Tucking the hair that obstructs her from getting a good read of her novel, Yuna flip the pages of the book— Reading with relish.
Seriously, things cannot go wrong with action packed novel!
The world she is in is filled with combatants and supernatural ability, so, the description of the fighting scene, the tension and the movement is explained in such an engaging details; Yuna love it very much.
Lost in her bubbling world, a hand crept around her waist, hugging her from behind— A head placed on her shoulder, nuzzling the nape of her shoulder a bit.
Yuna froze a bit before forcing herself to relax sensing that it was Austin.
His nose rubbing her neck taking a few deep breathe.
Austin has acted very intimate with her the moment she turn thirteen years of age making Yuna annoyed and somewhat repulsed. She is not comfortable with skin-ship. Knowing Austin…well…she thought so…Yuna don't think he has any romantic feelings for her, not to mention she is a 'child' and he is an adult at soul!
At most, he must've have treat her as a younger sister. She didn't know how those siblings who have good relationship behave but she doubts it will be this kind of intimacy. She has a sibling, of course, and her interaction with her siblings is constant bickering and laughing at each other demise.
She will grab them, hold them in chokehold under her armpit and rub her sweaty armpit at them and likewise, they do the same. Throwing each other smelly sock, doing 360 spin and what not.
All kind of Kung Fu towards each other is not spared.
Yuna wonder whether Austin intimacy was because of him never having a sibling and thought this was how sibling should act or that she has not really treated him like her siblings in her previous life. After all, she was an adult at soul herself and couldn't bring herself to act brutely towards Austin. If Yuna has not have her adult soul memory, maybe she will act childishly without care with Austin but she does retain her memory and she has become much calmer, more mild and a singled mind organism who like living in her own world now.
At most, she treats Austin as a friend and a far off cousin.
Pushing Austin head away, Yuna grumble as usual "Can you not…stop hugging me" It's unnerving.
Austin just smile; not answering.
Although his smile is gentle and tamed, Yuna know of the strong stubbornness behind that kind of smile. He listen to her, very much so, sometimes to the point of grovelling but when it comes to things he is stubborn about, he will not move an inch even if Yuna were to have hundred mouths persuading him.
Like right now, he move his head a bit but stick his head close again, even tightening the hand that embrace her from behind. Yuna tense slightly, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. Just when the discomfort is going to reach its peak and Yuna about to lash out, Austin as if knowing just the right time to withdraw, he turn his head, nuzzle deeply and his lips slightly grazing lightly at Yuna neck, he pull himself away.
The admonition and anger that is ready to draw line between her and Austin was stuck at her throat, not able to swallow but not able to spit out either when the perpetrator withdraws cleanly.
She has already told him many times, warn him many times but he just smile, stubbornly not willing to give in.
He has always been so perceptive of Yuna emotion and act on it hurriedly to soothe her, concerned about her so deeply making Yuna on the contrary annoyed and pissed off but in a situation like this, he act oblivious, giving her a charming smile, his good looking face innocent.
"My adventure rank has gone up Yuna" He said, seemingly sharing happy things.
Looking up at the face that seems to get more and more beautiful as he grows up, Yuna move her lips a few times but in the end could only sigh and say reluctantly "…..Congratulation"
Austin bends down, his face leveled with Yuna, his striking blue eyes looking intently at Yuna "Can I get a reward? Please?"
Yuna once again push the face that was too close to her liking.
'Social distance please!'
"Don't be childish, don't disturb me, I want to read" Yuna don't want to engage in a further conversation with Austin, she bends down her head and ignore him.
She was in the middle of her relish reading, why would she let herself suffer and engage in a frustrating conversation?
"Umm…."
Yuna does not even wait for his approval, she just flip the book and continue reading. In any case, once they enter academy and live in separate dorms, taking different class, their contact will be much less and Yuna does not believe that he will continue with the annoying skin-ship affection. He is just learning how to treat a sister, he will get better.
Naively thinking, Yuna agitated mood settle down.
Austin does not mind Yuna rudeness, he walks forward and gather Yuna hair in his hand, braiding them.
Being used to letting her unskilled brother in her past life to braid her hair when she forget to tie up and was washing the dishes, Yuna is not so averse with others touching her hair.
Even her classmates like to touch each other hair.
Well, Yuna will not be so relaxed if she saw the expression of Austin braiding her hair.
Devotedly, Austin braids Yuna hair. His eyes dark.
Yuna is not wrong when she thought that Austin will never have romantic feelings for her. Indeed, it is not as simple as romantic feeling. After all, his feeling for Yuna is twisted and dark, something that is far apart from the sweet and pure romance.
He want the relationship between him and Yuna to be more than romantic love, a desperate need for each other, one where one cannot live without the other. If he is gone, Yuna has to follow him and if she is gone, he will follow her, they belong to each other.
He doesn't have such a pure and innocent love for Yuna, he knows it but he does nothing to stop or salvage it. After all, in the first place, he is not a good person.
To be able to survive in the apocalypse, from the bottom, crawling his way to the top, he is not as good and bright as Yuna thought him to be. But he can indulge her and he can put on such façade if that will let Yuna approach him, pity him and gave him attention and concern.
Yuna has the habit of giving focal attention to only one person and bad at dividing her attention.
Her undivided attention is the most tantalizing sensation and Austin simply could not let go…..
He is so lonely for such a long time…the kind of attention he crave, the kind of concern he desire has long been out of ordinary.
"Tomorrow should be the day we are going to through the test to get admitted to the academy, master said that this time it is going to be a combined test, all children will have to pass through a large field infested with monster, you have to protect me well" Yuna as if remembering something said.
The time has finally come for her to make use of the main character fighting prowess, as a weak salted fish, she cannot fight. She is a feeble lady that needs protection.
'I am but very cute, very demure, very mindful, I am a damsel in distress' Yuna shamelessly thought, not even considering her flames that could burn things into ashes.
"Your safety is my highest priority Yuna"
"Eww….You don't have to be so cringy" Such cheesy line, goosebumps pop up Yuna arm.
"What major will you take? Elementalist or Apothecary?"
Without even needing to think twice, Yuna said "Apothecary"
Who knows what kind of strenuous training taking elementalist as a major subject will bring. At least apothecary is more about theory than physical activity.
She wants to learn element ability as a passing, an enjoyable practice and not a strict, forced learning activity.
As for the far future of what she will do after passing out of an academy… that's simple, Yuna dream is to rot away in her bed reading novels.
This time, attending academy is just to fulfill her grandfather dream of sending her to a good academy as well as her own curiosity to know the world a bit better.
Fulfilling those, Yuna is not very keen on travelling the world and exploring many places. She is pleased and content to stations in one place and rot in her bedroom.
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Abyss Fragment:
Choi Min curl up in his worn out bed, hunger incessantly consuming him.
Even a sliver of someone pity...just a bit of their pity.
As if an abadoned unwanted being, as if he don't deserve that bit of pity.....the dirty and wounded Choi Min clamp his stomach tighter not able to even care about the ghastly wound that got inflicted on him from stealing a bread..
Tsk...he didn't even get to eat the bread, being trampled mercilessly. They'd rather crumpled the food than gave it to him.
Sleep through the night, if he sleep, he won't feel such intense hunger...he just need to sleep.
Huhuhuhu...the next chapter should ushur in The prologue of the Academy arc.
I'm nervous but also excited. I hope I can deliver as how I intended
We might also started to meet those Psychos....who knows.... Will it be the one we already meet, or a new one, or both?
The future and it's endless possibilities.