"What? You're saying you want to confess to Levy too?"
Same scene, same request—just a different guy. This time, it was Droy, who Kira dubbed "Plant Lick… Chubby Guy," standing in his shop with the exact same plea as Jett's from yesterday: help him confess to Levy.
Kira sighed, exasperated. "Seriously, what's with you two? All you do is orbit around Levy like a couple of lovesick puppies!"
"I heard all about yesterday at the library," Droy grumbled, clearly miffed. "That jerk Jett went behind my back and took Levy on a date! That's low, even for him!"
He clasped his hands together, practically begging. "Kira, you know I've known Levy forever. We grew up together—childhood friends, you could say. I've liked her for ages!"
Oh, here we go again… Kira thought, rolling his eyes.
"Anyone with eyes can see Levy made that excuse about meeting Lucy because she's not into Jett," Droy continued, brimming with confidence. "So now's my chance!"
Where's this guy getting his confidence from? Kira wondered. Didn't anyone tell him Levy's not into him either?
"So, uh… what's your plan?" Kira asked, curious despite himself.
"No clue! That's why I'm here. Don't you know everything about Levy?" Droy said eagerly.
Kira nearly choked. "Whoa, hold up! I meant I know her tastes like the back of my hand. Levy's only 17, man—don't make it sound weird!"
"Whatever, just please help me out! I'll owe you big time!" Droy pleaded.
Kira coughed, regaining his composure. "Look, Jett already proved the whole 'date' thing doesn't work. My advice? Go straight for it—give her a gift and confess!"
Droy blinked, confused. "A gift? Like what?"
"Duh, flowers! Girls love that stuff!" Kira said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Flowers?" Droy mused, then grinned. "You mean plants? That's my magic specialty!"
Kira had a sinking feeling Droy's idea of "plants" wasn't quite the same as his idea of "flowers," but he shrugged it off. Whatever, close enough.
"No, dummy! If it's a gift, it's gotta be special. Sure, you could use magic to grow some flowers or buy them from a shop, but nothing says 'sincere' like something you've grown yourself!"
Droy frowned. "But growing them now would take too long!"
Kira rummaged through his shop and pulled out a bag of fertilizer. "This stuff makes plants grow crazy fast. Sprinkle it on, and your flowers will bloom in just one day!"
He held up the bag proudly. "Flowers grown with this are way lusher and livelier than anything from a florist. Best part? No one can tell it's magic. You can totally say you spent ages preparing it!"
Droy hesitated. "But… isn't that kind of like lying?"
Kira started to put the bag away. "Fine, if you don't want it—"
"No, no, I want it!" Droy practically lunged for it.
In the end, Droy happily bought the fertilizer and rushed off to get some plant seeds. After he left, Kira suddenly remembered something. "Wait… did I forget to tell him the dosage instructions? Eh, it's probably written on the bag. He'll figure it out."
The next day, Kira arrived at the guild to a wild rumor: some rogue plant had sprouted out of nowhere the previous night, punching through several floors of the girls' dorm. The landlord was furious. When they traced the source, Levy, to everyone's shock, stepped forward, took the blame, and paid for the damages. She hadn't left her room since.
---
At Hope's Hut, it was another day of Kira tackling love troubles.
"So, let me get this straight," Kira said, looking at a shy Levy sitting across from him. "Jett and Droy have been harassing you lately, is that it?"
He sighed, feeling a headache coming on. Why do you all keep dumping this stuff on me? Why not ask Loke, the guild's resident love expert, or Erza, the discipline queen? I get the guys coming to me, but you, Levy? Why me?
If you didn't want to talk to Erza, who's clueless about romance, you've got Mirajane, the ultimate confidante, or your bestie Lucy! Do I look like I'm swimming in relationship experience? Just because I'm handsome doesn't mean I'm a love guru!
"If I told Mira-san, the whole guild would know by lunchtime," Levy mumbled, nervously twirling her fingers.
Kira nodded. "Fair point." Mirajane was Fairy Tail's biggest shipper, always stirring the pot with gossip about Natsu and Lucy, Gray and Lucy, Gray and Erza, Gray and Cana, Natsu and Lisanna… She was probably the one who gave Natsu the key to Lucy's place.
After hearing Levy's woes, Kira felt a twinge of guilt. Both Jett and Droy's recent fumbles had his fingerprints all over them.
"Look, Levy, you think I'm some secret-keeping saint?" he said, half-joking. "I'm just as bad with gossip as Mira!"
"Jett and Droy are my childhood friends," Levy said earnestly. "I don't want them fighting over this. You're so smart, Kira—I know you can help fix this!"
"Why not just tell them you're not interested?" Kira suggested.
Levy's head drooped, her face flushing. "But…" she started, her eyes glistening with tears as she shouted, "They keep dropping hints, but neither of them has actually confessed! How am I supposed to reject them if they don't even say it outright?"
Kira nearly spit out his tea, spraying the table. All that effort—bentos, flowers, secret dates, fighting over her—and these idiots haven't even confessed?
"Alright, I've got you," Kira said, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. "Take this." He handed her a small bottle.
"Perfume?" Levy asked, puzzled. "I don't really use perfume. What's this for?"
"This isn't just any perfume," Kira said with a grin. "It's truth perfume. One whiff, and anyone near you will spill their true feelings. Get Jett and Droy together, let them smell it, and they'll confess on the spot. Then you can reject them clean and move on."
Levy blinked, skeptical. "That's your plan? But what if rejecting them breaks up Team Shadow Gear? I don't want to ruin our friendship!"
At the heart of it, Levy's real worry was losing the bond she shared with her childhood teammates.
"Don't worry," Kira reassured her. "Those two aren't the type to let a little heartbreak stop them. If you treat them both the same, you'll keep things balanced, and the three of you can stay friends like always."
He paused, wondering if this advice sounded a bit manipulative. Nah, it's fine. It's a clear rejection, not playing games!
---
When Jett and Droy showed up at his shop again, looking for more confession tips, Kira had had enough. "Be men about it! If you like a girl, just tell her! No more schemes!"
Defeated, the two went straight to Levy.
Under the influence of the truth perfume, they both went for it.
"Levy, I like you! Please go out with me!" Jett blurted.
"…No!" Levy replied.
Two seconds flat—Fairy Tail's fastest rejection record.
"Levy, I like you! Please go out with me!" Droy tried.
"No!"
One second—a new record.
When the heartbroken duo dragged themselves back to Kira for comfort, he kept it simple. "So what if she rejected you? Liking Levy is your choice. You can still care about her, stay by her side, and be there until she figures things out."
Surprisingly, his words hit home. After a day of moping, Jett and Droy not only bounced back but grew closer as friends.
A few days later, Team Shadow Gear was back to their usual selves, as if nothing had happened.