"Help, help—it's coming closer!!"
That was Chiara's shriek.
"Seriously, Chiara, you're being too dramatic. It's obviously fake."
That was Alex's voice, being clung to like an octopus by Chiara.
"Even if it's fake, it's still scary! I can't move—Alex."
"But I'm right here."
"But still... Eek! Mmm~"
The lighting in the haunted house wasn't very bright, but Elara and Mrs. Summer, who were following behind, clearly saw that the screaming Chiara suddenly quieted down because she had been kissed.
Both women instinctively clutched their clothes, not out of fear, but because of the complex emotions brewing inside. These feelings had been present ever since they entered the amusement park, walked into the haunted house, and Chiara had wrapped herself around the boy, refusing to let go.
Oh wow, kissing in a haunted house... Mmm~ Alex's tongue is inside again, and the way he sucks makes me feel so good. He's so aggressive stirring inside my mouth, Chiara thought dizzily, her cheeks flushed with a captivating red.
It had an undeniable effect; the terrified girl calmed down almost instantly.
She didn't make another sound until they left the haunted house, standing quietly next to Alex, running a hand through the loose hair near her ear, her expression shy and joyful.
"Weren't you screaming in terror just now? Not scared anymore?" Alex teased.
"Of course I was scared. I rarely go to haunted houses," Chiara pressed a small hand to her chest, rolling her eyes. "But after a little 'kiss' from Alex, I wasn't scared anymore."
"But Elara Senpai isn't scared at all. That's amazing," she said, surprised, to the red-haired girl.
"Huh? Oh, I'm okay," Elara's fingers twirled a strand of hair, her gaze unsettled. "Though I'm not as scared as Chiara, I'm—I'm still a little nervous."
She whispered the last bit.
"Really?" Chiara blinked.
Alex suddenly stopped, waiting for Elara Senpai to walk up to him. Unexpectedly, he slipped an arm around her soft waist. "If you're nervous, Elara Senpai, I can use the same method as before to help you relax. Want to try?"
"I—"
Alex knew the hypnotic effect on her had worn off, so he deliberately provoked Elara, finding her blushing, conflicted expression highly amusing.
"I, um... I understand."
Like her mother, she dared not expose the fact that she had recovered in front of the boy. Moreover... when he got close and embraced her, the familiar scent filled her nostrils, and Elara was startled to realize she was already leaning into him.
She realized she had long been accustomed to Alex's presence, his touch, and their physical intimacy.
Why is this happening...?
"Actually, with Alex around, I don't feel so scared anymore. And coming to a haunted house together is quite fun," the red-haired girl put on a lively smile, and even took the initiative to look up and give him a quick kiss on the cheek, her face flushing bright red.
Mrs. Summer, standing nearby, was slightly surprised. She clearly hadn't expected her usually outgoing daughter to be such a good actress. No, is Elara faking it, or has she genuinely fallen for Alex?
She couldn't tell anymore.
Elara's gaze inadvertently met her mother's, and she glanced at Chiara. Then, she suddenly rubbed her stomach. "It's lunchtime, Alex. Let's go get some fried chicken."
She pointed to the nearby chicken shop.
"I'm hungry~"
"Fatty's happy meal? Sounds good," Alex reached out and pinched her smooth cheek. "Madam, you're coming with me, right?"
"Yes, alright."
Elara waved. "Don't forget the drinks—"
Watching Alex and her mother walk away, the smile on Elara's face slowly disappeared, replaced by a look of helplessness. Elara turned back to Chiara, biting her cherry lips.
She was genuinely hungry, but more importantly, she wanted to get Alex alone.
Now that she was alone with Chiara, Elara had a lot she wanted to tell her, or rather, only tell her. "Chiara, actually..."
She didn't go into detail, only briefly summarizing what had happened to her. To her surprise, Elara Senpai saw that Chiara's expression was completely calm, showing no shock or surprise. "Chiara, did you know about this all along?"
"...Of course I knew. Alex never hid this from me from the start. But I didn't know you had recovered, Elara Senpai. I thought—"
She quickly cut herself off mid-sentence. The purple-haired girl shook her head apologetically, cupping her cheeks. "No wonder I felt like something was off with you today... Elara Senpai, you specifically told me this, are you planning to take revenge on Alex?!"
Chiara looked horrified.
"Revenge?" Elara opened her mouth, silent. In fact, since she recovered, the idea of revenge hadn't crossed her mind—not a single thought of it. It was incredible. "No. Alex is too powerful. How could I possibly take revenge?"
"Phew, thank goodness. I don't want to see you do anything foolish. Besides, Elara Senpai, even though you recovered from the hypnotic state, you're still calling him by his first name. Hmph. It just shows your inner feelings..."
"That was just, just habit," Elara's expression was stiff, and she blushed as she argued.
"So you don't like him?"
"Of course I don't like him! That hateful villain did such awful things to me. How could I possibly—" Elara seemed unwilling to dwell on the subject. "Besides, maybe you're also hypnotized by him and just don't know it."
She sat down on a bench, looking meaningfully at the girl.
"Actually, when I first met Alex, he really did control me and did some terrible things to me," Chiara said quietly.
"Huh? Is that true?"
Elara was surprised; she hadn't known about this. "Then why did you..."
"I knew Alex was a big bad guy from the beginning. But... he's my hero. From the moment he saved me, I couldn't leave him. As long as I can be with him, hypnosis or anything else doesn't matter at all. I don't care."
Staring blankly at the happy smile on the girl's face, Elara remembered the scene she witnessed this morning, biting the inside of her lip. "He really does value you. It looks like he's very much in love with you."
"Elara Senpai, you sound jealous~" Chiara teased.
Whoosh.
Elara's face turned scarlet, and she quickly shook her head. "No, I'm not! I'm just... just..."
Her tongue tied itself in knots. Seeing Alex and her mother returning in the distance, Elara quickly grabbed Chiara's arm. "Chiara, please don't tell Alex about my recovery."
"I can do that, but..." Could Alex not know about her recovery? Impossible, right? Or is he back to his wicked teasing?
Chiara's eyes flickered, but she quickly put the thought aside and went to greet them.
"Alex, why did you get cola?"
"You didn't specify! Besides, fried chicken without cola has no soul!"
"Ugh, but I don't like soda~ Unless you feed it to me with your mouth."
"..."
Watching Chiara's flirtatious behavior, and the ensuing kiss-and-feed moment between the two, Elara clenched her fists.
Although the girl desperately didn't want to admit it... she was definitely jealous.