After that immediate refusal from Eva, we begin walking toward Luna's apartment.
I was somewhat expecting Eva to say no, but part of me was hoping she'd at least consider it before crushing my dreams. Then again, I guess efficiency is a virtue? Why waste time deliberating when you can just immediately shut someone down?
"So..." I start, glancing back at Eva. "Is there like, a specific reason, or...?"
Eva's walking with that same measured pace, her eyes constantly scanning our surroundings like she's expecting assassins to rappel down from the buildings at any moment. "I'm busy," she says flatly. "Guarding Luna is a full-time job… And I don't want to."
Damn. That's about as blunt as it gets.
I shrug. "Yeah, fair enough."
She blinks once, and I swear I see the tiniest flicker of surprise cross her face. Clearly she wasn't anticipating that I'd accept her refusal so easily. We continue moving, the conversation pausing while I enjoy the minor victory of catching Eva off guard.
After a moment, I decide to push my luck.
"You're not even a little curious?" I ask.
Silence. More scanning of the perimeter. I'm about to give up when she finally responds.
"About what?"
"Why I asked. Why I gave up so easy."
More silence. Then: "Fine. Why?"
I look at her for a while, considering what I should say. Finally, I decide to be cheeky.
"Hmm." I tap my chin thoughtfully. "Nah, I don't think I'll tell you. You don't seem that interested."
I keep staring at her, waiting for a crack in that icy exterior.
Eventually, when she processes what I've said, I see one of her eyes twitch.
I knew it, Eva is hilarious to mess with. She's like a video game character with one animation for "neutral" and you have to work really hard to trigger the "annoyed" animation.
Luna giggles from beside me, the sound soft and sweet. "You're... really mean... Adam..."
After a short walk, we make it to Luna's building.
"You told your dad I was coming, right?" I ask Luna as we approach the entrance.
"Mhmm." Luna nods, her purple hair swaying with the movement. "He said... he's looking forward… to seeing you again..."
We walk in together, past the giant doorman who looks like he was genetically engineered in a lab specifically to intimidate people. I give him a polite nod. He gives me a professional nod back.
The elevator ride up to the penthouse is as smooth and quiet as always. I use the time to mentally prepare myself for what I'm about to do. Going over Eva's head straight to her boss is definitely a dick move. She's probably going to hate me for this.
But hey, desperate times call for mildly unethical measures.
The elevator doors open directly into the penthouse suite, and I see Mr. Inoue waiting for us. He's smiling warmly, his arms open in a welcoming gesture. Daichi stands next to him, looking relaxed as always, that slight smile on his face.
"Hey, Mr. Inoue," I say, stepping forward.
Mr. Inoue speaks in Japanese, and Daichi translates with an amused glint in his eye. "Welcome, Adam. It's been a while. What brings you here today?"
I feel a bit embarrassed about this, but I might as well be straightforward. "I actually need to ask for a favor."
Daichi raises his eyebrows and translates. Mr. Inoue's expression shifts to one of interest, and he responds.
"If it's within my power, I'll be happy to help," Daichi relays. "What do you need?"
Well, here goes nothing.
"I want Eva to teach me how to fight."
Daichi actually grins at this before translating. When Mr. Inoue hears my request, he lets out an amused huff of laughter. He says something that sounds contemplative, then looks at me with raised eyebrows.
"That's an unusual request," Daichi translates, still grinning. "Could I ask why?"
I try to be as honest as possible without mentioning the whole "preparing for eldritch apocalypse" angle. "I just... I want to be able to protect the people I care about. And I've seen Eva fight before. She's incredible. I figured if I'm going to learn, I should learn from the best."
Daichi translates, and Mr. Inoue's expression softens. He nods thoughtfully and speaks at length.
"That's a good reason. A man should know how to defend himself and the people he loves." Daichi relays, and I can hear the amusement in his voice. "Also, when you marry Luna, you'll need to know how to protect her."
My face immediately goes red. "That's not—I mean—"
"Dad!" Luna's voice is mortified.
Mr. Inoue chuckles, clearly enjoying our embarrassment. He says something else, waving his hand dismissively.
"I'm joking," Daichi translates. "But I do think it's good for a young man to learn discipline through training."
Mr. Inoue pauses, then turns to look at Eva and speaks in Japanese, his tone shifting to something more authoritative.
I turn to look at Eva.
She bows deeply to Mr. Inoue and responds in Japanese, her voice perfectly professional. Then she looks at me.
Oh no.
I can tell she's pissed. I mean, she looks practically unchanged from before, her face is still adopting that same carefully neutral expression she always wears. But her eyebrows have the tiniest slant to them that wasn't there before.
Which basically means that in Eva-speak, she's ready to rip my head off.
Oops.
Mr. Inoue chuckles and says something else. Daichi's grin widens as he translates: "I hope you're ready."
"I'm ready whenever," I say, trying to project confidence. "We could even start now if that works?"
Honestly, training doesn't go too bad.
After I said I'd be ready to start training immediately, I text the family group chat to let them know I'd be home late. Then we get into the training in earnest.
I feel a bit embarrassed, though. It feels like I've become the evening's entertainment at Luna's apartment.
Luna has brought down her laptop and is typing away at it at the dining table while watching me. Even Mr. Inoue and Daichi have settled on the couch, watching with clear interest.
"Jog," Eva says simply.
I start jogging around the penthouse. The place is big enough that "laps" is actually reasonable. Around the living room, past the windows, through the dining area where Luna's working, back around.
After a few minutes, she signals for me to stop.
"Come here."
I walk over.
"Make a fist."
I make a fist. She immediately reaches out and corrects it, moving my thumb.
"Thumb goes outside. Not inside. Inside breaks your thumb."
Well, that's good to know.
"Both hands stay up. Always. Protect your head." She demonstrates, raising her hands. "Feet shoulder-width apart."
I adjust my stance.
"Right foot back. More. There. That's your fighting stance."
I look down at myself. Damn. I feel like a professional.
"To jab: extend from your elbow. Fast. Like this." She demonstrates, her movement sharp and precise. "Try."
I throw a jab. It feels stiff and slow, like I'm punching through molasses.
"You're too tense." Eva's voice is completely flat. "Relax. Only tense when you make contact."
For the next hour, she drills me relentlessly. How to move. How to strike. The basic one-two combination: left jab, right straight. Over and over.
"Left, right. Again. Faster. No, keep your hands up. Again. Move left. Punch. Move right. Punch."
Her instructions are clipped, efficient, barely more than a few words at a time. But they're clear.
I realize midway through that endurance is integral to fighting. After just a few minutes of this repetitive drilling, I'm completely gassed.
She gives me a thirty second break. Then, her voice cuts through my desperate gasping: "Again."
Move left, one-two. Move right, one-two. Keep your hands up, Adam. Don't drop your guard.
By the end of the session, even my enhanced, optimized body is feeling sore.
"We're done for the day," Eva finally says. She looks at me for a long moment, and I brace myself for criticism. "You have good endurance."
I'm so surprised by the compliment that I almost fall over.
"Same time tomorrow," she adds, which sounds less like a suggestion and more like a court summons.
I nod, too tired to form actual words.
From the couch, Daichi calls out: "You did well for your first day, Adam."
Mr. Inoue says something and smiles at me.
"You have guts," Daichi translates.
Luna appears beside me, offering me a bottle of water. "You... worked really hard..." she says softly.
I take the water gratefully. "Thanks. And thanks for everything, Mr. Inoue. I really appreciate it."
Daichi translates, and Mr. Inoue waves his hand dismissively, still smiling.
I finally make it home, stumbling through the front door.
"Welcome home!" my sisters chorus from the living room. They're relaxing on the couch together, and I've never been more jealous of anyone in my entire life.
"Hey," I manage, my voice hoarse. My body has mostly recovered from the immediate exhaustion thanks to my upgrades, but my mind is still completely fried.
I trudge over to the couch and collapse onto the first available lap I find. It's Bianca this time.
"Ugh, you smell like shit, dork," she tells me, though she's already running her hand through my hair.
Her thighs are so soft. I rest my face down, breathing in her signature cherry scent.
"Oh my god! Adam!" Selene practically squeals. "We got you something!"
I turn my head just enough to look at her. "Hm?"
"We bought you cake!" She's practically bouncing in her seat. "You looked so sad today, and we were like, we need to cheer you up! So we got cheese cake! Your favorite!"
I love my sisters so damn much.