32 - First come, First served (0.65k words)

3rd person POVNivi was wrestling with guilt for not trying harder to fix things with Yaya.Even when Yaya's gifts felt like second-hand items she didn't want anymore (Yaya said it herself), Nivi cherished them, happy for any token of affection. But whenever it seemed they were growing closer, due to what Nivi thought was Yaya's warmth, she realized it was all because she had reached out first.When Nivi stopped initiating contact, Yaya made no attempts to reach out or bridge the gap between them. This realization stung, showing the painful truth that Yaya didn't really need her.Now, with a family to protect, Nivi's priorities had shifted. With Rosa out of the picture, she needed to find a way to protect Winston from Qin and the Ape King as well. After all, it was not the scar that destroyed Winston's future prospects but a butt-hurt Ape King and the prejudice born from the over-exaggerated rumors."You keep looking at him," Winston glanced at Curtis. "Did he do something to you? If you tell me, I can─"Nivi's eyes widened in alarm, "No! Not at all," she exclaimed, "It's not like that. I was looking at my fr...my female friend."Winston looked more closely behind Curtis. He would have never noticed the cloaked female if Nivi had not mentioned her. Unlike Nivi, her friend had no presence at all, and her smell was very subtle, like the fresh air in the forest, almost undetectable."Her name is Yaya," Nivi said. She had asked for laughs at what Yaya would do if she fell in love with Winston at first sight."There's a better chance of a brick wall making my heart skip a beat than the possibility of me falling in love at first sight. How am I supposed to find the Ape King's clown attractive?" Winston often faced humiliation after returning from deadly missions that the Ape King hoped would be his last. The Ape King even tried to kill Winston after the bonfire banquet. (Winston was poisoned and was saved by Bai when Shuu and his wolves were chasing him down.)Nivi had never considered it like that before, but now that she realized Winston was in danger, she felt great pressure on her shoulders. She only saw Winston as a wronged tiger with an ugly scar, which no female wanted. But now that she looked into it more closely, Winston knew that it was the Ape King's doing and would have continued being his clown if he hadn't met Bai. Yaya's view of Winston improved once he ascended the Tiger King's throne, a change that Bai's and Curtis's deeds spurred. Once the Flames City discovers Winston has bounded with a female and is comfortably by her side, they'll surely react accordingly.Nivi shook her head. If not for Yaya, she would probably have only thought about being lovey-dovey with Winston without looking at the greater picture.What approach should Nivi take? Should she keep Winston by her side out of danger or send him out to continue his duties? Would the current Curtis also kill the previous king for Winston to take over the throne? She didn't know.She took a deep breath before smiling at Winston, "If my friend had been there, would you have felt the same toward her? I'm sure you would have probably seen her as the most beautiful female in the world, too.""Looks aren't everything. To me, what's inside counts so much more. Not only are you the most beautiful female I have ever met, but you are also the most compassionate and well-spoken one," Winston replied in a firm voice. It was true: Nivi was the most perfect female in his eyes. He loved every aspect of her. Her scent was divine, and her touch was sweet.Curtis and Muir had similar views to Winston regarding females, yet they still ended up falling for someone like Yaya.Nivi looked into Winston's eyes, hoping to convey her thoughts without saying the word 'love' out loud. It didn't feel right to say that yet, even if it was a feeling so powerful, the only words coming out of her mouth were, "I'm glad to have met you first."