Remembering was inevitably painful. When he was part of something, the happy and not-so-happy memories hurt him equally, reminding Sunny that he was alone.
Returning to the Forgotten Shore only fueled the flames of that pain. Sitting, drinking a cup of coffee while watching that damn tree burn, he thought of Nephis. He still loved her with the same intensity as before; nearly two years of loneliness in the Dream World hadn't weakened his emotions in the slightest. But he knew this couldn't go on—he was no longer anyone. Letting go of Nephis was for the best. Clinging to the past would no longer serve him. What could have been would never be. It hurt him to accept that. They might meet again, but until he regained his destiny, nothing would ever be the same.
That was the sad truth, a realization more painful than his own memories.
"I'm 24 now, aren't I? Even at this point, I'm still a virgin…"
He laughed at this aspect of his reality. Of course, in retrospect, this simple fact was silly to consider relevant, but still… now that he was a free man, he could enjoy his life as he wished. He would never forget Nephis, and even if he tried to let go of his feelings, it wouldn't be easy, but he had already made his decision.
"One nail drives out another, right?"
He would enjoy his life.
XXX
Years Later...
Lying on his back, he regained consciousness. The warm bed was messy, and the blanket he used to sleep with was tangled at the foot of the mattress. That blanket was his way of staying warm on nights in the bastion, yet he felt a pleasant warmth as he woke up.
The petite woman lying on his left side was draped over him, her arm across his chest and her face buried in his chest. Sharing the bed had become more convenient than letting Aiko travel from her house to the café. They were both used to being close, thanks to their nights, afternoons, and days of intimacy. There really wasn't a problem with letting her stay; after all, this was what he was supposedly looking for, or so he had thought a few years ago.
Sunny silently observed Aiko's sleeping face for a few minutes before having to get up and start the morning. Soon, Aiko also began to stir; she slowly opened her eyes and burrowed her face even deeper into her bedmate's chest, then looked up at Sunny's face. Their gazes met naturally.
"Good morning, boss," Aiko exclaimed, still sleepy and tired from the day before. Despite resting comfortably, the nighttime activities she and Sunny engaged in were often exhausting.
She floated up to be level with his face and kissed her boss.
"Good morning, Aiko," he replied naturally, already prepared for this interaction.
Several times while working at the café, they had been asked if they were a couple or what their relationship was. The answer was easy for both of them to give.
'We're friends.'
'He's my boss.'
'We're close.'
All of these answers were correct, but they conveniently left out the details, because they were what some people called "friends with benefits." When Sunny hired Aiko, he had no malicious intentions toward her, but his idea of wanting to enjoy his freedom also made him want to enjoy his youth. That didn't mean he would have instantly tried to woo the petite woman, least of all Aiko, his business partner and old acquaintance. There were plenty of other fish in the sea; he had no reason to try and rewrite his relationships with past acquaintances. However, it was Aiko herself who had actually triggered their current relationship.
XXX
"Ahh!"
Aiko stumbled clumsily next to him. Sunny instantly caught her. She could float, but even so, he bothered to help her. She clung to him in an awkward position, her face pressed against his abs.
With a perhaps excessive calm, she said:
"Oh... Thank you, boss."
It took her longer than it should have to compose herself. Inevitably, she noticed the outfit she was wearing today; it was all strangely tight, highlighting her exact figure. Sunny couldn't help but swallow, trying to clear any lustful thoughts from his mind.
'What's wrong with you, Sunless? She's Aiko. Stop looking at her.'
The hints were obvious. She would fake trips just so she could fall on him or be caught by him, and she wore increasingly provocative clothes, which wasn't always effective since she was never a very curvy woman. You could say she was modest in that sense, yet that was part of her charm as a woman. Over the days, part of him couldn't help but glance at certain eye-catching places. He believed his glances were quick and discreet.
The tension between them was palpable. They remained professional, but in certain situations, things became difficult for Sunny to ignore.
Then one day, with few customers, Sunny decided to close earlier than usual. Aiko stayed to help him clean up. He washed the dishes while he instructed Aiko to tidy up the tables. He did exactly that: he scrubbed dishes.
He sensed Aiko quietly approaching him.
"Are you done?" he said without turning, focusing on what he was doing.
"Yes, do you need anything else?"
"No, everything's ready then. You can go home for today."
Sunny expected them to say goodbye cordially and each go about their business, but Aiko just stood there silently. Several seconds passed. He washed a plate, dried it, and carefully put it away where it belonged. Puzzled by the little woman's unusual behavior, he said:
"Aiko, is something wrong? You can go now."
There was no response. Sunny began to feel confused by his employee's silence.
'Did I say something wrong this time and upset her?'
All questioning ceased when the little girl floated toward him and hugged him from behind. Her small hands grabbed his chest, exploring his muscles shamelessly over his clothes. Her face was buried in his back.
Sunny simply stopped what he was doing, freezing at his employee's behavior.
"Do you think I haven't noticed how you look at me sometimes?"
Her incriminating question rang in his head, snapping him out of his stupor. The usual pain from his flaw forced him to speak.
"What are you talking about?"
Her embrace deepened, pressing her breasts tightly against his back.
"Do I really have to explain it to you?"
"No…"
The girl's breath hit the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. Aiko's slippery hand delved under her boss's shirt, enjoying the heat his body radiated, memorizing every detail of his muscular chest.
Sunny grabbed Aiko's curious hand, turning to look her in the face. She was deeply blushing. When their eyes met, she immediately shrank back and turned to look elsewhere, finding the corner of the room very interesting.
That boldness was a product of her usual greed. It was difficult to control Aiko when it came to that. He suspected it was because of her Flaw, but at this point, it was irrelevant. That shyness she showed after looking at him, waiting to be judged, sparked a warm feeling that quickly grew, prompting him to take her by the shoulders.
As their eyes met again, he took a moment to truly appreciate Aiko's face. She was far from the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She couldn't compete with women like Cassie or Nephis in terms of pure beauty, yet her charm lay in her simplicity, not her beauty. She was cute.
Carried away by that warmth, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
The response was immediate. Aiko wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in to deepen the kiss. Her embarrassment had disappeared. The petite businesswoman knew she had won a bet at the first subtle hint, and so it was.
Sunny grabbed her back and pulled her closer, intensifying the contact. The world lost its shape, and he had to lean against the wall to continue the kiss.
Aiko suddenly demanded:
"Let's go to bed, now."
Sunny was startled, his heart racing.
She acted so naturally, so much so that he felt inferior to her. The cute little Aiko was in charge. Trying not to look outmatched, he took the woman's hand and pulled her toward him, rejoining their hands as they made their way out of the kitchen. Along the way, the kissing didn't stop. The journey was slow but hot. Once they reached the bed, they separated. Immediately, she began to take off her clothes.
Sunny, with a silly look on his face, watched the show.
'This is too fast... or am I the slow one?'
Approaching thirty, he was still a virgin. He really was slow. He was like a teenager when it came to these situations. Aiko pulled down her pants, exposing her underwear, but didn't continue. She looked at him, stopping her display, and looked at him in confusion.
"Is something wrong?"
"No... nothing."
Slowly, Aiko approached Sunny with a mischievous smile. She grabbed the cloak he was wearing. Boldly, she pulled at the loose garments he was wearing and lifted them up, undressing him.
"Come on, tell me what's wrong. Are you a virgin? Hahaha!"
She laughed, mocking his nervousness.
"Yes, I am."
Her tender laughter stopped. Aiko looked him in the eyes, incredulous.
"Are you serious?"
Sunny was the most handsome man Aiko had ever met, second only to Kai, and the comparison was a constant debate in her little head. She felt incredulous.
'It's impossible, definitely. How could someone like him still…?'
She had a look of total surprise. Her eyes widened as she reviewed all their previous interactions and realized his complete lack of intimate experience. With this revelation, her mouth twisted into a wicked smile, and as if she had hit the jackpot, she thought:
'Jackpot.'
She pounced on him. He was a total hottie, all hers. Letting greed fill her, she vowed to enjoy every moment. For Sunny, just moments ago, he was scrubbing dishes, and now he found himself with the cute little girl in his arms, just steps away from his first time.
He felt increasingly pressured to act, but he didn't rush into being a nervous wreck. If he let himself go, he was sure that Aiko and her temperament would not let this pass and would take him completely. His pride as a man was on the line. He pulled away from her, breaking the embrace and the kisses. He took off the apron he used to wash dishes and discarded the memories he used to cover his body.
As he discarded the misty cloak, his presence as a Saint was completely released. Aiko suddenly felt pressured; it wasn't suffocating, it was more like a weight surrounding her boss. She noticed how the darkness in the room grew deeper. Her former boldness was strongly suppressed, not out of fear, but rather something more like she had been playing with more than she could chew.
'I like it...'
Far from holding her back, the challenge suddenly brought her even greater greed and ambition. He was a diamond in the rough, all for her.
That night, Sunny and Aiko shared intimacy for the first time.
XXX
"I'm going to get up now. Shall I make you something?" Sunny said, sitting up in bed and moving away from Aiko.
The little woman pulled on his arm. Sunny turned and saw Aiko looking at him with the eyes of an abandoned puppy.
"Don't leave yet. It's cold…"
Sunny chuckled; it was always the same in the mornings. It had become a routine. It helped him enjoy the start of the day better; in fact, when he slept, he tried to get up earlier than before just to enjoy these moments upon waking up.
So Sunny lay back down on his side, looking at Aiko and hugging her. She happily clung to him, placing her face against his chest, laughing in triumph. Several months had passed since their strange relationship began. He had quickly gotten used to it.
He had made it clear to her that he didn't have romantic feelings for her yet. It was all too fast for his immature emotional understanding to keep up. But Aiko wasn't bothered by that; in fact, she wasn't really interested in a relationship either. It just happened that they wanted each other, and that when he found someone else, they could end it.
On his chest, with her face pressed against him, Aiko said:
"I love you, boss," she sounded softly.
The girl soon broke her word. It was supposed to be just a fleeting relationship, but as the days and then weeks passed, the woman became increasingly clingy and ended up falling in love. He, on the other hand, certainly developed feelings for her, but they weren't like the ones he had for Nephis at first. It felt more familiar. He didn't know how to recognize what he was feeling, despite being nearly thirty. He would never be good with his feelings.
In these last few weeks, she had constantly declared her feelings to him whenever she had the chance. Sunny raised his hand toward Aiko's head, caressing her and running his fingers through her black hair.
'How complicated…'
He wouldn't be so brazen as to feel nothing in response to the little woman's confessions, but it was difficult not knowing how to respond to her displays of affection. Fortunately, Aiko never asked him or insisted on the subject; it was as if she let it go. He didn't want to play with her heart, but even so, he only postponed the inevitable conversation more and more.
When it was time to get up, they both began the routine they had followed since they had become closer. Aiko took stock of the supplies while he prepared the shop for business. Opening time was approaching. The shop had been open for a little over a month, and his life as the friendly shopkeeper was just beginning. War was coming, but not soon enough to be in a hurry. At least he had a year to relax and live this way.
He sat down to wait for customers. Usually, no one came so early, but sometimes there was a surprise.
Ding, ding!
'First customer of the day!'
Turning toward the first customer, he put on his best friendly expression, which was quickly replaced by one of surprise.
The person clumsily opening the door was an old acquaintance: Beth, Professor Obel's apprentice.
He froze for a moment, pausing to admire her. The last four years had been good to her. Her appearance, despite not having undergone a major change, instantly revealed a new maturity on her face… and also the large dark circles under her eyes. Sunny got up to greet her.
She hadn't slept that night; work was killing her. Her job was no small feat, especially in the Dream Realm. Devoid of all comforts, she had to make do here, going back hundreds of years in terms of technological advances. Everything was much harder. Distractedly, she walked, tripping over her own shoes.
'Oh yes, of course, this had to happen,' Beth thought.
Feeling herself falling to the floor, exhaustion overcame her body and she gave up. But contrary to what she expected, she landed on something soft. With her eyes closed in anticipation of pain, she waited, but it didn't come. Instead, a voice sounded above her.
"Are you all right, miss?"
Beth was pressed against Sunny's muscular chest, which was not visible due to his clothes, but once her body collided with him, she could feel it. Slowly raising her head, she saw a man who was more like an angel taken from a Greek statue.
"I'm worried, miss. Please tell me if you feel all right."
Her face quickly flushed bright red, but refusing to pull away, she remained still.
"J-Just a moment, please."
She used the time as an excuse to engrave in her mind how it felt to be held and pressed against that man. Finally composing herself, they stood facing each other.
Sunny coughed.
"Well, welcome to Sunny's Emporium. Would you like some coffee or something?"
Beth just stared at the dazzling man. Now seeing him clearly and completely, her heart couldn't help but skip a beat and pound like a drum. Realizing she had spent too long staring at him shamelessly, she jumped and composed herself as quickly as possible, saying:
"I… I want some coffee and… What else do you have?"
Sunny smiled and nodded. He turned and handed her a menu.
"I'll make your coffee right away while you choose something to eat, if you'd like, Miss...?"
"Beth! Call me Beth, please," she could barely hide the excitement in her voice.
"Okay, Miss Beth, your order will be ready in a moment," said Sunny, smiling warmly at his old acquaintance.
Seeing that smile, she melted even more.
"Uh-hey, excuse me… What's your name?"
Sunny blinked, looked at her, and said,
"I'm Master Sunless, but call me Sunny if you like. I'd prefer it if you did."
As if she had been struck by Cupid's arrow, Bethany fell in love that morning.
This entire interaction was observed by a pair of discreet eyes. Aiko, peeking out from behind the wall, admired the spectacle from beginning to end, analyzing the scene and its possible outcomes. An evil smile appeared on her face. It wasn't jealousy or envy; it was greed. In her heart, she was clear about two things today: that she loved Sunny and that, above all, she loved money.
And in that short but intense interaction, she saw a gold mine right in front of her. Grateful to the bold Aiko of a few months ago, she began to prepare her plan. Sunny, unaware, would soon be caught up in a whirlwind of chaos, filled with powerful women looking for their piece of the pie.