Tuesday afternoon started suspiciously normal.

  That should’ve been Eri’s first warning.

  School had gone by without incident. No Becca interrogations. No awkward stares. No teachers fainting. Just steady, ordinary csses.

  Too ordinary.

  When Alex walked with her out to the parking lot, he seemed… calm.

  Too calm.

  “You’re quiet,” she noted, adjusting her bag strap.

  “Am I?”

  “Yes.”

  “Huh.”

  That was it.

  No teasing. No subtle comments. No lingering looks.

  Just calm.

  Her ears tilted slightly back.

  She narrowed her eyes at him.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  Suspicious.

  Very suspicious.

  When her mom dropped her off at home, she stepped inside cautiously.

  Mira was on the couch.

  Smiling.

  Too sweetly.

  “Oh hey, Eri,” Mira said casually.

  “…Why are you smiling like that?”

  “Like what?”

  “Like you know something.”

  “I don’t know anything.”

  Liar.

  Eri’s ears twitched as she stepped further inside.

  From the kitchen, her mom called out, “Alex stopped by earlier to drop something off!”

  Eri froze mid-step.

  “…He did?”

  “Yeah,” Mira chimed in smoothly. “Forgot his hoodie here yesterday.”

  Eri blinked.

  “He didn’t forget a hoodie.”

  Mira shrugged.

  “Guess he did.”

  Her stomach flipped.

  Something was wrong.

  And then—

  The doorbell rang.

  Her ears shot upright.

  Mira stood immediately.

  “Oh! I’ll get it!”

  “No you won’t—”

  Too te.

  The door swung open.

  “Hi again,” Alex’s voice drifted inside.

  Eri stepped into view—

  And immediately regretted it.

  He was leaning casually against the doorway.

  Hoodie sleeves pushed up slightly.

  Hair slightly messy like he’d run his hands through it.

  And he was looking directly at her.

  Not casually.

  Not normally.

  Directly.

  Her face warmed instantly.

  “Oh,” she said intelligently.

  Mira stepped aside dramatically.

  “Well I’ll just… disappear,” she said, patting Alex’s shoulder on her way past.

  Eri caught it.

  The look.

  The silent exchange.

  Her eyes narrowed.

  “What did you two do.”

  “Nothing,” Mira and Alex said in perfect unison.

  That was worse.

  Alex stepped inside.

  He wasn’t smiling much.

  That was new.

  Usually he smiled when she flustered.

  Now—

  He looked focused.

  Her tails shifted uneasily behind her.

  “You’re staring,” she muttered.

  “I know.”

  Not even denying it.

  Her stomach flipped.

  “…Why?”

  He stepped closer.

  Slow.

  Measured.

  “Because you do this thing,” he said quietly.

  Her ears twitched. “What thing?”

  “You act confident.”

  “I am confident.”

  He raised one eyebrow.

  She faltered.

  “…Mostly.”

  He stepped another inch closer.

  “You tease me.”

  “I do not.”

  “You absolutely do.”

  Her ears flushed slightly.

  “That’s different.”

  “How?”

  “I—” She stopped.

  He leaned down slightly.

  Not invading her space.

  But close enough that she felt the warmth of him.

  Her breath hitched.

  “You told me I wasn’t allowed to say certain things casually,” he murmured.

  Her heart skipped.

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?”

  Because they make me lose control.

  She did not say that.

  Instead—

  “You know why.”

  “Say it.”

  Her brain short-circuited.

  “W-What?”

  “Say it.”

  He was calm.

  Too calm.

  Her ears tilted back instinctively.

  Her tails puffed slightly.

  “I don’t have to.”

  He smiled faintly.

  “You don’t?”

  “No.”

  He stepped just slightly to the side.

  Close enough that his arm brushed hers deliberately.

  Her entire body reacted.

  Her breath stuttered.

  He noticed.

  Of course he noticed.

  “Oh,” he murmured softly.

  Her face ignited.

  “Stop that.”

  “Stop what?”

  “Noticing things.”

  He tilted his head slightly.

  “Like how your tails fluff up when you’re trying not to react?”

  “Alex.”

  She backed up a step.

  He followed.

  Not aggressively.

  Just enough.

  “You’re evil,” she whispered.

  “Am I?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  Her back lightly bumped into the wall.

  Her heart was pounding so loudly she was sure Mira could hear it from down the hallway.

  As if summoned—

  Mira’s voice floated out casually, “Don’t break anything!”

  Eri wanted to disappear.

  “You pnned this,” she accused breathlessly.

  Alex’s lips twitched.

  “Maybe.”

  Her ears fttened slightly in flustered frustration.

  “I can’t believe you two.”

  “Believe what?”

  “That you—”

  He stepped just close enough that there was barely space left between them.

  Not touching.

  But almost.

  Her brain officially stopped functioning.

  “That we what?” he asked quietly.

  Her words refused to form.

  He lifted his hand slowly.

  She froze.

  He didn’t touch her face.

  Didn’t touch her ears.

  He simply let his fingers hover near one of them.

  Her ears twitched violently.

  “There,” he said softly.

  Her breath came out uneven.

  “You’re unfair.”

  “You said that already.”

  “This is worse.”

  “How?”

  “Because you’re calm.”

  “I’m not,” he admitted quietly.

  That made her blink.

  “You’re not?”

  He shook his head slightly.

  “I’m just… trying.”

  “Trying what?”

  “To see how far I can get before you completely melt.”

  Her brain went bnk.

  “…What.”

  He leaned closer.

  Just slightly.

  Her ears fttened completely now.

  Her tails puffed dramatically behind her.

  “You’re really cute when you’re flustered,” he said softly.

  That did it.

  System failure.

  Her face burned so hot she covered it with both hands.

  “You can’t say that.”

  “I just did.”

  “I hate you.”

  “No you don’t.”

  She peeked through her fingers.

  He was smiling now.

  Gentle.

  Not mocking.

  Not cruel.

  Just warm.

  “You wanted me to be brave, right?” he said softly.

  Her hands slowly lowered.

  “…Not like this.”

  He ughed quietly.

  “I had help.”

  “Mira.”

  “Mira.”

  From down the hallway, Mira called out proudly, “You’re welcome!”

  Eri groaned.

  “You’re both impossible.”

  He stepped back slightly, giving her space again.

  But the warmth lingered.

  Her ears slowly lifted from their fttened position.

  Her tails settled gradually.

  Her heart was still racing.

  “…You win,” she muttered.

  He tilted his head.

  “Win what?”

  She looked up at him.

  Still pink.

  Still flustered.

  “You got me.”

  His expression softened.

  “Good.”

  She narrowed her eyes faintly.

  “You’re not allowed to abuse this power.”

  “No promises.”

  She shoved his shoulder lightly.

  He ughed.

  And just before she could fully recover—

  He leaned in and pressed the softest, quickest kiss against her forehead.

  Barely there.

  Gone in a second.

  Her entire nervous system shut down again.

  “Alex.”

  He grinned.

  “Yeah?”

  “…You’re dead.”

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