Chapter 112–Dr. Aera Vael
Trinity Hospital.
6:00 AM.
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The day had started normally.
Which was exactly why it became a disaster.
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Because Dr. Aera Vael was on duty.
And so was Rhys.
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Which meant peace was never an option.
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Hospital Rounds
Care was walking with her tablet.
Lyra was checking reports.
Aera was reviewing patient files.
Rhys was reviewing patient files too.
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Everything was fine.
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For approximately four minutes.
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Then—
"That's not how I'd handle that case."
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Rhys looked up.
Already tired.
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"Aera."
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"What?"
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"You've been awake for twenty minutes."
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"And you're already wrong."
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Aera gasped.
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"EXCUSE ME?"
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Care immediately walked away.
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Nope.
Not getting involved.
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Lyra followed.
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Also nope.
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Because everyone knew.
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When Rhys and Aera started arguing—
it could last hours.
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The OR Case
Then the emergency came.
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A complicated surgery.
Long.
Difficult.
Exhausting.
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And somehow—
both Rhys and Aera ended up in the same operating room.
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The hospital administration briefly considered praying.
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Hour 1
Everything professional.
Everything controlled.
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Then—
Aera:
"You handed me the wrong instrument."
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Rhys:
"No, you asked for the wrong instrument."
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Aera:
"I did not."
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Rhys:
"You absolutely did."
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The assisting nurse sighed.
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It had begun.
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Hour 7
The surgery continued.
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So did the argument.
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Neither remembered what started it.
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But both were still committed.
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Entirely out of principle.
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Hour 12
One nurse got replaced.
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Then another.
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Then another.
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The surgery team changed.
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The argument remained.
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Hour 18
The patient was stable.
The surgery was progressing.
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And somehow—
Aera and Rhys were now debating coffee.
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During surgery.
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"Tea is objectively better."
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Rhys looked offended.
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"You're becoming Care."
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Aera looked proud.
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"Thank you."
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Rhys nearly dropped his patience.
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Hour 21
Finally.
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Finally.
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The surgery ended successfully.
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The entire team looked exhausted.
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The patient was safe.
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Everyone wanted sleep.
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Everyone except Aera apparently.
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Because she was still talking.
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The Corridor
Both exited the operating room.
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Removing gloves.
Removing masks.
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Walking toward the staff area.
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Still arguing.
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"You're impossible."
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Rhys replied immediately.
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"You've said that three hundred times."
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"And it's been true every time."
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The nurses passing by just watched.
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Nobody intervened.
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Nature should be left alone.
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The Scrubs Room
Aera finally removed her surgical cap.
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Dark circles.
Messy hair.
Twenty-one hours awake.
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Still arguing.
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"Also your handwriting is terrible."
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Rhys looked scandalized.
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"MY HANDWRITING?"
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"Yes."
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"It's elegant."
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"It looks like a dying spider."
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Rhys pointed dramatically.
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"You have no taste."
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Aera opened her mouth to continue—
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Then stopped.
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Just slightly.
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The room tilted.
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Her vision blurred.
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And before she could finish her sentence—
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Everything went black.
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Silence
For the first time in twenty-one hours—
Aera stopped arguing.
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Rhys froze.
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Completely.
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Because Aera Vael stopping mid-argument was unnatural.
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Very unnatural.
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She swayed.
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Then collapsed.
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Directly toward the floor.
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His reflexes activated instantly.
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He caught her before she hit the ground.
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"Aera."
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No response.
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"Aera."
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Nothing.
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The joking disappeared immediately.
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The irritation disappeared.
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Everything disappeared.
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Leaving only concern.
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Real concern.
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The kind nobody talked about.
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Because despite the arguments.
Despite the constant fighting.
Despite disagreeing on literally everything.
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Aera was family.
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One of Care's closest friends.
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One of Lyra's closest friends.
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One of his closest friends too.
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Even if neither of them would admit it.
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Rhys adjusted his grip slightly.
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Looking down at the unconscious doctor.
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Then sighed heavily.
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"...you absolute idiot."
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A pause.
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"You worked twenty-one hours."
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Another pause.
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"And you still hadn't finished arguing."
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For the first time all day—
there was silence.
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Because Dr. Aera Vael was asleep.
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And somewhere deep down—
Rhys almost missed the arguing already.
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Almost. 🖤🏥✨
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Three facts existed.
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Fact one:
Dr. Aera Vael had worked a 21-hour surgery.
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Fact two:
She had fainted immediately afterward.
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Fact three:
Care had seen her post-discharge condition.
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Which meant Aera had officially lost all human rights.
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Because Care had entered full best-friend mode.
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And best-friend mode was terrifying.
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The Intervention
Aera opened her apartment door.
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Care stepped inside.
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Looked around.
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Looked at the empty kitchen.
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Looked at the medicine strip.
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Looked at the fact that Aera looked like a strong breeze could defeat her.
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Then looked back at Aera.
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"No."
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Aera blinked.
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"...no what?"
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"No."
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"What does that even mean?"
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"It means you're coming with me."
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Aera immediately pointed.
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"I live here."
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Care crossed her arms.
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"You also fainted."
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"Technicality."
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"You have a fever."
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"Temporary."
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"You're underweight."
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"Genetics."
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Care stared.
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Aera stared back.
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Neither blinked.
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Finally—
Care grabbed her suitcase.
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Aera sighed.
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"...kidnapping is illegal."
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Care kept walking.
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"So is dying."
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Friendship Explained
Their friendship was simple.
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The kind of friendship built through years.
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The dangerous kind.
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The kind where:
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If Aera called at 3 AM—
Care would arrive.
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If Care called at 3 AM—
Aera would arrive.
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No questions.
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No explanations.
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Just arrival.
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The kind of friendship where—
if one murdered someone—
the other would probably help hide the body.
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Then argue over the paperwork.
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Then bring snacks.
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Because priorities mattered.
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Arrival at the Mansion
An hour later—
they reached the mansion.
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Aera stepped inside.
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Then stopped.
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Slowly.
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Very slowly.
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"...why are there so many shoes?"
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Care looked away.
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"...don't ask."
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The Tour
Aera followed her inside.
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People everywhere.
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Actual people.
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Living room?
Occupied.
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Dining room?
Occupied.
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Garden?
Occupied.
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One guy was asleep upside down on a sofa.
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Aera pointed.
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"...is he okay?"
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Care glanced over.
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"That's Cin."
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"...that did not answer my question."
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The Introductions
Then the chaos spotted them.
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Which was unfortunate.
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Because chaos moved fast.
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JJ appeared first.
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Immediately.
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Like she had been summoned.
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"NEW PERSON."
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Aera nearly jumped.
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Care sighed.
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"JJ."
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"Hello."
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"JJ."
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"HELLO."
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Aera blinked.
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"...she's loud."
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"That's one word for it."
Said Lyra.
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The Room Assignment
Then came the real horror.
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Aera asked the innocent question.
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"Which room?"
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Care answered instantly.
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"Ours."
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Aera smiled.
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Then froze.
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"...ours?"
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Care nodded.
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"Mine."
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"Lyra's."
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"JJ's."
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Aera stared.
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Silence.
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"...there are three of you already."
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"Correct."
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"And now four."
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"Correct."
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Aera looked toward the ceiling.
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Seeking divine intervention.
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None arrived.
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The Girls' Room
Five minutes later—
Aera entered.
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The room looked like a crime scene.
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JJ's side?
Chaotic.
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Care's side?
Organized.
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Lyra's side?
Terrifyingly organized.
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Aera immediately chose the safest corner.
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Which unfortunately was next to JJ.
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Fever
The fever hit harder that evening.
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Aera was wrapped in blankets.
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Looking personally offended by existence.
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JJ sat nearby.
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Watching.
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Suspiciously.
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"You're tiny."
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Aera blinked.
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"...excuse me?"
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"You're so underweight."
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Aera pointed weakly.
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"I am literally sick."
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JJ nodded.
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"Still tiny."
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Care Mode
Care entered with soup.
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Aera immediately groaned.
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"No."
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"Yes."
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"No."
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"Yes."
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Aera looked at Lyra desperately.
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"Help."
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Lyra handed Care spoon.
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Traitor.
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That night—
Aera lay in bed.
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Listening.
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The mansion wasn't quiet.
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It never was.
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Someone was laughing downstairs.
Someone was arguing upstairs.
Someone was probably breaking furniture.
Most likely Cin.
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And somehow—
despite the fever.
Despite the exhaustion.
Despite the chaos.
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It felt warm.
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Safe.
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Like she wasn't alone anymore.
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Though one thought remained.
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Aera looked at JJ—
who was somehow talking in her sleep.
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Then looked at Care.
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Then Lyra.
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And sighed.
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"...I survived a 21-hour surgery."
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A pause.
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"I'm not surviving these three."
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From the other bed—
without even opening her eyes—
Care answered:
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"Good luck."
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And Aera immediately realized she had been abandoned. 🖤😂🏠✨🌙
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The mansion should have known better.
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The moment Aera Vael got better enough to leave bed—
disaster became inevitable.
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Because there was already one JJ Mariano.
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The universe absolutely did not need two.
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Unfortunately—
that's exactly what happened.
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Morning
Aera woke up.
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Fever gone.
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Energy returning.
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Bad decisions loading.
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JJ was already awake.
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Which was the first problem.
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Because JJ with free time was dangerous.
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JJ looked over.
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"Aera."
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"No."
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"You don't know the question."
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"I know you."
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Fair.
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The Discovery
Thirty minutes later—
they discovered they shared one specific personality trait.
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Neither could mind their own business.
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At all.
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Care realized this when she found both of them sitting on the floor.
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Planning something.
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Never a good sign.
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"What are you doing?"
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Silence.
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Aera smiled.
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JJ smiled.
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The same smile.
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Care immediately turned around.
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"Nope."
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The Victim
Unfortunately—
the victim was Keifer.
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Because somehow he always became the victim.
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JJ and Aera approached him together.
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Keifer immediately became suspicious.
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"Why are there two of you?"
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JJ pointed.
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"Rude."
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Aera pointed too.
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"Very rude."
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Keifer looked toward the heavens.
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"Care."
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"No."
Came Care's immediate reply from another room.
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"You're on your own."
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Traitor.
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The Interview
JJ sat on one side of Keifer.
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Aera sat on the other.
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Like detectives.
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"Question."
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"No."
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"Answer."
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"No."
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Aera opened a notebook.
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Keifer became alarmed.
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"...why do you have a notebook?"
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"For evidence."
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That somehow made things worse.
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JJ leaned forward.
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"When did you first realize you loved me?"
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Keifer froze.
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Aera immediately started writing.
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"Excellent question."
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Keifer stared.
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"You two are terrifying."
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JJ looked proud.
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"Thank you."
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The Betrayal
Then Aera turned.
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"When did she first realize she loved you?"
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Keifer smirked.
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JJ immediately panicked.
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"NO."
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"Oh yes."
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"KEIFER."
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The smirk widened.
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"Interesting story actually—"
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JJ tackled him.
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Immediately.
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The Chase
What followed was five minutes of absolute nonsense.
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JJ chasing Keifer around the living room.
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Aera cheering from the sofa.
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Percy recording everything.
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Honey laughing.
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Aries developing a headache.
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Yuri questioning existence.
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Normal mansion activities.
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Later
Eventually—
peace returned.
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Sort of.
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The sun was beginning to set.
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The mansion grew quieter.
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Most people disappeared into their own corners.
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And somehow—
JJ ended up beside Keifer on the balcony.
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Finally alone.
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The Soft Part
The chaos disappeared instantly.
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It always did when it was just them.
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JJ leaned against the railing.
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Watching the sunset.
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Keifer stood beside her.
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Close enough that their shoulders touched.
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Neither moved away.
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Aera's Observation
Earlier that day—
Aera had noticed something.
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Something nobody really talked about.
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The way Keifer always checked where JJ was.
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The way JJ automatically looked for him in a room.
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The way both relaxed the second they saw the other.
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Not dramatic.
Not loud.
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Just there.
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Constant.
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Steady.
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Real.
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Balcony
JJ suddenly spoke.
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"Aera likes you."
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Keifer blinked.
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"What?"
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"As a person."
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A pause.
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"Not romantically."
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Keifer looked concerned.
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"Thank you for clarifying."
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JJ laughed.
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The Future
The sky slowly darkened.
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JJ rested her head on his shoulder.
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Comfortable.
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Familiar.
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Home.
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Keifer immediately rested his cheek lightly against her hair.
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And neither noticed they had moved closer.
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Because it happened naturally now.
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The Moment
JJ smiled softly.
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"You know."
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"Hm?"
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"I'm happy."
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Keifer looked at her.
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The words were simple.
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But after everything—
they meant everything.
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"I'm happy too."
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JJ smiled wider.
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Then quietly added:
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"Don't tell anyone."
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Keifer laughed softly.
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"Why?"
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"Because I have a reputation."
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"What reputation?"
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JJ looked offended.
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And Keifer immediately started laughing harder.
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Ending
Back inside—
Aera was telling Care that JJ and Keifer were disgustingly cute.
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Care agreed.
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Lyra agreed.
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The entire mansion agreed.
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Meanwhile—
the couple in question sat on the balcony.
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Watching the sunset.
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Completely unaware they were being judged by an entire household.
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Or maybe—
they just didn't care anymore.
🖤🌅✨💕😂