…
"You know, Darya… You actually don't need to do this…"
"Huh? What do you mean? Of course, I need to do this…"
"If you really don't want it… Just let it be, and I will not do anything…"
"Well, I don't trust you, so I need to do this…"
"Sure, but is that necessary, though?"
"Of course, it's necessary. What else can I do?"
"However… Must it be a castle of tables?"
…
Chistera and I had agreed to share the no-shoe area for the few remaining hours of the night. However, trusting this vampire to stay on my side in this room was like trusting a cat to stay off a warm laptop.
So I built a barricade.
It wasn't a magic barrier, a concrete wall, or some holy seal. It was a Great Wall of tables. I had dragged every low coffee table in the area and stacked them edge-to-edge, creating a wobbly, knee-high fence down the centre of the mats, strictly defining the border. This was my border.
…
"You know that I could just jump it…" Her face was hovering directly above the top table, her chin resting on the wood, grinning down at me like a cat.
"Or maybe," she whispered, and suddenly her face dissolved into black mist, drifting through the gaps in the table legs before reforming casually on my side, "I can just move around it."
She sat there, criss-cross on my pillow, looking smug.
As I saw that, I forgot to reactivate the shop skill… Immediately, I tried to focus, to activate the skill.
"So what are you going to do, Darya?"
I stared at her. I stared at the wall of tables. I stared back at her.
"Get back on your side," I groaned, pointing over the barricade.
"Make me."
I frowned, as I couldn't do anything about that. It seemed I won't sleep tonight; it was actually really happening.
Well then.
I stood up, dusted off my pants, and turned my back on her. I walked straight toward the counter.
If I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't fight her, well then, I surrendered.
I went behind the counter. The silence of the shop was heavy, broken only by my own footsteps. I grabbed a glass, filled it with ice, and poured a cold brew. The clink of the ice against the glass was sharp.
As my drink was ready, and I put it on the counter, I went to the kitchen. I wanted to cook a midnight snack.
…
I decided to cook noodles again. I took a packet of instant fried noodles from my inventory system. It was the ultimate comfort food, the holy grail of late-night despair.
I boiled the water in the same pot I had used to summon Chis earlier.
After washing it thoroughly, of course.
As the block of dried noodles hit the bubbling water, I opened the seasoning packet, the oils, the sweet soy sauce, the chilli powder, and the ultimate MSG. I put all the seasoning packets on the plate.
I drained the noodles and tossed them onto a plate, mixing them fully.
Lastly, I put the fried onions.
I picked up my fork, ready to take the first taste.
I didn't hear her walk over. I just felt the air beside my ear turn cold.
"What are you eating?" she asked, her voice low.
"Just some snacks…"
She took a closer look and realised it. "Ah, you made the noodle…" Her glance changed towards me. "Do you make it for me too?"
"Why?" I asked.
Her eyebrows furrowed as I asked her about it. "Well then," suddenly, she snatched my plate in a quick motion. "I guess I'll just have to try it myself." With a mischievous grin, she took a bite of the noodle in front of me.
Again…
"Fine then…" I sighed. Immediately, I took another pack of the noodles. "You can have that…"
While I was cooking another batch of noodles, Chis left the kitchen and headed to the counter.
…
A few minutes passed, and my noodles were on top of my plate. Immediately, I headed to the counter with my meal.
To my horror, as soon as I stepped out from the kitchen, my drink, the one that was on top of the counter, suddenly emptied. I looked up to stare at the perpetrator. Chis.
I fiercely gaze at her.
And she just received it with a dumb look and "What?"
"You drank it, didn't you?"
She looked at the glass and then back at me, "You mean this? Yes, I drank it."
"Do you know it's mine, right?"
"Yes."
"Then why do you drink it?"
"Because you can make another one, so I drank it."
"What the hell is that logic?" I put my hand on my face. I walked behind counters. As I saw the glass and her plate were empty, I was scared to put my plate. I couldn't put it right on top of it, as she saw it. So I put it on the back of it, beside my side, while I was making another glass of coffee.
She was looking at me while I was making another glass of it. Suddenly, I could hear a tapping sound from the counter. I took a glance at it, and she put the glass in front of me.
Pushing it, "How about you make another one for me too?"
This moron dares to ask that, as she just drank mine…
"But please make it sweeter, as what you had made was so bitter, I don't believe you want to drink that… Your palate must be so wrong…"
AGAIN THIS…
Okay then…I will make you another one.
I took the glass. I had an idea. I said, "Sure…sure…sure."
Her drink was special, as I put 10 shots of espresso in it. However, 10 shots of espresso needed something to balance it, as she wanted it to be sweet. I put a lot of condensed milk in the glass. After her drink was done, I looked at it; it was a dark, rich concoction that looked more like a dessert than a beverage. I handed it to her with a smile, hoping this time it would meet her expectations.
As the glass was in front of her, she took a sip. After one sip, she tasted it, and her eyes were immediately wide open. Well, that caffeine should have done that. However, she just glugged the glass entirely like mere water.
She will not sleep for 2 days then…
I walked towards the front of the counter with my food and drink. I took a seat beside her. She locked in towards my food and drink.
Seeing that, "Don't you dare!" I warned her.
She chuckled, knowing she wouldn't be able to resist. "Just a bite," she said with a mischievous grin.
I shook my head. "You already have your own…"
"I finished it," she replied, leaning dangerously close to my fork.
"Just eat air, then," I grumbled, shovelling a large bite of noodles into my mouth.
Miraculously, and somehow, we sat in silence for a minute. I focused on eating. Chis sat perfectly still.
Too still.
She was frozen like a statue, her golden eyes wide open, staring emptily.
"Darya," she whispered, her voice sounding tight. Vibrating.
"What?" I asked, swallowing my noodles.
"My chest," she said slowly, without blinking. "I feel a little bit of heat from there. Beating very fast."
"That's the side effect of your drink," I said calmly. "It's okay…"
"Side effect…" She snapped her head towards me immediately. "YOU JUST POISONED ME?"
"No, I didn't poison you," I explained as I was eating. "These drinks, coffee, that you and I drank have a side effect; it's called caffeine."
"What is this side effect?" Her fingers tapped the counter rapidly.
"It can cause increased heart rate, jitteriness, and a feeling of warmth," I replied, trying to reassure her. "It's nothing to worry about; it will pass soon." For you, maybe 2 days…
"I feel… efficient," she declared. "I feel as though time has become sluggish. Why are you chewing so slowly? It is irritating."
"I'm chewing as usual, at a normal speed."
"You are chewing like a pig in winter," she critiqued, her words coming out faster now.
"Everything is slow. The air is thick. I feel… I feel like I need to do something. Now."
She snapped her head again towards me; however, this time, she showed me a smile that I didn't want to see. A mischievous smile, but I felt a shiver in my spine.
"What are you going to do with that look, huh?"
"You know what I am going to do with this look…" She suddenly leaned in and whispered to my ear, "Especially toward you…"
I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I tried to lean back, to put some distance between us.
"You'd better stop joking, Chis," I said, trying to break it off.
Her face slowly leaned toward me, "You know, Darya… As the time is sluggish, I could look at you closely and see every little detail of your face. You are quietly… captivating and cute… Do you want to be my t—"
I kicked her before she finished the sentence. She was thrown out to the front of the stairs…
This is bad…
"Tsk tsk tsk…" She clicked her tongue, shaking her head slowly as she rose from the ground. "A toy is not supposed to fight back, Darya. You should know better." With a smirk, she started walking towards me again, her eyes glinting with mischief.
She didn't use her speed. She walked slowly, deliberately, like a cat cornering a mouse…
"Ah…the impact…" She placed a hand on her stomach where my shoe had connected. "It vibrated through my ribs. It felt… thrilling."
"I warn you, Chis… Stop doing anything that you are thinking in your mind…" I said.
"My mind…ah… If you said that, it means you know what I am going to do…" She licked her lips. "You must be thrilled about it then…"
She moved in quickly to my left, "You want to play rough, Darya? Or do you want me to play rough?"
SLAM.
Her hands hit the counter on either side of my waist, trapping me instantly. She leaned in, her knee pressing firmly between my legs, pinning me.
"However, seeing you in this state… I feel I want to play rough," she hissed, her face so close I could feel the unnatural heat radiating from her skin.
However, she just pinned down my legs, and her hands were on my waist, so my hands were free. I punched her. She was thrown out back towards the tables and the chairs.
"YESSSS!" she screamed with a mix of pain and excitement.
Seeing her on the ground, I immediately ran towards the stairs.
"Trying to run, huh?" she hissed as she was slowly getting up from the furniture. "You can run, but you can't hide, Darya…"
As I arrived in front of the door, I immediately tried to open it. However, it was locked.
Damn it, Orla learns to lock the door, huh…
The footsteps of Chis became so loud in my head… I banged the door and called Orla to open it…
"Orla, please open the door!" I yelled, feeling a surge of panic as I heard Chis getting closer. The sound of his footsteps grew louder, sending a shiver down my spine.
As she was in front of the stairs, I could see her. She showed another, licked her lips, "Ah, there, you are… So desperate… Your desperation actually makes me so excited, as you are cute in this state." She stepped up the stairs, one step at a time, her eyes glinting with malice.
"ORLA…OPEN THE DOOR!" I could feel my heart pounding in my chest…
As the time was slow and desperate, I could hear a movement from inside.
Now, she was only three metres away from me…However, the door was open from the inside, and I immediately came in.
In a quick moment, I closed the door again and locked it.
Immediately, bangs could be heard from outside the door.
Inside, Orla was in front of me, showing a confused face in her nightgown.
"What is going on?" She asked.
"Uhh… A prank going wrong?" I answered.
"Prank? What is that?" She tilted her head.