Chapter 12: Confrontation and Confusion
Kazuki sat on the edge of the bed, his face still buried in his hands. Elara stood in front of him, arms crossed, her golden eyes blazing.
"Explain," Elara said, her tone cold and unyielding.
Kazuki took a deep breath, his mind racing. "It was nothing. Tara was just... helping me relax."
"Helping you relax?" Elara scoffed, her jaw clenched. "Looked like she was doing more than that."
Kazuki looked up, meeting her gaze. "Are you... jealous?"
Elara's eyes widened, and a faint blush crept across her cheeks. "Don't be ridiculous," she snapped. "I just don't want my subordinate getting distracted. You're supposed to be training, not... fraternizing."
Kazuki sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It wasn't like that."
Elara's expression softened, her arms slowly dropping to her sides. "Listen, Kazuki..." She hesitated, her eyes shifting to the side. "You're new here. And Tara... she likes to play games. Don't let her manipulate you."
Kazuki frowned. "You think she's manipulating me?"
Elara bit her lip, her fists clenching. "I know she is."
Before Kazuki could respond, the door swung open again. This time, it was Tara, leaning casually against the doorframe. "Oh? Am I interrupting something?"
Elara's eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Tara?"
Tara smirked, sauntering into the room. "Just checking in on my favorite subordinate."
Kazuki's face flushed. "I'm not your—"
"Oh, but you were," Tara said, moving closer to Kazuki. "At least for a little while. Didn't you enjoy our 'session,' Kazuki?"
Kazuki's eyes darted to Elara, who was practically fuming now. "Tara, stop it."
Tara feigned a pout, her finger tracing a line down Kazuki's chest. "Why so serious, Elara? I was just giving Kazuki some... extra training."
"Enough!" Elara snapped, stepping forward and grabbing Tara's wrist, pulling her away from Kazuki. "If you're so interested in training him, then why don't we both give him a session? Right here. Right now."
Kazuki's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"
Tara's grin widened. "Oh? Feeling competitive, Elara?"
Elara glared at her, her jaw set. "You have no idea."
Kazuki gulped as both women stood before him, their eyes locked onto him like predators eyeing prey. The air was thick with tension, and Kazuki felt trapped between them.
"Looks like things are about to get interesting," Tara purred, her eyes glinting dangerously.
Kazuki's pulse quickened. 'What the hell did I just get myself into?'