Even though Ashan was still reeling from what he had witnessed through his enhanced vision, he forced himself to steady his breathing.
Inhale.
Exhale.
His heartbeat, which had been racing embarrassingly fast, gradually slowed beneath sheer willpower. The image of Nevil and Elara tangled together refused to leave his mind, replaying at the worst possible moment.
'That damn guy really went all out and scrambled my brain too,' he thought bitterly, pressing a hand briefly against his forehead.
'I just hope they stop kissing,' he muttered inwardly. 'If they go any further… I seriously don't want to imagine what I'll end up seeing by accident.'
Across from him, Narasha had been watching every flicker of his expression.
She stepped forward slowly, deliberately, like a predator testing the reactions of something cornered. Her sharp eyes scanned his flushed cheeks, the faint tension in his jaw, the stiffness in his shoulders.
"You're hiding something from me, aren't you?" she asked softly.
Her tone wasn't loud, but it carried a teasing suspicion.
"This is the first time I've seen your face turn this red since the day we met in my palace."
Before he could prepare an answer, her fingers darted forward and pinched lightly at the side of his stomach.
It wasn't painful.
It was playful.
Her lips curved into a slow, mischievous smile.
"So tell me," she continued, tilting her head slightly, "what exactly has the so-called strongest man blushing like this?"
Ashan instinctively stepped back.
"Ehh… what's with you all of a sudden?" he stammered, hands lifting defensively.
"And blushing? You're misunderstanding this completely. I'm just… tired. Yeah. Exhausted from training."
The excuse sounded hollow even to his own ears.
Narasha didn't buy it for even a second.
Instead of retreating, she closed the distance again until they were nearly chest to chest. He could feel the warmth radiating from her breasts, the subtle scent of her hair, the steady rhythm of her breathing.
Her fingers slid up his back in slow, deliberate circles.
A shiver betrayed him.
"You know," she murmured, leaning close so her lips hovered near his ear, "when I passed by your friend's room earlier… I sensed something strange."
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Two presences inside."
She paused meaningfully.
"And the second one was definitely female."
Ashan swallowed.
"And those sounds…" she added softly, "they weren't exactly innocent, were they?"
For a moment, words abandoned him completely.
"W-What? Really?" he managed, attempting a tone of mild confusion.
"I thought it was something else. I had no idea there was a woman in there."
Narasha's eyes narrowed playfully.
She took another slow step forward, gently but firmly pressing against him until the backs of his knees met the edge of her bed.
He lost balance and sat.
Before he could recover, she stepped between his legs.
She remained standing while he sat, bracing her hands on either side of his shoulders. Her face hovered inches from his. Her warm breath brushed against his lips and cheeks.
"How sweet," she whispered, voice soft and dangerously amused. "Trying to act innocent."
Her gaze locked onto his.
"Did you really think I wouldn't figure it out?"
Ashan blinked. "Figure out what?"
"You were looking," she said calmly. "Weren't you?"
He forced a laugh that sounded painfully strained.
"Looking? At what? The door was closed. How would that even be possible?"
Narasha's smile deepened. "I'm not foolish, Ashan."
Her eyes flicked toward his.
"When your eyes change… when they turn that eerie white… you can see through things."
She tilted her head.
"At first, I thought I imagined it."
Her voice softened slightly. "But now I'm certain."
The embarrassment returned in full force. Heat rushed to his face again.
'She's far too sharp,' he groaned inwardly. 'She analyzed that much already?'
Lying further would only make it worse.
He let out a long, defeated sigh and nodded once.
"Yeah... you're right," he admitted quietly. "When my eyes turn white like that, I can see through solid objects and even living bodies. It gives me telescopic range, near-360-degree vision... everything."
Narasha's eyes widened slightly in genuine surprise.
"You have an ability like that?" she breathed. "I'm actually envious. That means no surprise attacks can ever catch you off guard."
"Technically, yes," he replied with a small shrug. "No one can come at me blindly."
Then her expression shifted again.
The fascination faded.
The teasing returned.
"So," she said lightly, "you used that ability to look inside his room."
"It wasn't like that!" Ashan protested quickly. "I wasn't spying."
Her eyebrow lifted.
"I was just… verifying. As his friend. Making sure he wasn't doing anything reckless or dangerous."
She leaned closer. "Isn't watching out of curiosity still spying?"
He opened his mouth, closed it.
She wasn't wrong.
Then her tone changed again, softer but edged with mischief.
"And now that I think about it…"
Her fingers lightly traced along his collar.
"You could technically look through anyone's clothes whenever you want."
Ashan stiffened. She tilted her head.
"Have you ever used it on me?"
The question hit like lightning. His face flared red instantly.
"No!" he said too quickly. "I would never do that."
His voice cracked slightly.
"I swear. I'm not that kind of person."
Narasha studied him carefully. His expression wasn't defensive in arrogance.
It was genuinely flustered.
She felt an odd warmth in her chest at that. Still, she decided not to let him off so easily.
She grabbed his wrists and pressed them gently against the mattress on either side of his head, not forcefully, but enough to trap him in place.
"Do you have any proof?" she asked sweetly.
Her face hovered closer.
"I've heard stories," she continued dramatically, "about people who secretly watch others and pretend they're innocent."
She paused for effect.
"To think the mighty Ashan might be one of them…"
She gasped theatrically.
"Oh! I remember the word."
She leaned in until her lips nearly brushed his ear.
"Pervert."
She pulled back just enough to meet his eyes.
"You're a pervert. How disgusting."
For a moment, frustration flickered across Ashan's face. Then, slowly, it melted away. A dangerous, mocking smile curved his lips instead.
'Oh, I see what's happening,' he realized. 'She's teasing me on purpose. But calling me a pervert? That actually stings my pride a little. How dare she?'
'Time to turn the tables.'
He reached up slowly and cupped her cheek with surprising gentleness. His eyes darkened, unreadable, but that smirk never left his face.
Narasha froze, sensing the shift in the air. Something was about to change.
"Narasha," he said quietly, voice low and smooth, "I've never once spied on women just to see them naked. In fact, before you, I never even got the chance to properly touch one."
"You were the one who took my virginity, remember? That night you knelt in front of me, took me into your mouth, and sucked me completely dry... Aren't you the real pervert here?""
Narasha's confident expression cracked. Her cheeks exploded with color, eyes widening in shock.
"W-What are you saying?!" she sputtered. "You started everything that night! Why are you blaming me now? This is ridiculous!"
Ashan slid his hands to her lower back, pulling her closer in one smooth motion.
"Ridiculous?" he echoed, amused. "You're the one throwing around accusations with zero proof. Fine.. let's say we're both perverts. Sounds like a perfect match to me."
Narasha's brain short-circuited. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Before she could recover, Ashan asked in a dangerously soft voice,
"So tell me... what do you think a perverted couple would do alone in a room like this, especially when they're not supposed to?"
Her eyes went wide.
"What are you.."
In one fluid motion, he flipped their positions. His arms wrapped tightly around her from behind as he pulled her down with him onto the bed. He landed on his back, dragging her on top so her back pressed against his chest. One strong hand hooked under her knee, lifting and spreading her leg so her lower body straddled his hips.
He buried his face against the side of her neck, inhaling her scent deeply.
Narasha gasped, body tensing in surprise.
"What in the world are you doing?! Let me go right now!"
Ashan only tightened his hold, rubbing his cheek against the sensitive skin of her throat like a contented cat.
"You called me a pervert," he murmured, lips brushing her pulse point. "So I'm just acting the part."
He pressed a slow, open-mouthed kiss to the side of her neck, then whispered hotly against her skin,
"Narasha... you have no idea how much you drive me insane. That night in your palace? The way you climbed on top of me, hips rolling, body arching like you couldn't get enough... you were absolutely insatiable. Riding me so hard, moaning my name over and over. You owned me that night, and now you're acting all innocent?"
Narasha's entire body stiffened. Heat flooded her face as vivid memories crashed over her.
She squirmed, half-heartedly trying to push his arms away, but her strength faltered almost immediately.
"S-Shut up!" she hissed, voice trembling. "That was... that was different! You forced the situation! You made me.."
Ashan let out a low, rumbling chuckle that vibrated against her skin. One hand slid down her side, fingers tracing the dip of her waist through the thin fabric of her academy uniform. He pressed another slow kiss to her collarbone, lingering there as his lips curved into a smile.
"Forced you?" he teased. "Or did I just unlock something you'd been hiding? You were dripping for me. So eager, so responsive to every single touch. Just like this..."
His fingers drifted lower, skimming lightly along the inside of her thigh. He deliberately avoided her center, instead teasing the sensitive skin nearby; circling, brushing, building unbearable anticipation.
Narasha sucked in a sharp breath. Her hands flew to his shoulders, nails digging in as a tremor ran through her.
"Hey... stop..." she whispered, but the protest sounded weak even to her own ears. "This is crazy. We're in the academy... someone could hear us..."
Her voice cracked, betraying the growing heat pooling low in her belly. She twisted slightly, trying to escape, but his arms remained firm, gentle, yet unyielding, keeping her locked against him.
"Crazy?" Ashan echoed, amusement thick in his tone. "You called me a pervert first, remember?"
His other hand slipped beneath the hem of her uniform top. Calloused fingertips grazed the soft, warm skin of her stomach, tracing lazy circles around her navel before slowly drifting upward.
He brushed the underside of her breast, then higher still, thumb grazing the hardened peak through the thin fabric of her bra.
"But look at you now," he murmured, voice husky. "Your breathing is ragged. Your body keeps arching into my touch. You're enjoying every second of this, aren't you?"
"Just admit it.. you love when I touch you. When I make you feel desired. Needed."
Narasha bit down hard on her lower lip, trying to stifle the soft whimper that escaped anyway. Pleasure sparked everywhere his fingers roamed.
Her resistance melted further with each passing second; her hips shifted involuntarily, pressing back against him. Her skin felt fever-hot, flushed from neck to chest.
"I... I don't..." she tried again, but the words dissolved into a shaky exhale as his thumb finally circled her nipple more directly.
The electric jolt made her back bow, pushing her chest harder into his hand. She was helpless against the rising tide of desire he so expertly stoked.
Even though he'd started this as playful revenge for her teasing, Ashan could feel his own control slipping. The feel of her trembling against him, the little sounds she couldn't hold back, the way her body responded so perfectly,
It was igniting him just as fiercely.
He nuzzled deeper into her neck, pressing a final, lingering kiss there before lifting his head just enough to meet her dazed, half-lidded gaze.
"So tell me, Narasha," he whispered, voice rough with want. "Will you ever tease me again... and call me a pervert?"