Chapter Thirty-One: Matching Pair

"Helix… Can I come in?"

"No. Leave. Don't bother me for a while."

"... I can't…? Really?"

"No…"

"I really can't…?"

"..."

This kind of exchange has been dragging on for half an hour already. Helix, who had just changed his clothes and is now standing on the other side of the door, didn't really know what to do about this sudden persistence. He glared, but he actually didn't know what to say or do.

He still feels sour seeing Seth and Kai together. More so of the fact that Seth talked to Kai without him knowing.

While Seth and Kai had already met a few times in the past, the only reason for those were for the formalities and due to their own social statuses. But Kai lost his memories so he's not the duke of Zein that Seth knew.

Helix already regretted letting Kai go to the capital in the first place. If Helix knew that he would be so powerless inside the capital, he would've rejected the invitation in Kai's stead. Whether it's protecting and keeping Kai from harm or showing off his authority and power through his magic and intimidation, Helix miserably failed.

That darned formation… and that stoic man as well…

Helix disliked everything that happened in the capital.

He clicked his tongue, clenching his fists as he controlled the surging mana inside him. He was about to turn away and go back to his bed and just ignore Kai's voice but the other clearly won't give up.

"Helix… Please let me in…?"

Kai's deep voice that pleaded lowly outside the room reached Helix's ears. And then Helix stopped. He stood still, his back facing the door with his head lowered down. His tightly clenched fists finally loosened up but he heavily sighed as if he was defeated.

He waved his hand and used magic to unlock the door and to open it as well.

Helix grumbled as he turned around, "Who told you to drop the 'Master' anyway? You've got guts to⸻"

"..."

Kai's eyes lit up as he grinningly placed all the shopping bags on the corner of Helix room tidily, somewhere where Helix wouldn't be bothered.

"..."

What's with those shopping bags?

There's more than ten of them?!

"... What the hell are you doing? What are those?" Helix finally spoke, after a while of speechlessness and confusion. His brows scrunched up while intently glaring at the pile of shopping bags.

Kai, who was crouching down as he checked on the contents of the bag if they were right or not, stopped what he was doing and then turned and raised his head to look at Helix.

He then smiled widely, "Gifts."

Helix felt his head hurting.

Helix ended up sitting on his bed, as he inhaled air to cool down his insides. "For?" He managed to say despite the difficulties.

Helix watched as Kai's expression turned into that of slight disappointment for a while. Then Kai blanked out, as if he was thinking. And then he looked even more disappointed. Kai sighed as he sincerely answered, "For you." He then lowered his head. "Helix has done so much for me these past few months. I wanted to show my appreciation but I didn't really know what to give. In the end, I ended up buying all of these so you could choose for yourself."

Gifts, for me?

Helix stared at Kai blankly. "Really." It was not even a question. His tone and voice was so flat.

"Yes, really. All of these are gifts for you."

As if he just heard something so ridiculous and unbelievable, Helix stared at Kai with disbelief for half a day. And then, Helix finally realized that he was acting off. He held back his breath for a moment before he heavily exhaled. He closed his eyes and shook his head, waving his hand as well.

"What's inside them?"

"Well, they're mostly clothes. But there are also accessories… ah, wait, I forgot. There's actually one more, let me get it real quick, okay? You can go check the clothes!"

And Kai rushed back to his room.

"... Damn it…" Helix cursed underneath his breath.

He looked at the door where Kai left for a long time before Helix hesitantly moved his gaze towards the pile of 'gifts'.

On his pale face, there was a tint of pinkness in his cheeks.

-

Among the things inside his luggage, Kai searched for a pair of bracelets. As he did so, Kai recalled the bright golden hair as well as the jade-green eyes which left a deep mark in his mind. The smell of medicine that faintly lingered and the gold coin that she casually handed over.

All those were still very vivid in Kai's mind. He felt that that girl was very strange and at the same time, felt familiar. He really couldn't wrap his head around those small details he had noticed from the brief interactions he had with that girl.

Nevertheless, Kai felt a quite grateful towards her.

He finally pulled out a pair of bracelets.

One was decorated with a green colored glass and the other was with a purple colored glass.

These two bracelets really match. Staring at these two cheap and simple accessories, Kai is a bit embarrassed.

Matching bracelets?

"Aren't we a little bit too old for this?"

Kai hesitantly glared at these pairs of bracelets for a while before he finally laughed lightly. 'This too, it's a gift for him. And for me as well.' Kai sighed helplessly. He then hurriedly went back to Helix's room with the bracelets on his hand.

When he entered the room, Kai immediately saw Helix moving the contents of the shopping bags and neatly arranging them inside his closet, all by using his magic. Also, on his lap was a dark book which showed creases and tears due to its age and uses.

'The… Codex?' Why did Helix suddenly bring out such an item?

Helix halted his magic and calmly looked at Kai. At the same time, he placed a hand on top of the book and in an instant, it disappeared from Kai's sight. He placed it back to his magic space with his spatial magic...

He then spoke up, "I've been staying here for so long but I've always used my old spare robes. I guess this much is fine." He averted his gaze and then he continued arranging the clothes inside the large closet.

Kai smiled brightly. "I made sure that most of those clothes are comfortable to wear!"

Comfort over design, Kai preferred it that way. But that didn't mean that the designs of the clothes he bought were hideous though.

Kai then approached Helix and similarly sat on the bed. "And the other gift that I forgot to bring…" Kai showed his closed right hand. He looked at his hand for a second before raising his head and looking at Helix. "Here it is." He unfolded the slender fingers and slowly revealed the pair of bracelets for Helix to see.

"These actually cost a gold coin, you know?" Kai grinned.

"Oh, but I was not scammed or whatever, alright? Someone decided to pay for it when she saw me holding the purple one. Then she chose the green one and gave these to me for free while paying for these herself. The store owner was really happy, you see. So I really couldn't bring myself to refuse. It's a pair bracelet for us, so⸻"

"Stop, you're explaining too much."

"Right, okay, sorry."

Kai snuck a glance at Helix. And then he chuckled.

Helix stared at these pair of bracelets in Kai's hand intently. His beautiful shade of purple eyes are focused solely on these two bracelets. Even his magic stopped and dropped the clothing that's being transported inside the closet down to the floor.

He got so distracted just by this?

Kai couldn't help but smile. He picked up the green one and said, "So, should we exchange colors or just take the same color we have?" With this question, Helix finally moved his gaze away from the bracelets. His eyes met Kai's own, and then proceeded to stare very deeply.

"I like green."

"... What a coincidence, I like the color purple."

It's not a lie though. Kai really does like purple. Especially the same shade Helix's eyes have.

Maybe that's why Kai loves to look directly at Helix's eyes? And why got a habit of staring at Helix?

Whatever the reason, Kai smiled brighter than ever.

He gently picked up Helix's left hand which was resting on his lap and slid the bracelet to his wrist. Kai then tightened the white string, just tight enough so it won't fall off easily. Now, in Helix's wrists, there's a white string bracelet with a green glass embedded.

Helix stared at his own wrist, speechless and in awe.

Then Kai grabbed the purple one, intending to wear it himself but Helix noticed and he hurriedly spoke up, "Let me do it." Kai looked at Kai with a bit of surprise before he readily handed over the bracelet to Helix's hands. Helix held Kai's right hand and followed what Kai did to tie the bracelet.

Except, he tightened it a little bit too tight.

"Oh, I apologize."

He then loosened it very casually.

"..."

Despite the small mistake and the faint red line around Kai's wrist now, Helix finished tying the bracelet on Kai's wrist.

Helix lowered his other hand that didn't have the bracelet while his left hand neared Kai's right hand. He placed it next to Kai's hand and the bracelets aligned.

Kai was about to speak up, but Helix spoke first.

"Good."

Then followed right after was a light laughter.

"This is nice."