A very nice dream. All the mythical races banded together and killed off all the gods. All our problems magically disappeared, and we lived happily ever after. Until an earthquake…

  …is… Agnis!

  Why is Raishin’s face following a happily ever after? This is strange. My vision got clearer, and I realized that I had woken up.

  My head…

  “Silly brother! We were so worried when Raishin came running!” Noelle hugged me and Raishin and Yv piled on.

  Where is Deca?

  She is there, getting rid of the pink energy that hot chick left behind in Nilah.

  Whoa, what a mess…

  “I wanted to ask you how you survived an encounter with her but… you didn’t do you? You're still a bit pink… Why didn’t you use the crystal I gave you?”

  I took the crystal out of my pocket. This one?

  Noelle frowned. “Yeah…didn’t I tell you to use it?”

  How do I tell her that I forgot, without telling her that I forgot.

  “You forgot about it, didn’t you? Come here! Let me shove this down your throat so it automatically activates!”

  No wait! That will kill me! Raishin help!

  Noelle, rocks are not in Agnis’ diet!

  Really Raishin? That’s the best you can do? But thank you for having my back.

  I thought that Noelle was joking, but she was serious and tried to shove a fist-sized crystal through my throat. Yv was laughing again, which was good.

  Nilah turned blue and Giana brought her to me. “I’m sorry… I don’t know how she got around [Charmed Protection]…” She leaped at me and cried in my arms. A lot of people crying on me lately.

  Heh, you know what they say Agnis! A shoulder to cry on is a di…

  Noelle punched Raishin so he would shut up. “Not now, Raishin… we can make jokes about them later.” Noelle got up and dragged Raishin away. “Let’s give them some alone time.”

  Good luck Agnis!

  I wonder if he knows how to read the room.

  Deca, I’m sorry for being so shit. I tried to fight her but…

  “It’s fine… I know you did…this is what I was afraid of… why can't I win from her…” Giana said while sniffing between her words.

  I’m such a shit leader… nothing has been going well since you joined…

  “We don’t blame you Agnis… it’s us…”

  It isn’t… the thing with Greg… it happened before. I was na?ve to think it would disappear…I’m so sorry, Yv…

  “It’s not your fault… you don’t need to keep apologizing…”

  Giana had stopped sniffing and shaking as she had fallen asleep. She is becoming the only person who continuously cc’s me as I can’t move now with her like this.

  I feel terrible for asking this Yv but…can you give Greg one more chance? He needs someone…

  “Absolutely not. I don’t mind him treating me like that but refusing to apologize to Giana and acting like that toward you… I’m sorry Agnis.”

  Don’t be… it was an unreasonable request… So what will you do now?

  “What do you mean?” She said while combing Giana’s hair.

  Won't you feel weird when your friends have partners and you don’t?

  “Oh that… at least I won't be the only one…”

  I wasn’t sure if Yv was coping with the situation or if she meant it. She does deserve better, though.

  Do you hate Greg?

  “No.” She said relatively indifferent. She had finished with Giana’s hair and shifted to brushing her own hair.

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  Indifference…worse than hating him…

  “Giana and I have chatted a lot and… both of us feel this way. I tried to still feel something when you impersonated him but…”

  I’m sorry that I ruined it for you…

  Yv’s aura changed and she came closer. “You need to stop apologizing. None of this is your fault. How many times do we need to tell you this?”

  She stared into my eyes. The first time I noticed her iris had the shape of petals.

  I’m so…

  Yv furrowed her brow and shook her head.

  …glad that you think that too!

  Did I save that situation? I don’t know.

  Hey, Yv, do you think we will have more problems like this in the future?

  “I don’t know. This feels terrible, so I hope not. I can't imagine you or Raishin causing problems like these, though.”

  I would cause bigger problems…

  “Ohh, tell me. How would you destroy team Hourai?”

  What is this? Its curiosity and something else. Don’t tell me she wants to see our team destroyed.

  Pass!

  She pushed me over. ”I’m going to wake Giana if you don’t tell me. I’m sure that she will get it out of you!”

  Yv was angry. Was it for a good reason? I don’t know…

  “Agnis please…it already feels like we lost Gregory, we can't have you do things behind our backs and potentially lose you too…”

  Giana had slid off me when Yv had pushed me over. She sure is full of surprises.

  She released me and I got up and gently carried Giana to her bed, covered her with sheets, and went to sit in the corner where I had spent the night the day prior and sat on my tails after stretching them.

  Ah this is more comfortable. Fine I will tell you… so overprotective…

  “You do realize that you just woke up from getting knocked out by a charm user and that it's warranted, right?” Yv walked over and sat next to me. “So soft, these tails. Do you brush them daily?”

  I should, but I’m quite busy lately.

  “May I?”

  That… I’m sorry… you will have to ask Deca…

  “Oh is it like that? I never knew…”

  Would you let anyone touch or even worse, brush your tails?

  “Makes sense… now tell me what you were planning!”

  Shit that didn’t work, did it?

  “Giana talks a lot about you. I have a good idea what you might do to escape, Giana has chased after you for a long time, so she should know.” Yv made herself comfy and gestured that she was waiting.

  Well, I would create a series of illusions, have all the problems we have with each other get directed at me, as if I did all that, escalate, and leave the team so that you 5 could get along.

  She pushed me down again. “Please… don’t ever do that…”

  Well, I would do it so that nobody notices.

  “Please…”

  I sure make a lot of people cry today… I am that shitty novel character…

  “But you do it trying to help us…”

  Well, this is an awkward situation… anyone seeing this scene would get the wrong idea.

  I’m sorry, Yv so… can you get off me?

  “Giana and Noelle hug you all the time… are we not close enough to do the same?” Yv had a point. Most of us are close enough to give other people the wrong idea.

  Raishin once asked me on if we should rank the hugs of the idols and I refused. We would get our asses kicked if they find out.

  Well…I discovered that I don’t know much about you, as I've talked to you the least.

  Yv was acting strange. She might still be affected by how Greg treated her or the current team dynamic. Yv got off me and wrapped herself in my tails. ”Well then, what do you want to know?”

  I would want to know how to make a test as brutal as possible for you!

  “So this is what she meant with toxic remarks… fine. Currently, what would stress me out the most is losing you guys and dealing with Gregory.”

  Wow…ehh a bit more specific.

  “Hmm…Oh!” Her ears perked up. “The situation where Greg sealed Giana. Put me in your shoes!”

  Uhh won't that defeat the purpose of being stressful if you know what will happen?

  “Oh, you’re right….” Her ears drooped.

  But I get the gist, thank you Yv. You can go to chatterbox mode now.

  “I…I think I will go to sleep. Thank you for your time.” Yv stood up and joined Giana in bed. Poor Yv. She has so much going on. I hope she and Greg can work it out, but it doesn’t look good currently.

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