Chapter 10: Promotions and Temptations, A Moment of Truth

Josh, still surprised by Mikita's kiss the night before, stood in the middle of the island, reflecting on the unexpected turn of events.

"She didn't invite me to sleep with her last night," he mused, but the kiss was more than enough to satisfy him for now. Who would've guessed that a battle-crazed girl would be such a good kisser?

The morning was uneventful. He completed his usual shift and now had the rest of the day to focus on self-development while awaiting a new mission.

"So, this is your idea of spending time?" Mikita's voice broke his thoughts as she approached, observing him in his training clothes.

"Mm… I'm working on a new technique, but I need your help," Josh replied, stretching his arms.

Mikita raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how does it work?"

Josh explained his idea: he was attempting to develop Shave, a high-speed movement technique, but he needed a heavy object to train with—something that could push his limits.

Mikita let out a hearty laugh. "Kyahahaha! So, this is your perfect training? And here I thought you were shy!"

Josh scratched his chin awkwardly. "I just need some resistance," he muttered.

With a playful smirk, Mikita teased, "Should I give you my back, or do you prefer me facing forward?"

"Hmm… If you give me your back, I might forget to train," Josh responded with a grin.

"Maybe I should, then." Mikita stepped closer, brushing her finger under his chin, teasing him before sealing his lips with a brief, playful kiss. "But I think I'll keep you on edge."

"I like you," Josh smiled, his heart racing as he fought to maintain composure.

He positioned himself behind her as she increased her weight to a ton. With his head nestled against her chest and his hands on her waist, Josh began kicking the ground, trying to push her forward. Despite his efforts, Mikita didn't budge.

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she felt his face close to her breasts. She removed one of her gloves and gently caressed his cheek. "How cute," she teased, watching him struggle.

Josh focused, knowing that if he let his mind wander, the rising heat between them would make it hard to train. Despite the distraction, after nearly an hour, he managed to kick the ground four times in quick succession, gaining momentum.

Mikita shifted his head slightly, guiding his face upwards. She leaned in and kissed him, their tongues dancing together for a moment.

"Well, you could've just started with this instead of pretending to be so serious," she said with a wink, her fingers tracing his jawline.

Josh stood upright, catching his breath. "I wasn't pretending," he said, still basking in the afterglow of their kiss. "I've made some progress with the technique."

"Oh really?" Mikita's grin widened. "So, if I gave you my back earlier, you would've accomplished something faster?"

Josh chuckled and pointed toward some recruits training nearby. "We're not exactly alone."

Mikita didn't seem to care. She leaned against him, her body pressing firmly into his. Josh could feel her smooth skin, her curves fitting perfectly against him. Her teasing was relentless, but he couldn't deny how much he enjoyed it.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, Josh's lips found the soft skin of her neck, kissing her gently as she let out a soft moan. He could feel her melting into his embrace, her usual tough exterior slipping away.

"Not bad, Joshy," Mikita murmured, using a new nickname that caught Josh off guard.

"I like it," he replied, barely managing to keep his thoughts clear. "Do you have time for more training?"

Mikita pulled back slightly, giving him a mischievous look. "Training, huh? I'm starting to think that's just an excuse."

Josh smiled, though his mind wasn't entirely on the technique anymore. He demonstrated what he had developed, moving in a blur and appearing three meters away in an instant. It wasn't perfect yet—his figure still blurred slightly—but the speed was there.

Mikita's eyes widened in surprise. "You've been working on that? So fast!"

Her expression quickly turned serious. "You're not planning to use it to run away from me, are you?"

Josh laughed. "Why would I?"

"Just teasing." She patted his shoulder. "I'll help you after tomorrow. In the meantime, we should be ready for the promotions." Mikita floated slightly as she adjusted her weight, holding his hand. "Aren't you excited?"

"Mm… For some things, yes," Josh said, feeling a familiar throb from the growing tension between them.

-x-X-x-

The following day, Josh focused entirely on training, not meeting up with Mikita. His natural talent, combined with relentless effort, allowed him to make rapid progress on mastering Shave. Though the technique consumed a lot of stamina, it increased both his strength and agility. Each morning, Josh practiced it, using the movement as a form of workout, strengthening his legs and improving his stamina.

One day, in his zeal to push his limits, Josh overdid it and found himself unable to move the next morning. Thankfully, he had a healing pill, and after taking it, his body recovered quickly, adapting even further to the technique. His stamina and agility improved noticeably.

During this time, promotions were announced. Gem was promoted to take the position of Mr. 10, and Mikita earned a promotion as well. Josh, too, was now classified as a high officer—just one step away from becoming an agent.

As he sat on the island, drinking a bottle of milk, Josh watched a group of recruits running, his eyes lingering on one of them: a blue-haired beauty named Vivi.

"Is there something you like?" Mikita's voice interrupted his thoughts again. She was holding two drinks and sat down beside him.

"Just watching them train," Josh said, taking a sip from his milk.

"Not staring at the girls?" Mikita teased, taking a sip of her own drink.

"Why would I? I've got a cutie right next to me."

"No, I'm the one who has a cutie." Mikita chuckled, her eyes sparkling as they met his.

There was a brief silence, both of them aware that they had been dating for a week now, but still hadn't taken things further.

Mikita finally spoke. "Stop drinking milk," she said, taking the bottle from him and handing him her drink. "Try this—it's lemon-flavored."

Josh hesitated. "Shouldn't we go drink somewhere else?"

"Why don't we head to my room? It's big, and… I might be transferring after this promotion. We should have some fun before then," she said, leaning in suggestively.

Josh downed the rest of his milk in one gulp, setting the bottle aside. "Lead the way," he said with a grin.

Mikita smirked, taking his arm as they walked off together, her intentions clear.