scanned her feet, a blue light tracing the ground. An AI voice echoed in the hall. "Welcome back, Carmel Vanille." The tile under her gave way, and the floor dropped her into a tube.
She shot down, catching herself as she landed smoothly on her feet. Now in a hidden underground chamber, she found herself facing the man she was assigned to protect and another—a tall figure with short hair and a full beard.
"Took you long enough," said Hei Xiong. Carmel rolled her eyes, ignoring his comment as she stepped forward, eyes narrowing at the politician.
"So, you're Jimmy?" she asked with sarcasm. Before the man could answer, Hei Xiong stepped in front of him, blocking Carmel's view as he met her glare.
"Apologies. She has no manners," Hei said smoothly, causing Carmel's fists to clench instantly.
"Say that again, smartass!"
"My point exactly," he muttered before turning back to Jimmy. "Allow me to introduce you both."
He gestured to Carmel. "This is Carmel Vanille, your bodyguard." Then, pointing to Jimmy, he added, "And this is Jimmy Fragola, politician."
Jimmy eyed Carmel up and down. 'So, this is the woman protecting me?' His eyes wandered for a moment. 'She looks more attractive than dangerous, but…'
Before he could process anything further, Carmel noticed. "Hey! The hell are you staring at? Just 'cause you're hiring me doesn't mean you get to gawk!" Her outburst sent Jimmy's eyes darting away in terror.
Hei chuckled, patting Jimmy's shoulder. "Don't worry, she's more than capable. Graduated from Lady Browning's Preparatory Academy. You're in good hands."
His voice carried a hint of amusement as he turned to leave. "I'll leave you two to work out the details."
Pausing at the doorway, Hei glanced back with a smile. "Oh, and Carmel?"
She turned, her eye twitching at the sight of his grin.
"Try not to scare him off, alright?"
The room grew quiet as his footsteps faded. Carmel stared down at the tiles beneath her.
"I'm tired of this," she muttered under her breath. "I wanna go hiking."
Jimmy, tilting his head in confusion, brought a hand to his chin. "What?"
Carmel quickly snapped out of it, her face flushing slightly as she locked eyes with him before turning away.
"Don't think too much about it." She rubbed her cheek and started to walk off.
"Go wherever you need to go. I'll follow until the job's done."
The job was easy—too easy. As Carmel spent time around Jimmy, it became clear that his need for protection was driven by paranoia, not any real danger. In the three days she shadowed him 24/7, not once did anyone track or threaten him.
Returning home, Carmel felt a wave of irritation. Sure, she got paid, and that part made her happy, but her time had been wasted listening to endless political drivel, lectures on world structures, and dust. It was mind-numbing.
Back in her apartment, she stretched with a loud groan, muttering, "Three damn days with that guy." She rubbed her shoulder, rotating it as if the tension had settled in her bones. "Sixteen hours of the most boring shit ever."
She shuffled over to the kitchen and yanked open the refrigerator door. Her eyes scanned the empty shelves, her expression twisting into frustration. With a huff, she slammed it shut and flopped onto her couch, her head tilting back as she stared at the ceiling.
"Eleven thousand, three hundred ninety-two lien for every hour," she mumbled, calculating. "That's 182k a day... and if you multiply that by three..." Carmel trailed off, getting up and strolling to her room with a genuine, warm smile spreading across her face. She collapsed onto her bed, her body sinking into the mattress.
"I guess I can go on that hiking trip now," she whispered, before closing her eyes.
Three weeks had passed, and Carmel trudged down the street, slouching with an annoyed expression.
"They finally gave me some time off... about damn time," she muttered under her breath. The scorching sun beat down on her back as she walked, adding to her already irritable mood.
Ahead, she spotted the camping store, and a small smile crept across her face. Straightening her posture, she picked up the pace and entered the store. Without hesitation, she made a beeline for the tents and supplies, her arms quickly filling with gear.
As she stood in line, waiting to be rung up, a voice called out from behind, "Hey, it's you!"
Carmel turned, confused, only to see Jimmy standing there, his face lit with surprise. She squinted, eyeing him up and down before replying, "Who the hell are you?"
His mouth dropped open as he pointed to himself, "You don't remember me?"
"Not at all,"
"I'm the politician you protected," he said loudly, as if that would jog her memory. She looked him over with a blank stare before it clicked.
"Ohh, you're the hopeless chap who wasted my time," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Jimmy's eyebrow twitched in response to the disrespect.
Carmel chuckled, strolling up to him lazily. He avoided her gaze, rubbing the back of his neck, his voice a little less cheery but still not quite upset. "I noticed your expression while you were shopping. You looked… disturbed."
Carmel tilted her head, eyeing him once more before letting out a sigh. "Work's been hell, and the pay's been trash. I haven't been able to plan a trip in forever," she grumbled, her eyes dropping to the floor. Her fingers tapped nervously against her jacket.
"I could help with that," Jimmy offered immediately, and for a split second, her face brightened before it scrunched with skepticism.
"I make a decent amount of lien, enough to cover whatever you need. And, uh... I'm free myself, so I could join you. If you wanted..." His voice trailed off nervously.
Carmel's eyes narrowed, her gaze hard and probing. 'He doesn't seem like he's trying anything funny,' she thought to herself. She met his eyes. "Why?"
Jimmy hesitated, glancing away before meeting her eyes again, "You saved my life. Whether I was in danger or not, you stood by me, and I appreciate that. This is the least I could do."
For a moment, Carmel's expression softened. A small smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. It was rare for her to receive praise on her jobs—it was usually just kill the target, get the money, and move on. No thanks, no recognition. This was something new.
She eyed his arms, unimpressed. "You ever been hiking? You look about as built as a traffic cone."
Jimmy's eyes widened in surprise before he sheepishly shook his head. The moment he did, Carmel grabbed her things and began walking away.
"W-Wait!" Jimmy called out, reaching after her, but she kept moving, leaving the store and him behind. The other patrons glanced at him curiously as he stood there, defeated.
He sighed, lowering his head. 'I really want to show her I'm not some joke,' he thought bitterly. But just as he neared the exit, his eyes lit up, and a spark of hope returned.
'Wait! I got an idea...'
The next day rolled around, and Carmel was busy packing sandwiches into a bag. Just as she finished, her scroll buzzed on the table, the screen flashing with an unknown number.
'Is this another client? I don't have time for this,' she thought with a groan, grabbing the scroll and answering it, bringing it to her ear.
"Hey, I was hoping you could give me a chance and go hiking with me."
The moment she recognized the voice, her face twisted in rage.
Without hesitation, she tapped the screen and hurled the scroll across the room.
"URGH! CAN'T HE TAKE A FUCKING HINT!" she roared, stomping over to where the scroll had landed.
She bent down to retrieve it, surprised to see it hadn't shattered—just a few cracks. As she brushed away the bits of broken glass, she realized she hadn't tapped the end button properly. He was still on the line.
Carmel tilted her head back in frustration and groaned, "Brothers, please kill this guy before I do it."
She begrudgingly grabbed the scroll again and held it to her ear. "What do you want?"
Jimmy let out a sigh before responding, "I just want to help. Please, just let me do this for you."
"Are you doing this for me or for yourself?" she asked, her fingers tracing the edge of the table.
There was a pause on the other end. "I'm doing this for you. Sure, I want to help, but I can tell you really want this trip, and I just want to make sure you have a great time."
Carmel rubbed her temple, her face scrunching up in irritation. After a long, dramatic sigh, she finally relented. "Fine. Tomorrow at 10. But if anything goes wrong, I'll kill you."
"...You're joking, right?" Jimmy asked, his voice uneasy.
"Nope," Carmel replied flatly. "Now hurry up and get ready."
It was a bright, sunny day, and Carmel sat on a bench, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sipping on a cup of coffee. She glanced up at the clock hanging above, reading 9:45.
Around her, civilians moved through their daily routines—laughing, playing, even crying. She took another slow sip, her eyes following the ticking minutes. When the clock finally struck 10, her face scrunched with disappointment, but she stayed seated.
By 10:10, her patience had run out. With an irritated sigh, she stood and tossed the empty coffee cup onto the ground. Just as she was about to leave, she spotted a tall figure running toward her, drenched in sweat. It was Jimmy, struggling to catch his breath as he approached.
"Why the hell did you take so long?!" she snapped.
"I... I overslept," he admitted between gasps, wiping the sweat from his brow.
Carmel's eyes narrowed, her anger bubbling over. "How could you oversleep?! You go on and on about how you wanna do this and that, and then you 'oversleep'?! HOW—HOW?" She was practically lost for words, her frustration boiling over. "HOW COULD YOU!"
Before she could launch into a full tirade, Jimmy suddenly grabbed her arm. Her eyes widened in surprise as he gently pulled her around the corner, motioning toward something ahead.
There, in front of them, were two brand-new mountain bikes. Carmel's eyes widened as she walked over to inspect them, her fingers tracing the frames. "These are Neath brand bikes," she muttered in awe.
"Some of the best and most expensive ones you can get..." Her voice lifted with excitement.
"Okay, maybe I was a bit too harsh," she mumbled, removing her hat and covering her face with it. But underneath, a wide smile spread across her lips as she hopped onto one of the bikes, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Come on, come on!" she urged, motioning for Jimmy to join her. Slowly, he climbed onto the second bike, and together they pedaled off.
As they rode on, Jimmy's constant complaints filled the air. Carmel tried to tune him out, soaking in the breeze, the fresh air, and the peacefulness of the hike. But no matter how hard she tried, his whining was impossible to ignore.
"My legs hurt, can we take a break?" Jimmy huffed, still pedaling and sweating like a pig.
"Oh my God, I swear I'll throw you down the road we've been traveling on if you complain one more time!" Carmel snapped. "Don't ask to go hiking if you're gonna be a baby back bitch!" She slammed her foot harder on the pedal.
Jimmy, struggling to keep up, was clearly outmatched. His legs burned, and as he fought to close the distance between them, his fear of Grimm started to surface. The forest felt darker, and the eerie growls of Grimm creatures ramped up around them, drawn to their emotions.
Out of nowhere, a massive Ursa lunged from the bushes. Time seemed to freeze as Jimmy's eyes widened in terror. Instinct kicked in, and he swerved, barely ducking under the creature's strike. The Ursa landed with a crash and quickly turned to charge at him again. But Jimmy's luck ran out—his bike slipped on the slick ground, and he toppled over, landing hard on his pack. He looked up, frozen in fear as the Grimm stalked toward him.
"C-Carmel!" he screamed, desperation filling his voice.
Hearing his cry, Carmel sighed in annoyance. She skidded to a stop, hopped off her bike, and launched herself into the air without a second thought.
As she descended, she yanked her necklace from her throat, the chain transforming into a bladed whip.
"Roar, Phantom's Bite!" she yelled, the weapon twirled around her in an arc.
She hit the ground with a powerful slash, sending ripples through the air as her heels struck the dirt path.
The Grimm vanished instantly, disintegrating into ash.
Jimmy stared up at her, wide-eyed and shaken. "Th-thank you," he stammered.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now get your pansy ass up, and let's get moving!"
Jimmy timidly picked himself up, but as he adjusted his pack, he didn't notice a tear in the fabric. His belongings fell out behind him as he got back on his bike.
Carmel walked over to her own bike, waiting for him to take the lead before easily catching up to him.
As they rode together, Jimmy wheezed out, "If you could move that fast, why bother riding a bike so slowly?"
Carmel kept her gaze ahead, enjoying the wind on her face.
After a moment, she answered with a question of her own, "If you're hungry, why not just buy an instant meal instead of cooking your own?"
Jimmy paused, thinking it over before shrugging.
"It's the enjoyment. The tranquility. The slowness," she explained. "All of that matters. I don't wanna rush through everything. I want to enjoy where I go, just like someone cooking a meal wants to savor the process rather than settling for a frozen dinner."
They rode in silence for a while, only the chirping of birds breaking the quiet, until Carmel spoke again. "Ever thought about how life is like cooking?"
Jimmy shook his head.
"You can't cook a burger on max heat. The outside burns, and the inside stays raw. Some things need to simmer at a low temperature to reach their full potential," she said.
"Same with life. Some people grow slower, some die slower. Some..." She paused, "Some people like life to move slow so they can enjoy it all."
Their conversation died down after that, the silence stretching between them as they pedaled up the mountain trail. When they finally reached the summit, Carmel hopped off her bike, a huge smile spreading across her face as she took in the breathtaking view. She walked to the edge, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the vast landscape below.
Jimmy, on the other hand, was exhausted, barely able to dismount his bike. He stumbled forward, collapsing onto the ground with a groan.
Carmel shot him a sidelong glance, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face, but she let it fade as she turned her attention back to the horizon. She closed her eyes, feeling the cool mountain breeze wash over her, letting the serenity of the moment sink in.
After a while, the two sat down, and Carmel reached into her bag, pulling out a cloth to sit on, along with lunches and drinks. Without hesitation, she greedily grabbed two half-sandwiches, cut diagonally, and sank her teeth into one.
Jimmy chuckled, opening his own bag, but froze when he saw that half of his stuff was missing. His mouth hung open as he realized there was a hole in the bottom of his bag. 'Are you kidding me?! This bag was expensive!' he screamed internally.
He forced a crooked smile and looked up. Carmel noticed, tilting her head with her cheeks stuffed full of sandwich. "Hm?"
Seeing how happy she was, Jimmy shook his head. "N-Nothing," he said, his voice shaky. She raised a brow but didn't press him, instead returning to her food.
Excusing himself from the small picnic, Jimmy got up and started gathering dry sticks.
Carmel watched him with a smirk, swallowing her bite. "You can't be serious," she chuckled.
"There's no way you're gonna manage that." She laughed, going back to her meal.
Irritated by her constant digs, Jimmy kept collecting dry wood, building a small pile before crouching down. Grabbing two sticks, he began rubbing them together.
Minutes passed, but there was no fire—only frustration. "Come on, this is how they do it in the movies," he muttered, putting even more effort into it. He tried adjusting his position and changing the angle, but no matter what, it didn't work.
Carmel watched him struggle, her smile softening. After finishing the last of her sandwich, she walked over, crouching beside him.
"You're doing it all wrong," she said, holding out her hand. "Especially with those soft, prissy hands of yours."
Reluctantly, Jimmy handed her the sticks.
"If you really wanna make fire with your hands, they've gotta be like mine." She showed him her rough, calloused palms before rubbing the sticks together. Before long, embers appeared, and with the help of a gentle breeze, a fire flickered to life.
Carmel stepped back, a cocky smile on her face as Jimmy stared in awe.
They both sat near the fire, letting the crackling flames and the quiet of the evening fill the air as the sky began to darken with the sunset.
"Hey," Jimmy started, his voice softer now. "I wanna hear about your life. I wanna know more about you."
Carmel looked down for a moment, caught off guard by his request. "Ya know what, I appreciate how hard you worked to try and make today decent, even though I've been such an ass," she admitted.
"But my life ain't some fairy tale," she added, her tone growing more serious. "Are you sure you can handle it?" Her eyes met his, searching for his answer. He nodded without hesitation.
She took a deep breath, the fire crackling between them as she began. "My name's Carmel Vanille. I was born in this very kingdom. But it wasn't the good part of the kingdom. Nah, I grew up in a pretty bad spot. Way out in the sticks, far from the city. Rough farmland, rougher people. It was a shitty patch, all things considered," she said, her voice flat, almost casual.
She leaned forward, resting an arm on her knee, her brow furrowing as she continued. "I had a father. Just your average guy—or, as average as a broke farmer could be. Bad breath, broken English, smelled like piss, but that was my father, ya know? Couldn't really hate the guy."
She remembered a winter long ago when the crops had withered, and the house felt like an icebox. The windows were frozen shut, and her older brother lay shivering on the couch, bundled under a thin blanket, his pale face tinged with red from the cold.
Their father wandered in, beer in hand, chugging it down before tossing the empty can onto a growing pile. He slid a vinyl onto the turntable, letting the scratchy sound of music fill the room, the lyrics floating in the frigid air: "Senaka no aita doresu koborete."
Ignoring his shivering son, he walked over to the couch, reaching across the table for a cigarette. He lit it with a flick of his lighter, taking a quick puff before blowing the smoke into the already stale air. A young Carmel trudged down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she lazily crossed the room. She glanced at her brother before turning her gaze to her father.
After watching him take a few more drags, she finally found her voice. "Aren't you going to do anything for Ais? He's literally sick as a dog!" Her tone rose in frustration, but her father just shot her a glance, inhaling deeply before releasing a cloud of smoke.
"What do you want me to do? The car's stuck, and we're too far from civilization to get supplies. He'll just have to toughen up," he replied.
"It's not that we can't do anything. it's the effort you show!" she screamed, frustration bubbling over as she kicked the table, sending it crashing to the floor.
"You sit on your ass and listen to this stupid song every month! I get it; you miss Mom like we do, but you're dragging us down with her. Soon, we'll both be six feet under if you don't get your shit together!"
His eyes widened in anger, and in a flash, he snatched her wrists, pinning them in his lap. He brought the still-lit cigarette down, pressing it against her skin. She screamed in agony as the pain shot through her.
At that moment, Ais weakly rose from the couch, clutching their father's arm with trembling hands. "S-Stop! You're hurting her!"
But before he could make a difference, their father backhanded him, sending him tumbling backward onto the couch, shock etched across his face. Before he could react, their father pounced, wrapping his arms around Ais's throat.
"You fucking kids…I work my ass off and you ungrateful brats treat your father like this!" their father muttered, his grip tightened as Ais began to convulse beneath him.
Carmel clutched her burned wrist, watching in horror. Panic surged within her, and she reached for a vase nearby.
With a heavy swing, she brought it crashing down on her father's head. He released Ais, falling unconscious on top of him.
Ais struggled to push his father off, rolling him aside to finally breathe again. As he looked up, he noticed Carmel was gone, confusion washing over his features as sweat dripped from his brow.
In another room, Carmel frantically rifled through drawers, heart racing. 'I'm ending this. I swear I'm fucking ending this,' she thought. Finally, she pulled out a gun. With a surge of adrenaline, she rushed back to the room.
Carmel spoke, her gaze locked onto the dancing flames of the fire. "I quickly put two holes in the guy's brain matter," she recalled.
"After that, it was just me and my older brother…" She trailed off, "He didn't make it far afterward. Lasted three more months. He was a strong fucking man!" There was a flicker of pride in her voice.
She glanced up, meeting Jimmy's eyes and touching her arm. "After that, I had to turn into a 'bodyguard' for the money. I was pretty sloppy at first, but I got by." She shrugged.
"After barely finding stability for a few years, I went to Lady Browning's Preparatory Academy For Girls, passed, did the whole graduation thing—yada yada—and yeah… Now I'm here, tada!" Her tone lacked enthusiasm.
Jimmy listened, his expression sympathetic, but he struggled to find the right words to comfort her. She shifted uncomfortably, her eyes drifting to the ground.
With genuine vulnerability, she said, "Sorry if I come off like an asshole. Just the trauma and stuff, ya know?"
She rose to her feet, looking down at him with a mixture of gratitude and weariness. "But I appreciate you trying to reach out and listen to my boring-ass sob story." She let out a weak chuckle.
Turning away from the campfire, she gazed out into the distance at the twinkling city lights below.
As Carmel sat on the park bench, she gazed up at the moon. "After that, I stopped being so mean to your father. We talked more, and, well, I suppose I became more proper and ladylike after we got married," she said with a slight shrug.
"You could probably guess what happened afterward." Her voice held a hint of sheepishness as she tilted her head toward her daughter.
Neo smiled softly, her eyes dropping to the ground as her mother continued.
"Motherhood was always challenging for me," she admitted. "I never really had parents to guide me, so I kind of just did what I would have liked as a child." Her fingers brushed nervously against the fabric of her clothing.
Carmel's grip tightened on the material, her voice becoming softer. "Hey, Trivy, I'm sorry."
Her voice hitched, "Gifts were something that would have made me happy, and I thought maybe you would like them too. But you didn't grow up like I did; it was never going to bring you joy the way it would have for me," she confessed.
"But I want you to know, I missed you every second you were gone. I quit my job to protect myself from getting hurt; I wanted to live for you." Hesitantly, she reached for Neo's arm, her fingers grazing it briefly. "But I didn't even get to see you," she said, forcing a smile that Neo didn't quite notice.
"I let my deteriorating marriage and mindset weigh on you, didn't I? Maybe he rubbed off on me, or maybe I rubbed off on him, but I was still a terrible mother, wasn't I?" She asked, knowing the answer already as she stood up.
"Oh, and one last thing," she added, her voice softening.
"I'm sorry for making you wear contacts, and I'm sorry for your speech. I just hate that we feel so distant, you know? It's easy to get frustrated when you can't understand people through words. And the contacts… Your father worked hard to elevate us to high status; I'd be damned if we lost it all. I don't want it to seem like a personal attack, but no one wants to lose everything they've built over a little appearance," she explained, her voice tender yet firm. Neo's expression hardened momentarily before softening as she nodded in understanding.
"Anyway, it's getting late, and I need to go,"
Carmel said softly. "Now be sure to apologize to your boyfriend and understand where he's coming from; he doesn't seem that bad."
Neo's face flushed bright red as she flailed her arms, shaking her head.
Carmel chuckled, stepping closer to Neo and hugged her warmly. Neo's face nestled against her chest as she was held tightly. "I know you're lying and don't really feel that way," Carmel whispered into her ear before pulling back.
Neo rubbed her reddened cheeks, watching as her mother walked away.
Alone, she grasped her umbrella and held it close to her chest.
Feeling better, she slowly placed the umbrella to her side and began skipping back to the dorm room.
Neo walked quietly into the room. The other girls were sound asleep and her gaze fell on Jacob, sprawled out comfortably on her bed. A smile crept across her face, and a blush blossomed in her cheeks at the sight of him.
She perched herself on the edge of the bed, taking a moment to steady her breath. The silence enveloped her, but soon her expression shifted to one of somberness, and her hands clenched the covers he lay under.
Reaching out, she touched his arm, applying gentle pressure. Jacob stirred, his eyelids fluttering open. He blinked sleepily, squinting and finally looked at her. "Oh, you're back," he murmured, his voice still sleepy.
Her eyes widened in surprise; she hadn't expected him to respond so calmly and kindly. After their earlier disagreement, she had braced herself for harshness or disappointment, not this.
Shifting nervously, she grabbed her whiteboard and wrote, "I wanna talk about earlier," her expression vulnerable and timid as she held it up for him to see.
Jacob stared at the board blankly for a moment, his mind drifting into an abyss of drowsiness. "It's fine, as long as you aren't, like…" he paused.
"Doing that stuff anymore… If you learned from that, then who cares?" His soft words were accompanied by a short smile as he leaned back down.
A smile spread across Neo's face, and she felt warmth bloom in her chest, her hand timidly covered her heart as she fidgeted.
'He isn't angry, he isn't being aggressive, he's not even showing negativity,' she thought, biting her lip as her true feelings began to spill over, tears brimming in her eyes.
Without thinking, she reached out, her hand trembling slightly as she gripped his T-shirt, yanking him towards her. Jacob's eyes widened, his sleepiness fading as he realized what was happening.
As Neo leaned closer, her face started heating up, trickles of doubt fading in the back of her mind, but she was too far in. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her lips against his.
Her face flushed a deep red, her eyes squeezed shut as she gave him her first kiss.
Slowly, she raised her hand to cup his cheek, her touch soft and reverent, as if she were holding something fragile.
Her lips moved against his, warm and pliant. The heat radiating from her body seeped through her clothes against his, and the rapid thrum of their hearts seemed to have a rhythm in sync.
Jacob stiffened at first, caught off guard, but then he relaxed, his eyes closing as his arms wrapped around her. They stayed locked in the kiss for a few heartbeats longer before she pulled back, her face burning with embarrassment. She quickly averted her gaze.
Although taken by surprise, Jacob couldn't help but smile, glancing away coyly. But desire flickered in his eyes as his hands trailed up her body, gently caressing her face. He stared into her eyes as his breath shuddered.
Before he could utter a word, she pushed down onto him, her head falling onto his chest. Jacob looked down at her, astonished, as a soft smile graced her lips. She buried her face in his shirt, trying to hide her blush while listening to the fast thump of his heartbeat.
After a few moments, she raised her head to meet his gaze once more and mouthed the words, "Thank you."
Jacob's face flushed a deep shade of red, and he averted his eyes. "Y-yeah, don't mention it," he replied sheepishly in a low voice. Neo couldn't help but smile, relishing the way he stumbled over his words.
As Carmel strolled through the streets of Vale, her scroll buzzed.
She lifted it to her ear, her pace steady.
"Have you made it to the club yet?" the voice on the other end asked.
"No," Carmel replied. "Look, I'm retired. It's not simple assassinating someone, especially someone like Torchwick."
"Well, I wouldn't have had to drag you out of retirement if the Malachite Twins hadn't gotten injured. We had the perfect plan to trap him and put an end to his antics," the voice retorted.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll hunt him down for you, Lady Beat. It's my job to clean up the mess the kids couldn't handle. He shouldn't have been able to escape far," she said, her voice chilling as she hung up the scroll.
With a flick of her wrist, she removed her earrings.
As she passed by the club, she tossed the earrings aside, and a moment later, they detonated in an explosion, lighting up the night sky and sending a shockwave through the area, designed to draw Torchwick out if he was still lurking nearby.
Meanwhile, Roman sat atop a nearby building, his clothes smeared with grime and dust. He peered down, observing her with an amused smirk. "So that's who they send after me? Do I look like some sort of amateur?" he scoffed, pulling out his lighter and igniting a cigar.
"Things are about to get a lot more interesting," he muttered to himself, stepping back from the edge of the building, his mind already racing with plans to assert his dominance and elevate his status in Vale.