'Little brat!'
Lila can't remove her hand from her lips. She has kissed a lot of people, enough to lose count. However, this one feels... deep, in some sort.
She wants to wipe her lips. Yet, the moment her pinky touches them, she can't help but touch it a little with her tongue, in case the feeling is still there —it isn't.
'Stupid mortal!'
Anger flashes in her eyes. She wanted to kiss him a second more, yet he pulled away at the worst moment.
This is the first time her body has reacted to someone intimately: since, it's usually her taking advantage of people.
'Should I kill him?'
—It's not like I was planing to spare him.
The thought lingered in her mind, but will she kill him? Shinji has already killed her heart; it races faster than ever, whenever she takes glances at him. This alone makes her mind tame; as it replays all the scenes that took place a moment ago, slowly.
Gazing at him, alongwith Sora and Lucien, as they enjoy the view of the forest from behind her eagle, Lila grates her teeth in envy.
A mutter escapes her lips: "He could have watched with me... Should I kill them, before killing him?"
Hearing her ridiculous request, she slaps her face lightly.
'What are you thinking?! Let the puny mortal be! It was just a kiss!'
—That you can't get out of your head!
'Shut up!'
Picking up her music instrument, she wants to play something to forget about him. However, his poetic song comes to her head, forcing a chuckle to escape her lips.
"It was lame...yet so cute."
—Just say you love it!
"Did he say he was interested in men because we are worlds apart."
Realizing this, she excogitates about her authorities: most powerful person on the island, ranked 30 worldwide, and a relative to the world's top outlaws.
Dropping whatever thoughts coming to her mind, she glares at Shinji. Slowly, her frons contort, and she shows a small smile, insinuating:
"They are special... no, no, I mean only my love. No, the mortal I talked to. Yes, the mortal I talked to... how can you explain someone passing out for a minute?"
—Someone is smitten.
'I told you to shut up!'
***
On the other side, Shinji feels the glare coming behind him —and he doesn't dare look back.
Shifting his gaze to the two next to him, he croaks:
"This island is fairly big. I thought I traveled a lot, but it looks like I only know a few places."
"According to what I heard, Kokoro Island is 7, 568, 456 k㎡," Lucy replied.
"I only travelled 2, 678 k㎡ of this island."
Sora can't bring herself to understand such useless chatter. Before they can continue, she snarls:
"Please say something more productive, like... what's our next move?"
While looking at a funny cloud, Lucy responds:
"Let's try to not stand out much at the camp: blend in, are the right words."
Shinji crosses his arms; as he grouses:
"That's useless, for us three anyway: we've traits that stand out too much. Also, we are dying soon; there is no point in staying low-key. We could have bought time at that beast, but the inevitable is the inevitable."
"At least I can kill 'her' now, I think," Lucy replied with some doubt in his voice, "However, the problem lies with the aftermath."
Shinjii shrugs with a bright smile, "That's easy, especially when you have charmed the Village Shojo."
Sora is struck by the piece of information, and wants to yell, 'she is the current shojo?! Why is she not dead yet?!' However, Lucy is quick to close her mouth to avoid trouble. He, too, is stunned by such information.
He knows that the Shojo is the person with the highest authority in the village, similar to a president in the reader's world. Also, never once did he thought to receive help from someone like her.
Unable to make the red-hair's expression shift, Shinji sighs lightly. What's the point of talking to an expressionless bastard?
He explains: "As you know, over the past five years the village Shojos were being mysteriously killed, because a lot of people eyed that position... mostly, your grandmother, since she is from one of the founding clans of the village, with most disappearing over the years. Some say she should be the Shojo because...she is the oldest thing in the village. However, most Tama-Artists deny giving that position to her because of that same reason."
"Also, there is a rumor saying that she eats her children to maintain a semi-immortal state."
Lucien's face contorts slightly, at the thought of that woman. He never met her, but he just hates her, and everything to do with her, because of the way she treated Akane.
This expression pleased the handsome young man slightly. "Anyway, after a Cold War struck the village, which mortals weren't aware of, an executive from the top of the world was sent to meditate the issue. However, she ended up taking the Shoji position, beating everyone who opposed her. This happened a few months before we were kidnapped."
Sora and Lucy could have argued that the information is far-fetched since it's coming from a pathological liar. However, Lucy can tell the shift in Shinji's voice when he is lying.
He looks pitifully at the young man.
"Be careful. She might remove your youth."
Shinji smirks.
"Then I'd be steps above you."
"I already did... partially."
Now, it's Shinji and Sora's turn to wide open their eyes in surprise. They have over a million questions spinning in their small heads, 'when did our Dernier lose his virginity?! Who is the girl?! Did he perhaps fall for a honey trap?! Why didn't you run?! Did she blackmail you?!'
They know Lucien is soft-hearted, and would easily fall for a trap. If a girl wants to take advantage of him, it would happen.
To evade the barrage of questions, Lucy insinuates:
"I'll kill her soon."
Their questions were answered. Sighing, they mutter in unison, "That's better."
In Shinji's eyes Lucien has grown for the better. In the past, he was a silent guy who did everything to not get violent —mostly, because he didn't want his mother to get stressed. That being said, a lot of people took advantage of that.
This version of him is like a tiger let loose. He no longer cares about other people's evaluation —when he wanted them to at least see how his mother felt from being eaten inside, they threw stones at him.
'Akane-chan once said she saw me in a dream as a strong Tama-Artist in the future.'
—Considering she was a prophetess it might come true. If that happens, I'll help you kill that father of yourself. After all, Akane-chan was more of a mother to me than the person who gave birth to me.
Why is he even thinking this? Can it be because of the gaze coming from behind him?
—Her name is Lila.
'How do I know her name?'
'The birthmark!!!'
Shinji clenches his fist, tree barks growing on his forehead.
"Tch, I might never find true love in this life."
Lucien turns to look at him, smiling.
"Don't give up: she likes you more than you think."
Sora flashes a cheeky smile.
"Don't give up Shinji-kun! Lucy-san will give you advice, if you need some!"
'This brings back memories.'
In the past, it would be the three of them this, sometimes with Akane.
Closing his eyes, Shinji inclines his head on the eagle's feathers, smiling.
'That kiss was amazing.'
It felt like heavenly chocolate. No, divine marshmallow. Maybe, both, synthesized into one miserable concoction alongwith chili jam and peanut butter, because it might be the last!
—Shinji, this one is out of your league.