Vario stood alone in the employee restroom, staring at his reflection like it had personally betrayed him.
The mirror stared back without remorse.
"…Why am I so sexy?" Vario said slowly, squinting.
He leaned closer. The reflection leaned too, matching him perfectly, smug in a way only reflections could be. His hair sat just right without effort. His posture—accidentally confident. Even the cursed uniform, missing one button, somehow looked intentional.
"This isn't fair," Vario muttered. "I didn't train for this."
He turned sideways. Still good. Turned the other way. Worse somehow better.
"What kind of debuff is this?" he asked the mirror. "I wanted strength or fire powers. Not… this."
From outside the restroom, chaos continued as usual. Nyx's laughter echoed faintly. A box fell over. The monkey screeched. Someone shouted Vario's name, probably Bella.
He ignored it.
Vario placed both hands on the sink and sighed. "Okay. Think rationally. This is just the after-effect of a curse. Temporary. Illusionary. Probably."
He poked his cheek.
Still real.
He frowned. "Why do I look like a main character?"
The mirror offered no answers.
Memories rushed in—Bella pointing out the fallen button. Nyx laughing too hard to breathe. The strange weakness earlier. The emotional whiplash. All of it tied together in one cursed package of unintended character development.
Vario straightened up.
"No," he said firmly. "I will not let this go to my head."
He paused.
"…But objectively, though."
He tilted his head again.
"…Damn."
The door creaked open, and Bella's voice followed before her face did. "Vario, you've been in there way too long. Are you okay?"
He jumped, nearly slipping. "DON'T LOOK."
Too late.
Bella froze in the doorway, took one look, and sighed the sigh of someone who had seen too much today.
"You're admiring yourself, aren't you."
Vario crossed his arms defensively. "I'm coping."
"With vanity?"
"With survival," he corrected. "If I don't acknowledge it, I might scream."
Bella walked in and leaned against the wall. "You'll live. It's temporary."
"I know," Vario said. "That's the worst part. This confidence has an expiration date."
Bella raised an eyebrow. "You're impossible."
Nyx suddenly popped her head in, camera already rolling. "Oh my god, are you doing the mirror monologue thing?"
Vario groaned. "Do not record this."
Too late. The red light blinked.
Nyx grinned. "Say it again."
Vario glared at the mirror one last time, then at Nyx. "…Delete that."
The mirror, unhelpful as ever, reflected a Vario who looked tired, confused, and inexplicably radiant.
Bella turned to leave. "Come on. You're on apron-of-shame duty."
Vario followed, muttering under his breath, "This store is a curse."
The mirror watched him go.
Still smug.