The night felt like a fever dream.
Zura lay there, tangled between velvet sheets and Vanessa's bare thighs, his mind spiraling. His lips were still numb from all the kissing, and his hips felt like he'd done a thousand squats with a demon on his back.
His thoughts got cut off when he felt something soft press against his chest. Vanessa murmured sleepily and wrapped her arms tighter around him, dragging his face into her cleavage like a sleepy octopus.
"…Damn," he whispered under her breath. "This is beyond any isekai bullshit I've ever read."
He was about to drift off again when—
BANG BANG BANG!
A fist hammered on the door.
"Vanessa! Oi, Vanessa! Wake the hell up! Yami's calling for you!"
It was Magna.
Zura's eyes flew open.
"Oh shit," he muttered, panic kicking in. He jolted up—only to freeze as he realized he was completely naked. He turned his head, saw Vanessa's messy hair, flushed cheeks, and the way her legs were still tangled with his.
He sat up quickly, the blanket falling off his chest. 'Oh, shit.'
His eyes darted to the door. And the door was just a few steps away from being opened and his ass being publicly crucified.
"…Goddamn," he whispered. "That was close."
The knocking continued. "Oi! You alive or what?!"
Zura held in a groan and gently shook Vanessa. "Hey. Vanessa. Wake up."
She stirred, opened her eyes groggily, then smiled sleepily. "Mmm~ Morning Already?" she whispered, voice still raspy from sleep. "Another round?"
"I wish," Zura whispered, "but Magna's outside and yelling."
"…Mmm? Let him wait," she murmured, pulling him closer and kissing his neck. "I'm not done with you yet…"
Zura flushed, but the knock came again, louder.
"VENESSAAAA!"
She blinked, suddenly snapping to full awareness. "Shit."
"Yami wants you. Like right now," Magna called.
Vanessa sat up, brushing her hair back. "Y-Yeah! I'll be there in a minute!"
"Have you seen Zura anywhere? That guy wasn't in his room."
Vanessa glanced at Zura, then replied without a hint of guilt, "Nope. Just woke up. No idea."
"...Huh. Alright."
Footsteps receded.
Both of them let out a long, slow sigh.
Zura collapsed back onto the bed. "Holy hell."
"You better sneak out quietly," she whispered. "Give me five minutes and I'll head out first."
Vanessa got dressed and slipped out of the room like nothing happened.
Zura waited a while, listening closely. No more voices. No more footsteps.
Then he grabbed his clothes, got dressed in a rush, and tiptoed to the balcony.
"…No one's outside… perfect."
With one last glance around, he jumped off the balcony, used a quick wind spell to slow his descent, and casually strolled toward the front entrance.
He swung open the door like he was just coming back from a casual walk.
"Yo."
Magna glanced over. "Where the hell were you?"
"Went for a jog," Zura said coolly, stretching his arms. "Couldn't sleep well. Wanted to get some air."
"…Weird guy," Magna muttered.
Inside the dining hall, everyone was already starting on breakfast.
Zura grabbed a plate and sat down, acting as if he wasn't sore as hell.
Across from him, Charmy was shoveling down pancakes at breakneck speed. Luck and Magna were arguing again. Vanessa gave him a sly wink from the far end.
The dining hall buzzed with chatter. Plates clinked, forks scraped, and food vanished faster than anyone could cook it.
Zura sat at the far end of the table, nursing a cup of tea, trying to act normal.
Not that it was easy.
He watched Venessa across the table, chatting casually with Charmy and Grey like nothing had happened.
She looked calm. Casual. Like she hadn't spent the whole night—
'Bruh.'
He tried not to choke on his tea.
'First Lily. Now Venessa. Two waifus I used to simp over while reading the manga, and now…'
He glanced down at his lap.
'My dick's living the dream while my brain's still buffering.'
He tried to breathe.
'They were drawings. Anime characters. 2D waifus. And now they're real. Real body, real warmth, real everything.'
Another sip of tea.
'If I could get with them… does that mean… could I…?'
His eyes slowly moved across the room.
'Noelle. Mereoleona. Dorothy. Secre. Charlotte. Damn, even Sister Theresa if I play my cards right. Wait, no. That's too far. I think.'
The mental image started forming.
And with it… a problem.
'Damn it. Boner.'
He leaned forward, trying to hide the obvious, and stuffed more toast into his mouth.
"Oi, Zura," Luck called, sliding into the seat next to him. "Wanna spar later?"
"Uh, sure," Zura muttered, eyes still stuck somewhere between shock and horny ambition.
Venessa grinned from across the table. "Heh, you better go easy on him, Luck. He's still new!"
"Don't go easy on me," Zura said, a bit too fast. "I need the training."
Magna thumped a fist on the table. "That's the spirit! Get tough or get out!"
"Right," Zura muttered, sipping his tea again. "Totally normal breakfast. Not thinking about anything."
By the time the food cleared and the table was a mess of empty dishes, Yami stood up, scratching his stubbled jaw.
"Alright. I'm heading out."
Zura looked up. "Going somewhere?"
Yami looked at him. "Yeah. All of us are. Big mission. The rest of the squad's tagging along."
Zura blinked. "What about me?"
"You're staying."
"…Huh?"
"You're a rookie, dumbass," Yami said, lighting a cigarette. "You're not ready. Watch the base till we get back. You mess anything up, you'll be scrubbing goat shit off the walls for a week."
Zura opened his mouth. "But—"
"No buts. Train. Get stronger. Prove you're worth dragging into a real mission."
And with that, Yami turned and walked out.
Zura just sat there, staring at his now-empty cup.
By noon, the main hall was full. Everyone was geared up, bags slung over shoulders, chatter and laughter echoing off the stone walls.
Charmy slapped Zura on the back. "Take care of the place, Zura! We'll be back soon!"
Magna gave him a thumbs-up. "Don't burn the base down!"
Luck grinned. "Next time we spar, I'll go all out!"
Venessa walked by with a wink. "Rest up, rookie."
"Y-Yeah," Zura said, trying to hide the small smile tugging at his lips.
Then Noelle walked up.
Her arms were crossed, and her expression was the usual mix of pride and irritation.
"Don't slack off," she said. "This base might be chaotic, but it's still our home. Keep it clean."
Zura nodded. "Yeah, I will."
She stared at him a second longer. "…and don't get any weird ideas while you're alone."
"Why would I—? I'm not that kinda—"
"You totally are," she muttered, turning to leave.
He blinked.
'Was that a smirk just now?'
"See you soon, Noelle," he called.
She paused near the doorway and glanced back. "Try not to miss me too much."
Then she walked off.
The doors closed behind them one by one. Their voices faded down the hill path.
And just like that… the base was quiet.
Zura was alone.
Except for the thoughts still echoing in his head.
'Noelle smirked.' He scratched the back of his head. 'Why was she acting like that? Wait… could it be that she knows what I did last night…?'
***
A/N- What do you guys think?
PS- I have been suffering from sleep deprivation, or you may even call it insomnia. Like I feel tired and sleepy, my eyes feel heavy and my brain feels like it's been r*ped. But when I try to sleep, the sleepiness goes away although everything else remains the same. I will mass release 3 chapters in a few days, so look forward to it.