"It's through sex."
Mira's face became red from anger and humiliation, her purple eyes flashing with a mix of shock and fury.
Her hands clenched into fists on the table, knuckles turning white as she leaned forward, voice trembling.
"Are you serious, Damien? That's no better than selling my body without love or any relationship!
How can I have sex with a guy I've only seen in classes, who stays quiet all the time with girls fawning around? No, I don't need your buff or whatever it is!"
Damien thought: I knew it this would happen. His face was still red from awkwardness, a rare crack in his usual calm facade.
He shifted uncomfortably on the couch, avoiding her gaze for a moment before speaking.
"Okay. I will break the bond then. I still have 7 days until the exams, so I can find someone else."
System
Would you like to break the bond?
He said yes break the bond.
The pink aura that had entered her body slowly emerged, like mist uncoiling from her skin, glowing softly before drifting back and settling into Damien's body.
Mira watched it with wide eyes, her mouth slightly open in surprise, the color draining from her face as the warmth left her.
"I didn't think you would just break the bond so easily."
Damien grabbed the two cups and walked to the kitchen, washing them under the running tap with deliberate, mechanical movements. The water splashed loudly in the quiet room, giving him a moment to compose himself.
"Well, I can't just force a girl for gaining strength, right? So what will you do now, Ms. Mira?"
Mira sat there, her mind racing. Huh? What do you mean what will I do? If I want to survive, I have to join an academy after the exam in 7 days, and I don't think I will pass.
And if he is asking about where I will stay, I still have money in my account. I can just get a room in hotels.
She grabbed her mobile, fingers trembling as she unlocked the screen.
It had a message saying her account had been locked.
Her eyes widened in shock, the blood draining from her face as she stared at the notification.
Huh? Locked? How? No way. Don't tell me they even locked my account.
And I don't think my friends will let me in their house.
She looked at Damien, who was busy placing the cups back in their places on the shelf, his back turned to her, movements calm and unhurried.
She thought: And now the one chance I had is lost too.
He isn't bad or anything, but sex is a different matter. I haven't even done it, so how can I do it with a stranger?
Damien spoke, breaking the silence. "So where will you sleep? If you have nowhere to sleep, I can let you sleep, but you'll have to sleep on the sofa there. My room will be busy."
Mira blinked, her expression shifting from shock to confusion. "Huh? No. Why did you think I have nowhere to sleep?"
Damien turned slightly, wiping his hands on a towel, his face still neutral but eyes observant.
"Well, I figured it pretty much, and your expression tells it easily."
Mira hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Can I really stay?"
Damien shrugged. "Of course you can stay, but you'll have to pay me when you make some money."
Mira thought: Huh? Is this guy really that stingy? Whatever. She spoke, "Okay, I will pay you when I have money."
The room felt smaller now, the air thick with unspoken tension.
Mira glanced around the modest couch, the single bedroom door ajar, the faint hum of the fridge in the kitchenette.
It wasn't much, but it was more than nothing.
Damien looked at his watch, the digital face glowing faintly in the dim light. "It's time for my work.
If you wanna follow me, you can come, or just stay here. You have your mobile, so I don't think you'll get bored."
Mira thought: Where does this guy work? I wanna see. So she spoke, "I will come."
"Okay," Damien said simply.
They walked out into the cooling evening, the streets of District 9 quiet except for the distant hum of city life.
The snow had stopped, leaving a thin layer on the ground that crunched under their feet.
They headed to the neighborhood in District 3 a rich one, with glowing neon signs and upscale shops lining the wide paths.
Mira asked, her voice a bit hesitant, "You work here?"
Damien: "Yeah, you'll see."
They reached a big cafe, sleek and modern with glass windows and soft purple lighting spilling out.
Girls from the 3rd District high school were lining up outside, chatting excitedly, their uniforms crisp and expensive.
Then a girl noticed Damien, her face lighting up with a squeal. "Hey, Damien is here! The wait was not in vain after all!"
Damien waved casually. "Hey, you're here again."
He greeted the girls who were the same age as him, his voice calm but friendly.
"Yes, of course we are here."
A girl noticed Mira, her eyes narrowing curiously. "Who is that, Damien?"
All the girls started staring, whispers rippling through the line.
"Oh, she... she is my classmate," Damien said without missing a beat.
He entered the cafe, leaving the girls to bicker more and more, their voices rising in jealous murmurs.
The manager a guy in his 30s with a kind but tired face was behind the counter. "Oh, you're here, Damien, and a friend too."
Damien greeted him. "Yes, I am here, Mr. Zake. So I will get to work. I have to leave early."
Zake nodded. "Yeah, yeah."
Damien immediately changed his clothes to the cafe's uniform crisp black shirt and apron and started making coffee, his hands moving like a well-oiled machine, pouring, steaming, frothing with effortless precision.
Mira spoke awkwardly. "Hello, Mr. Zake."
"Hello. So are you friends with Damien?" he asked, smiling warmly.
Mira nodded, shifting on her feet. "Yes, we... are friends."
Zake's face lit up with genuine happiness. "Oh, thanks for being his friend. I thought this boy has no friends, but at least he has one.
And don't mind his bluntness, okay? He always has been like that, and his face is always calm too, so don't take it for something else."
Mira asked, curiosity piqued as she watched Damien work.
"How long do you know him, mister?" She glanced at Damien, who was making coffee like a machine, his focus intense, expression unchanged.
Zake spoke. "It's just a year. His master left that boy to me a year ago when this guy was almost dead from the gate overflow in the city of Asger."
Mira: "Yeah, he was transferred a year ago too. So he is from Asger, huh? But shouldn't he have already left to his city then? It's already repaired."
She asked. Zake said, "Where would he return?"
Mira surprised. "What do you mean, mister?"
Zake continued, expression a bit sad. "Well, he lost his family there.
He doesn't even remember those, but through an investigation, his master found it his family is already dead and his sister missing."
Mira's eyes widened with shock. "So... so he doesn't remember his family or his city?"
"Yes," Zake said. "He doesn't remember, and his brain is kinda damaged. That's why he speaks bullshit all the time."
Damien was clearly hearing it but didn't speak more, just focused on his work, his hands steady as he handed out orders to customers with a polite nod.
After an hour, back at his house, Damien asked Mira, "So what do you wanna eat? I am gonna make ramen."
Mira nodded, still processing everything. "I will eat that too."
Damien immediately cooked the meals, the kitchen filling with the savory smell of boiling noodles and spices.
He handed one plate to her and took the other, leaving to his room but forgetting to close the door.
Mira thought: Huh? What is he doing now? It's still 7, so is he watching lewd videos or something? She started eating, the hot ramen warming her from the inside, a small comfort in the chaos of the day.
Inside the room, he started the PC and launched the stream, eating his ramen with one hand, facecam off.
The moment the stream started, people started joining fast, the viewer count climbing rapidly.
Chat
Hey, how was the awakening?
Yup, how was it? I awakened an A-rank lol
Mine is S-rank, higher than you hahah
Wow, you guys are getting S-ranks
Nah, mine is F-rank, the bottom
Bro, stop sugar-coating yourself. If it's F-rank, you're the unluckiest guy in the world lol
Hey, welcome everyone, Damien spoke, seeing the number reach 100k immediately.
Wow, so most of you are high school graduates like me, huh?
Chat
Wow, you all are kids, huh? I am a B-rank Trait holder lol
So what? I am a B-rank Trait holder too, you know
So what did you awaken, Dami?
Yes, what is it? Tell us, Dami. Even if it's FFF-rank, big sis will marry you.
Damien started laughing a genuine, light chuckle that lit up his usually calm face, eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Haha, no sister, FFF-rank, that's impossible. I awakened an E-rank."
Chat
Oh, it's an E-rank. If it's E, then it's better than F lol
So what will you do today, Dami?
Reaction or gameplay?
Outside, Mira was looking at him from the doorway, peeking curiously. He was laughing.
The smile no one had ever seen a rare, unguarded expression that softened his sharp features, making him look almost approachable for the first time.