White let out a long breath, rubbing his temple. Understanding Luna was beyond impossible, and the more he tried, the more helpless he felt. Whatever her intentions were, unravelling them was a puzzle he didn't have the pieces for.
Shaking off the thoughts, he opened the bedroom door.
"Ah—Papa!" Bell chirped happily, her small frame leaning against the bed. She wasn't alone. White froze for a second when he saw who was sitting beside her, calmly munching on cookies.
She again.
Her mischievous eyes flicked to his, a smirk dancing on her lips.
"Thanks for your hard work," she said as if she had been waiting to deliver the line.
"…Hard work? What hard work?" White frowned.
"Oh, you know." She brushed crumbs from her clothes. "Dealing with your oh-so-smart president. Must be exhausting, keeping up the mask around her."
White exhaled. "…I don't know. I just… feel uneasy whenever she's around. Like I'm being watched from behind layers I can't see."
Aisha's pout deepened. "Sometimes, I get the feeling you find her more mysterious than me. That stings, you know." She turned her head away but still reached for another cookie, sulking without stopping her eating.
White forced an awkward smile. "It's not worth being jealous over." Shaking his head, he turned to Bell. She was happily licking sugar off her fingers, carefree.
He crouched down, serious. "Hey, Aisha. Will you look after Bell and Miss Elsa for me this evening?"
Aisha tilted her head. "Why?"
"I have somewhere I need to be," White said firmly.
Her sly eyes narrowed. "To meet Aris, right?"
White blinked. "Are you stalking me?" he teased, trying to dismiss the chill of her accuracy. "How do you know everything?"
"Well…" Aisha leaned back on her palms, her tone more casual than it should have been. "Just I said before, Since Bell was born from you, she carries hints of what you feel… what you think. And, being connected to me, she shares a fragment of my abilities too. That link lets me pick up more than you'd like. So, in a way—" she puffed out her chest lightly "—I'm her mother."
"…Mother, huh? Never thought I'd see the day you bragged about parenthood." White sighed. "Whatever the case, just—please. Take care of them tonight."
"Hmm." She eyed him, then smiled. "Sure. But have you asked the other one?"
"The other one?" White's gaze shifted. Bell had gone quiet, her cheeks puffed in annoyance.
"Bell," he said hesitantly, "can you be a good girl and stay here with Aisha tonight? I promise to buy you the best pudding you've ever had."
Her small hands clenched into fists. She snapped her head up, eyes watery with anger.
"No! I don't want to stay here—I want to go with you! You always leave me behind!"
White's heart sank. "Bell, please… Just this once. I need you to trust me." He reached out to console her, but she slapped his hand away.
"Hate you!" she cried before storming out of the bedroom.
"Bell, wait!" His hand hung uselessly in the air. Her angry footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Behind him came the sound of Aisha lazily licking crumbs from her fingertips.
"You should've given her more time. A child—no matter how special—will always throw tantrums. But I guess," she added with a mischievous smirk, "if you need me to, I could put her to sleep. Like before."
White's skin prickled. "You call yourself her mother, then smile like a wicked spirit when threatening bedtime? Some parenting."
"Maybe worry less about me," Aisha retorted, "and more about the promises you keep crushing."
Her words stung more than he expected.
It took him a while, but White finally tracked Bell down. She had locked herself in the bathroom. He knocked gently.
"Bell… It's Papa. Please come out."
"No one's here! Go away!" Her small, angry voice echoed back.
White leaned against the door. "I know you're angry. And I know it hurts. But this one time only… I can't take you with me. Just believe in me and listen—okay?"
"No!" Her voice cracked, but her tone was sharp. "You always say that! If you want to go, then just leave! Leave Bell alone!"
Before he could respond, a crunch echoed—potato chips.
"Are you snacking right now?" White glared at Aisha.
"Supporting, snacking. Same difference," she said, stuffing another into her mouth with infuriating calm.
"You're making this worse," he hissed.
"Am I?" she smirked, before stepping straight through the locked bathroom door like mist. White lunged to stop her but smacked nose-first against the wood. "Ow—!"
"I'm here, Bell," Aisha's muffled voice came from inside. "I'll side with you. He's being unfair, isn't he?"
"…Thank you, Sister Aisha," Bell sniffled.
An uneasy silence fell. Then Aisha whispered, her tone oddly serious:
"But if you're stubborn too long… don't you think he might leave you behind altogether? Remember last time—when he raised his voice… and stopped talking to you?"
Bell's whimper cracked White's chest open. "U-Um… but if…"
Aisha cut her off smoothly. "How about this instead? Ask for something in return. Like that picnic you missed a few days ago, hmm? The one he couldn't take you to because of his injury."
The silence broke with Bell's small but firm demand:
"Papa! I'll only forgive you if you take me to the picnic tomorrow—as you promised!"
White breathed in relief. "Okay, Bell. I promise. We'll go tomorrow. Now open the door."
The lock clicked. Bell peeked out cautiously and finally stepped into his arms. "But don't forget. Promise, Papa."
"Yes. Thank you, Bell." He smiled, ruffling her hair. "And don't worry—I'll bring pudding too."
Her pout melted into a grin before she skipped off to the living room, humming her favorite song.
White slumped against the wall, exhausted.
That was when Aisha tugged on his hoodie from behind. Her grin was sly, but her voice was soft.
"What about me? I helped you, didn't I? Won't you reward me too?"
White blinked. "You helped by nearly destroying everything, if we're being accurate… Fine. What do you want?"
"Mm…" Her eyes sparkled. "Since you're going to the café with Aris, bring me back a dark deluxe chocolate cake."
"You have been stalking me," White accused loudly.
She chuckled. "You're still underestimating me."
"Honestly, when did you change? From a terrifying evil spirit to some sloppy snack-devouring one?" he muttered.
Her smile twisted into mischief, but her eyes softened. "And look at you. A frightened little boy who once trembled at my presence… now daring to tease me like this."
Memories flickered. Fear, accidents, battles… and now, this strange warmth in chaos.
"…I can't deny that," White admitted quietly. "But you've saved me more than once. After the first accident, something changed. My world wasn't just loneliness anymore. Life became noisy, sometimes painful, but… brighter. Moments like these… I hadn't imagined them before."
Aisha tilted her head, studying him. "So?"
White awkwardly turned away, his ears heating. "…Thanks. I guess."
For a second, all humour slipped away. She leaned closer, lips tugging into a rare, gentle smile.
"Thanks, accepted."