Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Busy chatterings, jovial laughter, and the fresh scent of spring air welcome Lumine’s presence as she approaches the school gate with steady steps. Friends and lovers all reunite and greet one another along the way, the energetic display successfully adding more positive vibes to start the new semester. A smile emerges on Lumine’s face when the school building comes into view, to which a small cognizance pops inside her mind:

Ah, she’s officially a second-year student.

High school has its fair share of giving her a headache, but that’s not to say that she’d never miss it. Long semester breaks could get boring fast, since Lumine and Aether would rather save their Moras than go on a trip, unlike what her friends would do with their families.

However, long school breaks are the perfect time to make more money. Aether told her that the cafe he’s been working at is extremely generous, meanwhile Lumine herself has been teaching her friends’ relatives as a private tutor. If it was any other person, parents might get second thoughts of entrusting their children’s grades to a mere high schooler, but Lumine’s different.

After all, she’s currently on a full scholarship ride, and she’s also known as the Honor Student of the prestigious Teyvat International High School. That alone is enough to convince most parents of her capabilities.

All of a sudden, the sound of heavy footsteps from behind causes Lumine to stagger slightly in her walk.

“Captain!”

“Yoimiya!” Lumine turns around to regard the fellow member of the school’s cheerleading team, and laughs when Yoimiya gives her a tight hug. “And don’t call me that! I’m not the captain.”

“Yet,” Ayaka, another member, appears behind them, a gentle smile gracing her face. “I can’t think of anyone who would fit the role better than you, Lumine.”

Hearing such high praise from Ayaka, of all people, makes Lumine a bit flustered. This is the daughter of the Kamisato family; a prodigy in Inazuma’s traditional dance. Hence, Ayaka registering for the cheerleading team last year came off as a great shock to everyone, but when asked, Ayaka only reasoned that ‘she’s always wanted to try something out of her comfort zone.’

Regardless, Lumine’s certain that she’s one of the reasons behind the increase of the audience during their performances.

“Ayaka,” the blonde whines. “How can you say that when we have dance champions like you and Eula in our team…”

Out of habit, Ayaka unfolds her beloved fan with a snap and covers her mouth with it. “No, no, I’m still quite new in cheerleading,” she denies humbly. “Besides, skill isn’t the only requirement to become a captain, is it?”

Lumine pouts. If she puts it that way, that’s true. Though, she fails to comprehend why most members of the team have been persuading her to become the next captain after Eula’s captaincy ended last semester. She doesn’t consider herself to have a graceful yet strict nature like Eula. And to think that she’d have to handle new members and possible conflicts in the team… can she do it?

“I still have my doubts.” Lumine sighs as they walk side by side to the main lobby. “But, thank you for trusting me.”

Yoimiya lets out a bubbly laugh. “You deserve the position, really. For sooo many reasons.” She grins. “Just take it easy! We’re still on our first day of school. We have plenty of time!”

“Right,” Lumine agrees, relieved that the topic is altered. “Now, more importantly…” she trails off, eyes sliding in the direction of the school’s main notice board. “How are we supposed to look at our new class…”

Ayaka eyes the crowd of students before them who are practically blocking the way to get close to the board. “Maybe we could ask them nicely…” she suggests hesitantly, voice so soft it almost gets drowned by other voices.

“Ah, they probably wouldn’t listen,” Yoimiya places her hands on her waist and shakes her head. “I think most of them are our new, adorable underclassmen. No wonder why they’re so excited.”

Ayaka sighs. “Still…”

“But don’t worry!” Yoimiya cuts her off while gesturing to the school entrance. “If they’re here, people will surely make a way!”

Both Ayaka and Lumine whirl around to look at a group of tall boys, confidently walking in their direction. Curious whispers, mostly from the new students, begin to arise as those boys arrive at the main lobby, attracting everyone’s attention.

“Wh-who are they?”

“God, I hope we’re in the same class…”

“Ah, but I think they’re our upperclassmen.”

“Aren’t those basketball members?”

“If you mean the popular and the hot ones, then yeah, you’re right.”

Lumine wants to let out a dry laugh. Of course the popular basketball members would make a dramatic entrance everywhere they go, even if they don’t intend to do so. Admittedly, they are indeed a bunch of attractive guys, and Lumine has had enough past experiences to conclude that sharing a room with chick magnets can be quite troublesome, but being friends with them thanks to the cheerleading team’s connection with the basketball team can be beneficial, too.

Naturally, she understands what Yoimiya’s prior words truly mean—even without any verbal cues, the crowd of students instinctively creates a path for them.

“Oh? Look who we have here.” Kaeya is the first one to greet the cheerleading members with a casual wave of his hand.

“Kaeya!” Yoimiya waves back energetically. “And Diluc! And Itto! And Dansleif! And Thoma!”

The mentioned guys give their respective greetings, with Itto being the loudest—too loud, even, to the point that Diluc has to hiss at him to tone it down, but merely receives a loud cackle in return.

“Aren’t you forgetting someone here?” Another voice asks in a faux dejected tone. All eyes then land on the copper-haired Snezhnayan boy who ironically has been standing in the center of the group.

“Who are you again?” Kaeya asks.

“Rude, man. How could you forget having a hotshot friend like me?”

Yoimiya quirks an eyebrow at the other guys. “You sure this is your future basketball captain?”

The available basketball members shrug—save for Itto who gets distracted by Kujou Sara’s arrival and flees away to demand her for an arm wrestling rematch—earning a protest from the ginger head. “Come on now, can you guys at least show some support?”

“Our ex-captain has done it in our stead,” Diluc grunts.

“You’re too spoiled,” Dansleif remarks flatly.

“What they said.” Kaeya unhelpfully smiles.

Thankfully, Thoma decides to become a good friend. “You still have my support, Ajax, dude.” The half-Mondstadter lightly slaps Ajax on his back. “Go claim that position when the time comes, alright?”

Ajax mockingly wipes the edge of his eye and sniffs. “Ah, Thoma. I knew that you’re the only one who can be trusted. Are we perhaps soulmates?”

Thoma rolls his eyes and snorts. “I have a girlfriend.”

Their playful exchange draws some chuckles and smiles from the others. Added with Ayaka hiding the deep blush behind her fan, Lumine unconsciously releases an amused giggle.

But as soon as that happens, she accidentally catches Ajax sending her a surprised glance, as though he’d never expect her to laugh at his antics.

And instead of immediately tearing their gazes away, they proceed to blink at each other like two idiots. Twice. Thrice, before Lumine realizes the awkwardness of their situation and hurriedly breaks the eye contact.

Lumine clears her throat. “I’m going to take a look at the board,” she suddenly announces and takes long steps to reach the board, which is now less crowded than before. The others then follow suit, and this is how Ajax ends up standing beside her.

And—damn, from a closer distance, he turns out to be a head taller than her. Despite never having a proper conversation with the guy, Lumine has noticed him many times from the second floor of the school’s gymnasium, aka the cheerleading team’s practice spot, whereas the basketball team would occupy the first floor.

As a player, he stands out a lot and seems to revel in attention and praises, although he won’t go as far as purposefully seeking attention in an annoying way.

As an individual, though, Ajax has always had this charm in him; so whatever he does in the school would unfailingly reach everyone’s ears. The fact that he’s good at every sport also contributes to that. To him, being basked with attention is probably as natural as breathing, evident by how he carries himself in front of an audience.

All in all, he’s quite intriguing. Lumine wonders why they haven’t interacted much, and this says a lot since Lumine has the penchant to befriend a lot of people, intentionally or not.

“Lumine, have you found your name yet?” Yoimiya’s question breaks Lumine out of her string of thoughts. “I’m in the same class with Ayaka and some of the guys! I’m getting excited already!”

“Ah, wait,” Lumine sifts through the list once more and points at her name once she finds it, “Found it! Class 2-B!”

Somehow, she could feel Ajax sending her another glance, but she dares not to meet his eyes again.

Ayaka perks up at that and grabs Lumine’s hands. “That’s great! We’re in the same class!”

Yoimiya releases a bubbly laugh. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s place our bags and prepare for the opening ceremony!”

At her reminder, Lumine perks up. Oh, right. Aside from attending the annual opening ceremony, each school club has to give a brief performance or presentation for the new students to attract more members. The cheerleading club is no exception, and Lumine, Ayaka, and Yoimiya are three of the chosen members to be included in the performance.

“You’re right. Let’s get going,” Lumine says, taking a gander once more at Ajax before finally leaving the main lobby.

The first half of the opening ceremony has always been boring. The school principal would always get carried away with his speech, but thankfully, other teachers would always try to remind him from the crowd, which serves as a rather amusing sight for Lumine.

Fortunately, many exciting announcements such as new destinations for the school trip, new school programs, or school festivals make up for the sleepy atmosphere. Moreover, there’s a small, congratulatory speech for the marriage of their two teachers—Mr. Zhongli and Mrs. Guizhong—who are also known as a pair of soulmates.

“Romantic, isn’t it?” Yoimiya whispers from Lumine’s side. “Meeting your soulmate is already hard enough, and even if you do, there’s no guarantee that both of you would get married.”

At that, Lumine flicks her gaze to the girl in surprise. “Yoimiya, are you perhaps the type who’d wait for your soulmate?”

A faint red covers Yoimiya’s cheeks. “Well, I wouldn’t say that. Pops told me that anyone would do just fine without marrying their soulmates.”

Lumine hums. “I suppose it’s true.”

“But it’s still a nice thought,” Yoimiya admits. “So I totally wouldn’t judge if someone decided to pursue their soulmates. As long as they understand the risk of their own decisions, we have no right to change their minds.”

They say nothing afterward as they let themselves listen to the speech for a little while.

“What would you do if you met your soulmate today?”

Lumine whips her neck towards her friend, clearly taken aback by her inquiry. “Eh?”

“Come on now, don’t tell me you have never thought of it,” Yoimiya grins while nudging Lumine’s side with her elbow. “Fate is a beautiful mystery! Anything could happen in just an hour, you know?”

“That’s…” Lumine casts her eyes to the side, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed.

Truthfully, she’s just like other teenage girls who’d often wonder about their soulmates. Since the last century, even society has been taking the idea of soulmates seriously once science and real-life cases succeeded in proving that it’s not a myth.

Laws regarding soulmates were added. Counselors who specialize in therapies for soulmates have been thriving in numbers. The business world has been trying to increase the chance rate of meeting one’s soulmate by providing soulmate-seeking services and advanced dating apps. Researchers have released thousands of papers about this matter, and they don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

But after all these efforts, the chance of meeting one’s soulmate merely goes up from 0.01% to 0.1%.

It’s better than nothing, one might think so. That doesn’t change the fact that meeting one’s soulmate in life is still a rare occurrence; a privilege that can’t be experienced by everyone, and one must be very lucky if they manage to stumble across their soulmate.

However, one can only find out whether they’re soulmates with someone through skin-to-skin contact, albeit brief or unintentional. So, hypothetically speaking, even if Lumine’s soulmate was currently inside this very same hall, she would probably never be aware of their tie unless their skin brushed against each other.

But what are the odds of such a thing happening? Lumine does have a lot of friends, but she’s not a touchy-feely person, maybe except to her close friends. And the thought of having a soulmate in the same school is already delusional enough. What if they weren’t a student in the first place? What if they didn’t live in Teyvat? Would they even still be alive?

The more she thinks about it, the more it sounds impossible. But there’s beauty that can only be found by those who are able to go beyond that impossibility, and she’s starting to get why most soulmates treat their other half in a special way.

Despite her musings, Lumine doesn’t get the chance to answer Yoimiya’s question once she notices that most students in the hall begin to stand up and walk in a particular direction. It seems that the ceremony has come to an end, and the students are expected to head towards the gymnasium.

“It’s almost time,” Ayaka, who actually has been sitting beside Lumine, reminds them.

“Right! We should get changed!” Yoimiya says excitedly, before dragging the two girls away, drawing a squeak from Lumine.

“W-wait, Yoimiya, slow down—WAH!”

Lumine knows every nook and cranny of the gymnasium like the back of her hand.

She’s made a lot of memories here with her friends, but it’s not rare to see unfamiliar faces visiting the place, although most of them are girls who like to watch the basketball club’s after-school practice.

However, seeing a whole lot more unfamiliar faces inside the gymnasium is something that Lumine’s starting to get used to. This kind of occurrence would usually happen when the basketball club has a practice or official match with another school. Since the cheerleading club has to share the same audience with the basketball club, performances under countless pairs of eyes are inevitable for Lumine.

This time is no different. Right now, the majority of the audience consists of new students in school, and Lumine’s job as one of the chosen members of the club is merely to give her best. Her stomach is churning uncomfortably, but she’s no stranger to such a feeling every time her performance is about to start.

Lumine is currently watching the basketball club’s 3x3 game from the second floor when she catches Ayaka’s familiar fragrance.

“Are you okay, Lumine?” She asks with that gentle voice of hers. Like other members, she’s worn her cheerleading uniform.

Lumine leans slightly against the railing and smiles at her. “Never felt better!”

Ayaka probes once more, “Are you sure?”

Lumine pouts. “Alright, maybe a bit nervous. It’s been a while since we performed before a lot of people.” She glances down at the MC who is describing the basketball club’s most recent achievement, his energetic voice accompanying the thuds of basketball and the squeaky sounds coming from Ajax, Kaeya, Diluc, Thoma, Itto, and Dansleif’s shoes against the floor.

The girls in the crowd scream when Ajax throws the ball into the ring with ease, effectively ending the session once his team gains the upper hand of the mini-game.

He really is popular, Lumine absently thinks, eyeing the ginger who is now laughing with his friends. Well, that’s understandable. He’s kind of hot, too. She adds as an afterthought, but then slaps herself inwardly at her own randomness. Where did that even come from?

“And this is the very same person who also had contributed the last score and turned the tables in their final match against Celestia High, leading Teyvat International High School to emerge as the champion of Winter Cup—Ajax!”

Ajax bows down with a slightly abashed smile when the crowd bursts into applause. As the chosen basketball members leave the arena, the MC says something about entering the basketball club if they ever wanted to learn from the best.

“But what if you still wanted to meet these talented, handsome boys, but couldn’t play basketball?! Would that be the end of your high school career?” The MC then dramatically asks. “No need to worry! Everyone can be welcomed to our cheerleading club! Not only you’d be able to support the boys, but you’d also get the chance to brighten everyone’s day with your skills!”

“That’s our cue,” Lumine says to Ayaka. “Let’s meet with the others.”

They scurry down the stairs with the other members to prepare for their performance as the MC tries to snatch the audience’s heart with more information about the club. The members then get into their position when the MC eagerly announces,

“—And in just a few seconds, we are going to witness their latest choreography that had won the first place as the viewers’ most favorite piece in Winter Cup! Without further ado, here they are—!”

The moment the MC shouts the name of their team, Lumine takes a deep inhale and yells her command.

It’s exhilarating, she thinks, as she allows her body to move on its own. Like it’s programmed to do so; like it’s the only thing that she can do at the moment. Cheerleading has always made her heart race—in a good way. She loves how she could mesmerize everyone with even the most basic tricks like backflips, and she’d often feel powerful for knowing that it’s not something that many people can do.

She rarely gets the chance to notice the crowd, for she’d always get too immersed in her own world once everything starts, but somehow, she could feel a lone pair of eyes boring into her. It’s not enough to distract her, but remarkable enough that she can’t help but to discreetly scan her surroundings at the end of her performance.

She finds nothing worth mentioning, though, and then decides to brush it off as her imagination.

“Ugh, are we really going back to class after this?” Yoimiya complains while organizing her belongings alongside Lumine and Ayaka. They’ve changed back into their school uniforms and are getting ready to join their new class.

“It can’t be helped. They said every club member should go back to class as soon as they’re finished with the showcase,” Lumine replies, zipping her bag. Unlike the first years who have to go through a series of Student Orientation Programs, the second and third years who aren’t needed in the programs will have to go to classes like usual.

“At least we’re going to have our first break after this,” Ayaka consoles gently. “And the first week of school shouldn’t be too burdensome, yes?”

“I hope so.” Lumine exhales with a smile. Without looking at the path before her properly, she whirls around and says, “You know, I think our first period is with—”

“LUMINE, WATCH OUT!”

All of a sudden, a blur of orange takes over her whole vision, and with a high shriek, Lumine loses her balance and tumbles down while taking another body with her. She instinctively closes her eyes to prepare for the impact, because she’d be a total idiot to expect a heroic scene of someone saving her from the fall.

The impact does come after that—with her back hitting the floor harshly, almost knocking the wind out of her lungs. It causes her head to throb for a split second, and she opens her mouth to voice out a groan, but there’s a warm pressure against her mouth.

And in that second, something clicks.

Like a key being inserted into a lock; like two pieces of puzzles being put together, her world, too, has never felt this whole and complete. As though she’s finally found something that she’d been searching and missing forever.

Before she could process everything, that moist pressure against her mouth moves, and it’d probably feel pleasant if this were to occur in other circumstances. But then, there’s also a slight tang of metal on her tastebuds, to which she recognizes it as blood.

When she peels her eyes open in panic, she finds herself face to face with a very familiar face.

Ajax—yes, that Ajax—is staring down at her with wide eyes, lips pressed against hers in an uncomfortable manner. She could feel his hand under her head, which is probably something that he’d done out of reflex to minimize the impact of the fall. And Lumine knows that she should be thanking him rather than pushing him away, but unfortunately, the latter is what her brain has chosen in the heat of the moment.

“Ohmygod,” she hisses as the sting on her lips becomes stronger. Ajax is also wiping his own mouth with the back of his hand, smearing red across his skin. It seems that both of them have accidentally cut their lips open.

Lumine doesn’t realize that they’re being watched by everyone in the gym until Ayaka, Yoimiya, and other basketball members rush to Lumine and Ajax’s sides.

“Lumine!” Ayaka cries out with teary eyes. “Lumine, are you okay?”

The blonde nods weakly. “I’m… fine…” she mumbles as dizziness begins to rise inside her head. Ayaka hurriedly pulls out a handkerchief and carefully wipes the blood off Lumine’s lips. “Thank you,” Lumine grimaces. Even speaking feels a bit painful now. She could hear the basketball members asking about Ajax’s own well-being, and that’s when guilt hits her.

“A-Ajax,” she calls his name for the first time. That easily earns his attention. “I—”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Ajax cuts her off and extends an arm to her, “You almost cracked your head open, so we need to go to the infirmary. Can you stand?”

Truthfully, her legs are a bit shaky and her head is spinning, and it makes her question whether she’d be able to push herself to stand at all, but she doesn’t want to trouble the ginger further. Especially when this small accident is caused by her carelessness.

Lumine swallows. “Yes, I—” she widens her eyes when Ajax bends down to carry her in a bridal style. “Hey!” she protests, blush creeping up to her cheeks when the crowd begins to whisper.

Ajax sighs when she squirms around. “Hold still, won’t you, ojou-chan? I promise this will save us more time.”

“Hey, guys, wait—” Thoma calls out from behind them worriedly.

“We’ll be okay!” Ajax replies over his shoulder, already walking away once the girl in his arms calms down. “Tell the teachers in our stead, alright?”

Without waiting for any replies, he disappears from everyone’s sight, bringing along the now embarrassed girl with him.

Lumine would never admit this out loud, but Ajax’s warmth is comforting. She’d be fast asleep if she didn’t have any dignities left within her, so she tries hard to stay awake as Ajax quickly maneuvers himself among several students throughout the corridors.

Turns out, everyone has entered their first break, which explains why most students aren’t in their respective classes. There aren’t many routes that can be chosen to go to the infirmary, so they have no choice but to let themselves be seen by many curious eyes.

On the surface, Ajax seems to be too composed. He waltzes around without too much effort, as though carrying a girl is something that he’d do in his pastime.

She somehow ends up asking him that.

“Oh, this?” He smiles down at her, playfully loosening his grip around her, making her squeak.

“Ajax!” She intuitively grasps his shirt.

He laughs amusedly, earning a pout from her. “I have three younger siblings at home. I’m already used to carrying them around.”

Warmth fills Lumine’s chest upon knowing that he’s an older brother. She’s always had a soft spot for people who have good relations with their families, as it reminds her of her own twin, Aether.

“…I see.”

When Ajax makes a right turn at the corner, Lumine speaks again.

“I’m sorry for bumping into you,” she mumbles, hiding her face and unintentionally catching a whiff of the scent that comes from his neck. “And… thanks for carrying me. Although it’s not that necessary,” she continues, trying her best not to ogle at the exposed part of his collarbone. Come to think of it—he’s not even wearing his uniform properly. His shirt is untucked, his sleeves are rolled until his elbows, his tie is hanging loosely around his neck, and he even leaves the top two buttons of his shirt undone. There’s also a lone, red earring at his left ear, dangling freely with each of his steps.

His eyes suddenly flicker down at her, and she half-expects him to tease her with a typical, cheesy line such as “like what you see?”, for she’s pretty certain that he’s aware of her… well, ogling.

To her surprise, he doesn’t comment on that. “It’s okay. I’m not really hurt,” he swipes his tongue across his lips. “My mouth’s fine, too, see? Just a little blood. It’s nothing compared to my usual wounds.”

“Usual wounds?” Lumine asks. Ajax falters slightly in his steps at that.

“More importantly, we need to take a look at you,” he evades the question, “I might’ve protected your head, but you still hit your back against the floor, didn’t you?”

“Well… yeah, but – “

“We’re here!” He then cheerfully announces. True to his word, the door to the infirmary is right before their eyes. “Are you ready, comrade?”

Lumine rolls her eyes playfully. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

With another bubbly laugh, the ginger slides the door open to the side, drawing the attention of the school’s nurses. “Well,” he smirks at her. “Just in case.”

A nurse quickly asks about their conditions and leads them to one of the beds after Ajax insists that Lumine needs it more than him. After tending the small cut on their lips, a tall, young doctor appears with a smile.

“Oh?” Dr. Baizhu, the school’s doctor, blinks. “I didn’t expect to see a young couple here on the first day of school.”

“We’re not a couple,” Lumine answers quickly.

Dr. Baizhu hums, “Soulmates, then?”

For some reason, Lumine can’t bring herself to refute him or even steal a glance at Ajax, so a beat of awkward silence passes through them. Dr. Baizhu chuckles and waves a hand, “My apologies, I was just trying to lighten the atmosphere. Gui had told me about the incident.” He turns at Ajax, “This young man over here seems fine, but I’d still need your cooperation to get a thorough check-up.”

Ajax casts a wary glance at Lumine and huffs. “If I look fine, then I’m fine.”

“I have to disagree with that logic.” Dr. Baizhu shakes his head, glasses flashing. “I’d appreciate it if you don’t argue with me, Mr. Alekseevich. The last time you did that, you—”

Ajax sighs loudly while undoing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt—drawing a startled gasp from Lumine—before tossing them to the other bed. “Fine, fine. Stop bringing it up and just finish this quickly,” he turns his face away and folds his arms across his now bare chest.

As Dr. Baizhu inspects the ginger while occasionally asking him several questions, Lumine also can’t resist checking him out with her own eyes. It’s almost as if she’s purely led by her instincts, as if she doesn’t have any choice but to obey. She doesn’t regret it, however.

This is her first time seeing such a well-built body of a guy her age, and it shouldn’t be weird, considering that he is also an athlete. His skin is almost as pale as snow, although he has some tan lines on certain parts of his body. Cute freckles are scattered across his back, just like the ones on his face. But one thing that catches Lumine off-guard is the fact that his body is adorned with many types of scars.

Lumine gulps. She understands that boys would often get into fights, but is it normal to have that many scars on such a young body? And judging from his interactions with the school’s doctor, it seems that this isn’t their first time meeting each other.

But who is she to pry? She barely knows him; she doesn’t have the right to do that. In fact, she definitely owes him now.

A blush rises on her face. Wait, didn’t they practically kiss back then?! She’s unsure whether it could be called as one, but it was her first, and it was painful as heck. Gone were her fantasies of a romantic, first kiss with her beloved one!

“That’s all, right?” Ajax says, cutting her train of thoughts. He’s already dressed, although he has yet to unbutton his shirt.

“Yes. You may now go back to class,” Dr. Baizhu replies patiently, before regarding Lumine with a polite smile. “Ms. Viatrix, it is your turn, but please wait a moment as I need to prepare some things.”

Lumine nods obediently, watching Dr. Baizhu slipping through the curtain that surrounds the infirmary bed, and then stares at Ajax expectantly, to which the boy stares back in confusion.

“Hm? What is it?” He gives her a crescent-eyed smile. “Are you scared? Do you want me to hold your hand?”

At his response, Lumine is almost convinced that maybe, this is the real reason why she has never talked with him before. “Keep it up and I’m going to kick you in the balls,” she grumbles. “And no, I’m not scared. It’s just—I might need to discard my clothes like you later, so I need you to go away or whatever.”

Ajax quirks a brow. “Are you afraid that you might be able to seduce me?”

“Ajax.”

The ginger laughs once more—he seems to be doing that a lot, she notices—and shrugs. “Alright, alright. Maybe I should go back to the gym to check on our belongings in the meantime.”

Lumine frowns. “You don’t need to do that. Ayaka and the others would be kind enough to bring them to the class.”

“Then I’ll go fetch us some drinks and come back here.”

“Thank you, but I’ll be fine without that.”

“…Then I’ll be waiting for you outside?”

Lumine gives him a look. “Why are you so insistent to be here? You just want an excuse to skip class, don’t you?”

For a while, Ajax observes her in silence, and Lumine almost finds herself drowning in those deep, blue eyes. “Nah,” he murmurs, before scrunching his nose. “It’s not that. I don’t know why, but I have a hunch that something bad will happen if we get… separated.”

Something deep within her agrees, but all she blurts out is, “…What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Well, another truth is that I need to hear what Dr. Baizhu has to say about your condition after your check-up,” Ajax stubbornly says. “You weren’t the only one who bumped into me, y’know? I should’ve been more careful, either. We’re both at fault here. Kinda.”

Honestly, Lumine doesn’t know if he’s truly being considerate or merely attempting to flatter her. Still, it’s quite nice to hear. “Alright,” she mumbles, opting to focus on her skirt. “Suit yourself.”

Ajax sends her a grateful smile before finally slipping himself past the curtain.

The sound of the infirmary door being closed affirms that Ajax has indeed left the room, and it doesn’t take Lumine a long time to suddenly feel a cold breeze washing over her body. And—it’s odd. Really odd. The weather isn’t supposed to be this chilly. Moreover, she shouldn’t be able to pinpoint how many steps that Ajax has taken the second he’d exited the room, but she could.

On his sixth step, Lumine’s heart clenches.

On his eleventh step, her ears are ringing and her lungs feel like they’re burning, and somehow, she could feel him slowly losing his composure out there, too.

And on his sixteenth step—pain explodes within her, and before she knows it, she’s screaming.

Everything fucking hurts. It hurts so much as though she has something inside her being ripped away from her. She’s thrashing around on the bed, and she’s probably knocked a thing or two from the counters beside her, but she couldn’t care less!

God, all she fucking wants at this moment is Ajax by her side!

“AJAX!” she screams his name at the top of her lungs, breathing hard as sweat rolls down her temple. The panicked nurses are trying to calm her down, which does nothing to lessen the pain. “AJAX!” she hollers once more, squeezing her eyes shut, “COME BACK HERE RIGHT AT THIS INSTANT, YOU IDIOT!”

As if on cue, the door to the infirmary is slammed open, rattling the walls and windows, and a whoosh of wind greets her face when the ginger slides the curtain hastily. He’s panting hard, bangs sticking on his forehead due to the sweat albeit she’s certain that he hasn’t done any marathons.

“Fuck!” He coughs and drops himself on his knees. For the next five minutes, aside from the murmurs from the nurses, the room is only filled with their ragged breathing and occasional coughs.

“…Impressive.”

In their messy state, Lumine and Childe throw a look at Dr. Baizhu who has been standing near his work desk. Atop of it, Lumine could make out an empty glass cup. Dark liquid—presumably coffee—is dribbling from the edge of the desk, proving that Dr. Baizhu had definitely knocked the cup off earlier, maybe because of shock.

“Wh-what…?” Lumine tries to ask for the context, but fails to utter a complete sentence as she is still recovering from the prior pain.

“Truly, I didn’t expect my small jest from earlier to become a reality,” he comments, voice laced with awe. “I don’t think I’ve heard any rebuttals from both of you back then, so I’d normally assume that you two have known about it all along. But, is it really the case?”

“Dr. Baizhu?” Lumine tries again weakly, “I’m… I’m afraid that I don’t follow you at all.”

Dr. Baizhu exhales and bows down slightly. “Pardon me for making assumptions. I should’ve been more outright,” he says solemnly, making Ajax and Lumine exchange a glance with one another. “Then, allow me to confirm something. Are both of you aware that you are soulmates?”

The moment those words escape Dr. Baizhu’s mouth, Lumine could swear that her world stops for a second.

“…Excuse me?”

Chapter Text

“Can you stop following me?”

Ajax displays his usual closed-eyed smile. “What gives you the impression that I’m following you?”

Lumine resists the urge to halt in her tracks and send him a glare over her shoulder. “Well, Ajax,” she begins in the calmest tone she could utter, “If you haven’t noticed, you’ve been walking in the same direction as me for the past five minutes.”

“Where are you heading, anyway?”

Rather than an answer, Lumine’s response sounds like a question. “Um, class?”

“Cool.” Ajax shrugs.

“…”

“…”

“Where are you heading?” Lumine asks suspiciously, this time stopping fully to cross her arms and squint at him in suspicion. Fortunately, Ajax’s own steps falter before their bodies could collide for the second time that day.

“Uh,” he then says unintelligently, “Class—?”

“Liar,” Lumine interjects. “You are following me, aren’t you?”

In that second, Ajax drops all of his pretense in front of her, before sighing with sagged shoulders. “Alright, I kind of am, but we’re actually in the same class. It can’t be helped,” he casually explains. “Besides, it makes things easier for us. You know, since we’re—"

Upon hearing that, Lumine shrieks and instinctively covers his mouth with her hand. “Idiot! I told you to not say it out loud!” she whispers heatedly, faint blush adorning her cheeks. She could feel the corner of Ajax’s lips quirking up in amusement, and then squeaks once more when something moist greets her palm. Withdrawing, she throws him a scandalous gaze and gasps, “You licked me!”

“Duh.” Ajax juts out a tongue playfully. “You covered my mouth.”

“That’s because you—!”

Without warning, Ajax drapes an arm around her shoulder, leaning down slightly to compensate for their height difference. He smiles at her grumpy face, but friendly isn’t the correct word to describe his expression. In fact, his smile doesn’t even reach his eyes, and it somehow sends chills down Lumine’s spine.

When he speaks next to her ear with a low voice, Lumine almost jumps. “Comrade,” he says. “You’re not the only one who’s shocked by this condition.”

The blonde gulps. “R-really?” she asks. With the way he’s been acting so nonchalantly, she finds his claim hard to believe.

Ajax nods, still beaming. “Yeah. Just because I don’t show it, doesn’t mean that I don’t feel that way. I also found it quite offending that you immediately ran away from me after Dr. Baizhu finished his explanation.”

Oh. Well, damn. She wouldn’t have thought that her impulsive action back then would cause some kind of misunderstanding. In her defense, the moment she’d heard Dr. Baizhu’s explanation, the only thing that emerged inside her mind was to prove Dr. Baizhu wrong; that the pain she felt when Ajax was away is a mere coincidence. There must be other explanation, she had insisted.

Because she refuses to believe that she and Ajax are soulmates. And to make the situations more complicated: their condition is considered as one of the abnormal cases in the history of soulmates.

Hence she’s currently stomping her way along the (thankfully) empty corridor towards the class in an attempt to escape the infirmary. Dr. Baizhu. Ajax. Reality.

But when she thinks about it, it was quite a stupid thing to do. Soulmate cases might not be Dr. Baizhu’s area of expertise, but he is still known as an experienced doctor. He probably had sensed her doubt, because he did tell them afterward to arrange a meeting with the school’s counselor, Ms. Yae Miko, who has handled multiple soulmate cases in the past.

“Pardon me for freaking out. It’s not every day that the school’s doctor would announce that I’ve found my soulmate.” Lumine huffs. “It’s nothing personal.”

“But that’s the thing!” Ajax points out with a slight pout. “You act like you don’t want to be my soulmate!”

Lumine eyes him in mild irritation. Is this really the right time to act like a kicked puppy? It’s kind of cute, but—Lumine, focus.

“Okay, Ajax, what the hell are you talking about?”

Perhaps, her words serve as an opening for Ajax to list every single of her ‘misdeeds’. He holds up a finger, “You tried to run away even though you knew it could hurt both of us.” He adds a second finger, “you seem bothered by the thought of me following you.” He holds up another finger, which Lumine hopes is the last one, “And you’ve been directing that sulky face at me all day.”

If he words it that way, it does sound like she’s being unfair. She can’t blame him if she somehow has offended him without being aware of it.

“I’m…” Lumine shifts her weight to another leg and rubs her arm guilty. Opting to focus at the school’s park that separates this open corridor with another corridor just right across them, she mumbles, “Sorry. It’s not you. I just… want some personal space whenever I’m stressed, but with our circumstances, it’s impossible.”

Since Ajax doesn’t immediately answer, for a brief moment, their silence is accompanied by the peaceful sound from the small fountain nearby, until Ajax hesitantly asks, “So… you don’t hate me?”

“Hate is a strong word.”

“Dislike, then.”

Lumine ponders about it temporarily, before she decides, “Can’t say that I like you, either.”

“Eh, that’s good enough for me.” That easy-going smile makes another appearance on Ajax’s face, and Lumine’s starting to realize that aside from laughing, this guy also smiles a lot. And it’s quite unsettling for her to not know whether he’s being genuine about it or not. At least, he seems to be the type of person who’s easy to please. “I usually don’t care much about other’s opinions about me, but you’re a different case. If we’re going to be stuck at each other’s side, the least we could do is to get along, you know?”

The blonde lets his words sink ever so slowly.

Stuck at each other’s side, he says.

“You’re right,” Lumine agrees blankly. “Oh my god, you’re right! How are we going to live normally like—” she gestures at them vaguely, “—like this?”

Ajax blinks. “Like this?”

“Like—the toilet! How are we supposed to go to the toilet later?” Lumine begins to babble. “Do we have to sit side-by-side too? How about lunchtime? How about practice? How about—” She gasps, covering her mouth. “Do we have to live together from now on?!”

When the boy before her bursts out laughing at her rambling, Lumine’s blood boils. “Is this really the right time to be laughing?”

Ajax laughter slowly dies down. “Sorry, sorry,” he says without actual remorse. “It’s kind of amusing to see this side of you.”

“What are you talking about?” she retorts dryly, clearly unimpressed.

Ajax huffs out small laughter. “Ojou-chan, this might be our first time talking with each other, but I know you. Everyone knows you,” he says. “You always seem so composed, and you look like someone who actually knows what you’re doing most of the time, if you get me.”

Lumine frowns. “Is that how you view me?”

“Not really. But apparently, everyone does,” Ajax replies. “I personally don’t like to judge people from their appearance. Looks can deceive. It’s not that hard to understand.” His eyes darken slightly. “In fact, I understand it all too well.”

The blonde decides not to comment on that as she has an inkling that he’s talking about something personal. “Your point?” she then asks.

“My point is,” the corner of his mouth quirks up, “that the Honor Student has an unexpected cute side.”

The blonde immediately splutters and glares at him. “W-what?! Stop joking around, can’t you see that we’re in a dire situation right now?!”

“Dire?” Ajax repeats; stares at her as if she’s the one who’s being incredulous. “Come on, comrade. Why don’t you see this as some kind of a challenge? This opportunity is quite hard to come by, isn’t it?” He grins at himself excitedly. “Can you imagine others’ priceless reactions once they found out about us? Hahaha!”

Lumine aggressively rubs her face. It’s no use. This guy is a huge weirdo. Or, rather, this is her first time meeting someone whose thought process is awfully unpredictable, if not absurd. This kind of person would probably still be laughing even when he was suddenly thrown into a deserted island. He’d definitely search for nearby coconuts after that, drink them under the scorching sun, grill a wild boar, build a house, and start living there like it’s the most normal thing to do.

Is this guy really her soulmate? Aren’t soulmates supposed to be compatible with each other?!

“You know what?” she scowls and drags him by his wrist. “We are going to Ms. Yae’s office right now.”

Ajax almost trips on his way to catch up with her. “Right now?” he widens his eyes. “You do realize that we’re skipping class, right? I personally don’t mind, but you, Miss Honor Stud—"

“Stop calling me that. I have a name,” she hisses at him and releases his hand once he has no problem with matching her steps. “And I’ll be fine. I’ll ask Ms. Yae Miko for a permission letter and give it to our homeroom teacher later.”

Ajax whistles, hands buried into his pockets. “Ah, right. Of course teachers love you.” When Lumine narrows her eyes at him, Ajax hastily adds with a sheepish smile, “Hey, don’t get me wrong, it’s not an insult. I just find it… remarkable that Honor Students can get away with everything. Unlike delinquents…” He scratches the back of his head. “…or something.”

She really doesn’t know how to respond to that. “You,” Lumine sighs, stopping once they arrive at their destination. “Are really confusing.”

Ajax good-naturedly shrugs. “It’s a part of my charm.”

With him giving her another smirk and her sending him another wry glance, she’s starting to believe that this is going to be a common exchange between the two of them.

She rolls her eyes, before softly knocking on the wooden door before her. It’s not long until a woman answers from the other side of the door. “Yes, come in.”

Lumine takes a gander at the boy beside her, wordlessly asking him whether he’s ready or not, to which Ajax nods at her. At his confirmation, Lumine nods back and proceeds to open the door, gulping as she does so. A pleasant breeze from the air conditioner inside the room washes over them, followed by a hint of floral scent—presumably from scented candles—which Lumine recognizes as Sakura Blooms.

Despite having passed the room several times in her first year, this is Lumine’s first time actually stepping her feet into Ms. Yae Miko’s office, as she’s never felt the need to do some counseling. The room is more spacious than she thought; the warm atmosphere of its interior enticing enough to drop one’s guard. There’s a classic vinyl record player, placed on a wooden table beside a tall bookcase. The gentle lull of classical piano music permeates through the air; hypnotizing and relaxing. If not for the soft creak from Ms. Yae’s seat, Lumine probably wouldn’t have noticed her.

“Oh my,” Ms. Yae smiles, lavender eyes shining cryptically while setting down her teacup on the table in an elegant manner. “Welcome. Please have a seat.”

Lumine hesitantly eyes the plush-looking sofas in the room. She nudges Ajax with her elbow, and Ajax interprets it as a sign to close the door. Awkwardly, they take the counselor’s offer and sit beside each other.

Ms. Yae takes a final sip of her tea before rising to her feet, approaching the teenagers. The way she moves so calmly versus the way Ajax and Lumine are fidgeting nervously could probably serve as a comedic sight if anyone walked into the scene.

“So,” she suddenly sits on a single sofa across from them, a tablet on her lap. “Mr. Alekseevich and Ms. Viatrix, what brings you here?”

“You… you know us?” Lumine blinks in surprise.

The pink-haired woman chuckles. “Of course. Coincidentally, Dr. Baizhu has just mailed me the gist of your special condition minutes ago,” she explains, eyes darting towards Ajax. “He seems to care a lot about you, Mr. Alekseevich. Quite proud of your development, I must say.”

Ajax gives her a tense smile, and that’s Lumine’s cue for altering the topic, no matter how much she’s itching to ask about the context. She reminds herself once again that she and Ajax are merely acquaintances. “Ms. Yae Miko, we are here to seek the truth,” Lumine says determinedly. “Dr. Baizhu told us that we might be… s-soulmates, and that the pain we felt when we were separated wasn’t a coincidence, but I still have my doubts.”

“Doubts?” Ms. Yae asks.

“Yes. I heard that the only way to find one’s soulmate is through physical contact, but I didn’t feel anything that suggests we’re soulmates when we first... touched each other.”

Ms. Yae hums. “What kind of physical contact did you experience, if I may ask?”

“She bumped into me,” Ajax jabs a thumb towards the blonde. “And we sort of kissed—”

“I said I’m sorry, didn’t I?” Lumine interjects, “And w-we didn’t kiss! We just happened to crash our mouths together and even cut them open!”

“I swear you tried to move your lips!”

“You’re one to talk! It was an attempt to scream on my part!”

Ms. Yae Miko’s amused chuckle reminds them that they’re not alone and prompts them to sit further from each other with equally pink cheeks. “Oh my, youths these days are so spirited,” she comments, making both Lumine and Ajax a bit flustered. “I might have an idea of what’s happening, but would you mind if I ask both of you several questions?”

After Lumine and Ajax voice out their affirmations, Ms. Yae Miko starts to fire one question after another. It’s all answered smoothly, for there aren’t any personal inquiries unlike what Lumine has assumed. By the time they’re finished, Ms. Yae Miko has finished taking notes on her tablet and nods to herself.

When she looks up from her gadget, she seems mildly entertained by the situation, and Lumine doesn’t know whether it’s a good thing or not. “Thank you for your cooperation. Everything is becoming clearer, and I think it’s safe to draw a conclusion from your stories. Though, I will still need both of you to come here regularly, so that I can monitor the stability of your bond.”

“Stability… of our bond?” Lumine parrots back.

“Correct. Before we get on to that part, I need you to know that Dr. Baizhu is right—both of you are indeed soulmates,” Ms. Yae Miko announces without beating around the bush. She doesn’t let them process the information by continuing, “Both of you have confirmed that you’ve felt a brief, yet pleasurable feeling the moment your lips touched. Specifically, it was as though your life suddenly felt complete.” She taps on her tablet screen. “It might sound dramatic, but it's nature's way to alert someone that the other person they touch is their soulmate.”

Lumine subconsciously swallows.

“Normally, that feeling would last long enough for both parties to realize that they’re soulmates. However, your condition is indeed a special one.” Ms. Yae smiles. “To put it simply, your brains were too focused on the pain that came afterward, hence that special feeling of being touched by your soulmate for the first time got pushed down.”

“…Oh,” Lumine croaks out unintelligently, feeling extremely embarrassed for reasons unknown. Suddenly, she’s all too aware of Ajax’s presence beside her, and the word soulmate no longer feels like speculation nor a joke.

Ajax then speaks up after being silent for a while. “Then… what about the pain that we felt when we separated?”

“Ah, that? You don’t have to worry, it’s just a side-effect of your special condition.” Ms. Yae’s face brightens up. “The bond between soulmates doesn’t usually cause harm and impairment in social, academic, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Bonds that don’t fall into this category are considered abnormal. If some conditions aren’t treated right, they could possibly cause clinically significant distress.”

The corner of Lumine’s mouth twitches. Why does this whole soulmate business sound graver than she initially thought?

“There are various types of abnormal soulmate cases in this world. For instance, a pair of soulmates might be able to hear each other’s thoughts, and another pair might be able to sense their partner’s emotions regardless of the distance… If you’d like to feed your curiosity, you can find more examples on the internet,” Ms. Yae swiftly swipes down on her tablet screen. “As I said, those cases might not seem much, but some people would feel mentally exhausted from constantly hearing their partner’s muses, and some would have sleeping problems if they’re frequently exposed to their partner’s emotions.”

“That sounds… bad,” Lumine remarks. She begins to understand why those cases are called the abnormal ones.

Ms. Yae shifts slightly in her seat, and then directly gazes at them. “Ms. Viatrix and Mr. Alekseevich, your case might also be considered abnormal, since the separation between soulmates shouldn’t inflict physical pain by any means, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be fixed through therapies.”

Finally! The good news that Lumine’s been searching for!

“Oh, thank you so much, Ms. Yae. That’s… that’s a huge relief. I can’t imagine being stuck to someone's side, literally, for the rest of my life,” Lumine exhales and slumps in her seat.

“Hey! I find it offensive!” Ajax protests.

“I said literally, Ajax. Spending your whole life with someone doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be right by their side 24/7!”

Ajax pouts slightly and folds his arms across his chest; not far too dissimilar to a child. Then, he perks up. “Wait, does that mean you won’t mind spending your whole life with me in a normal way—?”

“What?!” Lumine squawks, earning a belly laugh from the ginger. “I didn’t even say your name—god, what’s with that big ego of yours?!”

“I see,” Ms. Yae suddenly comments, “This is one of the instances that shows why both of you are suited to be each other’s halves.”

Lumine clears her throat loudly before she could burst in that very moment from all of these soulmate talks. “In any case, Ms. Yae, I’m very curious about these therapies that you spoke of.”

The pink-haired counselor once again smiles. “Terrific question, Ms. Viatrix. Did you remember me saying something about the stability of your bond?”

Without having to rack her brain, Lumine nods eagerly. “Oh, yes!”

“Alright. Truth be told, in order to decide the most effective treatment for your condition, we need to conduct several assessments.” Ms. Yae admits. “Most abnormal soulmate cases stem from two parties who have an abnormally strong bond, and the strength of these bonds is formed based on a person’s psychological and physiological condition the moment that physical contact is initiated.”

“So, basically, first meetings or first touches are everything? Is that what you’re trying to say?” Ajax asks, receiving a surprised glance from Lumine. Oh. This guy looks like a happy-go-lucky person from the outside, but he’s surprisingly sharp.

Is that why he said that he understands the concept of ‘looks can deceive’ all too well earlier? Is that because people would usually misunderstand him?

Ms. Yae beams proudly. “Why, that’s right, Mr. Alekseevich. There are lots of things to unpack from your condition, but your first physical touches with one another left quite an impression, did it not? It might come to a point where your bodies remember that feeling all too perfectly and refuse any form of separation. A pretty strong foundation for a strong bond.”

Ajax rubs his chin and hums. “Can I assume that the strength of our bond is at its peak right now?”

Ms. Yae Miko locks her gadget and nods for the umpteenth time that day. “Yes. Bonds are just like temperatures; they can be measured to a certain degree. As of now, you will need therapies that can stabilize your bond. Once that is achieved, hopefully, both of you will no longer feel any pain due to separation.”

“Wait, wait!” Lumine cuts them off, “So, if we touched each other for the first time in a normal way, we could’ve prevented this abnormal condition from happening?”

“Yes and no,” Ms. Yae replies without a beat. “I must remind you that someone’s psychological state also contributes to the strength of the bond. There are a lot of factors as well, and I’m afraid that both of you will fall asleep if I were to mention it one by one. In other words, even soulmate experts can’t predict the exact outcomes of every different meeting.”

Lumine covers her face with her hand. “This is more complicated than I thought,” she bemoans. “I can’t believe this is happening to me.”

“No, it’s actually really interesting,” Ajax muses, eyes glinting. “The scientific side of soulmates… it’s not something that can be understood easily, but it’s challenging. I like it.”

“You just like challenges, don’t you?” Lumine retorts.

“Bingo! You just learned one new thing about me, Miss Honor Student!” Ajax laughs, to which Lumine lets out a deep sigh.

“Ms. Yae, I… I think I need a break. It’s too much for me,” she confesses regrettably. “Is it possible to postpone the assessments to another day?”

Ms. Yae chuckles, “I don’t see why not, Ms. Viatrix. In fact, assessments must be done in your best state. However,” she then winks playfully, “since stabilizing your bond would take time, both of you would have no choice but to endure being by each other’s side in the meantime.”

At her words, Lumine’s shoulders sag down. “This is the worst. If only there’s a limit to how far we could separate, even if it’s only for a few meters…” she absently complains, but upon hearing that, Ajax stills.

“Come to think of it, back in the infirmary, we didn’t feel any pain when we were a few steps away from each other,” he points out, receiving a hopeful gaze from Lumine.

“Ajax!” She says energetically. “You’re being clever today!”

“I… thanks?”

Ms. Yae’s brow arches. “Oh… goodness, now this is a detail that I have yet to hear from Dr. Baizhu. How many steps did it take for both of you to feel immense pain?”

For a while, Ajax and Lumine fall into silence, but then speak in unison, “Sixteen.” 

They stare at each other, dumbfounded.

“Miss Honor Student, you were inside the infirmary. How would you even know how many steps that I took?” Ajax asks her.

“I have no idea either, but I just know, okay?” Lumine huffs. “And speak for yourself—were you really counting your own steps when you walked out of the room? Is that your personal hobby?”

“No! Why would I do that?” Ajax defends himself. “It’s the same as you, I guess. I just know. It’s like there was an automatic warning bell inside me when I walked away from you.”

Ms. Yae is now scribbling furiously on her tablet with a smile on her face. “My my, how interesting. This information might be useful for your future treatment.” She clasps her hands together afterward. “Ideally, I’d love to test how far both of you could handle being away from each other, but I don’t have Dr. Baizhu with me right now in case something happens. After all, treating human bodies is out of my league.”

“…Are we going to be lab rats from now on?” Lumine asks wryly.

Ms. Yae chuckles behind her hand. “Not quite. You can consider this as some sort of endurance training.”

The blonde laughs humorlessly. “Very reassuring, Ms. Yae.”

“Regardless, I hope both of you can stick around each other without problems,” the counselor says. “Since avoiding physical pain is our top priority, for now, let’s establish fifteen steps as the farthest distance that both of you can handle. How does that sound, hm?”

If memory serves her right, even the first ten steps away from Ajax could already make her feel restless. The more distance they have between them, the more pain they’d feel, with sixteen being the exact number when pain practically burst within them. This makes fifteen a very dangerous number, considering what’s about to come if they accidentally go beyond that number.

Truthfully, Lumine’d rather not be separated from Ajax at all if it means she could avoid any kind of physical pain, but she can’t see herself admitting it out loud.

“Alright. I don’t mind,” Lumine acquiesces.

Ajax gives her a thoughtful side-glance, before shrugging. “If she’s fine by that, then okay.”

Unsure how to respond to him, Lumine hastily jumps up to her feet. “Would you look at the time! Lunchtime is around the corner!” she declares, before bowing down slightly to Ms. Yae. “Ms. Yae, thank you so much for your help, but we need to go back to class.”

The corner of Ms. Yae Miko’s mouth curves up. “No worries. You’ve been through a lot today, so I’ll be the one who handles the permission letter for your absence in today’s class. You may come back here after three to seven days.”

“Ah, thanks a lot, Ms. Yae.” Ajax nods gratefully.

“In exchange,” Ms. Yae adds, making the teenagers flinch slightly. “Ms. Viatrix, do visit the infirmary when you have the time. I heard from Dr. Baizhu that you already ran away before he could do a thorough check-up on you. He told me that you fell on your back this morning.” She gives them a teasing smile. “What an impactful first kiss that both of you had.”

While red adorns Lumine’s face, Ajax seems to be growing more immune to Ms. Yae’s teasing. “Don’t worry, Ms. Yae. I’ll make sure to ask for a more proper kiss from her next ti—ow! Lumine, what was that for?”

Without answering him, Lumine puffs out her cheek and storms out of the counseling room.

“Oh, one more thing,” Ms. Yae calls out from behind them, “The permission letter is valid until the end of the day, so you may use this opportunity however you wish!”

“Lumine.”

“...”

“Miss Honor Student?”

“...” The frown between Lumine’s brows deepens.

Ajax pokes her cheek with a pouty tone. “Ojou-chan, why aren’t you talking to me?”

Lumine swats his hand and grumbles, “I will once you stop pestering me about the kiss along the way.”

“Noted. Then, I will remind you about it at another time.”

“That’s not—” Lumine raises her tone, before sighing. “Forget it. You’re hopeless.”

Lunchtime has indeed come, evident by other students loitering around the school. Passing the canteen, Lumine’s stomach growls upon smelling the delicious waft of food. She happens to forget to bring her lunch today, and it wouldn’t hurt to finally eat something after everything that has happened.

But going into the canteen together means being perceived by countless pairs of eyes. Lumine’s not sure if she’s ready for that.

“You’re hungry, aren’t you?” Ajax asks. 

“...Mm,” Lumine shyly admits. “There are too many people at the canteen, so… um, do you mind if we grab something from the vending machine for now? We can go to the canteen once class starts.”

“I don’t mind, but—” Ajax pauses when he senses something wrong. “Miss Honor Student, did you just invite me to skip another class again?”

“I-I don’t usually do this, okay?!” Lumine says, “It’s just—you heard what Ms. Yae said before we left the room, didn’t you? Maybe it’s best for us to discuss everything about how we should present ourselves before others. Sooner or later, people are going to find out about us.” She lowers her head. “And… I need time to accept all of this.”

The ginger rubs the back of his neck. “If you word it that way…” he sighs. “Okay, okay. How about we eat on the rooftop?”

And this is how they find themselves sitting under the hooded part of the school’s rooftop while munching on their snack bars. Around them, there are a few couples and a group of friends that immediately recognize them, but Lumine can still handle that. As long as she and Ajax don’t do anything funny… the inevitable rumors won’t be too bad. Probably.

“Ah. I just remembered something,” Lumine mutters, gentle breeze caressing her hair and face. “Yoimiya said this morning that fate is a beautiful mystery, and that anything could happen in just an hour.” She looks up to the sky, absently watching the white cotton that decorates the blue canvas. “But I brushed her off, and now, I kind of regret that.”

Ajax softly laughs. “At least, thanks to ‘fate’, I finally have an excuse to talk to you.”

Lumine, who’s starting to get sleepy, instantly tenses and snaps her neck towards the boy. “R-really?” She asks, oddly feeling a bit happy.

“Yeah. Our group of friends somehow know each other, but I find it weird that we’ve never even talked,” Ajax says. 

“Then, how come you’ve never said hi first?”

“I thought that you simply never cared about me.” Ajax shrugs. “And I don’t have any strong reason to talk to you, either.”

To be fair, she thinks the same. “Funny how fate basically forces us to talk to each other through a rather unconventional way,” she muses.

“Yeah. And I’m still waiting for that proper second kiss.”

“You’re at it again?” She scrunches her face, playfully shoving him away. “Why do you want me to kiss you that badly? Do you already have feelings for me, Alekseevich?”

“And you said that I have a big ego,” Ajax grins, receiving another shove from her. “Kisses don’t have to involve feelings, Miss Honor Student. And we’re not even talking about feelings here—I just want you to give back my first kiss properly so that we’re even.”

Lumine snorts. “First kiss? I find it hard to believe.”

“...What kind of person do you think I am?”

She ignores him, “And I thought you’ve already forgiven me!”

All of a sudden, Ajax tilts her face by the chin, brings himself closer until their noses brush against each other, and murmurs with a snicker, “Did I explicitly say that?”

Eyes sliding to his mouth, Lumine almost forgets how to breathe at the thought of slotting their lips once more—this time with intent; with more controlled pressure. She unconsciously gulps and speaks with a hint of timbre in her voice, “Y-you’re too close, people will see—”

Ajax’s husky voice greets her ears, “It’s precisely because everyone has left that I can do this, Lumine.”

Lumine gulps. “O-oh.” Oh indeed. What is she going to do with that information, anyway? Immediately fulfill his demand?

As though hearing her thoughts, Ajax smirks. “So? What are you going to do?”

She could punch him and tell him to back off, but would it be fair when all he asks is merely a harmless kiss? As he said, it doesn’t have to involve feelings. If this is all that Lumine has to do in order to earn his forgiveness, then… it’s going to be fine, right?

After an intense moment of quietude, Ajax’s confidence gradually crumbles. “You know what, forget tha—mmph?!”

Their lips press awkwardly against one another for the second time that day.

Second-times should be better than first-times, but Lumine doesn’t know if she could even call this kiss a proper one. It doesn’t even last for more than five seconds, because honestly, Lumine forgets that the cuts on their lips are still healing. Rather than pleasant, their second kiss feels almost as painful as the first one.

Pushing him away by his shoulder, Lumine hisses and fans her mouth with her hand as if it’d lessen the sting. “Ow, ow, ow… that was a bad idea! I should’ve done that after our cuts completely heal!”

Ajax deadpans at her while rubbing his lips. “Your fault for smashing our mouths. Can’t you at least be a little bit gentler?”

“Shut up! You have no say in this if you’re also inexperienced!” she grouses with pink cheeks. She then stands up while averting his eyes. “I… I swear I’ll do better next time! Until then, you’ll have to wait. I’ll show you what a real kiss is!” she huffs, before stomping in the direction of the stairs.

Blinking at the blonde in disbelief, Ajax scurries to match his steps with hers and laughs with a shake of head. “You know, I was just half-joking,” he admits, shoulder still shaking from laughter. “But seeing your determination, I don’t have the heart to refuse you. So,” he lowers his body and slings an arm around her shoulder, “I’ll be looking forward to that, Miss Honor Student.”

She wiggles herself from his touch and mutters, “Whatever. Get away from me.”

He smiles. “We both know that it’s impossible.”

“...Fuck.”

Chapter Text

“I’m gonna win for sure.”

“Let’s see if luck’s on your side, pretty boy.”

“…You think I’m pretty?”

A beat. “That’s beside the point.”

“Aha! You didn’t deny it—“

“Can you just do it already, Ajax?” Lumine explodes with a tint of pink on her cheeks. Ajax cackles at her outburst—a thing that he’s been doing whenever Lumine takes his teasing a bit too seriously. If someone thought that she’d have gotten used to it already: they’re wrong. The fact that this is only their first day together is already giving her a headache. Lumine wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up with high blood pressure at the end of the month—all because of him.

“Alright, alright, I’ll do it seriously,” Ajax grips the coin in his fingers tighter, “Since you called me pretty.”

Lumine scowls. “Has anyone ever shoved a coin into your mouth? If not, I’ll gladly be your first.”

“I’ll be looking forward to that,” Ajax retorts with a smirk. Before she could utter another jab, the ginger tosses the coin effortlessly, drawing both of their attention as it dances dramatically in the air. When it eventually falls, both of them unconsciously hold their breath, eyes unblinking so that they won’t miss the result.

The coin spins and spins, as though taking its time to mock them, and then—

Ajax pumps a fist in the air, while Lumine groans out loud. “I WIN!” He shouts triumphantly, shooting her a brazen grin. “Look! The head’s facing up!”

Scowl deepening, Lumine replies with a bitter tone, “You just used all of your luck for that one toss.”

“Now, don’t be a sore loser, ojou-chan,” Ajax says, not bothering to hide his joy. “As promised, the winner will be the one who chooses the place for our sleepover tonight.”

At his words, Lumine gulps while staring at him solemnly, eyebrows pulled tautly, and lips pressed into a thin line. In all honesty, Lumine has no clue whether sleeping in her place would be better than staying at Ajax’s house, and vice versa. Each decision has its pros and cons, after all, and both situations would require them to tell their family about their abnormal condition. Ajax told her earlier that he has a big family, and she’s not sure if she’s ready to be introduced to them as Ajax’s soulmate this soon. On the other hand, while Lumine only has Aether by her side, she can’t help but feel worried about Aether's reactions later. Ajax does seem to be the type of guy who can get on Aether’s nerves, and knowing boys, an unnecessary fight is the last thing Lumine wants to happen.

But still, Lumine lost their mini-game fair and square. All she can do now is to surrender her fate to Ajax’s decision, as dramatic as it sounds.

“Alright. So I’ve decided…” Ajax tells her, dragging her out of her muses. “...That your place is our best bet right now. And my parents are used to me having a sudden sleepover, so they won’t mind.”

Lumine takes a deep inhale and nods. “Okay,” she breathes out. “Okay. Good luck with my brother, then.”

“Is he really that bad?” Ajax asks genuinely without a hint of judgment on his face. Huh, for someone who claims that he’s not judgemental, he really keeps his words.

“He’s just…” Lumine licks her lips, searching for a suitable word to describe her twin. “...A bit overprotective. Yeah, that’s it.”

“As an older brother, I somehow can relate,” the ginger shrugs. “I understand. I’m sure that it’s nothing I can’t handle, though.”

“At least you have the confidence,” Lumine snickers and starts walking in the direction of their class. “Alright, let’s retrieve our bags and head towards the bus stop after that.”

“...We’re using the bus?” Ajax blinks while trying to match their steps.

“Uh, yes? I mean, it’s the cheapest option that we—”

“Nah, it’s not that,” he interrupts with a hand wave. “The thing is… I just can’t leave my own bike at school, now can I?”

An image of Ajax riding a bike with a toast in his mouth every morning pops inside her mind, prompting an involuntary smile to emerge on her face. “Oh? That’s interesting. Think that I could get a free ride?”

Ajax smiles excitedly. “Of course! Malyshka is enough for two people.”

Lumine deadpans. “…You name your own bike?”

“Hey! What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing. I don’t know why, but since it’s you, it doesn’t really surprise me.”

“That doesn’t sound like a compliment,” Ajax mutters. “Doesn’t matter. Once you see her, Malyshka will change your opinion, for sure.”

“Looking forward to it,” Lumine dryly responds, before pausing, “Wait. Did you just refer to your bike as her—?”

Lumine is not looking forward to this.

“Ajax,” She begins with a smile, mouth twitching, “This isn’t a bike.”

Ajax quirks a brow at her with a helmet in his hand. “What do you mean? Malyshka is a bike.”

“It’s a sports bike. A motorbike,” Lumine stresses out with a hiss, balling her hands into fists. A ridiculously expensive one at that, but she bites back that claim just in time.  “You’re riding a sports motorbike to school!” She exclaims instead.

“Eh, same thing,” Ajax shrugs dismissively. He pushes his bangs back and puts on his helmet with ease. “Bikes or motorbikes, I mean. And I’m not the only person who does this in our school, so don’t even try to pull your Honor Student card on me, ojou-chan.”

“That’s not a thing. And I’m not a student council member either, I don’t have that privilege.” She rolls her eyes, absently accepting a spare helmet that Ajax thrusts in her direction. “I can still report you to Kujou Sara, though—“

“Anything but her,” Ajax cuts her off with a sigh. “She’s a maniac for rules, I can’t stand her.”

Although not voicing it out loud, Lumine has to agree. Sara is a good friend, but as the head of the student council’s discipline committee, she can be… quite troublesome when it comes to rules, even by Lumine’s standard.

This was proven just minutes ago. When Ajax and Lumine were about to search for their bags in the class, they were stopped by Sara in the hallway. Turns out, Yoimiya handed their bags to the student council because she and Ayaka failed to find Lumine’s whereabouts for a whole day. Hence their bags ended up in Sara’s possession, albeit temporary.

Sara is, fortunately, a responsible person, so Lumine has no slightest worry about other people digging through her bag or damaging it. Especially not under Sara’s watch.

Sara, however, is a persistent person—she refused to give their belongings back until she was certain that Ajax and Lumine hadn't been ditching classes on purpose. It was only when Ajax vaguely explained about their arrangements with Dr. Baizhu and Ms. Yae Miko that Sara had finally let them go.

“Well, you managed to send her off just fine,” Lumine teases, before putting the helmet on. “You’re the type of person who can get out of problems easily, aren’t you?”

Ajax, already seated on his bike, beams. “It’s a basic survival skill. I can purposefully get myself into trouble as easily as I can get myself out of them.”

Lumine deadpans. “I’m not sure if purposefully getting yourself into trouble counts as a survival skill…”

The ginger snorts. “Whatever. Just hop on already, Miss Honor Student,” he says, jabbing a thumb to the backseat. Seeing the height and the size of the bike makes Lumine gulp.

“Is it… is it really safe?”

“Don’t worry, I used to take my dad—who’s twice your size, by the way—around the neighborhood with this when I first learned how to drive it.”

“You’re insane,” Lumine huffs, but his words actually appease the apprehension within her. Gripping Ajax’s arm tightly, Lumine manages to get onto the vehicle with one swift move; surprised at how easy it actually is. Excitement mixed with anticipation suddenly bubbles inside her, as this is her first time riding this type of motorbike.

Ajax chuckles and says over his shoulder. “There you go. Hold on tight, alright?”

Lumine stutters. “Hold on… Wh-where?”

“Just put your hands on my waist, I don’t mind. It’s safer that way,” Ajax responds. Lumine follows his instruction with red cheeks, her trembling hands shyly grasping either side of his shirt.

“Is this okay?” She swallows.

“Yeah. You can put your arms around me if you’re still scared,” he replies. Although his voice is slightly muted because of his helmet, Lumine can hear his infuriating smirk.

“You wish.”

“It’s all about safety, ojou-chan.” He laughs. “I promise I’ll drive slower.”

“As you should,” Lumine grumbles.

As Ajax takes her out of the parking lot, Lumine begins to realize that the parking lot isn’t as empty as she originally thought. Perhaps, she was so fixated on Ajax’s bike that she failed to notice her surroundings. The helmets might be able to conceal their faces along the way, but it’s possible that people had seen them way before they got onto the bike.

Considering how popular Ajax is, Lumine’s already prepared to hear everyone talking about Ajax giving the Honor Student a ride back home.

But that doesn't matter. As long as they get out of here quickly—

“Hey! Isn’t that Ajax?!”

Lumine facepalms. Great. Itto’s here.

Heeding that loud, obnoxious voice, Ajax slows down and turns his head towards a blue cruiser bike that is approaching them from beside. Itto waves energetically at the ginger, his resounding guffaw attracting several heads in their direction, making Lumine want to dig up a hole and hide there.

“Chill down, man,” Ajax grimaces.

“I am chill!” Itto shouts back, contradicting his claim. Then, his jaws slacken. “Whoa! Wait a second! I never thought that you’d finally let a girl ride your baby!”

“Baby?” Lumine whispers incredulously.

Ajax whispers back a bit sheepishly, “Malyshka means baby in Snezhnayan.” Clearing his throat, he gestures at Itto with his chin. “I think I should be more concerned about that cruiser. Isn’t that Kaeya’s?” he asks back, smoothly changing the topic.

Thankfully, Itto takes the bait. “Huh? Oh, yeah! He said that I could play with Adrienne for a while—”

Lumine chortles. “He names his bike Adrienne?”

“—But no worries, he’s gonna be back with the boys soon,” Itto continues. With Lumine wheezing in the background, he pats Adrienne’s tank with a whistle. “Gotta say, this isn’t bad at all. When I have my own bike, it’s gonna be a whole lot cooler though.”

Ajax rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Listen, we gotta go now. See ya—”

“Oh? Are my eyes deceiving me? Are those really Ajax and Lumine?”

Flinching, Ajax and Lumine snap their necks toward a group of people who somehow pop out behind Itto, and much to their horror, they consist of their close friends with Kaeya leading the group. Even Yoimiya and Ayaka are also there, surprise etched on their faces.

“Lumine!” Yoimiya exclaims. “We finally found you!”

“What’s happening?” Thoma asks, looking lost.

“Interesting. They disappeared for a whole day, and now they’re going home together.” Kaeya smirks. “Are we missing something here?”

Oh, they’ve missed a lot of things alright. But now is not the right time to disclose their real situation. There’s no way Lumine can suddenly tell them, “Oh, nothing much! I found out that Ajax is my soulmate through an accidental kiss and somehow we have to live side-by-side now for an uncertain period of time!”

So, Lumine pats Ajax’s shoulder and calmly orders, “Ajax, drive. Fast.”

“But you said you wanted me to go slow—”

“Now,” Lumine says through gritted teeth.

In a second, the grumble of the bike’s machine resonates in the air, startling everyone in the vicinity, and before Lumine knows it, the bike moves forward with no warning. Lumine squeaks and scrambles to hug his waist tightly, unawarely pressing her breasts against his back. It’s not long until they reach the city’s main road after passing through a horde of students who are walking on the sidewalks.

After a moment, Ajax speaks, sounding a bit embarrassed. “Uh… Lumine? Are you that scared?”

“…No?” Lumine says. “Why do you ask?”

“Well… there’s something soft pressing against my back, so I assume that you’re still hugging me—ow!”

“Perv!” She spits out, cheeks burning while straightening her body.

“Sorry, sorry. Let’s just pretend it was your bag, yeah?”

“Shut up.” She grumbles. “And you’re actually going the opposite way of my place.”

Ajax groans, and Lumine agrees without him having to say his thoughts out loud.

Her place isn’t even that far from school, but this ride is going to be a long one.

Lumine’s place is a quaint, two-story townhouse; its exterior adorned with red bricks and vines that seem to be taken care of consistently. Low metal fence surrounds the relatively small yard in front of the house, which is big enough for Ajax to park his motorbike there. Once Lumine jumps down from the bike and hands back Ajax’s spare helmet, she stretches her limbs with a sigh.

“Oh, that was quite uncomfortable,” she grouses under her breath.

“You were the one who forced yourself to sit up straight along the ride,” Ajax comments while peeling his helmet off and taming his hair after that.

“Better than fueling your perverted fantasies.”

“Ojou-chan,” Ajax starts slowly, as though talking to someone with a limited brain capacity. “If I wanted to become a pervert, I would’ve sped up a little bit more to make you hug me.” He points a finger at her when Lumine opens her mouth. “Hey! I said if. I didn’t actually do it!”

“I don’t trust someone who could think of a perverted plan in a short time,” she scowls.

“But it is a flawless plan—” Ajax halts himself when Lumine glares daggers at him. “I mean… a flawless plan for perverts?” He grins unapologetically.

After narrowing her eyes at him for a few seconds, Lumine shakes her head and opts to fetch her door keys from her bag. “Just come in already,” she says dryly once the door is opened with a creak.

Tailing excitedly behind her like an overgrown dog, Ajax releases an appreciative whistle as he regards the simple, yet cozy-looking interior inside the place. “It gives a really homey feeling,” he remarks while plopping down the couch. “Almost as if it was designed by an old, loving couple.”

Lumine throws him a wry look. “How did you know?”

“I was just guessing,” Ajax chuckles. “Did I nail it?”

“Basically, yeah.” Lumine stops in front of the fridge and searches for two cans of orange juice. “The couple… aren't my parents, though.”

“Oh?”

Lumine sighs, finally pulling out the beverages. “I’ll skip all the tear-jerking details and just straight up tell you that my parents are dead. I and Aether had trouble finding a place to stay because we weren’t old enough to rent an apartment all by ourselves.” 

Shoving a can of juice towards the unguarded ginger, she continues in a monotone voice. “I mean, renting an apartment requires background checks, utility bills, and all that jazz, right? Long story short, we were lucky enough to find a place rented by an immigrant old couple who doesn’t care much about laws.” Opening the can with a pop, Lumine shrugs and chugs down her drink. “So,” she smacks her lips, smiling. “Here we are.”

“...Huh,” Ajax blinks, looking a little flabbergasted by the flood of information. “Lumine, I don’t know what to say, but that’s pretty badass.”

Upon hearing his words, Lumine chokes on her juice. “That’s my first time hearing that kind of response to my sad, protagonist background story,” she mutters, wiping the sweet liquid off her mouth.

Ajax laughs genuinely at that—eyes all crinkled up and teeth showing—and Lumine has to take several more gulps of her drink as if it could lessen the rapid beating of her heart. 

“Protagonist background story—” He repeats in between laughter. “Fuck, that’s one of the best laughs I’ve ever had in a while.”

“Glad to be of service,” Lumine replies sarcastically.

“But, seriously, ojou-chan,” Ajax says, tone more solemn now that his laughter has died down. “You seem like a tough person—pity probably won’t work for you. In fact, it’s probably gonna upset you. So I’d rather acknowledge your hard work.” Ajax smiles. “I truly mean it, of course.”

Lumine casts her gaze to the side.  How can she already feel understood by someone whom she’s only known for less than a day?

“Shut up. You’re suspicious when you’re nice,” she mumbles, cheeks pinkening. “Thanks, though.”

A huff of laughter escapes his lips. “Anytime. By the way, are you going to let that juice soak your shirt?”

Instinctively, Lumine looks down at the white shirt on her body, which is now stained by the orange juice that she accidentally spilled minutes ago. If she doesn’t act fast, getting rid of it is going to take a lot of work.

She sighs in exasperation and gestures to him to store their unfinished drinks back in the fridge. “Come on. Let’s go upstairs.”

“Where?”

“The bathroom,” Lumine clarifies, nervousness suddenly growing inside her, albeit she tries hard to maintain the stoic look on her face. “I-I’m going to take a shower, and under no circumstances are you going to stand more than fifteen steps away from me. You got it?”

“But, aren’t you going to walk around in the bathroom?” Ajax complains as Lumine leads him to a hallway, going past two doors, before stopping at the third one.

“Oh, don’t be dramatic. Our bathroom isn’t that big,” Lumine huffs. Judging from Ajax’s words, he seems to be used to living in a lavish, spacious environment. She’s starting to suspect that he comes from a wealthy family—his motorbike alone could testify that.

“Fine. I’ll sit beside the door.” Planting his ass on the floor, Ajax crosses his arms and legs in a childish manner, to which Lumine snorts.

“Good boy,” she jokes, missing the way Ajax tenses ever so subtly, before entering the bathroom.

Stripping her clothes, Lumine hums to herself, delighted that they haven’t encountered any big problems so far. (Aside from being caught by their close friends, but that is something that should be addressed later.)

Despite everything that has happened at school, maybe her night is going to be eventful.

…Until she hears fast footsteps approaching the bathroom door minutes later, to which she half-expects someone to kick the door open forcefully. 

But then, there’s a smack echoing inside the house, followed by a shout, “Who the hell are you and where’s my sister?!”

Another smack and a thud. “Oh, you are Lumine’s twin brother—”

“Shut up! What are you planning?”

“Hey, hear me out first and stop throwing punches—oof, holy shit, you’re tiny but you really packed a punch—“ Ajax cracks his knuckles and laughs derisively. “Alright, you asked for it!”

As full-blown sounds of fists hitting against flesh fill the house, a vein pops on Lumine’s forehead. Goodness—why did Aether have to come home at the wrong time?

And it’s just like what she’s predicted, only slightly worse—she thought that it’d take Ajax to rile Aether off for a fight to commence, but of course they’re immediately fighting the moment they see each other. She’s certain that they’re going to wreck the whole house if she doesn’t intervene soon!

So, she does. Fresh out of the rushed bath, body wrapped in a tiny towel, she then steps out of the bathroom, and—

—drills her fists atop their heads.

“Are you guys cavemen? Humanity learned democracy a long time ago,” she folds her arms across her chest as the boys rub their heads with their hands.

“He tried to hit me first! I defended myself!” Ajax whines.

“He tried to punch me back with all his might too, and you call that self-defence?” Aether retorts back.

Ajax scoffs. “I’m not going to back away from any challenge.”

“I was not challenging you, I was trying to kick you out of my house—“

“ENOUGH!” Lumine screams, making Ajax and Aether’s ears ring. “And no, Aeth, please don’t kick him out. I don’t want to sleep outside.”

“What do you mean?” Aether frowns. “Why would you follow him outside?”

Exchanging a glance with Ajax in a wordless agreement, she massages her temple. “We’ll… talk about it at dinner. How does it sound?”

Staring at them in suspicion, Aether then dusts off his school uniform, before he relents, “Fine. And if I found out that you’re romantically or sexually involved with him—we’re going to talk some more.”

“Don’t worry, that additional talk won’t be needed,” Lumine brushes him off, before casually dragging Ajax—who’s being oddly obedient—into her bedroom, making Aether choke on air.

“Wait, you’re going in together—?!”

He’s cut off with a soft click and the sound of the door being locked.

The air around Ajax and Lumine is painfully awkward afterward, and no one even attempts to speak first. Lumine’s heart races once more as she realizes that she’s in her own bedroom, technically naked, with a guy for the first time, and what’s worse: she doesn’t know how to act even though they’re here for more innocent purposes.

“Miss Honor Student.”

Lumine squeaks. “Y-yes?!”

“You do realize that I can wait for you outside right by your door, right?” Ajax asks, leaning against the wall while avoiding her eyes.

“And leave you alone with Aether, leading to another fight? No, thanks.”

“So you’d rather be alone with me?” Ajax smirks at her while suddenly walking in her direction. Lumine’s breath hitches as she walks backward with each step that Ajax takes. “Your soulmate or not, I’m still a guy, you know.”

Legs hitting her bed, Lumine stumbles down to the bed, before being shrouded by the shadow of Ajax’s taller figure.

“Maybe I should teach you how to be more careful around a guy, hm?” The ginger murmurs, eyes flashing dangerously. Instead of being scared, heat pools inside her lower gut, and Lumine is incredibly ashamed of how her body reacts to this situation.

“A-Ajax, wait—“ she gasps when Ajax leans into her, intuitively squeezing her eyes shut.

She waits and waits.

But what comes afterward is Ajax’s warm breath leaving her face, followed by his usual, bright laughter, causing Lumine to snap her eyes open in fury.

“Sorry, sorry! I was just teasing you,” he admits, clutching at his sides. He then regards her completely, this time with actual remorse on his face. “That was kind of out of line, wasn’t…”

At the sight of her, his words get swallowed down his throat as a wave of arousal washes over him.

Oh. Oh, shit.

His soulmate is gorgeous.

She’s still glaring up at him, anger evident in those golden eyes, and she has yet to present herself properly in front of him. Her blonde tresses form a halo on the bedsheets, her skin flushed pink due to the shower steam, and her towel, her sinfully tiny towel, is now all messed up. One of her perky, pink, perfect nipples is peeking out, and Ajax can see the other one protruding through the fluffy material of the towel. The lower part of the towel is flipped up, accidentally showing more skin than necessary, and that is how Ajax finds out that the Honor Student shaves her private part.

And the thing is: Lumine is probably too irritated at him to notice her own state.

When his cock twitches inside his pants, Ajax is alarmed. Like hell he’s getting a boner in front of his newly-found soulmate! And this is only day one; things like this might happen more frequently in the future! He can’t possibly act impulsive and jump her whenever it happens!

At least not on the first day, his dirty mind supplies unhelpfully.

Whirling his body around and facing the wall, Ajax’s Adam’s Apple bobs as he swallows. Focus. He thinks. “Uh, you know. I think you should wear some clothes. You’re going to catch a cold,” he reminds her. A rustling sound can be heard from behind him, but Lumine isn’t talking to him.

She’s silent as she does her own thing in the background, and the lack of her usual snarky jabs is extremely unsettling for Ajax. She even refuses to look at his face when she throws him a spare towel and a set of old clothes in his hands later.

Ajax’s heart drops to his stomach. It’s as clear as day: Lumine is mad at him.

“That’s Aether’s old clothes. He doesn’t like to wear it because it’s too big on him.” She explains in a low voice. “I’ll wait for you outside as you take a shower.”

“…Thanks,” Ajax mumbles, before slipping quietly into the bathroom.

The second he’s gone out of her sight, Lumine covers her face with her palms and refrains a squeal.

This is bad. This is really, really bad. She was upset at him, she really did, but that feeling was replaced by sheer embarrassment when she realized that she inadvertently flashed the small bits of her naked body to him. He might have cornered her to the bed, but he never laid his hands on her or pushed her down—she was the one who stumbled down and messed up her towel.

She hates him for teasing her like that, but she hates herself more for getting a bit turned on by his proximity earlier. Honestly, if she was a bit more experienced in this kind of thing, maybe she would’ve gotten used to that kind of situation!

Moreover, Ajax looks… mildly uncomfortable. Does that mean he saw her body? Is she that ugly? Is her body such a mood killer?! A guy being turned off because of her lack of sexual appeal, or so she thought, is one of her biggest dreads—she swears it has nothing to do with the fact that Ajax is her soulmate, or how she finds it unfair that she was the only one who got affected by his charm.

Perfect. Her mood is becoming sourer than before, and she doesn’t even know who to blame. Sliding down to the floor, Lumine groans to herself as she hugs her knees and buries her face in between her folded arms.

So much for her to wish for an uneventful night.

Chapter Text

“So, you’re saying—“

Breasts.

“—that both of you are soulmates—“

Boobs.

“—because the two of you accidentally kissed—“

Tits.

“—And now you’re somehow stuck to each other’s side?!” Aether finishes and straight-up glowers at Ajax who immediately puts on an innocent face. As if he’s been listening to Aether and not at all thinking about Lumine’s—

“That’s basically it,” Lumine replies calmly, ignoring the disbelief and displeasure on Aether’s face. “Please don’t leave out the part where we’re going to be eventually separated.” She stabs her fork to her meat and displays a forced smile, “All we need is time. Don’t be dramatic.”

‘For someone who tells others not to worry, you seem bothered by this,’ Ajax thinks wryly.

“But that’s not what I’m worried about. I mean, look at this guy,” Aether rudely thrusts his finger towards the ginger, who in return raises an eyebrow. “He’s—he’s a walking red flag, okay? He looks like a serial heartbreaker who secretly has countless chicks behind his back, and he has this perverted face whenever he glances at you—“

Ajax freezes. Never mind Aether accusing him of being a player; Aether’s last sentence is what caught Ajax’s attention. Is he that obvious, or is Aether actually a mindreader? Does he know that something happened between him and Lumine just an hour ago? Does he know that Ajax still can’t recover from Lumine’s nip slip? Wait—did Aether also catch him ogling at Lumine’s cleavage all the way through dinner?

“Don’t be silly, Aeth,” Lumine scoffs. “You’re imagining things. He might look like a pervert, but all he’s been doing is just teasing me. He never means it.”

“Teasing you?!” Aether slams his hands on the table, making the utensils rattle. “Did he make you do something? Because I swear that I’m going to—“

“Aether, please. I can handle him, trust me.” Lumine sighs. “We’re sort of friends now. I emphasize, sort of.”

‘Shouldn’t she emphasize the word friends instead?’ Ajax thinks.

“Anyway, friends tease each other all the time. And if he crosses the line, I’ll make sure to kick him in the balls.” She smiles up at Ajax who’s nibbling at his spoon with sweat rolling down his temple comically. “Right, Ajax?”

“Y-yeah. Of course, ojou-chan,” he responds with a smile of his own. Great, he really was digging his own grave with his teasing earlier.

Judging from Aether’s face, he’s definitely far from being convinced. “If only I went to the same school as you,” he sighs. “Things would be easier.”

“Well, we were gunning for schools with full-ride scholarships. A certain someone once insisted that we should apply for more than one scholarship, just in case.” Lumine shrugs, to which Aether presses his lips into a thin line.

“Still. It’s a pity that we got accepted into different schools,” Aether argues.

“All that matters is that we got the scholarships,” Lumine replies. “You’re not thinking about transferring all the way from Celestia to Teyvat, are you?”

“And lose the scholarship? I’m not that stupid, Lumi,” Aether huffs a bit defensively.

“See? That’s why you should trust me on this. I can take care of myself, I promise,” Lumine utters, tone softening. Ajax is about to let out a noise of support when Lumine adds, “Also, Ajax not being attracted to me helps, you know? I’m pretty sure that my naked body won’t even faze him, so you don’t have to be worried about us, Aeth.”

The deepening frown on Aether’s face indicates that Lumine’s words have the opposite effect than intended. Thus, Lumine nudges the ginger with her elbow to participate more, “Right, Ajax?”

Ajax can’t say he’s a fan of the twins glaring at him, though with different reasons, so he decides to play along once more. “Ahaha… well, um, maybe—?”

Nudging his side harder than before to stop him from adding unnecessary things, Lumine ignores Ajax’s pained wheeze in the background and says, “You heard him, Aeth.” Without waiting for Aether’s response, Lumine continues and yanks Ajax by his arm in the direction of the stairs, “Now that everything’s settled, I think we all should go to bed! Ajax, let’s go.”

“Hey! It’s your turn to wash the dishes today!” Aether protests.

“I’ll cover your turn next time!” Lumine yells from the stairs while pushing Ajax from behind. “Thanks in advance, Aeth!”

With that, she disappears from her brother’s sight.

“Are you sure you’re fine with this?”

“A hundred percent sure,” Lumine grumbles as she tucks herself into the blanket. “Now, come here quickly before I change my mind.”

Ajax sighs as he carefully climbs up to Lumine’s bed and wordlessly lies beside her. Initially, he hoped that Lumine would have an extra mattress or a couch inside her room so that they could sleep separately. Ever since the universe declared that they’re soulmates, Lumine has been highly conscious of his presence, and she seems to value boundaries and privacy.

That being said, he didn’t expect her to oh-so-casually invite him to sleep with her. Literally.

The thing is, Ajax’s brain refuses to forget the small glimpse of her nude body earlier, and he’s proud to say that he’s been able to keep his sanity intact for the past few hours. But now? Practically lying beside a pretty girl who smells like vanilla and flowers while being painfully turned on?

It’s torture.

Ajax has never entered a girl’s bedroom before, let alone seeing a girl’s sexy parts from up-close. Porn is different. Between cameras and real life—they’re different. Lumine is real, and she’s his soulmate. If soulmates can be platonic, then he finds it unfair that Lumine fits everything that he wants in a girl.

Smart. Brave. Strong. Cute. Petite. Beautiful.

Ajax can’t say that he likes her in a romantic sense, not yet. Even as a friend (sort of, as what she’s emphasized), he truly enjoys the time he spends with her—and that says a lot, since twenty-four hours haven’t even passed. But Ajax can’t deny that he doesn’t completely see her in a platonic way, either.

He daresay—at least, he’s interested in her. Okay, maybe he’s already attracted to her, if his twitching dick is any indication.

It probably makes sense for him to feel this way. After all, he’s been watching the blonde from afar ever since everyone found out that the Honor Student is a part of the cheerleading club. The fact that everyone had expected her to join the book club or anything related to academic studies makes Lumine more interesting. What’s more, this girl is actually crazy good at what she does—in this case, cheerleading.

She’s flexible. Eye-catching. Energetic. Athletic.

Back then, for the first-years, it was hard not to notice her. Ajax included.

(Perhaps, Lumine being out of everyone’s—his—reach is what made him hesitate to talk to her first.)

What he doesn’t understand is why Lumine thinks otherwise; that he doesn’t see her as a girl. Did she really not catch his reaction when she accidentally showed herself to him? Did she misunderstand something?

Nonetheless, it should make everything easier for him. She would no longer accuse him for doing anything perverted, and Ajax can pretend that he’s not at all affected with… whatever she’s going to throw at him in the future.

It’s a win-win situation for both of them.

“What are you thinking about?”

At Lumine’s soft voice, Ajax snaps himself out of his muses and realizes that he’s been staring at the ceiling for a while. He turns his head to regard the blonde beside him, but forgets whatever he’s about to say when he takes a good look at her.

She’s lying on her side, some messy strands of blonde tucked behind her ear, golden eyes blinking curiously at him. Her blanket only conceals her lower body, and her current position allows Ajax to see the low cut of her tank top and her deep cleavage—

Ajax nervously darts his eyes back to the ceiling. Don’t get hard. Just think of Itto wearing a cow suit—“Ah… well,” he racks his brain for a logical excuse, “I was thinking if I could bring you to meet my family tomorrow.”

The abrupt silence that follows after is awfully awkward, especially when Ajax realizes the implication of his words.

“I mean!” He splutters, hands flailing around, “I worded it wrong! I was talking about how I should probably go home to bring more of my stuff here, since, you know, it’d be impolite for me to borrow your brother’s clothes or your shampoo all the time, ahaha.”

Lumine’s reply is belated, and there’s a hint of embarrassment in her tone. “You’re right. Sleepovers are going to be a thing for us, huh?” She laughs at herself. “I don’t mind. Aether’s biggest clothes are still too tight on you, anyway,” she mumbles while discreetly glancing at Ajax’s bulging muscles through the shirt. “Should we sleep at your house tomorrow?”

Ajax blinks at her. “Would that be okay with you?”

“Sure. It’s fair enough, is it?” Lumine smiles at him.

Smiling back at her, Ajax replies, “Alright. Make sure to be prepared.”

“Of course. I’ll pack some extra clothes to school tomorrow so I can leave them in your room.”

It’s a new lifestyle that they have to get used to, but it still makes Ajax a bit giddy. Having a girl’s clothes in your drawers… wow. That sounds… like something that a couple would do. Moreover, there’s a possibility that Lumine would also sleep in his bed. The same bed he’s been using since childhood.

Warmth spreads on Ajax’s face at that mere thought. He hopes that he won’t be distracted at school tomorrow or hoping that school time will pass sooner like an impatient middle grader.

Talking about school, Ajax suddenly remembers something. “Oh, right. Since we’re going to school with this condition, should we… y’know, tell everyone?”

Lumine turns at him. “T-tell everyone?”

Feigning a cough into his fist, Ajax continues, “Yeah. Everyone’s going to notice that we’re practically glued to each other, anyway,” he says. “It also helps to prevent anyone from separating us. I’m sure they’ll understand.”

For a moment, Lumine seems to be contemplating his suggestion. “I think you have a point. Yoimiya has this habit of dragging me away whenever she’s excited.” She then shivers, “I really don’t want us to suddenly drop down in pain in the middle of the hallway.”

“Me neither,” he sighs. Ajax has a high tolerance to pain and injuries, but that pain is greater than anything he’s ever felt before. Way more intense; so, so excruciating that he had trouble thinking straight. He applauded his past self for having the energy and will to run back to the infirmary as soon as he heard Lumine’s scream.

(Some passersby were giving him weird and concerned looks back then, but honestly, he really couldn’t blame them.)

“Okay. Let’s go tell our homeroom teacher first so that they can help us to spread the news to other teachers. That should make them consider our condition first before assigning us into groups later,” Lumine suggests. “After that, we should tell our coaches.”

Right. As expected of the Honor Student—she doesn’t miss a single detail. It’s impressive for her to remember that their condition doesn’t only affect their academic life, but also their club activities. They will surely have trouble practicing with their respective teams, and Ajax has a feeling that both of them would hate to skip practice just because of that. They love their club activities too much for that.

Thus, they continue on planning and conversing for God knows how long on the bed, until Lumine announces that she’s getting quite sleepy, evident by how she’s starting to slur her words.

“Good night,” she mumbles, before rolling to the side, back facing him.

“Good night,” he mutters back, closing his eyes. Several seconds pass, and he’s on the verge of falling asleep when he decides to whisper, “By the way, I’m sorry. For teasing you earlier.”

Lumine tenses a little, before replying, “...Just forget about it.”

The ginger holds back a scoff. Easy for you to say that, he thinks, but bites his tongue from voicing it out loud. He’s grateful enough that she still wants to talk to him after that whole fiasco.

Before he knows it, he’s fast asleep.

The staring. The whispering. They’re all already starting the moment Lumine hops down from Ajax’s motorbike in the school’s parking lot. There are no signs of them stopping even as Lumine and Ajax walk together to the school’s main building.

“Why the hell are you so popular?” Lumine hisses to Ajax at the emptier part of the corridor. “Can’t you tell your fangirls to back off? My ears are getting hot from all of their whispers.”

Ajax snorts and buries his hands into his pocket. “You’re one to talk, Miss Honor Student. Everyone’s looking at you.”

“At us.”

“That means you’re included.”

“Whatever.” Lumine sighs. “Let’s go find our homeroom teacher first?”

Ajax gives her a shrug as a form of acquiescence and follows her to the teacher’s office. After asking a random teacher (which is done by Lumine, of course. Teachers love her, after all), they quickly find out that their homeroom teacher is none other than Mr. Zhongli.

Good. That should make things easier. Everyone in school knows that Mr. Zhongli had just married his soulmate, Mrs. Guizhong before the school semester started. Although Lumine has no idea if the couple also experiences any abnormalities in their bond, Mr. Zhongli having a soulmate should be enough to make him understand their situation.

Mr. Zhongli is in the middle of enjoying his morning tea when Lumine and Ajax approach him. Without further ado, Lumine puts on her Honor Student attitude and delivers a lengthy explanation about her situation with Ajax to the Geography teacher.

Mr. Zhongli all but nods after Lumine is finished. “I see. Indeed, it’s best to inform everyone of your situation to prevent any forms of separation.” He takes a sip of his green tea and continues, “I must say that I am also relieved to know that you have counseled Dr. Baizhu and Ms. Yae Miko beforehand. As your homeroom teacher, the only help I could offer is to make sure both of you have a painless school experience.” Setting his cup down to his table, the ghost of a smile flits across his handsome features. “I already have a few plans mapped in mind. Therefore, there’s no need to worry, Ms. Viatrix, Mr. Alekseevich.”

Lumine exhales in relief. “Oh, thank you so much for your help, Mr. Zhongli.”

“Please, don’t mention it.”

Realizing that it’s already over, Ajax, who’s been watching the birds through the window with a bored expression, straightens up and also voices out his gratitude before leaving the teachers’ office with Lumine.

“You know,” Ajax says, “Shouldn’t we ask what kind of plans he had in mind before agreeing so easily with him?”

“Let’s just trust him,” Lumine responds. “Besides, the bell’s going to ring in less than five minutes.”

“Oh? Is Miss Honor Student afraid of being late?” The ginger teases.

She laughs without denying it. “There will be another time to break more rules with you.”

Despite the time, the hallway leading to the second-year classes is still filled with students who are either occupying the benches with their friends or chatting near the windows. The volume of their chattering lowers down as soon as Ajax and Lumine make their presence known. What’s worse, the second they step into their class, everyone in the room instantly stops whatever they’re doing just to see them.

The left side of the class is already taken by a few cliques and students whom Lumine’s not close to, but the right side of the class is where most of Lumine and Ajax’s friends are gathered.

Kaeya, who’s sitting on top of his desk, smirks. “Oh, my. Here come the lovebirds.”

“Lumine!” Yoimiya jumps up from her seat and gives the blonde a tight hug. “It’s only been one day, but we miss you! Seriously, what happened yesterday?” she asks worriedly. “Were you injured badly? Is that why Ajax had to give you a ride back home? Is that it?”

Lumine smiles sheepishly. “No, no, I’m—we’re fine. Really. I’ll tell you the details later.”

“Later?”

“Lunch break,” Lumine specifies.

“It’s a promise!” Yoimiya grins. “Anyway, we’ve prepared a seat for you! C’mon!” She says before dragging Lumine by her wrist, earning a small gasp both from Ajax and the blonde herself.

“W-wait—” Panic rises within Lumine when she’s already six steps away from Ajax. The telltale sign of the warning alarm inside her is hot on her trail, and she subconsciously holds her breath when she’s on her way to her tenth step—

But then, a hand is wrapped firmly around her wrist.

All eyes once again land on them.

“Ajax? What are you doing?” Yoimiya asks in puzzlement, and gasps softly when Ajax pulls Lumine to his side in a rather protective manner. 

“Ah, sorry.” Ajax smiles. “Just wanna tell you that she’s going to sit beside me.”

Pink instantly dusts Lumine’s cheeks when murmurs arise inside the classroom.

“I’ll claim that remaining seat at the back of the class,” Ajax announces while sauntering over the said seat with Lumine trailing shyly behind him. “This seat over here…” He points at the seat beside his own, “Whose bag is this?”

A timid guy whose name is forgotten by Lumine raises his hand among his group of friends, “I-It’s mine…”

Ajax gives him a diplomatic smile. “Would it be okay to give your seat to Lumine? You seem to have taken a liking to your current seat.”

“B-but… this is Gerald’s seat, and I’m just here to chat—”

“You can discuss that later with Gerald. A little seat rearrangement over there wouldn’t hurt, would it?” Ajax says, before shifting his tone. “Or… do you really want to sit beside me?”

The timid guy gulps and exchanges some glances with his friends, fear flashing in his eyes. “N-no… um, I think you have a point. I didn’t think much about it when I chose that seat yesterday anyway.” The guy hurriedly snatches his bag and scurries to his new seat.

“Thanks for your cooperation!” Ajax gives him a little wave, before grinning at an unimpressed Lumine. “So? Are you going to sit on the chair I specifically asked for you, or?”

“That was a bit too much,” Lumine rolls her eyes. “There’s one empty seat in this row as well—the one that Yoimiya prepared for me. If someone, say, Kaeya, moved over there, we could rearrange—”

“Come on, Miss Honor Student. I already got you a seat; no need to think of other plans,” Ajax laughs.

Lumine’s face softens. “Wouldn’t say that your method is pleasant, but thanks.”

They proceed to smile at each other for several seconds before Thoma interrupts them.

“Uh, so,” he begins, “Are you guys dating?”

Lumine and Ajax casually answer, “No.”

Their friends make a face. “So what’s with all this…” Thoma gestures with his hands, “Sudden… chemistry?”

“True! I don’t think I’ve ever seen both of you this close before!” Yoimiya crosses her arms. “I never would’ve thought that you’d choose to sit beside him this semester, Lumi.”

As someone who spent the entire first year of high school sitting near Yoimiya and Ayaka, Lumine understands her confusion. Truth be told, she can’t guarantee that she’ll be sitting beside Ajax for the rest of the semester either. If they manage to stabilize their bond, sitting side by side will no longer be necessary, so perhaps she’d ask for another seating rearrangement.

The thing is, everyone would probably be too lazy for that, as they would probably get too comfortable in their respective seats. Some people dislike change, even though the change in question merely involves seating arrangements.

“I’m sorry, Yoimiya.” She sighs. “And you too, Ayaka.” She adds as an afterthought, since Ayaka seems to be in a fine mood, what with her being able to sit beside her boyfriend Thoma this semester. “I and Ajax… have our reasons,” she mutters.

“Reasons,” Kaeya repeats, tone curious yet mirthful.

“Reasons.” Ajax nods, and before Lumine can prepare herself, he continues. “Like, the fact that we’re soul—”

The bell rings and several students groan. As if on cue, Mr. Zhongli walks leisurely into class with several books and papers in his hands, and when he arrives at his desk, everyone already has their butts planted on their chairs.

“Is Geography our first period?” Ajax whispers to the blonde beside him who in turn nods.

Mr. Zhongli smiles faintly at the class and starts the class with a greeting, followed by several announcements and small talks. This is how Lumine can tell that he is very fond of morning news, weather predictions, and even a dad joke or two.

And this first period is also how Lumine finds out about the plan that Mr. Zhongli mentioned before.

“Now, I would like to inform you of a special announcement that involves our dear friends over there,” he suddenly says with that calm voice of his that actually holds layers of hidden intentions beneath it. Eyes flickering in Lumine and Ajax’s direction, he speaks again, “Let us all congratulate the newfound pair of soulmates in Teyvat International High School—”

Everyone waits with bated breath, although most of them are already staring at Ajax and Lumine in utter disbelief.

“—Ajax Alekseevich and Lumine Viatrix.”

Just like that, the class bursts into various noises.

“Wow! I didn’t know that you guys are SOULMATES!”

Sara covers her ear with a frown and chides the basketball player beside her, “Arataki Itto, yelling in the classroom is prohibited.”

“But this is BIG NEWS!” Itto argues. “Everyone needs to know!”

“Oh, you’ve informed the whole school with your voice alright,” Lumine mumbles, irritation growing inside her. Truthfully, this is not how she has envisioned how her lunch break would go.

Currently, she and Ajax are trapped in their seats while being surrounded by Lumine’s friends from other classes. Apparently, someone from their class has spread the news of them being soulmates in social media, and thanks to that, Lumine’s friends refuse to let them out of their sights until they’re satisfied with their impromptu QnA.

“So, both of you are really soulmates?” Gorou inquires for the umpteenth time.

“Yes, Gorou.” Lumine sighs.

“And both of you can’t get separated because it will physically hurt you?” Chongyun asks with stars in his eyes.

Another sigh from the blonde. “Yes, Chongyun.”

“Don’t you think it’s very romantic, Chongyun? They are exactly like this one couple in this one book!” Xingqiu gushes, before sprouting a poem that he’s read somewhere.

Ajax mutters under his breath, “Really, Lumine? You’re already friends with some first-years?”

“Chongyun’s auntie knows me, so yeah. It’s not a big deal,” Lumine waves him off, before directing her attention to Keqing and Ganyu.

“...Not a big deal?” Ajax repeats dryly as he scans the number of friends Lumine has around their seats. They’re practically forming a circle, enough to build a human wall, perhaps, and Ajax is almost ashamed to admit that he can’t recognize some faces.

He’s still familiar with the faces of the second-years from the other classes, but how the fuck is he supposed to know some random third-years named Sango and Ryuuji, or whoever they are? And who is this even Furuya Noboru guy, and why is he talking as if he knows everything there is to know about soulmates?

Damn. His soulmate really is a social butterfly.

(Or maybe he just doesn’t have that many friends. No matter how hard he tries to erase the past by changing his path into the world of sports, some people will still remember him as a former delinquent, anyway.)

Mood turning a bit dimmer, Ajax ends up leaning against the window with a little pout on his lips. Lumine is too busy entertaining her friends, but he’s kind of hungry. At this hour, he and the boys would’ve gotten a simple lunch and spent the rest of the lunch break playing any sport.

But now? He needs Lumine’s cooperation to go anywhere. How can she even do that when her attention is set elsewhere?

Thankfully, at one point, the crowd dissipates, leaving more room for Ajax to breathe, and that is when Lumine begins to acknowledge his existence.

“Ajax.”

The ginger doesn’t budge.

“Ajax?” Lumine pokes his side. “Hey, don’t ignore me.”

Without thinking, Ajax blurts out, a bit too loud to his own liking, “Yeah? Look who’s ignoring who.”

In the background, Kaeya, who’s standing beside Diluc, snickers and mouths, someone’s jealous, receiving a scowl from Ajax, because nothing could be further from the truth.

Him? Jealous? Why would he get jealous just because Lumine’s attention is not on him? Anyone would’ve felt left out if they can’t join in a conversation with new people!

Beside him, Lumine smiles in amusement. Her observation is right—Ajax seems to be the type of person who’d magically become reticent if something is bothering him. “So that’s what this is all about,” she hums. “Fine, I’m sorry for ignoring you. Can I make it up to you with some food?”

Glancing at her, Ajax considers her offer. “I can pay for both of us,” he says. His eyes are still fixated on the scenery through the window when he mumbles, “But let’s eat somewhere else. Just the two of us.”

For some reason, his heart flutters when Lumine agrees with a giggle. “Sure.”

“It’s getting worse.”

She passes the basketball to him.

“The staring?”

He catches the ball effortlessly with one hand.

“Yeah.”

He lazily spins the ball with one finger and grumbles, “Huh. I guess that’s what happens when Mr. Zhongli decided to announce our bond without our consent.”

“No, he did say something along these lines,” clearing her throat, Lumine drops her voice into a baritone, “it’s best to inform everyone of your situation to prevent any forms of separation.”

“Your terrific impersonation aside,” Ajax smiles teasingly, “It would be nice if he had told us beforehand that he was going to announce it to the class. I genuinely thought that he was only going to inform the teachers, y’know?”

He then throws the ball to Lumine, a bit too high that it requires her a little jump to receive it.

“My bad!” He laughs.

“Nevermind that,” Lumine grouses and proceeds to dribble the ball. “But you’re right. I should’ve asked him for more details.”

“Told you so. I had a class with him once, and all I can say is that you shouldn’t be fooled by his appearance. That man’s unpredictable,” Ajax explains, rubbing his head. “I’m already used to him, so that announcement didn’t really surprise me. I’m more concerned about you, honestly.”

Lumine scoffs and throws the ball back to Ajax with all her might. “Don’t underestimate me. I already knew at one point that our bond was going to be revealed by any means today.”

Despite the force of her throw, Ajax can still catch it without breaking a sweat. “Miss Honor Student,” he frowns. “There’s a difference between worrying and underestimating someone.”

At that, Lumine zips her mouth.

In theory, the blonde understands. She’s far from stupid; even a sixth-grader would probably be able to distinguish that. It’s just—being orphaned at such a young age with her parents dying because of a fraud case, she taught herself not to be swayed easily by others’ sweet words and affection.

She learned to survive by being tough.

Although she has the privilege to be surrounded by such caring friends in her school, she’s always able to brush off their concerns smoothly. Just tell them that she’s fine, be adamant in her words, and usually, they’ll leave her alone.

But she’s come to notice that the same thing can’t be applied to Ajax, because God, he’s too stubborn for his own good. The fact that he’s stuck to her side leaves no chance for evasion.

A part of her despises it, for it seems like an attack on the mental fortitude she’s been building for years.

And yet.

There’s also a part of her that wants to let him in; to embrace his constant attentiveness and be happy with it.

Taking a deep breath when she realizes that her mind is wandering elsewhere, Lumine steers the conversation to another topic.

“Anyway, how long are we going to play catch like this?” She asks in her usual stoic tone. “I’d rather go home and study the syllabus of this semester.”

“You study the syllabus?” Ajax gapes.

“Yeah, and?”

“I shouldn’t have asked that, huh?” The ginger chuckles. “To answer your question: our coaches told us to do whatever we want while waiting for them to discuss our situation, remember?”

“But we’ve been playing for like thirty minutes,” Lumine complains. “And I’m starting to sweat from the glares that I get from your fangirls.”

It’s true. They’re currently inside the gym, idly playing catch while watching the basketball and cheerleader club’s practice from the sidelines. It’s not unusual for them to have a small audience, but Lumine must admit that it is quite unusual for them to be staring at Ajax and Lumine instead of the club members.

Mr. Zhongli’s announcement really made them steal the limelight today.

Or maybe, it’s also because they’re Ajax and Lumine—the rumored future captains of their respective clubs. Even if those positions get stripped of them, both already have reputations of their own. Ajax, the good-looking jock who excels at every sport. Lumine, the Honor Student who always becomes the talk of the teachers. The fact that they’re soulmates merely fuels the existing fire.

Either way, for an introvert like Lumine Viatrix, it’s still troublesome. Especially when most of their audiences are girls who keep on letting out obnoxious squeals whenever Ajax does simple tricks with his basketball.

It’s a reaction that Lumine has seen multiple times in the past. Be it directed to Ajax, Kaeya, Diluc, Dansleif, or other basketball members who are more attractive than the average person; Lumine is usually very indifferent to that.

But today, everyone is here to see Ajax and his soulmate. She knows, because she’s heard them all.

Whispers like, Is Ajax’s soulmate pretty?

Similar whispers like, Eh? His soulmate is that Lumine?

Other whispers like, Aw, shame. I hope they stay platonic. I think Ajax is much better with—

All of a sudden, Ajax’s reply to her previous remark snaps her out of her internal, if not heated, musings. “Just ignore them; all they can do is stare. Says a lot about their courage, don’t you think?” Just when Lumine’s about to agree with him, Ajax adds, “And they’re not my fangirls.”

Not his fangirls, he said? How did he even draw that ridiculous conclusion? “Uh-huh? Then how about you kiss me and see how they react?” Lumine says sarcastically.

It was meant to be a joke, but the smirk that appears on Ajax’s face and the way he slowly moves towards her imply that it will no longer become a joke.

Still! In front of so many people? He can’t be serious—!

“Wait, Ajax, what are you doing?” Lumine walks backward until her back hits the wall behind her. Sensing her panic, Ajax’s smirk widens.

“I just remembered that a certain someone promised to give me a proper kiss,” he murmurs, face only a breath away from her. From such closeness, she could see the depth that those blue eyes hold, and she berates herself for instinctively licking her lips.

Ajax then caresses her lower lip with his thumb, “It seems that our lips are already healed.”

“D-don’t be stupid.” She averts her gaze. “Lip injuries usually heal in 3-4 days.”

“Theoretically.” Ajax grins. “Look at my lips.”

Gulping down, she dumbly complies.

“Good. Now, do they look fine to you?”

More than fine. Very kissable, even—“M—maybe?”

“Then tell me, Miss Honor Student,” he whispers, “what’s stopping us to kiss right here, right now, hm?”

Golden eyes burning in vexation, she hisses, “You’re playing with me again, aren’t you, Alekseevich? Didn’t I warn you last night that I could kick your balls if you tried anything funny?”

Ajax barks out a laugh. “Oh-hoh, but you brought yourself upon this situation, ojou-chan.” His nose brushes against hers. “You were the one who asked me to kiss you.”

“I…” He’s too close. Way too close. And even though he’s technically just standing there, their suggestive position is enough to spark another gossip among the students. Someone probably has already taken a photo of them from a certain angle to make everyone believe that they’re kissing.

Amidst her frenzied mind, Lumine thinks, they’ve gone this far, anyway. Why not make it happen for real?

As if reading her mind, Ajax’s eyes flutter close, which naturally prompts her to do the same. Their mouths inches closer and closer, and god, she could feel his lips ghosting over hers, to which anticipation bubbles within her—

—but what comes afterward is the voice of Ajax’s coach from the other side of the gym, which startles them and makes them put a more appropriate distance between them.

“Hey, Alekseevich! Stop fooling around with your girlfriend and come here for a sec!”

With a click of the tongue, Ajax ruffles his already messy hair with a seemingly frustrated and crestfallen expression on his face, but then, it’s replaced with a smile—both dimples present on his cheeks.

“Come on. They’re calling for us,” he says a bit breathlessly. With a deep blush, Lumine interlaces her hands behind her back out of habit and follows him closely.

Though, she manages to take a gander at the girls who have been watching the scene from the half-opened gym door.

And boy, does indignation look ugly on their make-up layered faces.

With a coy smile, she turns back and matches her step beside Ajax as satisfaction blooms inside her chest.

She convinces herself that such a feeling comes from the fact that she’s just proven to Ajax that those girls are, indeed, his fangirls.

(As if there would be any other meanings in the first place.)

Chapter Text

“Are you okay?”

Lumine gulps as she discreetly wipes her sweaty palm on her skirt. “O-of course I am. Why do you ask?”

Ajax raises a brow at her apparent uneasiness, even going as far as halting whatever he’s been doing to his motorbike ever since they arrived at his house. “You’re fidgeting,” he says simply. “Haven’t even answered anything that I asked you throughout our ride, too.”

“…I couldn’t hear you because of the helmet,” Lumine lies lamely, eyes darting to the ground.

Ajax scoffs. “You’re pretty bad at lying, comrade,” he tells her bluntly, before sighing. “Hey, look at me.”

There’s just something in his soft tone that makes Lumine heed his words out of her own volition. Her golden eyes then meet his blue ones which look more tender than usual.

“If it’s about my family, don’t worry about it. They’ll love you,” he pats her head soothingly. It should make her mad—he just practically messed up her hair, geez—but the gesture is anything but unwelcome, since it effectively sends a wave of comfort through her.

But openly showing her emotion just because of a simple head pat is kind of embarrassing, so Lumine opts to turn her head away and mutters, “Don’t make it sound like I’m your girlfriend.”

When a smirk appears on Ajax’s face, Lumine knows that her words serve as a boomerang. “Oh? I didn’t think that you’d view it that way,” he levels himself to Lumine’s height teasingly, “That’s an interesting interpretation, Miss Honor Student.”

Lumine pushes him away and huffs, “Don’t flatter yourself. That line is widely used in romance movies.”

“Mmhm.”

“...You’re so annoying.”

“Annoyingly hot? I know,” Ajax slings an arm around her shoulder and guides her to the entrance door. “Anyway, it’d be rude for me to let my lovely guest linger too long outside my house.”

“How courteous of you,” Lumine quips back sarcastically to mask the restlessness inside her that has yet to dissipate. She tries to distract herself by admiring the colorful garden in front of the house—or, should she say, mansion—and she inwardly gapes at the number of lavish cars which are parked inside the garage.

She’s already presumed that Ajax comes from a wealthy family, but… wow. It still renders her speechless when the truth is laid upon her.

Lumine could feel Ajax squeezing her shoulder before retracting his arm the moment they stand before the grand, front door.

“Ready?” The ginger asks, and Lumine refrains herself from thanking him for being so considerate. 

She takes a quick inhale before replying, “Ye—”

“BIG BROTHER IS HOME!!!”

Before Lumine knows it, the door is swung open impatiently as soon as that high-pitched shout greets her eardrums. A small boy with familiar blue eyes and ginger hair comes into view and immediately jumps up and down in front of Ajax.

“Big brother!” he leaps into the older boy’s arms, to which Ajax lets out a delighted and loud laugh.

“Ah, Teucer!” Ajax ruffles his head, unmistakable affection swirling inside his eyes, making them look less dull than usual. The sight almost replaces the remnants of Lumine’s nervousness with a feeling of warmth.

“You’re finally home! Why weren’t you home yesterday?” Teucer complains. “I wanted to show you something cool! There’s a new cartoon about Mr. Cyclops and it looks exactly the same as my figurine! And I’ve been waiting to watch it with you! Can we go now? Can we? Can we?”

“Teucer, sweetheart, your brother just got home. You can do that after dinner,” a feminine and motherly voice interrupts Teucer’s excited rambling. The figure soon approaches them calmly and slides her eyes in Ajax’s direction, but when she catches Lumine’s smaller body behind Ajax, she gasps out loud.

“Ajax! Is that a girl?”

As if on cue, a chorus of voices come from inside the mansion. “A girl?!”

A ginger jogs down the stairs. Another ginger comes out of a random room. Another one emerges from God knows where. This continues until Lumine has lost count of how many gingers are there inside the mansion until they’re now crowding the entrance door with their curious blue eyes.

Save for the children, all of them are tall. Too damn tall. And they’re all pretty, in their own ways. Long lashes, high nose, fair skin, different shades of ginger hair, and noticeable freckles; each of them represent the strong Alekseevich genes, but upon further inspection, they are distinguishable from each other. They’re their own persons, and it’s clear that they’re Ajax’s family members.

Lumine lets that thought sink in.

Oh my god, they’re Ajax’s family members—

“Oh! Miss, I didn’t see you there!” Teucer exclaims. “Big brother, who is that?”

His inquiry then gets swallowed down by another voice. “Ajax’s finally bringing a girlfriend home for the first time in his life?” A male asks in awe. “Hahaha, thought that he’s gonna stay a virgin!”

“Shut up, Andrei,” Ajax growls, cheeks pinkening. “And she’s not—”

“She’s so pretty!” A squeal interjects him. “Oh my gosh, finally! Another girl in this house other than me and Tonia! I could use some break from the suffocating testosterones here!” A girl who doesn’t seem much older than Ajax says with a huge smile, obviously directed at Lumine. “Hi, I’m Talya! What do you say about hanging out with me after dinner? We could have some girl talk—”

“Can I also come?” Tonia asks beside her, earning a cough from Talya.

“Well—”

Frankly, Lumine’s not surprised when someone chimes in before Talya could continue anything, “Do you have a thing for scaring off someone’s girlfriend, Talya?”

Talya pouts and turns her head to a chuckling ginger-haired man who looks in his early twenties. “It’s called making friends, Fridrik.”

At that, Andrei instantly scoffs. “What friends? I’ll have you know that my ex refused to meet you twice after you dragged her into your room for doing God knows what!”

“Not my fault that she didn’t vibe with me! I get along just fine with Fridrik’s fiancee!” Talya retorts defensively.

“How would you know that she’s not talking about you behind your back?” Andrei fires back. “Hey, Fridrik, you went all the way to visit us today when you’re supposed to snuggle with your fiancee in your new apartment! The least you gotta do is to spill us some tea about her, come on.”

“Hahaha, how lively,” Fridrik merely says, obviously having no intention to humor Andrei. “Right, Anthon? You should liven up a bit, too.”

Anthon, who’s been wearing an impassive expression, only stares back at the eldest without making an effort to move a single muscle on his face.

A taciturn one, isn’t he? Lumine thinks.

Before someone could start another squabble, Ajax crosses his arms and exclaims, loud enough to attract their attention. “Guys, calm down, you’re making Lumine uncomfortable!”

“So, Lumine’s her name? What a cute name!” Talya gushes.

Ajax sighs and chooses to ignore her. “Anyway, she’s not my girlfriend.”

His family looks at him like he’s grown a second head, to which Ajax looks back at them with a raised eyebrow. For a while, not a single thing is uttered between them, that is until Andrei breaks the silence.

“Where’s the punchline?”

“I’m not joking?” Ajax responds in a confused tone.

Andrei blinks. “You’re not?”

“What’s the meaning of this?” Ajax’s mother asks. “Ajax?”

When his mother speaks, Ajax clears his throat and glances at Lumine. Thinking that he’s seeking help, Lumine then musters all of her courage to say something.

“H-hello. I’m Lumine Viatrix,” she introduces herself with a tight smile. “I’m in the same class with Ajax this year, and it’s true that I’m not Ajax’s girlfriend.”

A crestfallen expression dawns on Talya’s face. “Aw, that’s a bummer.”

“Huh. So she’s probably here to discuss a school project because she’s partnered with him or something,” Andrei guesses.

Lumine scratches her cheek with an abashed smile. “Well… I’m afraid that it’s a bit more complicated than that,” she admits. “The truth is, I’m Ajax’s soulmate.”

Again, everyone stares at her without saying a thing, and this is when Ajax explodes, “Quit it! She’s not gonna say any punchlines, either!”

Disbelief arises on their faces when realization seeps into them, and unsurprisingly, Andrei is the first one who conveys his stupefaction.

“Excuse me, you’re what?!”

Quoting Fridrik’s previous claim, the word ‘lively’ indeed describes Ajax’s family best.

As soon as Ajax and Lumine have announced their bond, they immediately get ushered to the dining room for an impromptu celebration; never mind the school uniforms still clinging to their bodies. Ajax’s mother, Agnessa, wastes no time cooking a big meal, to which Andrei reveals that they were supposed to buy some take-out today.

Of course, Lumine can’t just sit still and let her do all the work. She has her fair share of experience in the kitchen, and she’s pretty confident in her capability to learn something quickly. Agnessa is still hesitating when Lumine expresses her wish to help her, but when Lumine uses one of her secret weapons—her puppy eyes—Agnessa then relents, which isn’t all that surprising.

Ajax offering to lend a hand in the kitchen honestly is more shocking.

At one point, she whispers at him as they chop some ingredients together side by side while Ajax’s mother is in the dining room to prepare the table. “You can cook?”

Ajax, with that big ego of his, preens at her reaction with a wink, “I am an excellent chef.” He then laughs when Lumine gives him a side look. “News flash, I’m also used to handling all kinds of house chores, and so do my siblings. Mom prefers us working together rather than relying on house assistants.”

Lumine blinks at this interesting, newfound fact of him. That’s one effective way to educate your children to live independently, and because of that, she’s starting to see Ajax’s mother in a new light. Not that she’s ever perceived Agnessa negatively in the first place.

“That’s admirable,” Lumine remarks sincerely. “Having so many family members taking care of a huge house shouldn’t be a difficult task.”

Ajax nods. “It’s fun—can be seen as a family bonding time, even. My younger siblings like to make lighthearted competitions when doing simple chores. I and the older ones are usually in for a bet sometimes,” he explains without losing his focus on his work.

“To keep everything entertaining?”

“Sort of. Though, we’d still hire domestic helpers when everyone’s busy.”

“Even a high schooler like you?” Lumine teases, receiving a pout from Ajax.

“Hey! Coach is merciless when it comes to practice!” He says. “And don’t even get me started on the grueling days when tournaments are around the corner. Not to mention the away games that I have to attend—“

“Alright, alright,” Lumine playfully rolls her eyes. “I know that the basketball members work hard. I know that better than anybody.”

His pout morphs into a blinding smile. “Haha, of course! It was just an excuse to rant.” He laughs good-naturedly. “Our clubs are inseparable. The fact that the cheerleading team has to keep up with most of our matches is amazing, you know?”

“Thanks,” Lumine responds curtly. His words are quite simple; dissimilar to the exaggerated praise that Lumine’s received from the others in the past, but somehow, Ajax’s praise makes her happier due to its genuineness.

But then, he just has to add with a smirk, “So, what do you think of me? Didn’t expect your soulmate to be this cool both in school and home, hm?”

It is obviously a sign that he also wants to be praised in return, but all Lumine gives him is a scoff. “You’re… okay. What I learned about you today totally debunks the possibility of you being a dumb, spoiled, rich jock.”

Ajax gasps dramatically. “Ojou-chan! Is that how you view me all of this time?”

Lumine bites back a smile. “Pft. Maybe.”

When he starts to whine her name, the blonde then adds as a small smile involuntarily creeps up to her face. “I was joking, silly. I know that you don’t like to judge people very quickly. It’s only fair if I do the same thing to you.” She clears her throat as she busies herself by peeling a potato. “I… told you that we’re sort of friends now. Friends should get to know each other.”

Ajax doesn’t immediately respond at first, but when he does, it’s in the form of a throaty chuckle; one that makes Lumine shiver for reasons unclear. “You’re really interesting,” he simply says, before regarding her with his signature close-eyed smile. “I’m looking forward to us getting to know each other better. Maybe I’ll get more than just okay next time.”

Unsure how to reply, she intends to leave their conversation hanging just like that, but then decides to mutter under her breath, “Perhaps you already are. More than okay, I mean. Kind of.”

From the way Ajax’s smile is broadening, she knows that he’s heard her just fine.

The sun has just settled down by the time they finish their cooking and serve the food on the table. Dinner goes on uneventfully, and the atmosphere is filled with a certain kind of warmness that Lumine’s unable to comprehend. Maybe it’s the laughter. Maybe it’s the cheerful conversation. And maybe it’s the playful bickering.

And then—there’s Agnessa, sitting among her children, laughing and commenting on their exchanges. A gentle mother who is undoubtedly loved by everyone in the family, if their soft gazes at her are any indication. Ajax’s father, Ivan, is currently out of the town for work-related matters, but the way everyone talks about him with such affection is enough evidence for Lumine that he’s also a respected figure in the house.

She’s in the middle of eating her Borsch when a sudden realization hits her.

Ah. This is what having a healthy, normal family would feel like.

Her own parents were by no means bad; they were everything that Lumine and Aether could ask for. Caring. Attentive. A pair of loving parents all the same.

But things happen. Financial issues. Mass termination of employment. Deteriorating mental states. Arguments, arguments, arguments—gone were the warm parents whom Lumine used to know. And with many blatant disagreements, came a worse decision-making skill, which led them to get involved with a fraud case too complicated to be understood by the young twins.

But when they got murdered, the struggles, the conflicts—they all seemed to end just like that. At least, on the surface. That was when the twins had to face the hard truth; that they had to survive on their own.

Never had Lumine thought that she’d be surrounded by another loving family again, let alone experiencing the familiar, nostalgic feeling that got embedded deep within her somewhere.

She’s barely above a stranger in this family. There’s no reason for them to look at her with such kind expressions, as though she’s already a part of them. There are no judgments nor hints of condemnation in their blue eyes, making it awfully clear where Ajax got his principles from.

Despite that, she appreciates the treatment so much that her vision gets a little blurry from unshed tears.

“Lumine? You okay?”

Slightly startled at Ajax’s whisper beside her ear, Lumine releases a faux, humorless laugh. “I’m fine.”

When Ajax arches a brow, Lumine sighs. Nothing escapes his observation, it seems.

“Really, it’s nothing much. I just got… reminded of something,” Lumine insists.

“Alright,” Ajax replies slowly. “If you don’t want to say anything, I won’t push you. But if you do, I’ll always let you know that I’m all ears.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay,” Lumine replies with a grateful tone. “Thank you, Ajax.”

“Hey, hey, what are you two whispering about over there?” Andrei suddenly  cuts them off with a snicker. “Some top secrets that can only be shared with soulmates?”

“Andrei,” Agnessa chides.

“Yeah, Andrei,” Talya mocks. “Act your age. You’re in your last year of college.”

Andrei sneers. “What an ironic thing to say as a fellow college student.”

“I’m a freshman.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

As they proceed to bicker in the background, Fridrik, who’s sitting next to them, keeps on eating his food in that composed manner of his.

“Lumine and Ajax. Soulmates, huh,” he says after swallowing his food. “Jaxie, you’re lucky to be soulmates with someone this cute. Mind telling us the whole story of your first meeting?”

If this is an attempt to distract Talya and Andrei as well as to catch everyone’s attention, then it works. Even the younger ones like Tonia, Anthon, and Teucer, who are still trying to grasp the concept of soulmates, are also interested in the new topic.

Lumine, however, is focused on one thing. “Jaxie?” She holds back a laugh.

A bit embarrassed, Ajax shushes her before replying to his brother, “Ah, right, so it happened during our first day of school…”

If there is one thing that makes Lumine tongue-tied upon entering Ajax’s bedroom, it is naturally a box of condoms, perched innocently on top of his bed, complemented with some birth control pills and a small note.

Dearest brother,

I hope you’ll make use of these congratulatory gifts for having a soulmate! Andrei estimated your size and he happened to have lots of XL-sized condoms (he’s a whore). Fridrik also bought those pills in case you wanna do it raw sometimes ;) they’re guaranteed to be safe for teens but feel free if u wanna consult a doctor too <3

Best of luck,

Talya, Andrei, & Fridrik

“…”

“…”

“So, uh,” Ajax clears his throat so loudly that Lumine’s afraid that he has some fish bones stuck in his throat, “This is unexpected.” He releases a nervous laugh as he crumples the note in his hand and shoves the condoms and pills inside the nearest drawer. “Sorry about that. My siblings get too… excited sometimes.” He grimaces.

Excited is one way to put it. If they were already excited when they heard of Ajax and Lumine’s bond, then they definitely got more excited when they found out that Ajax and Lumine are practically stuck to each other’s side.

Ajax’s family is rich enough to afford an extra mattress or a sleeping bag, but no one had brought that up. Instead, they were delighted to know that Lumine had no choice but to sleep in Ajax’s room. Lumine had ignored them back then, thinking that maybe, there would be a couch inside his room to sleep on.

However, when she ponders more about it, it would be weird for her to suddenly sleep separately from him when they’ve slept together once. Moreover, nothing truly happened yesterday. They’re just two friends…or, soulmates, who literally sleep side by side.

It’s decided then. Lumine swallows as her eyes dart to the comfy-looking bed before her. I’m… I’m sleeping on Ajax’s bed tonight. A guy’s bed. My soulmate’s be—

“…Lumine?”

“Yes?!” Lumine straightens up like a soldier and responds with wide eyes.

Lips curving up in amusement, Ajax asks, “Bath. We should take one.”

Did he just say bath?

“Oh, yeah, that’s a great idea!” Lumine replies eagerly. She really could use some warm bath now. Ajax’s family didn’t let them change, since they had no problems with Ajax and Lumine eating dinner in their uniforms, and Lumine thought it’d be rude for her to excuse herself to change while everyone was preparing for dinner, so she just decided to go with the flow.

“Yeah. But the thing is…” Ajax gestures to her to follow him across his ridiculously spacious bedroom, and then stops at one particular door. When he yanks it open with one hand, Lumine is greeted with the interior of his private bathroom, dominantly greeted with gray (which somehow suits him), but she knows that it isn’t what Ajax is trying to tell her.

“It’s … huge.” She dryly comments. To walk all the way to the sink, to the shower stall, and the magnificent bathtub next to it would undeniably take more than fifteen steps. Which means…

They exchange a glance—a gleam of mutual understanding flickering in their eyes.

“Are you serious?” Lumine inquires, volume rising.

“One hundred percent.” Ajax nods with a faint blush on his cheeks. “We’ve got no choice. We should go inside together.”

“And watch you shit and pee?”

“That’s what you’re concerned about?” Ajax makes a face. “Fine, fortunately the toilet’s pretty close to the door. Let’s take turns to finish our business first. Then we’ll decide the rest after that.”

“…” Lumine chews on her lower lip and averts his eyes. Truth be told, she’s worried about everything. Ajax is clearly uncomfortable with her nude body; her pride as a girl is already crushed enough and she’d rather not see him making a disgusted face at her later. However, she does realize that even if they need to get inside together, that doesn’t mean they have to look at each other or take a bath together.

Perhaps she’s just overthinking it like usual. Before she could drown in her thoughts once more, she replies, “…Alright. Let’s do just that.”

And so, they take turns to do their own thing. But much to Lumine’s dismay, it all passes in a blur, so quick that Lumine feels like she hasn’t got the chance to breathe, and before she knows it, she and Ajax are standing awkwardly inside the bathroom.

“I think,” Ajax says after a while, “We should go for a shower instead. We could take turns again, and one of us could wait outside of the glass stall. We can… uh, avoid seeing each other naked that way, if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable?” Lumine parrots out loud. Would she get uncomfortable seeing Ajax in his naked glory? Embarrassed, yes. But uncomfortable? Nothing could be further from the truth. Objectively speaking, the guy’s attractive—she wouldn’t mind a glimpse or two, and as someone who’s never seen a naked, hot dude with her own eyes, she can’t say that she’s not curious.

But Ajax, on the other hand…

“I-I’m fine with us being naked, actually. But if you don’t want to see me naked, then we should just go, um, for a shower. Just like what you suggested,” she rambles nervously. “But if I have to be completely honest, a warm bath sounds nice right now, and it’s been a while since I’ve taken one because I don’t have any bathtubs in my current house, but doing so means that you have to wait for me unless you join me, and it’s extremely rude for a guest to—“ Her words die down when Ajax begins to take off his clothes. “W-wait! What are you doing?!”

“Stripping?” He asks in sheer confusion, not even pausing to pull down his pants, leaving himself in his underwear and earning a squeak from Lumine. “I thought that you said you don’t mind us being naked.”

“Still! D-Doesn’t mean it’s not embarrassing!” Lumine rebuts, trying her best not to ogle at his deep V-line and his protruding hip bones. “A warning would be nice!”

Planting one of his hands on his hips—his surprisingly narrow hips—Ajax runs another hand through his hair. “Listen, ojou-chan. It’s my first time being in this situation, too. Let’s just get embarrassed together, yeah?” He smiles at her. “Bodies are just bodies. I won’t judge you, I promise.”

She blinks at him. “Really?”

“Of course.” Ajax nods.

“But… didn’t you…” turn your head away when you saw me naked last time? She completes the rest of her inquiry inside her head, and realizes that something’s off with her own logic. Turning his head away doesn’t necessarily mean that he was feeling uncomfortable, right? Why does she have a hunch that she misunderstands Ajax, somehow? “Erm… Nevermind.”

“Then… I’ll prepare the bath,” he offers. “It’s fine if I have to wait for you. The shower’s right beside the tub, too, so…”

“Is the bathtub not enough for two people?” Lumine asks although she pretty much already has the answer. His bathtub is large, not to mention fancy, although the design still retains the smallest hint of simplicity. The warm light that surrounds the tub gives off a relaxing atmosphere. Added with the city’s night view provided by the frameless window beside the tub? 

God, Lumine almost envies the life of the rich. She wishes that she has her own bathtub, but considering the small size of her bathroom, she can only dream. Hence she doesn’t want to miss the experience of soaking in a warm bath when she actually gets the chance.

“Well, yeah, but…” Ajax squints at her. “Miss Honor Student, are you saying that I can join you?”

“If you want to,” Lumine mumbles, fidgeting with her skirt. “It’s more efficient that way.”

A beat passes, and then Ajax’s laughing. “You’re always cute when you’re nervous.”

“Shut up. Don’t make fun of me.”

“I was praising you. But anyway,” Ajax then winks at her. “I’ll give you some privacy to strip as I prepare the bath, okay?”

The way he acts so casually while being half-naked encourages Lumine to throw away all of her shyness. Thus, she drops all of her clothes to the floor—bra and underwear included—and patiently waits behind Ajax. He still has his back on her as he prepares everything, yet, standing right behind him completely bare like this evokes… a weird feeling within her.

Excitement, she recognizes. Mixed with a little bit of nervousness.

Perhaps, she could once again confirm what her soulmate truly thinks about her girlish charm. About… her sexual appeal as a girl.

Feeling courageous, Lumine then approaches him and whispers beside his ear, “Are you done yet?”

“Wait a second,” Ajax grunts, before fully regarding her with his eyes, “I’m still…”

He pauses. No, he forgets whatever that he’s about to say the instant his blue eyes land on her petite body.

“Ajax?” Lumine’s self-consciousness inflates, and when she unconsciously brings her hands to cover her breasts and squeezes her thighs together, Ajax’s eyes seem to darken even more, if it’s even possible.

It’s only when the ginger takes a deep inhale and plays with the waistband of his underwear that he tears his gaze away from her. “Sorry. I was just—“

Mesmerized? Enchanted? Bewitched?

“—surprised. That’s all,” he jumps to his feet. Oblivious to Lumine’s crestfallen expression, Ajax coughs. “You can enter the bath first. I’ll… join you later.”

“Um, alright,” the blonde agrees.

And so, she dips her feet into the warm water, the pleasant fragrance of bergamot bath oil infiltrating her nose when she sits down fully. A relaxed noise escapes her throat as she stretches her hands and arches her back. Ajax is unusually quiet as he watches the scene, and for some reason, he’s now sitting on the tile while fumbling with his underwear.

“Ajax?” Lumine calls out, making him flinch, “Are you not coming in?”

“No, no, of course I am,” he waves a hand with a too-cheerful smile. “By the way, have you seen that thing beside the sink?”

“What thing?” Intrigued, Lumine turns her head in the direction of the sink. There isn't anything weird there except a few bottles of toiletries, but before she could ask him, the water around her swooshes. Lumine pouts at the ginger who is now sitting across her, knees folded up to his chest, an innocent smile plastered on his face.

“Ajax! You tricked me!” She huffs. “There’s nothing weird over there!”

“I never said there is. I only asked you if you have seen something,” He defends himself, hugging his legs tighter. He’s way bigger and taller than her, yet, he looks like he wants to make himself smaller with that pose.

Suspicion rises inside her. “You distracted me so that you could enter the bath.”

Ajax’s smile becomes tense. “Now, where did you get that idea, ojou-chan?”

“You can’t fool me twice,” Lumine crosses her arms below her chest, unawarely pushing up her breasts. “What are you trying to hide, Alekseevich?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit.”

“Whoa, I didn’t just hear our dearest Miss Honor Student say that.”

“And I’ll say it again. Bullshit.” Lumine scowls, before a thought crosses her mind, making her scowl disappear. “Oh. Oh my. Is that what I think it is?”

Ajax slumps further against the tub and asks warily, “What?”

“You know what I mean.”

Ajax chuckles. “I’m not a mind reader, pretty girl. I’m afraid that I have no clue.”

Ignoring the sudden flirtatious nickname, Lumine mumbles, “Then… you’d rather hear me saying it out loud?”

“…Go on.”

She then takes a deep inhale, before muttering, “You…”

“Yes….?” Ajax prompts, like a parent guiding a child to speak.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Lumine exclaims, “Y-You don’t want me to see your junk’s size, do you?!”

“…”

“…”

“What?” Lumine shrieks as redness covers her entire face when Ajax proceeds to wheeze, shoulders shaking and eyes tearing up. “That must be it. Some guys get insecure about their size, right? J-just like how some girls feel about their… um, chests.”

“I know, I know.” Ajax wipes an eye with his hand. “It’s just—it’s funny how considerate you actually are.”

“That’s not funny! Just because you don’t feel that way doesn’t mean it’s laughable!” Lumine protests. “I knew you wouldn’t understand. Girls fawn over you. You’d rather be soulmates and get stuck with someone with bigger boobs and prettier body—“ her words falter when Ajax’s eyes widen, and that’s when Lumine realizes that she’s just disclosed her concerns for the last few days. Covering her face with her hands, she says, muffled, “I’m sorry. Please forget it.”

Her heart is beating wildly inside her rib cage, loud enough that she can hear it in her ears due to the deafening silence inside the bathroom. She could feel the water moving again, followed by Ajax’s hand removing her own from her face.

“Lumine, have I… somewhat offended you?” He asks gently, worry apparent on his face. He’s so close now that it almost leaves her breathless. “Or are you affected by what everyone in school thinks of you as my soulmate?”

Maybe yes, maybe no, maybe both. Truthfully, Lumine doesn’t understand either. She could care less about others’ opinions about her, but when Ajax is involved, when it’s Ajax’s opinion… she suddenly cares.

It’s weird. Is it because they’re soulmates? That must be the most logical explanation. This bond certainly messes up her views about Ajax.

“I told you to forget about it,” Lumine answers in a low voice, refusing to meet his eyes.

“My soulmate is stressed because of me. Of course I have to take responsibility.”

My soulmate. The way he throws it out in the air so easily causes butterflies to swarm inside her gut. Perhaps it is, indeed, natural for a pair of soulmates to feel this way? To feel that they belong to each other; to feel that they always matter to one another?

She makes a mental note to ask Ms. Yae about it later.

“It’s a bit silly,” Lumine murmurs. “I don’t know why I feel this way. The universe decides that we’re soulmates, but I’m afraid that I’m the only one who thinks that I deserve this.” She sighs. “Sometimes I think that I’m not good enough to be anyone’s soulmate.”

“…Lumine, you’re an amazing person,” Ajax says in disbelief. “Why would you think otherwise? If this is really about what those people said behind your back—“

“No! No! I don’t care about them. I—“ she then continues very quickly, “I care more about what my soulmate thinks about me, and it’s embarrassing to admit!”

If this were a comic, then there would be thousands of question marks floating above Ajax’s head. “Miss Honor Student, I feel the same, but I still don’t understand what your main problem is.”

Lumine frowns. What else should she tell him when even she doesn’t understand the core of her irritation?

So, she opts to ask. “Ajax, am I attractive?”

Ajax answers without a beat, though he seems a bit taken aback by her question. “…Yeah.”

“Am I pretty?”

“Mmhm.”

“Am I sexy?”

“…Yes.”

“Do you see me as a girl?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Then—“ she gulps. “Why did you turn away when you accidentally saw some parts of me that night?”

“That night?” Ajax repeats. “You mean…” he gasps softly when he successfully pieces the puzzle together, and Lumine almost forgets that he is more clever than he looks. “You thought that I thought that you’re unattractive because of that?”

Lumine’s blush deepens as she stammers out a denial. “Don’t misunderstand! Just because I care about your opinion, t-that doesn’t mean anything! It’s probably the bond’s fault that I’m thinking this way! I mean, even if you’re not my soulmate, it’s only natural for me to feel offended that a guy doesn’t find me attractive—“

A smirk emerges across Ajax’s lips. “But you said that you don’t care about others’ opinions.” He leans into her, practically caging her with his arms on both sides of the tub. “You’re being inconsistent here, Lu-mi-ne.”

“I…” She attempts to put some distance between them, but her body betrays her intention.

“Y’know,” Ajax whispers beside her ear. “I averted my gaze because of two reasons.”

Lumine whimpers when the ginger nuzzles her neck, his warm breath fanning her skin.

“One, I was trying to be respectful. Two,” he growls, “I was trying to give you an impression that you have zero effects on me.” He lets out a low chuckle. “That’s also why I tried to distract you earlier.” He levels his face to her own again, a confident smirk still etched on his lips. “Trust me, my size is the least of my concern here.”

Lumine’s breath quickens at the implication. She resists the urge to glance down, to satisfy her curiosity, but—it’s too embarrassing.

Ajax, on the other hand, observes her reaction in amusement. “Curious?”

“N-no!” She denies. Again.

“Really? But that way, you’ll see how much you’ve affected me, Miss Honor Student,” he purrs. “Consider it as proof that you’re… attractive enough to draw such a reaction out of me.” He smiles.

Perhaps he has a point. Perhaps it’s an excuse for her. Musterring her courage, Lumine’s eyes slide down from his face to his sharp jaw, to his chiseled abs, and then to… something big and hard standing up proudly in between his legs, its flushed head visible enough to her despite the dim lighting of the bathroom.

She unconsciously lets out a small gasp. “Y-y-you’re…!”

“Yeah. Now you know,” Ajax sighs. “I tried to hide it from you because you’d probably call me a pervert or something.”

“B-but you are,” she mumbles, eyes still glued to his cock.

“…Says the one who’s still staring at my dick without batting an eye.”

Dismissing his comment, Lumine asks in a timid tone, “So, um, I… made you like this.”

“Basically, yeah,” he scratched the back of his head. “I guess… it’s a natural reaction when there’s a pretty naked girl around me.” He then smiles helplessly. “Sorry. It’s a weird way to assure you that you’re attractive, but do you believe me now?”

“I believe that the bond is making us feel this way, since it has yet to stabilize,” she murmurs, gaze still fixated on his hard length. “It’s tricking our brains into thinking inappropriate things about each other. I’m sure of that.”

“…Can’t say that I agree, but can you at least meet my eyes when you talk to me?”

“In any case,” Lumine ignores him again, “We should help each other.”

At her words, Ajax blinks. “Help? Like what?”

“Things like this might happen again in the future,” she tells him determinedly. “I guess we can be perverts together. Just—just until our bond becomes more stable. What do you think?”

For a while, Ajax seems to consider her proposal, but then, he retorts. “I’m fine with that… but are you sure about this?”

Lumine finally looks at him, resoluteness shining in her golden irises. “Yes.”

“So, from now on, I’m allowed to kiss you, to touch you, to do anything to you?” Ajax asks again, voice almost dropping into another growl. “And you’ll do the same to me?”

The way he words it almost rips a whine out of her throat as desire pools below her gut. “Y-yes.”

Lust smothers Ajax’s ocean eyes. “Good.”

It’s the last thing he says to her before claiming her lips with his.

Ajax has always wondered how it feels to kiss someone.

Couples on the street, at the back of the theatre, or the darkest corner of the school—they always look like they’re enjoying such an activity. He’s seen his parents giving chaste, innocent kisses to each other in front of the kids, and he has caught his older siblings doing the same thing to their partners.

So when Ajax is given the chance to finally experience it, he’s uncertain of how to describe the experience because it feels so… surreal.

The feeling of Lumine’s soft, plush lips against his is enough to send shivers down his spine. And that says a lot, because none of them have moved their lips, not even an inch, and as time passes, the word passionate is thrown out of the window, as it is replaced with the word awkward.

Now, this is embarrassing. How does kissing even work, anyway?

Leaning back slightly, Ajax asks, eyes half-opened, “Hey, why weren’t you moving your lips?”

“Same goes to you,” Lumine shoots back. “I was just following your lead!”

“I wasn’t even trying to lead!” Ajax defends himself. “I have never done this, remember?”

She gasps. “So you weren’t lying?”

“…Why do you refuse to believe the truth so much?” Ajax mutters crossly. “Anyway, let’s just try again. Don’t forget to move your lips this time.”

Lumine snorts as she encircles her arms around his neck. “Why would I forget the most basic thing anyone would do in a kiss?”

“Heh. Good luck proving it,” he retorts, before crashing their mouths once more.

Their lips then move slowly; still a bit awkward and unsure, but decidedly better than their previous attempts. Ajax learns that it’s possible to tilt his head further to the side, and that he can also breathe through his nose while kissing.

His hands roam down to Lumine’s body, tracing every curve and spot he could find, earning a low moan from the blonde, and he could feel them getting more excited with each of their kisses. He doesn’t know what drives him to lick Lumine’s lips, and he doesn’t know when Lumine parts her mouth, but it happens. Their tongues are tangled into a sloppy, sensual dance, and Ajax knows that they’re exchanging spit in the process, but he doesn’t find it gross.

In fact, it’s hot. Everything is hot. Even when saliva drips down messily from their mouths, Ajax couldn’t care less.

Kissing Lumine is too addictive. He suddenly understands the hype behind kissing itself.

If it was not for Lumine detaching their lips with a loud, wet pop, Ajax would’ve probably forgotten that he needs to fill his lungs with oxygen.

Licking his lips, Ajax murmurs as they try to catch their breath together. “How was it?” He asks huskily.

Looking back at him with half-lidded eyes, Lumine lets out a huff of laughter. “Passable.”

“A high standard you got there.” Ajax rolls his eyes, though with a smile. “It seems that we need more practice.”

“Then kiss me more,” is all she whispers, before her lips get captured by the ginger for the nth time. Again and again and again, until Ajax remembers that he’s still painfully hard down there, and until Lumine’s hand accidentally brushes against his length.

“Y-you’re still…” she mumbles shyly against his mouth, to which he breathes out a yeah. Lumine gnaws on her lower lip—a cute habit of hers whenever she’s nervous—and when Ajax least expects it, she daringly grips the base of his cock with one hand.

“L-Lumine!” He hisses, pressing their foreheads together as their eyes dart down on his cock.

“Can you drain the tub?” She asks heatedly, “I want to see all of you…”

Mind foggy, Ajax blindly reaches down to search for the drain and inwardly takes pride in how fast he manages to empty the tub afterward. Lumine snickers at his unadulterated eagerness, but offers no words of teasing once she takes a good look at him.

Blood rushes to her face.

“Oh my god,” she whispers to herself, poking the swollen head with a finger, and it slightly bounces back at the treatment. “It’s a real penis.”

Ajax almost chokes at her words. “Does that look fake to you?”

Lumine pouts adorably. “Sorry. I’ve… never seen one up-close before,” she explains sheepishly. Running down her finger from his slit, to the bulging veins along his length, and then to his balls, she murmurs,  “It looks cute but intimidating at the same time. I’d love to see its process of getting hard…”

The corner of Ajax’s mouth twitches. This girl is so weird. Did she just call his dick cute? What did she mean by intimidating? And must she enter her nerdy mode in the middle of this situation? “…We’ll save that for another time. More importantly, can you please touch me already?” He complains, tone desperate.

“Ah! My bad!” She squeaks. Hand visibly trembling, she then closes her fingers around him, brows knitted in concentration as she begins to pump him, up and down and repeat.

Her movement is too slow compared to Ajax’s preferred pace whenever he jacks off, but somehow, this feels more heavenly. Maybe it’s because of her tiny hand, which is unarguably softer than his own. Maybe because it’s his first time being touched by a girl. Maybe because the said girl is his soulmate.

Either way, he doesn’t want her to stop.

As Ajax’s panting grows louder, Lumine’s confidence increases, too. Ajax thanks his decision for using bath oil earlier, since it helps to create more delicious and smoother friction.

“I-it’s twitching,” Lumine comments worriedly, looking up at him from underneath her lashes. God, she’s so beautiful. “Are you okay?”

“Ngh—it feels so good. Keep going,” he rasps out as he buries his face in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. Unable to help himself, he leaves several kisses down her throat, to which Lumine tilts her neck to allow him more access.

Feeling encouraged, Lumine then uses both of her hands to please him. She experimentally swirls her thumb on his head, and watches in fascination at how liquid starts to ooze out of him.

“Is that…”

“Pre-cum,” Ajax chuckles breathily, kissing her chastely on the jaw, and then closes his eyes. “Mm, I’m close. You’re doing so good, Lumine.”

“Y-you can touch me if it helps you,” Lumine offers, and before the sentence completely leaves her mouth, Ajax brings his palms up to her breasts, making her gasp. “Ajax!”

“They’re so soft,” he remarks as he happily takes each boob in his hand, loving the way they almost spill from in between his fingers. He could feel her hardening nipples grazing his palm, and Lumine’s breath hitches when Ajax pinches them roughly.

“H-hey, don’t be too rough,” she chastises, briefly stopping her ministrations on his cock.

“Can I suck on them?”

“You—what?”

“I want to lick and suck on them. Can I?” Ajax reiterates, his smile broadening when a rosy hue makes a comeback on Lumine’s face.

“B-but you’ll get bath oil in your mouth—aah!”

Feeling impatient, he pays her words no heed as he dives down and clamps his mouth on one nipple, a low growl rumbling from his chest as he hollows his cheeks and sucks on her sensitive bud. She cries out at that, her grip on his dick tightening.

She arches her back when Ajax switches his whole attention to another nipple. He takes his time licking her areola, the mild taste of his bath oil greeting his tongue, and then also sucks her dry.

“Move your hands again,” he mumbles against one nipple, not without leaving a gentle bite or two. “Please.”

Swallowing hard, Lumine nods and obliges him. She quickens her pace, so fast that it’s almost unforgiving, and it makes Ajax’s breath stagger. He can’t register anything other than Lumine’s soft body in his embrace as well as the incoming release, and the next thing he knows, he’s pathetically chanting her name, not unlike a broken record, until he finally reaches his peak with a moan.

“O-Oh,” Lumine breathes out as she milks him, face contorted into astonishment. Probably wondering how he’s continuously able to spurt out a lot of cum. “It’s… it’s sticky. And thick.”

Before Ajax could prepare himself, Lumine curiously licks his cum off one of her fingers, and makes a face after she swallows it. “…So this is what sperm tastes like.”

In front of her, Ajax, who’s having an internal meltdown, rubs his face. “Ojou-chan, can you leave out scientific terms when we’re doing things like this?”

“Ah… did it kill the mood?”

To be honest, it didn’t completely kill the mood, and Ajax was too immersed in pleasure to even care. Her eating his cum also makes up for it, but he keeps that thought to himself.

(Maybe he should get her to swallow more of his cum in the future. That’d be hot.)

Still, he decides to give his two cents as some sort of prevention. “Well, how would you feel if I told you that I wanted to touch your vagina and kiss your labia minora?”

“…Ugh. Fine, fine, I get it, this isn’t science class,” Lumine begrudgingly admits. “Despite that… Did I, um, do a good job?”

Ajax sighs dreamily and kisses her full on the mouth. “It was amazing,” he reassures her. “I’m more than happy to return the favor, by the way,” he adds suggestively.

“That’s—that’s great.” Lumine clears her throat. “Maybe next time, though. I’m a bit… overwhelmed by everything right now.” She flashes him a sheepish smile. “But I had fun, too. Seeing you feel good made me feel good.”

“If that’s what you want,” Ajax ruffles the crown of her head, and then gestures to the shower stall. “Come on, we should rinse ourselves off.”

“R-Right.”

If Ajax gets the best sleep that night, then Lumine spends several restless hours staring at the ceiling of Ajax’s room blankly, clit throbbing when her brain keeps on reminding her of what had just transpired in the bathroom earlier.

Well, shit, she then realizes as she refrains a frustrated whine to escape past her lips.

She is still horny.

Chapter Text

Ajax looks exceptionally fine today.

Don’t get her wrong; Ajax is always good-looking, as much as it infuriates her. But there’s just something different with the ginger today that makes Lumine want to study his features in detail.

To her, studying, in a way, is akin to appreciating. Once she sets her mind to it, she has no problem with focusing on the said task until her curiosity is fully fed.

The issue is—Ajax makes her feel insatiable.

There has been an itch within her, begging to be scratched, ever since she woke up on Ajax’s bed this morning. Nothing cliche—like accidental cuddling—had actually happened at that moment, but Ajax’s face was the first sight that greeted her vision when she first peeled her eyes open. He looked utterly peaceful and relaxed; mouth half-opened, drool drying on the corner of his mouth, and maybe Lumine should’ve cringed in disgust, but she didn’t, because that doesn’t make him less attractive. 

Instead, seeing a side that is solely reserved for her makes her feel proud. Special. His fangirls would probably kill to be in her position, and Lumine’s surprised to find out that she doesn’t want to give this spot to any random girls at school.

Which is odd. 

How long has she been stuck with this guy, anyway? It hasn’t even been a week, she’s certain of it. It shouldn’t be normal to feel quite strongly towards someone in just a few days to the point that they had to touch each other to ease the tension between them, and putting the blame on their bond seems like the most reasonable argument she could think of for now.

Despite that, since she has no idea of how to prevent these weird feelings from blooming, she has no choice but to succumb to them. Only for now, she insists. Just until they find a way to stabilize their bond.

But acknowledging these feelings won’t make anything less hard, because back to her main point: she suddenly becomes too aware of how Ajax looks today, and it’s distracting her.

And him sitting beside Lumine in the class without a care in the world isn’t helping at all. School starts with Miss Ningguang’s math class, and more often than not, Lumine loves to listen to her in-depth explanation and useful tips, but now, she’s too busy glancing at her soulmate who looks like he’s seconds away from visiting the dreamland.

She tears her gaze away from him when he yawns, afraid that she’ll get caught, but after a while, her eyes wander back at him to continue her ‘inspection’.

Ajax doesn’t seem to be the type of person who cares for his appearance, since he always carries an easygoing attitude with him, but the truth is much more interesting than that. His hair might look naturally tousled, but she knows that he spent ten minutes styling it in front of the mirror to make it look like that. He carefully chooses what shoes he’s going to wear every morning, and he intentionally keeps his uniform unkempt and untucked.

Kujou Sara would definitely get a headache from seeing the way he carelessly rolls his sleeves to his elbows as well as his messy necktie and collar, but that’s just how Ajax is. The way he presents himself speaks a lot of his personality, and Lumine can’t deny that it’s one of the few things that makes him stand out as a person.

Another thing about Ajax that catches her attention is the fact that he usually walks around wearing a scent reminiscent of the beach.

Lumine’s not really a big fan of perfumes, but Ajax collects them like a hidden treasure. He diligently sprays them on himself every morning, and she’s caught him slipping one into his bag once. She can’t bring herself to complain, however. At least, she’s stuck with someone who smells nice—

Her stream of thoughts is paused when Ajax suddenly turns his head to the side and winks cheekily at her. Pink immediately colors her cheeks when she realizes that the bastard might have been noticing her staring for a while, but pretends to be oblivious to it!

What are you doing? He mouths at her, propping his chin on his palm.

Instead of answering, she redirects her focus to Miss Ningguang, hoping that Ajax would get the hint and stop bothering her. What she gets in return is a small piece of crumpled paper thrown to her desk.

A more rational part of her tells her not to humor him, to which she naturally obliges. But ignoring Ajax seems to be a bad option, because he’s very persistent in trying to get her attention, evident by the three crumpled paper balls he throws her way afterward.

Vein popping on her forehead, Lumine impulsively opens all of the paper balls only to see some messy scribbles and narwhal doodles. The narwhals are admittedly cute, but she’d never ever tell him that, especially not after reading the messages that accompany his doodles.

Miss Honor Student, notice me <3

Hey!!! U haven’t answered me earlier

Why were u looking at me? Am I that handsome? ;)

Her eyes twitch. She doesn’t know what’s worse: the fact that these messages aren’t even related to narwhals, or him being annoyingly cocky.

Wanting to put him back into his place, Lumine quickly writes a short reply at the empty space of the paper and throws it back at him when Miss Ningguang isn’t looking.

Fuck U

There’s an amused snort coming from him, followed by another ball of paper.

Is that a request? I dont mind. U did say that we shld help e/o <3

Trying hard to repress her blush, she writes back aggressively, I take it back.

It’s a lie, and both of them know it.

Thats a shame. I havent even returned the favor, yknow

I’m fine.

U sure? Its ok to admit it

Admit what

That u also want me to touch u

Her pen hovers over the paper as she thinks of a good reply—one that doesn’t give away her true feelings. She could see him from her peripheral vision, looking mildly concerned at her, and she could tell that he genuinely wants to help her back; that he’s taking his promise very seriously.

But the thought of Ajax touching her down there, a place where no one has touched or seen before, is both embarrassing and scary. She’s aware that pleasure is waiting for her if she could overcome those feelings first, but still.

She then settles on a simple—

Just forget about it.

But when she’s about to crumple the paper in her hand, Miss Ningguang speaks.

“Alright, class. Now that we have solved some of the examples together, it’s time to test our understanding with some individual exercises. But before that,” she crosses her arms as she turns around to face the class, a smile plastered on her lips. “Ms. Viatrix, Mr. Alekseevich, I presume that both of you have done enough flirting and are ready to focus on my class once more?”

At that, Lumine flinches in her seat. 

Damn it. This is her first time getting called out by a teacher like this. She’s so used to hearing their praises and acknowledgments that she has zero ideas how to act if the situation is reversed.

Ajax, on the other hand, looks as relaxed as ever, and then says something that almost makes Lumine’s jaw drop. “I’m sorry, Miss Ningguang. It was my fault. I was just trying to ask her about this math problem, and she refused at first, but I kept on pestering her.”

Miss Ningguang looks hardly convinced and merely lets out a noncommittal hum. “Whatever the case is, I expect my students to follow my rules next time.” She then sends a teasing smile in Ajax and Lumine’s direction. “But I’ll let this go just once. Mr. Zhongli provided me with some information regarding your bond, and I must say that I’m greatly entertained by your interaction.”

Seeing her friends biting back a snicker, all Lumine wishes at that time is to dig a hole and bury herself there.

“I hate this,” Lumine bemoans as she lets her head fall onto her desk. Math has ended and they’re currently waiting for their next class to start. Students are chattering hushedly in the background, but none of their words are comprehensible enough to be interpreted by her foggy brain.

Ajax sighs from beside her. “I already told you that I’m sorry. What else do you want me to do for you?”

Lumine scowls at him from her seat. “Clear my name.”

“Compared to your achievements in school, that alone isn’t enough to taint your reputation,” he responds, shooting her an incredulous look.

“I still intend to keep a clean record of myself,” Lumine stubbornly says. “My dream college has a high standard.”

That piques Ajax’s interest. “Oh? What are you aiming for?”

“None of your business.”

“Harsh, ojou-chan. C’mon, we’re sort of friends now, aren’t we?”

Lumine isn’t sure if it’s normal to touch her so-called friend’s dick or let her friend suck her tits, but she keeps that thought to herself. Clearing her throat—she tends to do that a lot lately, huh?—she replies a bit belatedly, “...It’s just a law school somewhere in Liyue.”

It’s not just a law school. There is only one law school in Liyue, and it is arguably one of the best law schools in Teyvat. It’s her dream school, and she could imagine herself learning from the best and hopefully graduating as an influential attorney.

It’s the only way where she could avenge the death of her parents through legal means and prevent other kids from experiencing the same crime.

Although a flash of understanding appears in Ajax’s eyes, he doesn’t pry too much and merely nods. “Hmm, if it’s you, anything doesn’t sound too out of reach.”

She scoffs to hide the flutter of her heart. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just a human.”

“Never said that you aren’t.”

Lumine rolls her eyes. “Anyway, I expect a fair exchange, so how about you tell me about your plan?”

At her question, Ajax’s face becomes a bit dimmer. “I’m not sure yet. I want to continue becoming an athlete, and I know that my parents won’t mind, but…” He sighs. “For generations, my family has been working for the Snezhnayan government. Dad said that getting a spot for me there would be easy. Being an athlete, on the other hand, is… well, more challenging and unpredictable, I guess.”

“...Ah,” Lumine says, somehow at a loss for words. First of all, that explains why the Alekseevich family is crazy rich, and second of all, she doesn’t know why she’s surprised to find out that he’s having some sort of dilemma. They’re still in high school; it’s common to feel uncertain of the future.

Maybe because it’s Ajax. Someone who exudes confidence wherever he walks, whenever he talks. In the end, he’s still a student. Young and still too green behind the ears, just like the rest of them—Lumine included.

Then, an idea pops out in her mind. “Doesn’t that mean you can always work at the government when, uh, your career in sport doesn’t work out?”

Ajax huffs. “Yeah. But isn’t it frustrating to easily land a position just because of your dad’s influence?”

Lumine’s eyes immediately widen. Oh. He’s got an interesting point of view.

“Even someone as smart as Fridrik gets underestimated once everyone finds out that he’s an Alekseevich,” the ginger continues. “Dad’s influence might have given him an easy opening, but we saw how hard he worked to climb up to his position right now. But of course, some people don't want to acknowledge that.”

“Just because you’re an Alekseevich?” Lumine gapes.

“You can say that.” Ajax shrugs. “I don’t want to view my own surname as a burden. My life’s only mine to enjoy. In fact, I’d love to see how people would react when they see an Alekseevich becoming a famous basketball player one day.”

Lumine can’t help but laugh. Is that also why Ajax acts so carefree, so insouciant? His parents might give him the freedom to choose his own path, but coming from a respectable family means that he still has to watch out for what society thinks of him. And if he can’t prevent himself from being watched, then he might as well serve them a whole show.

“I think that’s a great idea, actually,” Lumine encourages. “Most people believe what they see. If you perform well in most matches, those people will know that your achievement will have nothing to do with your family’s status.”

“That’s what I’m thinking. An athlete’s skill in the field will never deceive someone’s eyes.” He grins at her. “They also should realize at one point that dad’s power has its own limits. At least, not powerful enough to reach the sports industry.”

Lumine’s eyes twinkle. “Then, they’ll realize that your hard work is earned by your own blood, sweat, and tears!”

“Ahaha, you understand me so well! That’s what I’m saying!”

Before she could respond with another enthusiastic reply, someone coughs awkwardly.

“Um, Lumine?”

The blonde straightens in her seat, and it is the exact moment when she realizes that she’s unawarely dragged her chair closer to Ajax as she speaks with him, much to her embarrassment.

“Hoho, this is rare,” Kaeya suddenly comments from his seat, a smirk never leaving his face. “I’ve never seen you getting this excited over something, Lumine.”

“I do show emotions, Kaeya,” Lumine retorts as she drags her chair back to its original position.

“But not to this extent,” Kaeya shrugs. “Right, Yoimiya?”

“Ah, well…” Yoimiya laughs sheepishly while scratching her cheek. Yoimiya is one of her closest friends, meaning that she might know Lumine better than anyone, and Lumine dreads the prospect of her saying unnecessary things about her.

Thus, she cuts her off and redirects her attention to the girl who has called her name earlier. “Right. By the way, Ayaka, do you need anything?”

Ayaka smiles. “Ah, not really. Thoma and I were just talking about the club’s election period next week.”

“Oh! Right! I almost forgot to tell you about it!” Yoimiya chimes in. “Everyone’s been wondering when both of you would be able to join practice again.”

“Same goes for the basketball club,” Thoma adds when Ajax wordlessly looks at him for confirmation. “Practice in the first week of school has always been less intense, but the real ones start after the election period ends. We’re gonna need our future captain to always be there, for various reasons.”

“The cheerleading club feels the same!” Yoimiya says.

Lumine frowns. “Hold up, why are you all talking as if we’re already—”

“We’ve got a few candidates from other classes too, but everyone knows that both of you are going to win,” Yoimiya blinks. “Lumi, we’ve talked about this.”

“I haven’t even agreed if I wanted to be a candidate in the first place,” the blonde complains.

Seeing Lumine’s obtuseness, Ayaka, Thoma, and Yoimiya shoot a pleading look at Ajax, to which the ginger replies, “W-Why are you looking at me?”

“Obviously because they can’t think of another person who can convince her other than her soulmate,” Kaeya comments in amusement. “Though, if you don’t mind me giving my personal opinion—both of you being captains give much more chance to be with each other.”

Lumine flushes. “You’re saying that as if I’m attached to him!”

“Technically, you are, aren’t you?” Kaeya responds. “Your current circumstance still doesn’t allow you to get too far from one another, is that right?” Seeing the blonde’s gloomy face, Kaeya chuckles. “I assume that’s the reason why both of you are still unable to attend practice.”

Lumine sighs. “Our coaches did try to find a solution, but they eventually told us to talk to Dr. Baizhu and Miss Yae Miko, as if we haven’t done that already. There’s no instant solution for this matter. Even if we manage to find a temporary solution, becoming a captain with this condition is still too risky, and it could affect the whole team.”

“Lumi…” Ayaka says softly. “If that’s the case, then we don’t really have a say in that. But… Do you really want to give up on this opportunity just because of that?”

Ayaka’s question slightly catches Lumine off-guard. If she’s being honest, the trust that everyone puts in her is really flattering. Not everyone gets the chance to experience this, and becoming a club captain will surely benefit her in the long run. There were nights when she was seriously considering becoming a candidate; thinking about the what-ifs and scenarios once she gets elected as the captain. It’s a bit scary, but admittedly, it’s also exciting.

But then, this soulmate business happened.

That dampened her spirit at first. But Ayaka’s question makes her rethink—even if her abnormal bond with Ajax affects their lifestyle, that shouldn’t be an excuse for her to stay in place and merely watch everyone else running ahead of her. There must be some kind of way. Is that not why they immediately visited Dr. Baizhu and Ms. Yae Miko on their first day of school? Isn’t it because they want to go back to their normal lives as soon as possible?

Additionally, even if she refuses to become a captain, she still has to find a way to attend practice. She loves being in the club too much to give up on it just because of this stupid situation. She might as well hit two birds with one stone: attending practice and becoming a captain.

Ah, Lumine then realizes. The bond isn’t an issue—becoming a captain is. The bond is just an excuse. Despite knowing that the bond might be a hindrance, the faith that her friends have in her doesn’t even waver. If her friends can do that much, why can’t she do that to herself?

“You’re right. It’s too early to give up,” she eventually decides with a small smile. “Thank you, everyone. We’ll find a way to make this possible. We’ll talk about this again if there’s truly no way out.”

As her friends give her relieved smiles, for some reason, Ajax’s proud smile is the only one that can make her heartbeat stutter.

Stupid bond.

Dr. Baizhu and Ms. Yae Miko aren’t in their respective offices when Lumine and Ajax pay them a visit after school.

“We should contact them before we visit them next time,” Lumine muses as they walk side by side in the hallway. “No, in fact, I’m going to contact them right now.”

“You know their numbers?” Ajax asks, curiously peeking over her shoulder as she whips out her phone from her pocket. He makes a face when he sees her scrolling past endless contacts which mostly belong to teachers. “You have the number of our school’s security guard?”

She glares up at him. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing wrong,” Ajax answers a bit sheepishly. He watches her typing a whole paragraph on her phone while walking, and it amazes him how she’s still able to maneuver her way through a bunch of students. 

Less than five minutes later, she then locks her phone and shoves it back into her pocket.

“Oh, are you done?” Ajax asks excitedly.

“What, it hasn’t been ten minutes, and you’re bored already?” she looks up at him while placing her hands on her hips.

“I don’t like to stay in place for too long, is all,” the jock shrugs while jumping and stretching in place as though to prove his point. Lumine has to turn her face away from staring at how his muscles are imprinted against his thin shirt. “It sucks that we still can’t join practice now.”

“We can still watch.”

“I’d rather not,” Ajax refuses. “I’m just going to feel more frustrated that I can’t join them.”

“Good logic.” Honestly, she’d feel the same. She misses moving her body too. Watching her friends from the sidelines would make her feel like an outsider.

They proceed to walk aimlessly around the school in silence, until Ajax says, “Y’know, at this hour, I’d play random sports whenever I don’t have practice.”

“I know that,” Lumine replies absently, making both of their eyes widen at the ‘confession’. Oh, shit. She’s not supposed to say that! It’s just going to make her look like his fangirls who have too much time on their hands!

And judging from Ajax’s infuriating grin, he’s definitely never going to let her live it down.

“Oh? Now that’s news to me,” he steps closer to her. It almost causes her to instinctively step back and distance herself from him, but doing so would make him think that he has the upper hand here.

“It shouldn’t be,” Lumine retorts, feet rooted to her spot while gazing back at him challengingly. “I’ve seen people asking you to fill the empty positions in their teams before. It’s only natural to see a jock like you at some random places at school, playing some random sports with random people.”

And she’s sure that she isn’t the only person who has experienced this. Everyone calls him a jock for a reason. While he spends most of his time inside the gymnasium, it’s not weird to encounter him tossing a volleyball, outperforming a regular member of the badminton club, scoring a home run in an informal baseball game, and showing off his swimming skills (and his damned abs) when some girls from the swimming club ask him for his guidance.

(And he has the audacity to ask her why it’s so hard for her to accept that he’s also a virgin like her.)

“Heh. And here I thought that a certain someone has been keeping an eye on me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” She scoffs.

“Really? Because what if I told you that I’ve—”

“Excuse me!”

Ajax frowns when someone interrupts them. It’s a guy that Lumine has never seen before, clad in a baseball uniform. He’s carrying a mitt in his hand, waving it around as he beams at the ginger, though looking a bit nervous.

“You’re…” Ajax scrunches his nose. “Who are you?”

The guy straightens up. “I—My name’s Felix!” He exclaims. “I-I’m fairly new to the baseball club and we need someone to volunteer as an additional pitcher and they chose me to find someone and I remember everyone saying that you’re good at every sport but I am aware that you’re also busy and you should be at practice at this hour but since you’re still here I thought that I should give it a try—”

“Whoa, calm down! Take a breath,” Ajax holds up two hands, prompting Felix to take a deep inhale. “You have a talent to become a rapper, my guy.”

“Thank you!”

“For a baseball player, you sure look happy at the praise,” Lumine dryly remarks.

Felix winces. “I’m sorry!”

“Hey, relax. Why are you so jumpy?” Ajax asks.

“Nothing!” Felix replies with a squeak, not daring to look Ajax in the eyes. He gulps when the taller boy squints.

“I think I’ve seen you before.”

“We… went to the same middle school!” He admits, causing Ajax’s breath to hitch. “I’m one year younger than you! A-and I was there when you single-handedly fought—”

“What a surprise!” Ajax cuts him off with a dangerous smile. “So you’re also from Fatui, huh?”

Fatui? Lumine stares at him in shock. That infamous private school from Snezhnaya?

“Y-yes!”

“I see.” Ajax eyes him with cold blue eyes, to which Felix shivers. “You’re one of those people who know of that incident.” When Felix nods in fear, Ajax’s voice drops an octave lower. “And I think it’s safe to assume that there are more people like you who also got accepted into this school.”

Felix nods again, earning an exhausted sigh from Ajax.

“Damn it, no matter where I go, I really can’t escape from all of you,” he mumbles while running a hand through his hair. “There are already enough Fatui alumni in the second year, and I’m already overwhelmed with those blabbermouths…”

Noticing Lumine’s curious stare, Ajax then stops himself, grasps Felix’s shoulder, and says sternly, “Y’know, I don’t trust anyone easily, but I expect you to keep your mouth shut about it. It’s no use to dwell on the past too much, is it?”

Felix stutters, “I-I…”

“Is it?”

“Yes! Yes, you’re right!”

“Good,” Ajax releases his shoulder. “Make sure to tell everyone who also knows about it to mind their business, alright?”

“I will keep that in mind!”

“Good, good,” Ajax nods approvingly. “Anyway, this pretty girl over here and I have other plans in mind, so I’ll have to pass on the offer.”

Felix seems to have a hard time recovering from Ajax’s threat, and he looks like he’s almost forgotten why he has approached Ajax in the first place. “Offer… o-oh! The pitching offer! R-right!” He laughs nervously. “Then… I must go back! Because everyone must be waiting for me! Goodbye!”

With that, the poor, frightened boy flees away from the scene without glancing twice in Ajax’s direction.

“Huh. What a weird fella.” Ajax exhales, before turning his attention to Lumine once more. “Sorry for ignoring you, Miss Honor Student. So, where were we….” His words falter when he notices Lumine’s reddening cheeks. “Hey, you okay?”

“I’m fine!” She squeaks, jumping one step further from him.

“No, you’re not. You’re acting odd again.” Ajax arches a brow while attempting to walk closer to her, earning a gentle push from the girl.

“T-this is none of your concern! I promise you!” She stammers. She’s not lying, but she also can’t disclose to him that her current state is, in a way, his fault.

It’s all his fault, although a more rational part in Lumine’s brain tells her that it isn’t.

Lumine knows that she’s supposed to focus on the small revelation about Ajax’s past—about Fatui, about how Ajax tried so hard to cover whatever incident that had occurred back then, or about Felix’s blatant fear toward the ginger.

Saying that she’s not curious would be a lie.

But since being nosy about it doesn’t seem to be the best move for now, instead, her body decides to react to another thing: Ajax’s threats. The way he lowered his voice, almost into a growl, the way his dull eyes flashed intimidatingly, the way his lips curved downwards into a snarl…

That’s… that’s hot. What if he directs that kind of attitude to her in bed? What if he also tells her what and what not to do? Would she obey him? What if the situation is reversed? Would he obey her?

Regardless, each scenario excites her, and God, she’s tingling all over her skin, arousal pooling inside her lower gut. She’s slicking a little, she realizes, much to her embarrassment, and she’s been trying to rub her thighs together as an attempt to relieve herself—to search for friction.

It’s a futile attempt, and she’s incredibly frustrated.

She could ask Ajax to help her. After all, they had agreed to help each other last night, and there’s no way she’d forget that kind of agreement in such a short time. Not when she’s still stuck by Ajax’s side.

But back to her main problem since morning: she’s too embarrassed to do so.

(Ugh, she shouldn’t have rejected his offer to please her last night. She thought that sleeping it off would diminish her desire. How wrong she was.)

“Anyway!” She hastily changes the topic. “You said to him that we have other plans. I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it.”

“Oh, that? Just an excuse. We don’t have to actually do anything. It’s not like I can play any sports freely in this condition,” Ajax answers lightly. “I still want to move my body, though.”

Move it against me, Lumine’s dirty mind replies, to which she shakes her head. “Um, I can’t think of anything to do, so how about we just go ho—“

“Oh, perfect timing!” All of a sudden, another person interjects her from behind. Why does everyone seem to fancy interrupting them today? “You’re Lumine, right?”

Lumine regards the girl who looks like she’s just run a marathon with a seemingly heavy, however small, carton box in her arms.

“I am,” the blonde answers. “Is there something—“

“Yes! Yes, listen, I don’t usually do this but I have something really urgent coming up, and at the same time I’m tasked to put this in the theater club's old room.”

“And you’re telling me this because…?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” The girl huffs. “I need your help. You’re the Honor Student—I’ve seen you helping everyone before.”

Hearing that, Ajax’s face darkens, but Lumine quickly opens her mouth before he does. “Can I at least know your name? In case someone asks me about this—“

“It doesn’t matter!” The girl cuts off impatiently. “Please don’t tell anyone about this! I’m trying to keep a clean record and I want this special position for our next project and this might affect my—“

“So you’re making Lumine do all the work?” Ajax knits his brows, clearly displeased at what he’s heard. “Why can’t you just tell the truth to your club members? I’m sure they’ll understand.”

The girl immediately gives them a desperate look. “Ugh, I told you that I have my own reasons, okay? If you don’t want to help, then I’ll find other people. I guess I have no choice but to be late for my urgent meeting.” She huffs, but before she could lift her feet, Lumine exclaims.

“Wait!”

The girl looks at her expectantly, earning a defeated sigh from Lumine.

“Okay, I’ll help you.”

Beaming, the girl unceremoniously shoves the box into Lumine’s hands and says, “I knew that you’re a kind person, Lumine! As expected from the Honor Student. Thank you!”

Lumine resists the urge to roll her eyes and merely shoots her a strained smile. “Haha, don’t mention it…”

“I’ll take my leave, then!” The girl announces, but then whispers to Lumine’s ears when she passes by, “Oh, by the way, if Ajax’s really your soulmate, you should be careful of him.” As Lumine’s eyes widen, the girl continues, “You heard how he was trying to stop you from doing a good thing, didn’t you? He might not be the best person to be around with. Anyway, good luck!”

Just like that, the girl disappears to another corner.

“Lumine.”

“...”

“Miss Honor Student?”

“...” The frown between Lumine’s brows deepens. Why does this feel like a deja vu?

“Ojou-chan—”

“Shut up and let us have a peaceful trip, Ajax,” Lumine grumbles while stomping her way to their destination. The corridor is quite empty at this hour, but she could hear some voices inside several club rooms, for this side of the school is where most students are gathered for after-school activities.

“Now you’re upset?” Ajax asks in disbelief. “Huh, so this is how it feels to have a moody girlfriend,” he muses as they arrive at the theater club’s old room.

“I’m not your girlfriend,” Lumine replies wryly before yanking the door open. It’s unlocked, and one look across the messy, dusty room tells them that it’s already abandoned by the club members now that they’ve moved to a better, bigger room.

“Mmhm, you’re more than that. You’re my soulmate,” Ajax coos in a sing-song voice before embracing her from behind, causing the blonde to drop the box and her bag to the floor.

“Ajax! Stop that! Who gives you the right to do that?!”

“Soulmate privilege.” Ajax grins as he, too, drops his bag without a care in the world.

“It doesn’t work that way!”

“Oh?” Ajax smirks. Before she knows it, he rotates her and pushes her against the door until it’s closed with a soft click. Nuzzling her neck, he murmurs, “How does it work, then?”

She feels him nibbling on her flesh, tongue darting out to taste her. She whimpers when he opens his mouth and leaves hot kisses down the column of her throat. “I… I don’t know,” she says a bit breathlessly. “All I know that we shouldn’t do this here—”

Ajax hums, “But isn’t this what you want? I thought that you only said yes so that we can be alone? Or did you really not realize that the girl from before was guilt-tripping you?”

“Wh… what?”

“She was taking advantage of your Honor Student title,” the ginger repeats.

“I know.”

“Why didn’t you say no?”

Lumine chews her inner cheek. “It’s not like I’m not capable of doing that.” She sighs. “No, never mind. I am bad at saying no sometimes,” she confesses. “But today, I’m just… not in my best state to make some good decisions.”

Ajax chuckles. “I can see that. You’ve been distracted by something.” He wets his lips. “By someone.”

His fingers trail down her creamy thigh, squeezing it when she makes no sounds of protest. He is rewarded by a small gasp, encouraging him to slip his hand under her skirt. Further and further, until she could feel his fingers playing with her panties.

She shudders. “Ajax…”

“You want me,” Ajax states hotly. “I noticed your stares all day long, pretty girl. You thought that you were being discreet, hm?”

Lumine’s face grows warm. “I… It’s not me! It’s our bond’s fault, and I—” she begins to ramble, but there’s a pair of warm lips against hers in the next second, and all of her words immediately get swallowed down, never to be spoken again. His kisses are soft, making her eyes flutter shut, and she almost whines when he withdraws slightly.

“Ssshh, it’s okay to feel that way,” her soulmate whispers against her mouth. “No need to be embarrassed about it. Just let me take care of you today, alright?”

“We’re… we’re in school!”

“And? No one uses this room anymore.”

“B-But still—ah!” She arches her back when Ajax rubs her core through her soaked panties. She doesn’t even realize that she’s already drenched, and Ajax seems to share the same sentiment.

“Fuck, Lumine,” he breathes out, pushing her panties aside to feel her directly with his fingers. “You’re already this wet.” He kisses her jaw. “I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you for so long.”

“You’re not—nnh!”

He inserts a finger past her entrance without warning, groaning at the feeling of her velvet walls clamping around him. “Look at you, so fucking tight. I wonder how you’d feel around my cock,” he says, voice low and husky in her ears as he experimentally slides his finger in and out of her.

And truthfully—that’s a delicious thought. Ajax’s finger is bigger than hers, and the way he stretches her open with just one finger already feels heavenly. She’s seen how big he is last night—if she wishes to have him inside her one day, the least she could do now is to test whether she could handle his fingers first. 

“More,” she whines. “Add more fingers, please.”

“Your wish is my command.” Ajax smiles. “Hold on, let’s get you to a more comfortable position.”

She winds her arms around his neck when Ajax scoops her up by her ass, her lust-filled mind not even questioning why Ajax is suddenly bringing her to a long, wooden table inside the room. It’s not as dusty as other properties in the room, but Ajax still makes the initiative to take off his uniform blazer and spreads it on the table for her.

Her heart stutters. “Ajax, you don’t have to.”

“I want to,” he winks, gently ushering her to lie down on her back. He flips her skirt up and tries to spread her legs so that he can fit himself in between them, but feels a little resistance from his soulmate. “It’s okay. It’s just me,” he kisses her thigh as reassurance. “Show yourself to me.”

Gulping, Lumine then averts her gaze to the side and covers her burning face with the back of her hand as she lets him do whatever he wants to her. Coldness washes over her when Ajax pulls her panties down and spreads her legs wider. There’s a sharp inhale from the boy after that, and Lumine can only hope that it’s a good reaction. One that is not out of disgust.

It’s normal to feel nervous, she reminds herself. Because for the first time in her life, she allows a boy to see the most private part of hers. Uncovered. Bare.

Oh, Aether’s going to burst when he finds out about this later.

“Lumine.”

She gnaws on her lower lip when Ajax pries her hand out of her face to kiss her softly on the lips. “Look at me.”

“It’s embarrassing,” she mumbles.

“Don’t worry. You’re gorgeous,” he replies sincerely. “I’m going to put my fingers in again. Tell me if it hurts, okay?”

She nods, warmth spreading inside her chest at his tenderness. It’s unfair how he could make her turn into liquid without knowing it. It’s also unfair how he could make her forget everything when he touches her. She has a reputation to uphold, for the sake of her future. She shouldn’t be doing this in an abandoned club room. What if someone walks in? Did they lock the door?

But of course, all of those thoughts are gone when his two digits enter her carefully. She welcomes his fingers with a clench, and she could feel him curling them inside her. Her breath hitches when the tip of his fingers accidentally grazes a sensitive spot, which Ajax interprets as a good sign.

He pushes his fingers deeper, pressing firmly, and—oh.

“There it is,” Ajax murmurs as he starts to fingerfuck her at a slow pace, making sure to stimulate the same spot. “You like that, don’t you?”

“Yes… yes, there,” Lumine moans, squirming her hips a bit to match his movement. “My clit, please—”

“Like this?” He obliges, pressing his thumb over her clit, and shit, yes, he gets it, because it makes everything more intense, more pleasurable. She arches her back as some sort of response, receiving a pleased laugh from the jock.

“You’re so beautiful like this,” he compliments while fingering her faster. “Can you hear yourself?”

She can. In fact, she’s certain that the room is dominantly filled with the lewd squelches coming from her pussy alongside her own panting.

“Ajax…” She moans, tugging his shirt weakly, “More…”

More what? Lumine asks herself, but Ajax seems to know what she needs.

“I’ve got you,” he says, and his idea of pleasuring her more is to add a third finger.

Lumine straight up mewls.

He’s stretching her so well, and he gives her a feeling of fullness that she’s never experienced before. Not even with her own fingers. It’s slightly burning down there, but it’s still so, so good, and she wouldn’t even wish for him to stop so soon. She’s clenching around him tighter, and she knows that she’s already close, like a dam waiting to be broken. She moans his name, her hand crumpling the material of his shirt, and that gesture doesn’t go unnoticed by him.

“Close?” Ajax asks, sounding just as breathless. She can only nod vehemently, eyes squeezed shut as Ajax fingerfucks her with a rather merciless pace—

And then she sees stars. Feet curled inside her shoes, back arched, mouth opening in a silent scream.

“Oh, God,” Ajax pulls his fingers out with a wet sound, followed by the sound of a zipper being pulled down. Surprise is etched on Lumine’s face when she sees his cock springing out of his pants. “Sorry, I—you’re just too hot, I can’t hold back.”

“Ajax, what are you…?”

“I won’t put it in,” he clarifies. “I just… want to feel you - “

Gripping himself around the base, he lightly slaps his dick against her several times, and hisses when he begins to slide his length along her wet folds. She loves how hard and warm he is, and the feeling of his flushed head nudging her clit with each slide is wonderful.

She’s still a bit sensitive from her orgasm, but that doesn’t stop something from building up inside her once more.

But she blames it on the sight in front of her—of Ajax, using her pussy to seek for his own release. Of Ajax’s grunts and moans, and the way he would scrunch his nose when the friction feels too good. At one point, the movement of his hips becomes irregular, and he’s smirking at her when he notices that she’s enjoying the show.

“You’re… ah, enjoying this too, aren’t you?”

“It feels good,” she breathes out with a small smile, “P-press it harder against my clit—ah, mm, just like that…”

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Ajax shakes his head helplessly with a laugh. “Shit, I’m gonna come…”

“Kiss me,” Lumine says needily, to which the ginger leans down to capture her lips with his. Lumine lets out a muffled moan as she cradles his face with her hands, tongue slipping out to be entangled with his. Their kiss is just as messy as their last one, too much tongue, too much saliva, but she can’t care less. 

He tastes like the candy he secretly ate in their last class.

“I’m coming,” he warns her, his warm breath fanning her mouth, but all Lumine does is chase his lips for another bruising kiss.

They’re still kissing when he reaches his peak with a muffled groan, his hips rolling languidly against hers as he milks himself until the last drop. He then pulls away to admire the artwork he’s inadvertently created—her cunt, coated with his semen.

He whistles appreciatively.

“What a sight,” he purrs. “Everyone’s dearest Honor Student, doing such a filthy thing in school… what would everyone think if they saw you like this?”

She throws him a glare. He was so gentle when he took care of her; how can he switch back to his annoying self so easily?

“I hate you,” Lumine gets up with a grumble. “I was about to come the second time, too….”

Ajax pouts. “Sorry. Are you still not satisfied?”

Honestly, she’s more than satisfied. Today is also her first time experiencing such an intense release, and while she’s curious if she’s able to come twice in one day, she’d rather save it for another occasion. Now’s not the time and the place. They’re lucky that they haven’t been caught by anyone now!

“No, no, I’m fine.” She clears her throat. “Thanks. I guess.”

Ajax smiles widely. “You’re welcome. No need to be shy the next time you need me, okay?”

“Fat chance,” she responds with a smile. Both of them know that she doesn’t mean it. “Now get me some tissues from my bag. I need to clean up.”

“Tissues? But I can always clean you up with my mouth—”

“Ajax!”

Chapter Text

Miss Yae Miko is in the middle of sorting out her documents when Ajax and Lumine enter her office. It’s followed by a sense of déjà vu, reminding them of their first time coming into her office. The second she looks up from her documents, she flashes them a cryptic smile, which always leaves them with a feeling akin to restlessness in their guts.

“Oh? Look who we have here,” she comments, eyes twinkling with mirth. “If it isn’t the school’s cutest pair of soulmates. I’m intrigued—tell me, how things have been with each other’s presence?”

Lumine sighs as she sits on the sofa next to the ginger. “Well… it’s… complicated.”

“I can see that.” Miss Yae hums. “It’s a wonder how comfortable you are with sitting next to Mr. Alekseevich now.”

At her words, Lumine squeaks when she notices that she’s sitting too close beside Ajax compared to her last visit. Ajax merely snickers when she tries to put some distance and says, “What can I say? We’ve grown to be best buddies in just a few days.”

This time, it’s Miss Yae’s turn to snicker, as if she knows something that the teenagers don’t. “Buddies, hm?”

The way she throws back his own word at his face makes Ajax rethink that maybe, buddies isn’t the best word to describe their relationship now. Buddies—friends don’t exactly do anything sexual between them, do they?

Friends with benefits exist, a voice in Ajax’s mind argues. Since she’s his soulmate—doesn’t that make them soulmates with benefits? But it feels wrong to call her that either. Having a soulmate is more than that.

“In any case, Miss Yae,” Lumine changes the topic with slightly warm cheeks. “I believe that I’ve messaged you about our purpose for coming here today.”

The woman nods. “Yes, of course. Election period… unreliable coaches… I understand.” She sighs, before she continues, “I can sense anticipation and eagerness exuding from the both of you, so let’s just get to the point.”

Ajax makes a face. Are they really obvious, or is she just too good at reading people?

“Our schedule for today will consist of pre-assessments, twenty to thirty minutes of endurance training, and post-assessments,” Miss Yae explains. “No, in fact, you should familiarize yourself with this pattern. This is going to be a normal occurrence in our sessions depending on the circumstances.”

“Alright,” Lumine says. “I’m sure it won’t be that bad…”

Miss Yae chuckles and taps her fingers on her desk. “I love your confidence and I do not mean to break your spirit, but endurance training, however relatively short in its duration, might feel very long for you, given how physically and mentally draining it would be. Hence, pre- and post-assessments are needed.”

Her warning successfully makes Lumine’s face fall, to which Ajax grasps her hand instinctively. “It’s okay, we’re in this together, remember?” He consoles, earning a bright blush from the blonde. She immediately retracts her hand and clears her throat.

“U-um, yeah, sure.”

“Dr. Baizhu will also be here in a minute,” Miss Yae informs them.

“Dr. Baizhu?” Ajax repeats.

“Mmhm. His assistance is of great importance to our sessions. He will also be the first one to come to your aid lest something happens.”

“...Are you sure this endurance training is safe?” Lumine asks warily.

Miss Yae only gives them a smile. “Of course, we will try to minimize any negative effects you might experience in our sessions.”

Lumine gasps. “So it’s not 100% safe!”

She is not denying nor confirming Lumine’s statement, much to Lumine’s horror. “While waiting for Dr. Baizhu, you can seek Mr. Alekseevich’s reassurance with more hand-holding or cuddling.”

Ajax laughs dryly when Lumine makes a noise of embarrassment. Is it just him, but does Miss Yae’s teasing feel more merciless? He swears that she wasn’t that much of a teaser the last time they met her!

True to her words, the door is suddenly opened by Dr. Baizhu within a minute.

“Oh, it seems that Mr. Alekseevich and Miss Viatrix are already here?” He smiles after scanning the room, glasses glinting. “Then, shall we get started?”

“What do you think?” Miss Yae redirects the question to the teenagers.

“I don’t see why not. Lumine?” Ajax asks her, to which Lumine nods.

“I don’t mind. Hesitance will lead us to nowhere,” she says determinedly.

“Excellent,” Miss Yae smiles, clearly pleased with their responses. “Now, let us proceed.”

Miss Yae Miko is right.

This whole endurance training is hell in its truest form.

Essentially, the instruction given by Miss Yae is very simple—distance yourself from your soulmate for a certain number of steps, and if you succeed without feeling any pain, the distance between both of you will be extended.

The first time they got separated—on the very same day when they found out that they’re soulmates—being six steps away from each other made their hearts clench unpleasantly. It’s been a few days since that happened, so logically, there should be an improvement. Surely, the strength of the bond is no longer at its highest peak, is it?

Oh, how wrong they are.

Today, the effect that they felt on their sixth step can already be felt on their fourth step.

“Oh my,” Miss Yae Miko comments with a surprised tone as she regards the panting, sweaty teenagers before her. They have tried to endure the pain on their seventh step, but it was too much for them. They’re now taking a break, face flushed and body shaking. “This is unexpected.”

“The bond seems to get stronger,” Dr. Baizhu agrees.

“Hm. I’m not saying that it’s not possible, but there are a lot of factors as to why this could happen,” Miss Yae muses out loud, hand actively scrolling down her tablet. After a few taps here and there, she then turns towards the pair of soulmates. “I’m afraid that I’m going to ask something personal,” she smiles. “Would you mind?”

Ajax and Lumine exchange a glance with one another.

“As long as it helps to improve our condition…” Lumine answers.

Hearing that, Miss Yae doesn’t bother beating around the bush and inquires with a completely straight face, “Have you done any sexual activities with each other?”

There’s a collective cough coming from Ajax and Lumine whose faces are now as red as a boiled crab.

“Wh-what—” Lumine stammers. “What does that have anything to do with—with this?!”

Miss Yae stares at them for a good five seconds, before the corner of her mouth curves up once more. “Miss Viatrix, the issue with your bond mainly concerns your physical body, is that right?”

Lumine gulps. “Right…”

“Now, imagine there’s a cat and a kind chef in a humble restaurant.”

As random as it sounds, the mental image of a cat and a chef still appears in Ajax and Lumine’s heads. As though knowing that they’ve done the said task, Miss Yae goes on.

“This cat likes to stand by and watch the chef waltzing around the kitchen, preparing food for the customers. Many people have tried to shoo it away, but the cat is persistent in its pursuit of food. Of course, the kind chef doesn’t mind sharing any leftovers for the cat.” After that, Miss Yae says, “This leads us to one question: would it be possible to separate the cat and the chef after that?”

The honor student’s answer is quick and clever. “Knowing how cats are, it might come back for more food on the following days,” she says. “The cat wouldn’t like it if it gets separated from the chef.”

“Then, would the cat leave on its own?”

“Quite unlikely,” Ajax says with a shrug. “It has no reason to leave its source of food.”

“Correct,” Miss Yae smiles. “This might not be the best analogy, but we can apply the same logic to your condition. Just like a cat that doesn’t want to be separated by its source of food, your current bodies, too, are harder to be separated from if they keep on being… fed.” She lets out an amused laugh. “I’m not talking about literal food, by the way.”

Lumine knits her eyebrow, racking her brain to connect the dots. “You mean… pleasure is what keeps our bodies from not getting separated?”

Miss Yae blinks. “Yes. Pleasure, given by another body, makes your body feel good. Your body likes it, his body likes it. From their perspectives, why would they want to be separated?”

“So my body has a mind on its own now?” Ajax gapes in disbelief.

“Mr. Alekseevich, it is still your body, is it not? Your body is controlled by your brain. How you view Miss Viatrix and your willingness to engage in sexual activities with her also affects the strength of the bond. The same goes for you, Miss Viatrix.” Miss Yae subtly smirks. “I did say before that there are so many factors that must be taken into consideration whenever we talk about your bond. My analogy from earlier was made to simplify my explanation.”

When she notices that the teenagers are too flustered to even form a reply, Miss Yae hides a snicker behind her hand. “Alright, alright, it appears that both of you need to cool down, so how about we end today’s session?”

“That’s a good idea,” Dr. Baizhu agrees with a small smile. “We’ll conduct the post-assessments in five minutes. I believe that I have something to discuss with Miss Yae.”

With that, the adults proceed to occupy another corner of the room and talk with hushed voices, leaving Ajax and Lumine in their own thoughts.

“So… we’re going for total abstinence in a week, huh?”

Lumine hums as she flips through the pages of her memo book, before writing down several things. “According to Miss Yae, we shouldn’t engage ourselves in anything sexual until next Thursday.” She taps the paper with her pen, “She’d like to see whether it will affect the bond of our strength and our endurance training. If everything goes smoothly, Dr. Baizhu is considering giving us some magic pills that allow us to be separated from each other for a certain distance and time.”

Of course, there’s no real magic imbued in those pills. Those pills are basically just one of the strongest pain relief medications specially made for exceptional cases like this. Dr. Baizhu has warned that those magic pills should only be used for urgent occasions. Consuming them too much might result in addiction or tolerance, meaning that over time, their bodies need more of the drug to get the same effect. He also explained how it could have side effects on their kidneys, brains, livers, and so on, so naturally, Lumine had her own reservations about consuming one.

But Ajax convinced her that those magic pills might be needed once practice officially starts. Besides, his family is willing to cover all of the expenses. In the end, Lumine gave in, to which Dr. Baizhu happily responded that he will have those pills ready for them the next time they meet.

“Well, that sucks. We were just getting to the good part yesterday.” Ajax cuts off her thoughts.

Lumine rolls her eyes. Instead of getting worried about their bond, he’s worried about that? “We can’t possibly do that kind of thing every day, Ajax. How high is your libido?”

“Hey! We’re just hormonal teenagers. It’s not good to bottle up everything, you know?” Ajax defends himself. “Besides, as a virgin, it’s normal to feel this way on the first few days of having a sexual partner. If you ask me, there are still a lot of things I want to do with you.” He smirks. “Or to you.”

“You really are shameless,” Lumine shakes her head, before mumbling shyly, “What do you have in mind?”

Ajax’s smile grows at that. “Blowjob, boobjob, footjob, a good thigh fuck—”

“Good lord….”

“—and I want to try eating you out—”

“Oh my god,” Lumine covers her flaming face with one hand.

“—and, of course,” Ajax beams proudly, “I want to have sex.”

“...Sex,” Lumine parrots back.

“Yeah, sex,” Ajax nods with a blink. “You know, it’s when I put my dick into your pu—”

“I KNOW THAT!” The blonde screeches and slams her book on the table. Thank god that there are only two of them in the class right now. Sighing at Ajax’s amused face, Lumine massages her temple. “God, you’re more perverted than I thought.”

He scoffs. “You say that now, but I know that you’ll be moaning when I do those kinds of things to you.”

“...” She clears her throat and pouts. “What if I don’t want to have sex with you?”

Ajax hums and rests his chin on his palm. “What, you’re the type of person who wants to save it for the guy you like?”

“Ideally, yes,” she answers without hesitation. “But I don’t have such feelings for anyone right now, and I…” I’m curious about what sex feels like, she finishes her sentence inwardly. Now that she and Ajax have gone this far, she really can’t lie that she also wants to explore more things with him. He’s… he’s not the guy of her dreams or anything like that, but so far, she feels comfortable doing such things with him.

Maybe, it’d be worth giving her virginity to her own soulmate, since he’d be also giving his to her. A fair exchange, isn’t it? Besides, there’s no such thing as giving one’s virginity to the perfect person. She could never predict if she’d regret her current decision in the future, and if she thinks too hard about it, she’s going to miss out on a lot of things.

If she decides that she’s ready to have sex for the first time, then so be it… right?

“What about you?” Lumine then asks the ginger. “Do you… really not mind giving your virginity to me?”

She receives a warmer smile from him as the wind makes the curtains behind him sway elegantly. “Tell me, what’s more perfect than experiencing your first time with your other half?”

Thus, their journey to reach complete abstinence begins.

Or so Lumine thought.

“Come on, Lumine, just a kiss!” Ajax whines.

“I said no, Ajax,” Lumine scolds, face still buried in her book. They’re currently lying on Ajax’s bed, with Lumine’s stationeries and books scattered around them. “One kiss might lead to another thing.”

“It’s going to be an innocent one,” Ajax pleads, giving her his best puppy eyes. “I won’t use my tongue or anything like that. Please?”

The way he juts out his lower lip is actually very tempting, and Lumine hates to admit that his current expression is cute enough to shatter her resolution, but still! “I’m trying to study here!”

“We have no exams for now!”

She shrugs. “Studying overnight isn’t my thing.”

“Boo.” Ajax pouts. “You do realize the sooner you give me my kiss, the sooner you can study peacefully, right?”

Throwing her book to the bed, she cups his face and hisses a fine! before smashing their mouths together. She keeps it short and innocent, just like what he wants. She even pulls away before Ajax could even kiss her back, making the ginger frown.

“I haven’t even—”

“Sssh, now let me study in peace,” she smiles coyly, picking up her book. “Oh, and if you try anything funny, this book will be fated to meet your head.”

“Ugh,” Ajax moans and plants his face on his pillow. “I hate this…”

Lumine wakes up to gentle pressure on her chest. Or should she specifically say: her left breast.

Eyes still closed, she squirms a little when the pressure becomes more persistent. It ends up being a massage, making her sigh subconsciously. She frowns when the pressure is gone so suddenly, but then, there’s something crawling beneath her tank top, reaching higher and higher… until warmth envelopes her boob once more.

She scrunches her nose when realization kicks in. “Ajax…”

Instead of a verbal response, he eagerly kneads her breast, thumb flicking over her hardening nipple teasingly.

She flinches and says louder, “Ajax.”

What she receives in return is Ajax pinching her nipple, making her squeak and open her eyes. “AJAX!” She exclaims, only to find that he’s pretending to sleep, the corner of his mouth twitching ever so subtly.

Despite that, he’s still actively groping her boob with one hand.

A vein pops on Lumine’s forehead. “Ajax, if you don’t stop, I’m going to punish you.”

That makes him crack his eyes open. “Oh? Interesting. Didn’t know you’re into that, Miss Honor Student.”

“…” She smiles sweetly at him, before reaching down to his sweatpants. He whistles mockingly when she dips her hand past the waistband, searching for his dick.

“Well,” he wiggles his eyebrows when he feels her gripping him firmly, “It looks like you can’t resist me too—wait, FUCK! LUMINE, I’M SORRY, STOP IT—IT’S GONNA FALL OFF, IT’S GONNA FALL OFF—?!”

“Are you still pouting?”

“No.”

“You totally are,” Lumine remarks wryly as they walk side by side for the umpteenth time this week. It has become a familiar routine for them; their hands or arms brushing against one another, providing comfort with each other’s presence. Everyone is starting to get used to the sight of them together, and they’ve accepted that if there is Lumine, then there is Ajax.

“Is this because of what I did to you this morning?” She sighs. “Look, I only did that because you groped me without my consent!”

“I already said sorry, but you still tried to castrate me with your bare hand!”

“Relax, it’s still there,” Lumine slaps his crotch mockingly, causing him to let out a noise of surprise.

“Hey, wasn’t that also harassment since you didn’t ask for my consent?” He points at her accusingly.

“That didn’t count as groping!” Lumine counters, “this is what you call groping—“ she heatedly exclaims before cupping his junk once more, earning a gasp from the ginger.

“You molested me again!”

“I was just demonstrating—“

“Oh, really?” Ajax smiles as he corners her to the wall. “So you won’t mind if I also do this to you—“ He squeezes one of her buttocks, making her yelp, “—and call it a demonstration?”

She glares at him, “You started it first this morning! Besides, now you know how it feels to have someone touching you out of the blue—“

A loud cough suddenly comes from their side, and it is only then that they realize they still have their hands on each other’s assets.

A red-faced Thoma awkwardly asks, “Um… I don’t want to interrupt you guys or anything, but I’d like to remind you that this is the school’s corridor…”

Pushing Ajax away, Lumine huffs. “Thanks, Thoma. It’s all this horny idiot’s fault.”

“What? You’re not completely innocent here!” Ajax crosses his arms, unamused by the turn of events.

“It was self-defense—!”

“Alright, guys, calm down a little,” Thoma holds up two hands with a wince. “You know, I’m actually on my way to practice, but I don’t mind hearing you out as we walk. Maybe I can be of help.”

In other circumstances, Lumine has never been a fan of disclosing her problems to her friends, especially when she has the capability to handle them herself. But she knows that Ajax is going to be more obnoxious if this case is handled poorly.

“Okay, fine. Since this is related to the club…” Lumine relents. Thus, as they begin to walk again—this time with Thoma—she talks about their ‘homework’ from Miss Yae Miko, their progress, and Dr. Baizhu’s offer about the magic pills. Thankfully, Thoma has always been an attentive listener, so he’s able to conclude everything accurately.

As expected from the school’s fixer.

“The problem is,” Lumine gestures to the scowling ginger beside her. “It’s only been a day, and he can’t even keep it in his pants!”

“Don’t listen to her!” Ajax interjects. “All I did was ask for a harmless kiss, and she treated it as if I was going to shove my tongue into her throat!”

“Then how do you explain the thing you did in the morning?”

“You’re bringing that up again?”

“Uh…” Sweat rolls down Thoma’s temple. “I think we should stop the blame game and just focus on the solution?”

“To find a solution, we gotta know the root of the problem first,” Ajax argues. “And she—“

“Yes, yes, I think I get it. Ajax likes physical touches, and he thinks that Lumine is being too uptight about this whole… abstinence thing. But Lumine is worried that any physical touches might escalate into something more. Am I wrong?” 

A smile emerges on Thoma’s face when the pair stubbornly refuses to look at each other.

“If you asked me my two cents, then I’d say that there’s nothing wrong with physical touches,” Thoma continues. “It’s a way to earn comfort and reassurance. But if your partner constantly demands such a thing from you, maybe there’s another reason behind it.”

“For instance…?” Lumine prompts.

“For instance…” Thoma hums. “It could be a sign of them being touch-starved?”

Lumine merely cocks her head to the side, but Ajax immediately freezes.

“Is that even a real thing?” Lumine asks genuinely.

“It is,” Thoma nods. “Whatever the reason is, I think it’s great to communicate these things properly with your partner. There must be a way to take care of your partner’s needs as well as complete Miss Yae’s homework, don’t you think?”

“Ah…” Lumine says, stealing a glance at her soulmate who has both his hands linked behind his head, feigning nonchalance. “I’ll consider that. Thanks a lot, Thoma.”

Thoma beams. “No problem! Honestly, I’m happy to hear the progress of your soulmate case.”

“I hope we can join practice soon,” Lumine says. “The election period’s next week, and it’s been on my mind recently…”

Not so surprisingly, the cheerleading club and the basketball club have different cultures of choosing their captains. Cheerleading members who wish to become captains must write essays explaining why and how they can lead the team. They must present this in front of everyone, and the coach will make the final decision after discussing it with the members.

On the other hand, the process of becoming the captain of the basketball team is much simpler. There will be a private discussion between the coach and the previous captain, and it is usually done before the new semester even starts, so all the members have to do is to wait for the coach’s announcement when the time comes.

It is possible that Lumine is going to be busier than Ajax next week, which explains the urgency of their separation, even if just for a limited time and distance.

“I’m sure both of you will make it,” Thoma assures, before pointing at the gym that comes into view. “Anyway, I have to go. It’s nice to catch up with you guys!”

“Ah, right! See you, Thoma!” Lumine waves at a smiling Thoma who wastes no time entering the gym. A collective, muted greeting can be heard after that. Lumine could also hear faint thuds of balls and squeaky sounds of shoes against the floor, which gradually diminish when Lumine and Ajax walk further from the gym.

“You two done already?” Ajax asks flatly.

“You were a part of the conversation,” Lumine reminds him. “Why are you so moody?”

“Who’s being moody?” He retorts. “Anyway, we’re going to your place this time, right?”

“Sure,” Lumine acquiesces. They’ve agreed to take turns sleeping at each other’s place every day, after all. “Aether’s not coming home tonight. He needs to stay at someone’s place to finish his student council duties or something.”

“What a busy guy,” Ajax comments.

“Yep. That’s why I refused to join the student council when they offered me a position,” Lumine says. “I have enough on my plate.”

“Hmm,” the ginger responds noncommittally. “So, it’s just going to be the two of us later, huh?”

“Yup.” Lumine shrugs. “Just the two of us…” her words falter when that fact truly sinks into her brain.

A boy and a girl, completely alone in a room without having to worry that someone would walk into them. Won’t something be bound to happen eventually?

Her face heats up slightly, and all of a sudden, Thoma’s words from earlier ring again inside her head—

“There must be a way to take care of your partner’s needs as well as completing Miss Yae’s homework, don’t you think?”

Lumine refrains a scoff. Why does it seem like she’s the one who’s purposefully neglecting him? Shouldn’t he be more considerate of their current circumstance?

“But if your partner constantly demands such a thing from you, maybe there’s another reason behind it.”

That makes Lumine chew her lower lip. Aren’t they thinking too deeply about this? Ajax is just being Ajax; would it be possible for someone like him to be touch-starved?

The blonde then shakes her head. There’s no use in thinking too deeply about this. If Ajax continues to pester her in the next few days, that’s when she’ll have a real talk with him.

For now, all is well.

All is not well.

Even without Aether around, Ajax has not made a move on her. His eyes never stray from her face when he talks to her, not even a glance at her skimpy tank top and shorts that showcase the underside of her butt. He still teases and annoys her, but that’s it.

It’s like they’re going back to square one—when they were still no more than strangers and less than friends. No touches, no flirty words, no—nothing.

For some reason, this bothers Lumine.

“Ajax, are you okay?” She asks worriedly, hand reaching out to touch his forehead, but her heart pangs when Ajax gently pushes her away.

“What makes you think that I’m not?” Ajax displays his usual close-eyed smile. Breakfast without Aether feels a bit weird—Lumine might’ve missed him—and Ajax hasn’t been cracking any perverted jokes. Heck, Lumine is sure that the usual Ajax would ask for a morning kiss or something like that.

“…Nothing,” Lumine nibbles on her sausage. When she notices that Ajax is searching for a bottle of ketchup, she immediately picks it up for him. She doesn’t know that Ajax shares the same intention.

She doesn’t know that their hands would touch, leading to Ajax retracting his hand like he’s just got burned.

Why is he reacting so strongly to this? Lumine winces. Sure, it was quite cliche, but…

“Sorry,” he clears his throat. “Can you pass me that?”

Lumine blinks. “Sure?”

“Thanks.”

Just like that, the conversation dies.

Lumine thinks that she, too, dies a little inside.

Nothing truly happens until Saturday comes, but there’s a tiny detail that doesn’t escape Lumine’s observation.

Ajax doesn’t only stop making a move on her, but he also stops touching her altogether.

In fact, he intentionally shies away from any forms of physical contact. And no, she’s not even talking about the sensual ones. He no longer initiates innocent physical touches such as a tap to the arm, a head pat, a poke to the cheek, and so on.

He’s acting out of character, that much she knows. But the question is why? Does this have something to do with what happened recently?

She gives up on thinking about that for now and opts to do something more productive.

“Is it really okay for you to stay here until Sunday?” Lumine asks from her desk, eyeing Ajax who’s playing with his phone on her bed. “I have this habit to set a deadline for myself, and I think I need to at least finish the rough draft of my essay on Monday so that I can revise it before presenting the final version on Wednesday, but—“

“You can’t concentrate when you’re surrounded by many people, and knowing how my family is, you’d feel bad if you spent your whole time inside my room instead of helping them or something, right?” Ajax turns his head to regard her and smiles.

Lumine pouts. “Well…”

He chuckles. “Don’t worry. They’ll understand.”

“Really?”

“A hundred percent sure,” Ajax nods.

“Then… what are you going to do in the meantime?” She asks. “Didn’t you say that you like to move around rather than stay still like that?”

“I’ll manage,” Ajax waves her off. “Hey, can I at least borrow your laptop?”

“Of course.”

In the end, they spend the rest of the day inside Lumine’s place. No one feels like cooking on their day off, so they order a bunch of Liyuean cuisine from Wanmin Restaurant—Lumine’s favorite—and proceed to laze around with a full stomach afterward.

“Today is so boring,” Lumine complains, stretching her arms with a sigh.

Ajax turns his head away from the sight and casually asks, “Is your essay done?”

“Yup. But I might need to revise it again tomorrow,” she sighs. “There’s also this math assignment from Miss Ningguang…”

Ajax snorts. “You’ve done enough thinking for the day, Miss Honor Student. Take a break.”

“But I have no idea what to do,” Lumine replies.

“Honestly, same,” the ginger exhales, before adding thoughtlessly. “My body feels so stiff right now…”

A second passes before Lumine blurts out, “Want a massage?”

“…A what?”

“A massage,” she repeats excitedly, to which Ajax’s eyes widen. “Aether said that I’m good at it, trust me!”

Ajax laughs sheepishly at her enthusiasm. “Uh… no, I think I’ll pass—“

“Aw, don’t be like that!” She urges, slipping behind him with a wide smile. Ajax lets out a startled sound when she suddenly grabs his shoulders and massages his flesh. “Come on, it feels good, right?”

He resists a groan and manages to utter, “W-well, I can’t deny that, but—oh.”

Lumine grins in victory. “Oh, you like it when I add more pressure?” She leans forward and speaks beside his ear, causing him to shiver, “Would you mind stripping your shirt? It will feel better that way.”

Ajax chokes. “W-What?”

“We have massage oil, too, so - “

“Whoa, wait a second,” Ajax interrupts. “That’s… too much touching.”

Out of all excuses Lumine’s heard from him, that’s his weirdest one. “What’s with you? You never had a problem with me touching you before.”

“This is different,” Ajax insists.

“Different how?”

“…It just is.”

Narrowing her eyes at him for a moment, she then huffs and withdraws, “Alright. If that’s what you want. It was just a harmless offer.”

Ajax heaves out a relieved sigh at her response, “Right. Now, how about we just go to sle—“ His sentence is cut off with a grunt when Lumine pins him down the bed with surprising strength. Eyes as wide as saucers, he exclaims, “Lumine?!”

“Very naive of you if you thought that I’m gonna give up that easily,” she glowers at him as she straddles his crotch, making his breath hitch. “Okay, now talk.”

“About what?” Ajax asks in a cracked voice.

“Why haven’t you been touching me?” Lumine asks, but then her cheeks burn in embarrassment when she realizes how wrong it sounds out of context.

“Pfft, Miss Honor Student, are you that horny?” Ajax laughs, earning a displeased scowl from the blonde. “We’re banned from touching each other until next Thursday, remember?”

“That’s not what I meant!” She squeaks. “I mean—sure, we’re not supposed to do anything sexual, but you!” She jabs a finger at his chest. “Have been avoiding any physical touches! At! All!”

Ajax deadpans at her before asking, “Why would that concern you?”

“Why, you ask…” Lumine says in a lower voice. “Because…” She clenches her fist. Because it gets lonely. Because I feel empty. Because my skin is tingling and I miss you—“Because it’s offensive! How would you feel if I tried to touch you and got rejected so blatantly? It’s almost as if you’re disgusted by me.”

“And you know that’s not true,” Ajax sighs. “You know what, Lumine? You should just be honest with me. I know the truth now.”

A pause, before Lumine asks hesitantly, “What truth?”

“That you’re also touch-starved.”

“…What?” She makes a face. Where did that conclusion even come from? “For all I know, you’re the one who’s touch-starved! You’ve always been the one who likes to touch me!”

Ajax’s face darkens, while Lumine’s face falls. Oh. Oh, shit, he doesn’t look happy.

“Oh? You always act like you hate it and talk shit about it, but you complain when I stop touching you?” He growls, and her heartbeat speeds up when he slowly rises from his position.

“I-I understand refraining ourselves from any sensual touches, but innocent touches should be okay,” she protests. “I’m not implying that you should keep on touching me, haha, I was just worried if I’ve done something that makes you stop touching—“

“Lumine,” Ajax interjects in amusement. “You’re talking in circles.”

Lumine cringes to herself and buries her face in her hands. “…I don’t know what I’m saying.”

“Me too.”

“Shut up.”

Ajax barks out a laugh. “I lied. I think I understand what you’re trying to say.” He pries her hands away from her face and leans his forehead against hers. “Be honest. Do you like me touching you?”

She averts his gaze and nods.

“Do you miss my touches?”

Another nod.

“Including the not-so-innocent ones?” He grins.

“…It’s not me. It’s the bond.”

Ajax rolls his eyes dramatically. “Hah, I’ll take it as a yes. Anyway,” his lips curl up into a smirk. “That means my small experiment is successful.”

Her brows are contorted into a frown. “Experiment?”

“Yeah. Actually, I’ve been thinking about Thoma’s words for a while now,” he rubs his nape. “It sounds pathetic at first—being touch-starved. Physical intimacy has always been a thing in my family, but at one point I’ve realized that it's less frequent once I grow up.” He sighs. “I think it all started when I was in middle school.”

“What happened?” Lumine whispers gently.

Ajax’s eyes dim a little. “I was at that… phase. You know, where middle schoolers wanted to become the best in everything. I was a shy kid at first, an easy target for bullies. I had trouble defending myself from bigger, stronger kids, and I always found myself playing alone at a park blocks away from my home after school.

Parents in the neighborhood forbid their kids to play there for reasons unknown, so that was my only comfort spot. That was where I met a woman named Skirk.”

“A woman?” Lumine blinks.

Ajax nods. “She first found me when I got injured because of my bullies. And she was… really weird. Sometimes she was kind, but she could also become a bit impatient. Apparently, she disliked how cowardly I was back then.” He laughs. “So she taught me how to fight back. I don’t know why she did that, but she only said that she just had too much time on her hand.”

“She seems like an awesome person,” Lumine comments with a smile.

“She is,” Ajax agrees as a wave of nostalgia washes over him. “Thanks to her, I could finally beat up those bullies, and it felt… incredible. I got addicted to fighting, and I ended up picking fights for fun. I never had the best reputation in my middle school.”

“Fatui?” She asks.

“Yeah. So you remember, huh?” He laughs humorlessly. “Anyway, my habit of picking fights went out of control. I was so traumatized from being a victim of bullies that I always got too aggressive when I felt threatened. And that was why, I…” he grimaces. “Accidentally picked a fight with a bunch of drug dealers? I think they were called the Abyss Order.”

Apparently, the name of the organization is the least of Lumine’s concerns. “Drug dealers? God, how and where did you even encounter such people?”

“At that same park! You know, my comfort spot!” He says. “Turns out, there was a rumor floating around that place—that it was actually a hidden place for illegal drug transactions, and everyone in the neighborhood was too scared to report it to the police.”

“What kind of real-life drama is this…” Lumine remarks dryly.

“I know! They were a bunch of rude people too. I kind of taunted them and they were unamused, so…” Ajax trails off, darting his eyes to the side.

“So…?”

“So we fought. That fight attracted other kids who happened to pass by, but they ran away when things got too violent. Remember that Felix guy who offered me to become an additional pitcher for the baseball club’s practice?”

Lumine nods eagerly. “Oh, he might be one of those kids!”

“Yeah. Anyway, I think I kinda won that fight? But in return, I got these… scars from them,” he confesses while jabbing a thumb at his back. “I’m sure you’ve seen them several times. I guess you were too afraid to ask, huh?”

Lumine’s heart clenches as the mental image of his scars appear in her head. To leave many scars, she can’t imagine how deep his wounds were. Slightly shaking, she swallows as she whispers, “Can I… look at them again?”

“Of course,” Ajax breathes out, before allowing her to pull up his shirt. Slipping from his lap—how long has she been sitting there?—she positions herself right behind him, a curious finger tracing one of his scars.

“Does it still hurt?” She asks hushedly.

“Tickles a bit,” he replies, before adding jocosely. “You can kiss them better, if you want.”

Much to his surprise, Lumine obliges and proceeds to kiss each of his scars softly, not even missing a single one. Ajax releases a shaky breath at her ministrations, murmuring her name as warmth floods his chest.

“Better?” She smiles shyly, and before she knows it, she’s suddenly enveloped by his arms, the calming scent of the sea filling her nose.

“You’re so unfair,” the ginger mutters, burying his face into her neck. She’s never seen him this vulnerable and soft, and it’s truly a wonder how the usual flirty, confident Ajax can behave like this.

“We never play fair,” Lumine hums as she combs his hair with her fingers. “Hmm, by the way, I think you’ve never finished the story.”

Ajax perks up. “Oh, that? Nothing much happened afterward. They might have wounded me, but I also did a number on them, y’know? Skirk saved me and brought me to Dr. Baizhu—he’s my family’s private doctor by the way, and he hadn’t transferred to our high school at that time—“

“Dr. Baizhu is your what?“

“—and, uh, my deeds somehow reached everyone’s ears in school, except they somehow heard the twisted versions of that.” He snorts. “There were so many versions of the story. In one story, I was a brave kid who could defeat a bunch of Abyss Order members. In another, I was also a part of that organization.”

“A middle school kid, being a part of a drug dealing organization?” Lumine arches a brow.

“Ridiculous, I know. But some middle schoolers believed it,” Ajax scoffs. “Regardless, everyone was scared of me. No, in fact,” he frowns, “some people in our school still do.”

“Does that bother you?”

“I no longer care about them,” he admits. “I just… hope that my past won’t affect the path that I choose now. People who are against me being the captain are the same people who might have heard about that incident.”

Lumine nods, unconsciously hugging him tighter. They don’t know how and when they end up cuddling on the bed, but it happens, and Lumine has no intentions of letting him go.

The clock ticks while Ajax and Lumine share more stories of their childhood. Ajax tells her how his love for sports grew to replace his habit of fighting. Both activities make him sweat and move, and both require a certain degree of competitiveness. Both have a winner and a loser. Hence Ajax doesn’t see any losses in trying to shift his… hobby.

Lumine herself remembers why this conversation was brought up in the first place. Although she and Aether aren’t strangers to the concept of physical intimacy, it’s never been done very often ever since their parents passed away. Going to different schools isn’t helping, either.

“Anyway, that experiment was really unnecessary,” she scolds him later.

“Nah, considering how hard it is for you to be truthful to me, it was needed. I’ve always been the one who initiates things, so seeing your reaction when the situation was reversed is amusing,” he grins when she punches him lightly on the chest.

“Jerk. I can take initiatives too!” She counters. “I was the one who proposed our… our agreement!”

“That was one time,” Ajax teases.

“Then I’ll make that two,” Lumine says, before pulling him into a kiss. She could feel him smile against her lips, before kissing her back with equal fervour, his hands resting on her nape and her back. It doesn’t contain the usual fire that they felt during their steamy moments, but it’s warm. Really warm.

And she can’t believe that she’s noticed this just now, but his lips are so soft that she can’t help but try to nibble on them. She moans softly when their tongues greet each other languidly, this time with more skill compared to their previous kisses, and whines when Ajax pulls away with a soft pop.

“As much as I enjoyed that,” he chuckles, breathing slightly ragged. “Can I get an explanation? I mean, you were so opposed to kissing me…”

“…You look like you needed that after that story.”

“…”

“What’s with that face—ah! Did you just squeeze my butt?!”

“Well, I look like I needed that after that story—shit, Lumine, not my dick again—!!!”

Chapter Text

“Ajax… it’s so good…”

Ajax smirks, hips pounding into her from behind, his cock sliding wetly into her tight hole with loud squelches that echo throughout the room. Lumine—his lovely soulmate—has her ass up in the air, face planted against the pillow below. Her ass cheeks are adorned with his red hand prints, and he almost pities how her legs are slightly shaking from kneeling on the bed for some time now.

The keyword is almost.

Ajax chuckles when Lumine lets out a loud moan when he hits her sensitive spot. “Oh? You like it there?”

“Yes… yes! Again—ah!”

He gladly delivers more hard thrusts to her desired spot, before not-so-gently biting into her shoulder. “You’ve been a good girl,” he praises in a husky voice, to which she shivers. “Good girls deserve to come. Do you want to?”

Lumine nods vigorously. “Cum… I-I want to cum…!”

He squeezes her boobs from below and whispers to her ear, “Uh-huh, but where’s my thank you?”

“T-Thank you—nnh, Ajax, thank you for letting me cum!”

“Good,” Ajax smiles in satisfaction, before pinching her nipples with a growl. “Now come.”

She reaches her peak with a cry, her cunt clenching around him deliciously, earning a groan from the ginger. He revels in her whimpers, not at all stopping his thrusts to seek his own release. And he knows that he’s close. Just a few more thrusts and he’s gonna—

Ajax slowly peels his eyes open and scrunches his nose the second he recognizes the familiar ceiling of Lumine’s bedroom and the hardness inside his pants.

Ah. Fuck it.

Of course it was a dream. 

It’s been a while since he’s had an explicit dream about someone so specific, although most of the time, his dreams would involve faceless girls. But that dream with Lumine felt so real, so satisfying. More than any of his dreams in the past.

Perhaps it’s because he’s gotten a taste of how it feels to touch the real Lumine. Has known how good it feels to be touched by her, too.

Perhaps he wants more, and perhaps he almost feels desperate about it.

Ajax sighs. How lame can he get? It hasn’t even been a week since they entered their abstinence period. He and Lumine have made up wonderfully last night after their small quarrel, and they’ve kissed and cuddled to comfort each other. It should be enough, right? He’s not that touch-starved, is he now? Sure, morning woods are common, and getting one without having a sexual dream is normal (although that’s not the case here), but still, he’d rather avoid having this conversation with Lumine.

Who knows if she’d get the wrong idea of him being a pervert and try to castrate him again with her bare hand—?

No. Calm down, he chides himself. A quick glance at the clock tells him that it’s still around 5 am, and Lumine’s never one to wake up earlier than him. She’s always been a deep sleeper too. Since he just can’t go back to sleep in this condition or take a trip to the toilet, he might as well wait for his boner to subside after a while. After all, this isn’t his first time waking up with a morning mood beside Lumine ever since they’ve been sleeping (literally) together. All humans with a penis usually experience this daily. This shouldn’t be a problem.

And so, he waits and waits. Two minutes pass. Three minutes.

It’s still persistently hard, and he’s becoming impatient.

Ajax then closes his eyes and tries to imagine random things as a distraction. A dancing rat, Itto’s biggest Onikabuto, the borscht he ate yesterday, that one old man he saw at the parking lot, Lumine’s bag inside the class, Lumine’s hairpin, Lumine’s lacy underwear, Lumine’s butt, Lumine’s—

He opens his eyes and refrains a groan. There’s no way his boner is going to disappear soon if he keeps it up!

A wild idea suddenly crosses his mind. Should he touch himself? He thinks. He needs that relief, after all, especially when he didn’t even get to come in his dream. But then he rethinks, with a clearer mind, wait, right beside a sleeping Lumine?

Just to make sure, Ajax then takes a gander at the blonde beside him… but freezes awkwardly when his eyes meet her half-opened golden ones.

He curses inwardly.

“Oh, Ajax, you’re already awake?” Lumine yawns cutely and stretches her arms.

The ginger flashes a rigid smile. “U-uh… yeah! I see that you’re also awake, huh?”

Lumine laughs softly. “Mm. I don’t know why, either. I’m not a morning person, and today’s Sunday, so…” she exhales. “Maybe I should go back to sleep…”

At that, Ajax gives her a thumbs up. “Oh, yeah! That sounds great! You should do that!” He encourages. The faster she falls asleep once more, the faster he’ll be safe from her curious eyes!

He thought that he’s just being supportive, but her narrowed eyes are proof that Ajax might have been a tad too supportive.

“You’re not going back to sleep?”

“Ah, um,” Ajax says unintelligently, “No?”

“No?”

He racks his brain to find some excuses. “Yeah. I like… mornings! The warm sunshine, the sounds of chirping birds—I usually like to jog around this hour.”

“But you’re stuck here,” Lumine reminds him in confusion.

Ajax grimaces. “Well… uh… I’ll just play some games on my phone?” He answers. “Or I could just… borrow your laptop again?”

Eyeing him in suspicion, Lumine lets out a small huh. “It’s not good to expose your eyes to your phone so early in the morning,” she scolds. “You should read some books instead.”

Ajax scoffs. “Eh, I’m not a big fan of reading.”

Lumine rolls her eyes. “Fine. Eat some breakfast?”

“I can’t do that if you decide to stay on the bed, Miss Honor Student.”

At his reply, Lumine groans and lazily rubs her face. “Ugh, but Sunday is the only time I can laze around…”

“And no one’s forcing you to be productive this early,” Ajax points out. “I’m fine with you going back to sleep, but then you started to scold me and all!”

Lumine clears her throat and mumbles, “You look like you’re going to do something suspicious, is all.”

“…You’re afraid of me touching you in your sleep, aren’t you?”

“…You won’t do that again?”

“I swear,” Ajax holds up three fingers as a swearing gesture, before grinning. “…Unless you like. I mean, if it was me, I’d totally be fine with it, y’know.”

That earns him a light, playful shove to his side.

“Shut up. I’m going back to sleep,” Lumine declares while turning around, her back now facing him. “Don’t do anything funny—“ She adds over her shoulder, but is cut off by the ginger.

“—to you, got it.”

Lumine sends him a weird look for one last time, before deciding to disregard his words. Ajax, too, turns around and slips a hand under his pillow to open his phone.

Alright. This is getting uncomfortable and his boner has yet to go away. He quickly opens his browser and searches—

How to get rid of morning wood quickly?

He presses his lips into a thin line upon seeing the predictable results.

Have sex. Relieve yourself. Drink lots of water. Take a cold shower. Persuade the person beside you to take care of you—

Ajax makes a face. Like he can do that! If only this whole abstinence business never happened!

Then, he sees one helpful answer.

Flex the leg muscles several times for 10 to 20 seconds each time (around 3 to 4 times). This diverts blood from your erection to your muscles.

Ajax swallows and decides to give it a try, the sheets rustling under his movements. One, two. One, two. He repeats this while inhaling deeply, praying inwardly so that it works, and after a moment of peace…

That dull ache finally disappears, to which he lets out a breath of relief.

He gently pats his crotch and mutters ‘behave’, before opting to close his eyes again for a few hours, though with a feeling of frustration.

Damn it, he never got to come.

He wakes up the next morning to Lumine stealing glances at his crotch.

He’s actually been awake for a few minutes now, and he’s still far too sleepy to notice whether there’s something wrong with his crotch. Is it another morning wood? Did Lumine notice it? Maybe, but unlike yesterday, he can feel himself softening as soon as he awakes.

Well, he didn’t have any weird dreams today. Maybe that explains why yesterday’s erection lasted far longer than his usual morning erections.

And he still doesn’t get to come, he reminds himself bitterly.

Blinking himself out of his sleepiness, Ajax then greets the seemingly flustered maiden beside him with a lazy smile. “Hey. Mornin’.”

At that, Lumine squeaks and smiles awkwardly, “Oh, hey! You’re awake!”

“Uh-huh,” Ajax raises a brow. “What were you looking at?”

“Nothing.”

“Very believable, Lumine.”

“I’m serious!” She huffs and proceeds to sit up on the bed. “Come on, let’s get ready.”

Ajax yawns as a response before scratching his head. “Is it Monday already?” He asks with a hoarse voice.

“Mmhm.”

Ajax whines to the pillow. “Do we have to go to school?”

“We are not skipping school, Ajax. I have a meeting with the coach today.”

Oh, right. Today marks the first day of the election period. His coach might want to have a word with him as well.

Ajax then groans. “Fine, fine. I’m up, I’m up.”

The next day, Ajax doesn’t wake up with a hard-on, but instead, with something sticky inside his underwear.

Of course, he’s alerted and immediately reaches down to confirm his suspicion. He makes a face when he sees his cum coating his lower abdomen, dirtying his underwear. His cock hasn’t fully softened as well, indicating that he might have come just seconds ago.

Fuck, this is embarrassing. He’s slightly grateful that they’re sleeping in his bedroom today. Hence he wouldn’t have to worry about dirtying Lumine’s sheets. Besides, Aether would probably have his head if he caught Ajax washing Lumine’s sheets so early in the morning.

Thankfully, his own sheets are safe from his cum this time.

But still—why does this have to happen with Lumine beside him? Perhaps this is quite inevitable, considering that he hasn’t relieved himself in days. Perhaps he should touch himself the next time he’s in the shower. Or perhaps he could sweet-talk Lumine to take care of him and forget about this stupid abstinence—

The sheets suddenly rustle under Lumine’s restless movements, snapping Ajax out of his thoughts. She looks like she’s still sleeping, and Ajax almost feels bad for having to wake her up, but his underwear isn’t going to wash itself.

“Hey,” he whispers, poking her in the arm. She flinches slightly and exhales in her sleep. Ajax then pokes her again and whispers in her ear, “Lumine, wakey wakey? I wanna go to the toilet.”

Lumine mumbles something under her breath as red begins to color her ear and cheeks.

“Huh? What is it?”

“‘M sorry…”

Ajax frowns. “For what?” He asks in confusion. When she doesn’t answer, he mutters to himself, “Is she sleep-talking?”

He decides to wait for her for a while, and pokes her again with a pout. “Lumine, let’s go to the toilet….”

“Ugh… Give me a minute,” Lumine replies, softly tapping her cheeks as though to repress her blush, before saying in a firmer voice. “Okay, let’s go.”

If she keeps on avoiding his eyes later, Ajax doesn’t question why.

“Hey, Thoma.”

“Yeah?”

“Is it normal for guys to be horny every day?”

At Lumine’s unexpected inquiry, Thoma and Ajax almost fall from their respective seats in the class. They’re currently in a group of three for Miss Makoto’s class discussion, and naturally, Ajax and Lumine are in the same group due to their special circumstances. Thoma just happens to sit near them and gets recruited as the third member.

But that’s not the concern here.

“Lumine!” Ajax says in disbelief, “Why are you asking that to him?”

Lumine blinks and taps her pen on the desk. “Well, I asked Ayaka about it, but she blushed so hard that - “

“That’s not the point!” Ajax cuts off. “I mean, as your soulmate, I’m more suited to answer questions like that for you! Hell, I can even demonstrate them if you want!”

“Uh…” Sweat rolls down Thoma’s forehead. “I think it’s more important to acknowledge that asking such a thing during a group discussion isn’t really appropriate…”

“You guys are making this a big deal,” Lumine waves them off, before turning to Ajax. “And what’s wrong with hearing Thoma’s answer and comparing them to yours later? You’re not the only guy in this world, Ajax.”

Ajax snorts. “My answer alone would be enough. That’s just your way of saying that you don’t believe me.”

“Okay, okay,” Thoma holds up two hands to placate them. “I don’t mind answering that, but I still think that we should finish these questions first and discuss our—”

Lumine pushes her book forward and shrugs. “I already finished all of it,” she announces with a sweet smile while placing her pen down with a thud. “Feel free to copy.”

“…” Thoma stares at the neatly written answers, briefly wondering how she managed to even think of such answers in a short time, before coughing. “Uh, alright…” he glances at a seemingly displeased Ajax who is now copying the answers to his own book, not without a pout. “So… um, can you repeat your answer?”

“Sure. Do guys normally get horny every day?” Lumine casually rephrases her question with curious, innocent eyes that have Thoma unable to not answer.

“I… wouldn’t say every day. It varies from one guy to another,” Thoma carefully replies. “What I’m saying is—guys have varying libidos, just like girls.”

“Really?” Lumine asks. “I read somewhere that men have higher sexual desire than women, mainly because of varying levels of testosterone. Also, a study said that men under 60 think about sex at least once a day. On the other hand, another study claimed that sex drive in women is not lower than sex drive in men; it just has different and changing patterns. The newest research also showed that testosterone makes no difference to a woman’s sex drive—“

Thoma clears his throat. He shouldn’t have agreed to have this conversation with the Honor Student. “Uh, okay, so - “

His attempt to interject her goes unnoticed as Lumine continues to mumble under her breath, “—Also I read that men’s sexual drive is triggered by a desire to reach orgasm and pleasing their partners, meanwhile women are more focused on physical intimacy and emotional closeness to their partners—“

Thoma sighs and then turns at Ajax with a disapproving frown. “Hey, you don’t happen to ask her to have sex with you every single day, do you?”

Ajax, who’s in the middle of writing something, almost snaps his pen in half. “What? Man, do you view me as some sort of a horndog or something?”

“Well,” Thoma tries to explain, “there must be a reason why Lumine brought this up...”

“Hey!” Lumine crosses her arms, “What do you mean by that? I’m just trying to expand my knowledge here!”

“Lumine, I’ve only known you for, like, a year, but I don’t think I’ve heard you talking about things related to sex and romance,” Thoma points out. “So I just assumed that you’re not interested in that kind of stuff. Until you’re dating Ajax, that is.”

At Thoma’s words, both Ajax and Lumine vehemently deny, “We’re not dating!”

Wincing at their volume (and due to the small attention they receive from their classmates), Thoma continues, “Alright, alright. In any case, I think you should… consider having this type of conversation with Ajax first before asking another guy.”

“Why? There’s no guarantee that Ajax’s answer would be representative enough for all male species in this world,” Lumine protests.

Ajax rolls his eyes. “You’re taking this too seriously. At this point, you should just conduct a whole ass research about it, Miss Honor Student.”

“Besides, it’s not like my answer will represent other guys’ answers as well,” Thoma adds. “I mean, it’s good to see another perspective about this matter, but—how should I say this? In the first place, I don’t really get your question.”

Lumine huffs. “What’s wrong with my question?”

“Nothing wrong. I just want to make sure of something,” Thoma quickly explains with a wave of his hand, before lowering his voice. “What made you conclude that the guy is constantly horny? Did the guy ask you to do it with him every day?”

Lumine shakes his head, which confuses Thoma further.

“No? Then what…?”

With a bright blush on her cheeks, Lumine turns her head away. “Nevermind. It sounds stupid if I say it out loud.” She sighs. “Maybe I’m just misunderstanding something. I’ll try searching for the answers on my own later.” She then flashes a small smile at Thoma. “Thanks, Thom.”

Ajax and Thoma merely look at each other.

“Are you hurting?”

“No.”

“Are you in agony?”

“Nah.”

“Are you…” Lumine licks her lips and tries to find another word, “suffering?”

Ajax eyes her as he applies the shampoo to his head. “Where did you even get the idea that I’m suffering?”

Lumine clears her throat and shyly rubs the soap-coated loofah on her body, “Nothing.”

“You’re doing it again,” Ajax sighs and flicks her forehead gently, to which she glares at him.

“What thing?”

“That thing where you keep everything to yourself instead of communicating it,” Ajax chastises with a frown. From the way Lumine bites her lower lip, Ajax is certain that she understands what he means. The first time she did this was when the Towel Incident happened, leading her into thinking that she wasn’t attractive. The other time was when she needed his help to relieve herself, yet never made the first move. And the list goes on.

“I asked you if you were feeling uncomfortable,” Lumine says. “I’m not completely silent this time.”

“Yeah, but you’re not being completely open, either.”

“You can’t force me to open up that easily, Ajax.”

“I’m not… trying to force you. I’m just concerned about you, 's all,” Ajax confesses. “I mean, I think I deserve an explanation for your confusing attitude these past few days.”

Lumine snorts as she struggles to reach her back with her loofah. “I don’t think I’ve done anything out of the ordinary this week.”

Ajax deadpans while taking the loofah in Lumine’s hand and starts rubbing her back gently. “Ojou-chan, we are taking a shower together as I speak. Even though you usually prefer us to take turns. You even refused to use the bathtub again.”

“It’s…” She swallows with burning cheeks. “It’s to save time and water.”

“You’re a cute little liar.”

“Shut up.”

Ajax chuckles. “Want me to help you with your hair too?” He asks, already reaching out to fetch the bottle.

“…Sure.”

For a while, Lumine lets Ajax take care of her, sighing in contentment when he massages her scalp with his fingers.

“Feels good?” He murmurs.

“Yeah,” she groans and closes her eyes. “Can you do the same thing to my shoulders?”

Ajax smiles. “Gladly.”

Lumine’s small, pleased noises resound in the bathroom as Ajax kneads her shoulders, and he can tell that she’s completely relaxed by now, judging from how she’s unawarely resting her back against his body.

“How was it?” He asks.

“Good,” she mutters dazedly. “I can feel the tension in my body slipping away from me. Thanks.”

“I’m honored,” Ajax beams. “I guess you really needed that relaxation. Isn’t your presentation tomorrow?”

“Yes, but I think I’ll be fine,” Lumine replies over her shoulder and smiles at him. “A little bit nervous, maybe, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“That’s good to hear,” the ginger says, before smoothly directing the conversation back to the first topic. “Is that why you wanted to join me in the shower this time? For emotional support?”

Lumine rolls her eyes, “Don’t get too cocky. I just want to check on your dick…” she falters once she realizes her mistake, but unfortunately, Ajax has heard her loud and clear.

“My what?” He asks, taken aback, before glancing down at his flaccid member. “What’s wrong with my dick?”

Embarrassed, Lumine squeaks and turns on the faucet, then immediately washes away the shampoo and soap as hot water cascades on them. “Ugh, forget it!”

“No, no, Lumine, you can’t expect me to not ask you the whole context after hearing that!” Ajax insists as he tries to corner her against the tiled wall, “Tell me, what’s with my dick? Is it the size? Is it the shape? Is it the color? Is it my balls—“

“OH MY GOD,” Lumine screams with a flaming face while attempting to shove him away. “GIVE ME A BREAK AND STOP TALKING ABOUT YOUR DICK—“

“YOU STARTED IT FIRST?!”

“I WASN’T EXACTLY TALKING ABOUT—OH MY GOD, I CAN’T DO THIS.”

“YOU CAN! DO YOU NEED A CLOSER LOOK? YOU CAN ALSO TOUCH—“

“NO! THAT’S NOT WHAT I—“ She shouts, still actively trying to scramble away from him, but she doesn’t expect her movements to make her lose her footings in the process, so instinctively, she pulls Ajax down with her—

They scream in unison when they fall down to the floor with a loud thud. It’s only when Lumine opens her eyes that she realizes she’s currently straddling Ajax’s crotch, their bare parts pressed against one another—

She gasps as she jumps away from a groaning Ajax. “AJAX! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—are you okay?! Are you hurt somewhere?!” She exclaims worriedly while scanning his body. 

Ajax, on the other hand, only stares at the ceiling with dead eyes, eyebrows twitching occasionally to showcase his inner irritation.

Nervousness grows inside Lumine at his reaction. “Um… Ajax? You didn’t break your back, did you?”

Silently looking at her with an indecipherable expression, Ajax slowly sits up, not a word being uttered from his mouth.

And before she knows it, she’s already lying on the floor, looking up in surprise as Ajax hovers above her. Wearing a dangerous smile, he says, “You’re making me lose all of my patience, Lumine.”

“Wha—?”

In the next second, his lips are on hers.

He has his hands on both of her wrists, basically pinning her against the floor, and he’s not being gentle with his kisses. His kisses are deep and rough and ridiculously long. He doesn’t give her a chance to breathe as he dives in for more and more, drawing out moans and gasps from her. He even accidentally bites her lip, but much to her own surprise, she doesn’t mind the mild pain and the taste of blood on her tongue.

It excites her.

Yet, she knows that they shouldn’t do this. They have yet to reach the end of the abstinence period, which is on the same day as their next meeting with Miss Yae Miko. What if their current activity also impacts the strength of their bond? How can they explain this to Miss Yae?

But she really can’t bring herself to stop this. Not when Ajax has his hot lips on her neck, biting and licking and sucking. His touches are desperate, hands exploring all over her body, not missing an inch. He hungrily takes her nipples into his mouth and Lumine finds herself arching her back with a moan, fingers pulling on his hair.

She shivers when she feels his hardness poking her inner thigh. Her name escapes his lips in the form of a growl when she wraps her digits around his length. It spurs her to impulsively position him to her entrance, his head almost passing through her wet folds—

Realizing what she’s about to do, Ajax seems to have gotten his senses back. “Lumine, wait!”

That snaps Lumine back to reality a little. “H-huh…?”

“Wait, I was just…” he runs his fingers through his wet hair. “I’m sorry. I kissed you because I was kind of upset. And maybe a bit frustrated. Our fall was dangerous, and you’ve been acting stubbornly weird recently, so…” He mutters. “We… we don’t have to continue, since it was just because of the heat of the moment.”

Lumine stares at him for a second, before blurting out, “I don’t understand. But you are horny, aren’t you?”

Ajax pauses. “Come again?”

“I’ll be honest,” Lumine averts his gaze, “Actually, I’ve been wondering if our abstinence period is hurting you.”

“Hurting me?” The jock repeats.

“Yes. I noticed that you usually wake up with an erection in the morning. I-I even touched you through your pants to make sure if you were really hard and it wasn’t just my imagination, and I know it was wrong for me to do that—“

“...Lumine.”

“—But I feel bad for you, because I know how it feels to be, um, sexually frustrated, and maybe Miss Yae will understand if we explain it to her—mmph?!”

Ajax silences her with a kiss, and only withdraws slightly when he begins to laugh. Lumine ignores the rapid flutter of her heart when she spots two dimples on his cheeks as he laughs and laughs, then protests, “What? What’s so funny?”

“You’re just so predictable. So that’s why you were acting kinda odd every time we woke up recently!” Ajax takes a breath in between laughter, “Of course you’d think that I get horny every day because of my morning wood. I already anticipated the day when you’d notice it, anyway.”

Lumine stammers. “B-but… Why else would men get erections if not for feeling aroused?”

“Lumine,” Ajax smiles in amusement. “I don’t know how to explain this to you, but a penis usually has a mind on its own.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ajax sighs before opting to sit on the tiles. “It’s common for us to get random erections, and it happens without any sexual stimulations, sometimes. Morning woods included. I’d actually get concerned if I don’t regularly wake up with one in the morning, since it might mean that my dick isn’t functioning well.”

The awed expression on Lumine’s face is not foreign, and Ajax suddenly knows where this is going. “Why? What’s the science behind it?” She asks while sitting up excitedly.

Ajax makes a face. “Seriously? We’re really going to have this nerdy conversation right now?”

Lumine pouts. “I’m just curious! Then tell me—how do you get rid of erections? Do you always have to masturbate?”

Ajax relents and decides to humor her. “No. It can go away on its own, but I’d rather take care of it if I have the chance. To be honest, not ejaculating can be a bit frustrating, and that’s basically what I’ve been feeling this week.” He winces. “I’m not saying that I’m exactly suffering, though.”

“I see. S-so you haven’t ejaculated in days and it makes you frustrated,” Lumine summarizes. “So what should we do to, um, your current…?”

“Oh, this?” Ajax smiles and unashamedly pumps himself in front of her. “Depends if you want to break the one-week rule or not.”

“Does making out count?” Lumine grimaces.

“Maybe. But how you want our evening to play out is entirely up to you,” Ajax winks suggestively, to which the blonde squirms. Miss Yae never outrightly forbid kissing, but kissing might lead to sex. And since they’ve gone this far…

No, you just want to find an excuse, Lumine chides herself inwardly, but then glances at his cock with an aching clit. But you want him, too, don’t you? Besides, we’ve tried our best to avoid any sexual activities for almost a week now. It’s fine to have a little reward for the remaining days, right?

“Okay. Let’s do it,” she says.

“Huh?”

“Let’s have sex,” Lumine says again while crawling in Ajax’s direction. Seeing her unexpected determination, Ajax’s jaw drops, a faint blush dusting his high cheekbones.

“Wait, Miss Honor Student, are you serious?”

“Why are you surprised? You said that the decision is up to me!” Lumine points out while making a resident on Ajax’s lap.

“N-no, well, I just didn’t expect you to easily break the rule like that,” Ajax laughs sheepishly, and then groans when Lumine rubs his head against her cunt.

“What… What if I said that I have my limits too?” Lumine asks a bit breathlessly, heart thumping against her ribcage at the small cognizance that she can lose her virginity the second she dares to lower herself on him.

Ajax is starting to lose focus when Lumine nibbles on his neck. “Lumi… ah, but the condoms…”

“You can just pull out…” she whines impatiently, to which Ajax then cradles her face with his palms.

“It’s too risky. I don’t know if I could do that once I’m inside you,” he quietly admits. “I’ve never done this, remember? I don’t want to hurt you. We need to prepare you first, too.”

“…Oh.” Lumine casts her eyes to the floor. “Sorry. This is quite embarrassing of me. I… didn’t think of this thoroughly.” She then asks in a timid tone, “But… y-you do want me too, don’t you?”

“Of course, pretty girl.” Ajax chuckles, causing her to blush deeper. “Do you want to take this further to the bed?”

Burying her face in the crook of Ajax’s neck, he feels her nodding with a small okay. He smiles and kisses her shoulder to pacify her, then rises to his feet as he hoists her up by her ass. Warmth spreads throughout her insides, for this moment reminds her of the first time Ajax carried her to the infirmary after their accidental kiss. The difference is that the past Lumine couldn’t circle her arms around his neck while absently nipping on his skin.

Feeling a bit impatient himself, Ajax takes long strides across the bathroom after turning off the faucet. Opening the door, Ajax is ready to jump onto the bed and start ravishing her, but what comes into view is, instead, Andrei’s face.

Correction: Andrei’s disgusted face.

“WHAT THE FUCK?” Both Ajax and Andrei scream, before Andrei quickly throws the blanket on Ajax’s bed to the teenagers. Surprised, Ajax almost releases his grip on Lumine, but the girl herself manages to catch the crumpled blanket in her hands.

“The fuck are you doing in my room?!” Ajax barks in anger. “Have you ever heard of knocking?!”

“I did, but no one answered!”

“Oh? So you thought it would be fine to just barge in?”

Andrei holds up two hands in mock surrender. “Okay, my bad. I just wanted to inform you that Dad’s finally home and he wants us to come to the kitchen. He brought a lot of food.”

Hearing that, Ajax’s anger dissipates. A little. “Cool. Now why don’t you scram and let us have our privacy before we join the others?” He says with a menacing, closed-eyed smile.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Don’t take too long.” Andrei shrugs and lazily walks towards the door, before stopping, “On a second thought, it’s better to postpone whatever you’re gonna do—“

“Don’t tell us what to do,” Ajax snaps. “Just… go already, Andrei.”

Andrei merely gives them a dismissive wave of his hand in return before closing the bedroom door.

Suddenly, he opens the door again and says, “By the way, if you want condom brand recommendations—“

“Andrei!” Ajax growls, but his older brother only guffaws out loud before closing the door once more.

Silence ensues between Ajax and Lumine after that.

“Sorry about my brother,” the jock eventually says, gently placing Lumine down on the bed before plopping down beside her. “Andrei really ruined the mood, huh?”

“That’s okay. Maybe he’s that excited to tell you that your dad has come back from his long business trip?” She consoles with a small smile. “I’m not going to lie that I’m a bit disappointed, but I do want to meet your dad before fucking his son.”

Her words prompt him to laugh boyishly.

“But,” casting the blanket aside, Lumine suddenly looks at him in all seriousness, although the deep blush on her face has yet to subside, almost betraying the confidence that she displays on the outside. “I still want to make you come.”

“W-What?” Ajax croaks out when the girl pushes him down to the bed and positions herself in between his legs. She reaches for his half-hard cock—Andrei’s interruption probably made him a little soft, she thinks—and begins to stroke it to life once more. Ajax watches with lust-smothered eyes as Lumine gives tentative licks to his balls, before sliding her tongue along the underside of his length.

Moaning, Ajax manages to let out, “L-Lumine… you don’t have to…”

“I insist,” Lumine murmurs against his cock, kissing it lightly. “Just… Take this as my apology.”

“For making me fall with you earlier?” Ajax asks jocosely.

Lumine responds by swirling her tongue around his slit, earning a hiss from the ginger. “Mm.”

“Also… for acting stubborn and weird?”

She kisses his swollen head and nods.

“And… for treating Ajax Jr. roughly by trying to castrate me?” Ajax smirks.

Lumine snorts. “Fine, that included. I’m treating Ajax Jr. very lovingly right now, aren’t I?” She says while absently stroking him.

Ajax sighs dramatically. “Yes, please, shower Ajax Jr. with more love, won’t you?”

“Oh, I’ll make sure he is very loved.” With that, Lumine relaxes her jaw and takes him slowly into her mouth. It causes Ajax to involuntarily jerk his hips upward, Snezhnayan curses slipping past his lips, and his moans grow louder when Lumine starts to bob her head up and down with a hum.

“Oh, oh, fuck, kotenok, that’s it—that feels so good—“

She fondles his balls with her fingers as she sucks him good, tongue experimentally teasing him several times as loud slurps fill the room. He seems to like it, judging from his grip on her hair. He’s squirming when Lumine gives her sole attention to his head, sucking on it until her cheek is hollowed.

She releases him with a lascivious pop later just to complain, “My jaw hurts, you’re too big…”

That makes Ajax blush. “Y-you think I’m big?”

“Weren’t you the one who told me that your size is the least of your concern?” Lumine quirks a brow while pressing her thumb over his slit. From his reaction, she instantly knows that his head might be his favorite part to be stimulated.

Ajax clears his throat. “It’s good to hear it from another person too.”

“Ego-boost, hm?” Lumine chuckles. “Hey, can you hold your hips still? I want to try something.”

Before Ajax could ask, Lumine is already going down on him again, but this time, he could feel his tip kissing the back of her throat, to which he realizes—

Oh. She’s deepthroating him—

Pulling him out of her mouth, Lumine gazes at him with disbelief. “Ajax! I don’t have it!”

“Huh, what…? What is it?” Ajax asks, half-dazed.

“I don’t have a gag reflex!”

Ajax stares at her incredulously. “You don’t?”

She nods proudly. “Yes!”

A grin emerges on Ajax’s face. “So I can use your mouth however I want?”

Lumine blinks. “Y-yes…?”

“Good.” Ajax rises from his position and snaps his fingers. “Now lie down.”

Wordlessly, Lumine obliges; she then finds herself lying on her back, directly facing her soulmate’s cock. From above, Ajax smirks as he rubs his drooling head on her cheek, earning a noise of protest from Lumine, although she makes no attempt to stop him. Unable to help himself, he also makes sure to slap himself on her tits, his head nudging her nipples.

“Your body is so soft,” he murmurs with a hoarse voice, this time positioning his cock to her face again. Lumine closes her eyes when she feels his hardness covering her whole face, and she wonders internally what is it he’s trying to do, but she guesses that perhaps, he just takes pleasure from rubbing his cock all over a girl’s body and face.

“Let your tongue out,” he instructs. She obliges him, tongue darting out, and starts licking the underside of his dick. He smells a bit like soap, yet there’s still a mild, unique scent from him that makes her feel a bit dizzy—in a good way. 

He chuckles at her obedience. “Haha, what a sight to look at. I bet that everyone in school wouldn’t believe me if I said that the Honor Student has a dick on her face.”

Lumine opens her eyes and glares at him.

“Ah, she’s mad now,” Ajax then taps her lower lip with his thumb, “Why don’t we put that mouth into a better use before she starts spewing insults at me?”

Hearing that, Lumine rolls her eyes, but opens her mouth anyway. Ajax takes this as his cue to slide his cock into her warm, wet mouth again. He rocks his hips slightly to adjust his length, loving the way her throat is welcoming him without difficulties.

One hand grasping the bed’s headboard, Ajax allows his other hand to caress her jaw and purrs, “I’m gonna move now.”

When Lumine hums in approval, Ajax begins to shallowly thrust into her.

And by God—it feels amazing.

Each thrust sends tingles all over his skin, and he can’t believe he’s missed this all of his life. The feeling of her mouth—her throat—around him is much, much better than his own hands, and he wonders in the back of his mind if her pussy would feel like this.

Maybe it would feel much more heavenly. She would definitely feel tighter down there, and he remembers how soft her walls were from his fingers alone.

If her mouth already feels this way, he has a feeling that he might not last long the second he sticks his cock inside her cunt.

True to his words, he can already feel his lower gut tightening. “Lumine, I’m close,” he moans, his movements more erratic and uncontrolled. The way his soulmate is staring up at him in submission, eyes watery and glistening all the while letting him shove his cock into the deepest part of her throat—it’s all too much.

“Hey, can I cum in your mouth?” Ajax asks breathlessly.

Her hands find purchase of his ass, as though encouraging him. Ajax likes to think that she wants to cop a feel. Regardless, his smile widens when he sees her nodding slightly. “Good girl,” he praises, before burying himself to the hilt, “Fuck, baby, here it comes—!”

Her eyes widen as he spills his load into her. He could feel her clawing at his ass, making him pull back a bit. He shoots the rest of his seeds outside, one hand jerking himself quickly as ribbons of cum adorn her face and opened mouth.

She’s a whole mess; cum and spit coating her lips all the way to her jaw. She’s coughing, though, and Ajax almost feels bad for filling her throat with his cum.

Well, it’s not like she didn’t consent. She still complains anyway.

“You’re the worst,” she says after that while wiping her mouth. “You came so much!”

“Don’t blame me. That’s worth a week, y’know.”

“I hate you,” she grouses and tries to wipe her face next. “And my face is all sticky too.”

“Yes, yes, let’s wash that pretty face, shall we?” Ajax chuckles, before peppering kisses on her face to soothe her, uncaring of tasting his own cum. “Sorry if I—” A kiss on the forehead. “—overdid it.” A kiss on the nose. “It felt amazing, and I—” A kiss on the lips. “—couldn’t help myself.”

“Glad you enjoyed yourself,” she mutters, trying to be sarcastic, but it comes out way softer than intended thanks to his kisses.

“As always, I’ll return the favor later,” Ajax promises, voice an octave lower, thumb tracing circles on her back, making her shiver. “I can guarantee that you’ll like it.”

Gulping, she shoves him away and says, “Don’t get too confident, now.”

“Ajax! What’s taking you so long?!”

They flinch when they hear Talya’s voice from the outside, almost forgetting that they’re supposed to join Ajax’s family members in the kitchen minutes ago, to which Ajax shouts back.

“COMING!”

“That’s what you said,” Lumine snickers, making Ajax groan.

“Lumine!”

Chapter Text

“So, what do you think about my dad?”

Lumine, who’s in the middle of reading and reciting her essay under her breath, pauses for a second, before saying, “He’s really great.”

Ajax smiles and drags his chair closer to her. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Lumine nods. Mr. Ivan Alekseevich isn’t as expressive as his wife, but he has a mature and wise aura that Lumine can’t help but notice from the very first glance.

He turns out to have a rather teasing nature too.

(“So, Ajax, I heard from Andrei that you were quite… busy with someone earlier—” “Dad!”)

“You have your mom’s smile, but your eyes are definitely your dad’s.”

Ajax doesn’t seem to expect such a comment from her, to which he smiles wider. “Oh? I didn’t think you’d notice.”

Lumine clears her throat. He doesn’t have to know that she sometimes studies his face whenever he’s not looking. “I’m just very observant.”

Ajax lets out a snort before resting his head on Lumine’s shoulder. Of course, that startles the blonde; she releases a small gasp and hisses with warm cheeks. “Ajax! What are you doing?”

“Trying to sleep.”

“Not on my shoulder.”

Ajax opens one eye and asks with a frown, “Why not? You dragged me to school an hour early. I’m sleepy.”

“My coach wanted to have a meeting,” Lumine reasons.

“Yeah, before he decided to postpone it after school.”

Lumine mutters. “It’s… called an unforeseen situation.”

Ajax stares at her for a while, before closing his eyes again. “Whatever. Wake me up when the bell rings,” he says with an exaggerated yawn, and suddenly, Lumine doesn’t have the heart to push him away or scold him.

To be honest, having his head on her shoulder oddly feels comforting. There’s a thrill surging through her veins when their classmates begin to enter the class one by one—not without landing their gazes on Ajax and Lumine. Some even send her teasing smiles, much to her embarrassment.

“Getting cozy?” Kaeya remarks once he enters the class with an amused smile. Yoimiya is trailing behind him with a squeak, gushing about how cute they look. Lumine has to shush them and tell them to stop.

“It’s not what it looks like,” she’d always say, but none of them seems to believe her.

That’s fine, she always tells herself. As long as she knows that both of them are just trying to reap benefits from their situation as soulmates…

The rest of the day goes pretty much typical. She does her assignments, reviews her presentation material, scolds Ajax occasionally, and eavesdrops on teenage girls gossiping about their love lives.

Alright, the last one might not be intentional.

Lumine first hears it when she, Ajax, and their friends are at the canteen, sitting just right beside a group of girls. One of them is poking at their food with complete disinterest, which catches the attention of her friends. After a moment of coaxing, she finally relents.

“I…” the brunette fidgets in her seat. “…Finally had sex with my boyfriend.”

Lumine stops chewing and perks up.

“Oh my god, really?” Her friend asks, goggle-eyed. “How was it?”

The brunette buries her hands in her face. “I don’t want to remember it. I bled so much, and it hurt…”

Her friend gasps. “Did he not treat you gently?”

“I… I don’t know. I guess we were too impatient…” The brunette sighs. “The sex didn’t last long enough to make up for it. He came so fast, too.” She groans. “It was really disappointing! His dick isn’t even that big, but he acted as if he was some sort of sex god or something!”

Lumine almost chokes on her food.

“No way, dump him, girl!”

Her other friend nods. “Some guys are like that. They only care about their own pleasure, and ugh, it irritates me to no end…”

“Thank God my ex wasn’t like that. We had sex for the first time in middle school, and it was wonderful. Kind of awkward, though.”

“Haha, sounds like someone hasn’t moved on.”

“Don’t get me wrong! I mean, I admit the sex was good, but we just couldn’t work out…”

The girls talk and talk, reminiscing about their experiences and past relationships. At one point, Lumine stops eating and only stares at her food, prompting Ajax to look at her in concern.

“Lumine? You good?” He asks, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Oh,” she blinks dumbly, “Oh, um, yeah! I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“You suddenly stopped eating,” Ajax points out, then reaches out a hand to wipe something from her face. “You have food here,” he murmurs, attempting to lick his finger, but Lumine stops him with a blazing face.

“D-Don’t do that!” She hisses.

“Why not?”

“Just because.”

Seeing how she doesn’t intend to elaborate, Ajax lets her finish her food in silence.

At lunchtime, Ajax made a mental note to keep an eye on her for the rest of the day.

His Lumine senses are tingling. Whenever Lumine acts odd, more often than not, it heavily implies that she’s overthinking about something weird again, yet refuses to tell the whole thing with him. At least, not until he asks first. This bad habit of hers is starting to get old, and Ajax is aware that changing that would be challenging, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help her.

“Lumine.”

“Mmhm?”

“You know that you can always talk to me, right?”

Lumine looks up from the piece of paper in her hand, and nods. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” he smiles. “But it seems that something is distressing you.”

Lumine scoffs. “Where did you even get that idea?”

Ajax arches a brow. “You’ve been reading that essay upside down.”

At that, Lumine goes bright red and folds the paper in embarrassment. She clears her throat. “It’s just… I was just… testing my memory. About my presentation. Yeah.”

“Bad liar as always,” Ajax rolls his eyes. Scanning his vicinity, he notices that the gym is relatively empty at this hour. There are still thirty minutes left until the cheerleading club’s meeting, and the poor blonde has been trying to review the material for her presentation to no avail.

“Are you nervous?” Ajax asks again. “About your presentation.”

“No,” Lumine replies firmly. “This isn’t my first time talking in front of an audience.”

“Then, why have you been zoning out?”

Lumine worries her plush lip in between her teeth, and Ajax has to resist capturing it with his own. “I’m… thinking about something else,” she admits, before sighing. “I know that I can talk to you about anything, but...”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I’m not going anywhere, and you know that,” Ajax reminds her softly, and no, her heart did not just flutter. 

For some reason, her face grows hotter than usual, but she dismisses it, thinking that it’s caused by the temperature of the room.

Psh, yeah, right.

A part of her can’t deny that it’s actually caused by Ajax’s gentle words. Pretty ironic that this is the same boy who’s feared by several people because of his involvement with some drug dealers in the past.

Suddenly feeling guilty for always rejecting his kind offers, Lumine eventually relents. “If I have to be honest…” she twirls her hair. “I…”

“You…?”

“I want to watch porn.”

If Ajax was drinking, he’d be choking on his water right now.

“You what?” He asks incredulously. “Where did that thought even come from?”

Lumine abashedly replies, “I accidentally overheard some girls talking about their first time having sex in the canteen, and a girl said she was bleeding so much while others said they weren’t. And I’d like to know how real sex—“

“Whoa, hold it there, Miss Honor Student,” Ajax stops her, swiftly checking their surroundings before sighing. “so, you wanna learn how to have sex properly for the first time through porn?”

“Yes.” Lumine nods. “It’s called vicarious learning! You observe things before you try to do them yourself. Porn is our best bet right now!” She says, before adding as an afterthought, “Unless you want us to observe the real thing by asking our friends to have sex…?”

Ajax massages his temple. “For having such an innocent face, you sure have a lot of fantasies…”

Lumine frowns. “What fantasies? This is concerning me and my virginity. Guys can easily shove their penises into vaginas without thinking whether it will hurt girls or not, and I sure hope that you’re not one of those guys who—“

Ajax silences her with a kiss, to which Lumine fumes. “Don’t cut me off—!” She protests, but Ajax only kisses her deeper without giving her a chance to breathe. It’s only when Lumine punches him on his arm with a red face that Ajax withdraws and nonchalantly whistles a random tune.

“You jerk! This is the gymnasium, what if someone catches us?”

Ajax’s eyebrow twitches. “Oh, you’re not okay with me kissing you in public but you’re okay with declaring that you want to watch porn in public?”

“Kissing is way more obvious—“ 

To annoy her, Ajax kisses her again and even licks into her mouth, laughing as he pulls away.

Lumine shrieks, flustered. “AJAX!”

“In any case,” Ajax redirects the topic. “If porn is what you want to watch, then so be it. Not my fault if you get traumatized later.”

“Traumatize is a heavy word,” Lumine mutters. “I don’t think it will be that bad.”

Ajax snorts. “Oh, let’s see how you’ll react to BDSM videos.”

“… I don’t know what that is, but I’ll do a thorough research about it.”

Ajax deadpans. “You really are something else…”

Beaming, Lumine says, “Well, now that I already got it out of my chest, I can now focus on my presentation. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

She unfolds her paper and memorizes the contents while waiting for other cheerleaders to gather. Beside her, Ajax can only stare at her in disbelief—did this girl just casually reveal her plan on watching porn before an important presentation?

Shaking his head, Ajax smiles to himself.

This girl is way too interesting.

The presentation went on smoothly.

Due to his circumstances with Lumine, Ajax had to sit among other cheerleaders. They made sure not to separate for more than fifteen steps, and thankfully the coach didn’t mind his presence at all. If other cheerleaders were a bit distracted by him, Ajax would politely gesture in Lumine’s direction. Some of them took the hint and immediately forced themselves to pay attention to the blonde, though not without rosy cheeks.

In the end, it was obvious that Lumine would win. Other candidates didn’t even hold a candle. Lumine clearly understands what the team needs, and that’s what Ajax thinks is her strongest suit. Not to mention that she’s a great leader, a good public speaker, has a cute face and a body that would look so perfect underneath him—

Ajax inwardly slaps himself. Stop getting distracted, Alekseevich.

They’re now on Lumine’s bed, their eyes glued to her laptop screen. They haven’t opened the porn site, but for some reason, Ajax is already getting excited. Watching porn with the school’s honor student isn’t on Ajax’s to-do list for today, but here he is.

“Are you sure you don’t want to use headphones or something?” Ajax asks as the porn site loads. He grimaces at the thought of Aether storming into the room and breaking his nose for staining his sister or whatever—not because he's afraid of him, no, but it’d be a real mood killer.

“It’s okay. Don’t mind Aether—I’ve locked the door,” Lumine says, before pointing at the screen. “Oh, there it is!”

On the screen, thumbnails of lewd scenes instantly greet them. Girls getting fucked, girls blowing dicks, orgies, gangbangs… Ajax is already familiar with such videos, but this might be Lumine’s first time seeing them.

This is more awkward than I thought, Ajax thinks, glancing at the girl beside him. She looks stunned and wide-eyed, and she has yet to say a thing.

“So, uh…” Ajax scratches his head. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know what to say,” Lumine says, clearing her throat. “Apparently, people can do… a lot of things… to each other.”

“Right.” Ajax lets out a dry laugh. “So, you wanna watch those defloration videos first, or…?”

“Sure!” Lumine nods. “Yes, let’s do that.”

“Okay. Just type the keyword right here…” Ajax mutters as he guides her to surf through the website. As soon as she clicks search, multiple videos pop up.

“Oh,” she says softly. “The thumbnail scares me… haha…”

The thumbnails are somewhat similar—there’s a hand, spreading the lips of a tight-looking cunt, showing the girl’s untorn hymen. Gulping, Lumine then clicks on one of the videos, and unconsciously scoots closer to Ajax, one hand grasping his arm.

The video starts with the guy kissing the girl. There, Ajax sees the most boring blowjob scene from the girl. The camera then pans to the guy as he eats the girl out, but there’s just something lacking in the video. The girl still looks a bit tense, and Ajax has to force himself to watch the girl flinching in pain when the guy enters her for the first time.

When he pulls out, blood is coating his length, making Lumine squeak.

“So much blood!” She points at the screen. “Did you see that? He… she…!”

Ajax groans and hastily stops the video. “See? What did I tell you? Some bad porn videos are just gonna scare you.”

“Let’s watch another one!” Lumine insists, and this is how they end up watching a similar video.

“Even for me, this is getting a bit painful to watch,” Ajax comments. He swears that if he sees another blood-coated penis, he’d actually close the laptop and throw it somewhere.

“Look at this one,” Lumine says as she opens another video. “She’s not bleeding…”

Squinting at the screen, Ajax retorts, “Nah, she’s not a virgin.”

“But the title says she is!”

“No, her pussy looks too loose.” He shrugs, to which Lumine gasps.

“You!” She scolds, “You shouldn’t judge a vagina by its cover!”

Hearing that, Ajax bursts into laughter, causing the blonde to babble in embarrassment. “I’m serious! You’re a virgin yourself, how would you have known?”

Laughter dying down, Ajax says, “You’re right, but I’ve watched enough porn to know that.” He then ruffles her hair, making her huff. “Hey, why don’t we watch the decent ones? The ones that won’t scare you. Some look like they’re faking it, but I’ve seen genuine ones where they looked like they’re truly enjoying themselves.”

“…Fine,” she mutters. “What do you have in mind?”

“Hmm,” Ajax taps his chin. “Let’s start with something tame.”

If he wants to watch something soft, domestic couple sex would be his best choice. Rough, kinky sex might be a bit too much for his soulmate… although she didn’t seem to mind when he fucked her mouth yesterday. But still, after seeing how scared she was with previous defloration videos… it’s obvious that they have to tone things down a bit.

Besides, after watching those, Lumine must have put higher expectations on him. He can’t deny that it’s making him a bit worried. Can he perform wonderfully? Can he please her? He truly doesn’t have the heart to hurt his soulmate. Lumine deserves to feel good during her first time.

But can he do it—?

“It looks nice,” Lumine’s voice cut off Ajax’s train of thoughts. On the screen, a couple is making love passionately, their hushed sighs and moans filling the room.

Ajax grins and nudges her side teasingly. “So that’s how you like it? Soft and gentle and all vanilla?”

Lumine blushes. “All I said is that it looks nice, and you’re already making assumptions out of it? Give me something rougher, then!”

“Are you sure?” Ajax asks. “What if you end up getting scared again—“

“No, I’ll be fine,” Lumine stubbornly replies. “Maybe.”

Sighing, Ajax types the keyword on the search bar and allows her to pick a random video that catches her attention. Surprisingly, she picks a rather hardcore scene of face-fucking—the woman’s face is literally covered with cum and spit—and before they both know it, she is pounded against the floor. Lumine watches in fascination as the man pistons his cock in and out of her, and whimpers as he unloads his seeds inside the woman.

Lumine bites her lip. “She’s not… she’s not in some kind of pain, is she?”

Ajax winces. “I don’t know, she looks like she loves it rough, so…”

“Ah…”

An awkward silence passes, before Ajax asks, “So… Do you wanna watch anything else, or… ?”

“I think I’m good,” Lumine answers, fanning herself. “It’s all… too new for me. Maybe we should rest early today.”

Ajax ignores his twitching cock—the last video is admittedly hot, okay?—and nods. “Alright. Let’s do just that.”

“Okay.”

They tuck themselves under the blanket earlier than usual, just like she suggested, and neither of them is in the mood to talk as they are too occupied with their own thoughts.

However, he needs to make sure that she’s fine.

When he asks her that, she smiles in reassurance. “I’m fine! It’s not like I’m suddenly afraid of sex!” She consoles him. “I read somewhere that with enough lube, girls can avoid pain on their first time.”

Ajax doesn’t show it, but he makes a mental note to make her as wet as possible before having his way with her.

Maybe he should also buy some lube. Just in case.

“Did you get disgusted by anything?” Ajax inquires curiously.

Lumine ponders out loud, “Not really… but I’m enlightened by a lot of things.”

“Like what?”

“For starters, I was surprised to see that there’s someone with a bigger dick out there!”

Ajax sputters. “W-what?”

“Yeah! I didn’t know that penises vary in shapes, too!” She explains, tone full of wonderment. “The man in the last video had bigger balls than you, and I think he was a bit shorter in length. But yours is veiny and thicker—“

“Alright,” Ajax interjects, face growing hotter with each second. “Can you just—tell me whether you’ve discovered a new kink or something? Just—please don’t compare my dick with a random dude.”

“Oh,” Lumine adorably pouts. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. Yours doesn’t look bad, if that’s what you’re concerned about. And I swear that yours still fall under the big category—“

Ajax buries his face in his hands and groans. Seeing his embarrassed reaction, Lumine swiftly alters the conversation.

“Aaah, alright, alright! Kink, you ask? Let’s talk about it, then! I’m not sure what it’s called, but—“ Lumine suddenly stops and grins brightly. “Why don’t I just show you?”

Ajax blinks and dumbly responds with a huh?

“Tomorrow!” She promises. “I’ll show it to you tomorrow. Tomorrow marks the first day outside of our abstinence period, so we’ll be free to do anything we want!”

Ajax licks his lips. “You’ve got a point there, Miss Honor Student. Care to give me a hint?”

Lumine giggles. “Where’s the fun in that? I won’t tell you a thing. You’ll have to find out by yourself.”

Lumine wasn’t joking when she said that she won’t tell him a thing.

They start the day by meeting Miss Yae and Dr. Baizhu, giving them updates about their condition, and that’s how Ajax momentarily forgets about her little challenge.

Lumine ends up doing most of the talk. Miss Yae has the slightest suspicion that they might have done something during their abstinence period, but she’s never explicitly cornered them. Ajax has a hunch that she knows, anyway, because nothing seems to escape that woman.

Regardless, Miss Yae seems to take the hint that ordering them to go through another abstinence period might be too stressful for hormonal teenagers like them.

“Hmm, alright,” she decides. “Now that it has come to this, I suppose that it’s time for both of you to try the magic pills.”

“Magic pills?” Ajax perks up. Honestly, if she never mentioned it, Ajax would’ve probably forgotten that they exist.

“Is it safe? Will we be okay?” Lumine asks, concern etched on her face.

Miss Yae chuckles. “As long as they’re consumed reasonably, then you shouldn’t worry. Though,” she pauses, “Just to be safe, both of you need to double your endurance training schedule. Your bodies shouldn’t rely too much on the pills—they also need to get used to the pain naturally.”

Lumine shivers. “Ugh, endurance training will never not be painful…”

“Then, Miss Viatrix, would you rather practice abstinence for another week?”

Lumine flushes and vehemently denies, “I can do it just fine. But this guy beside me might end up with erectile dysfunction.”

At that, Ajax glares at her. “Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

Amused, Miss Yae’s smile widens. “What a lively pair of soulmates we have here. But,” she proceeds to stand up and bring her tablet with her, “Why don’t we save that energy for your endurance training, hm?”

They successfully make some progress despite having cheated the day before yesterday. They’re now able to separate on their fifth step, and they no longer feel immense pain on their seventh step. Appeased with the result, Miss Yae calls it a day and tells them to regularly come to her office on Monday and Friday next week. Dr. Baizhu entrusts the pills to Lumine, and tells them that they’re free to come to the infirmary if something happens.

“I can’t wait to try out those pills,” Ajax comments, arms folded behind his head as they walk to the class.

“We shouldn’t be reckless,” Lumine warns him. “Miss Yae is right—we shouldn’t depend on the pills too much. I forgot to ask whether it’d be possible for us to train independently on weekends outside of Miss Yae’s guidance…”

Ajax sighs and pats her on the shoulder. “You already have enough on your plate, Lumine. You shouldn’t handle everything all by yourself.”

Lumine shakes her head. “I can’t just stand still and wait. I’m just… not that kind of person.”

Ajax frowns. He understands why she behaves that way; she’s forced to grow up without the aid of her parents. Having to mingle into the world of adulthood means that she’s used to doing everything all by herself.

The only family she has now is Aether, after all. Even so, Aether has life on his own. That explains why she hates being overdependent on something. Someone.

“You have me,” Ajax blurts out without thinking. “I can help. My family can also help. You’re not alone, y’know.”

She scrutinizes him under her watchful gaze, which eventually softens seconds later, “You’re actually a really soft person, aren’t you, Ajax?”

Wide-eyed, Ajax makes a startled noise. “Where did that even come from?”

“I notice that you always offer random kind words at the most random times. Not that it’s unwelcome.” She then smiles, and tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you.”

Ajax doesn’t know why, but that small kiss, albeit innocent, is able to make his heart soar into the sky. What horrifies him is the fact that such a feeling isn’t exactly foreign to him whenever he’s with Lumine.

He’s aware that he’s been attracted to her ever since he set his eyes on her in his first year. But this … this feels different. Probably way beyond attraction to her body.

Is this caused by their connection? He doubts that.

Ajax laughs nervously. “Don’t mention it. By the way,” he pushes off any mushy thoughts about her and smirks. “About the thing that you wanted to show me last night…”

Lumine blinks. “Oh, that? Didn’t I tell you that you have to find it yourself?”

“What could I possibly be searching for if I don’t even get any clues?” Ajax pouts.

“Clues?”

“Yeah! Like… Can you at least tell me if it’s on your body? Or if it’s something that you wanna do to me?”

Lumine hums. “Hmm… okay. All I can say is that you can only find it on my body.”

Hearing that, a grin emerges on Ajax’s face. “Oh? Will I have the honor to unwrap you like a present later?”

“Psh, no. That’s not what I’m aiming for,” Lumine scoffs. “As I said, you’ll have to find out what it is without touching me. If you manage to find it, though…” she lowers her voice and whispers in his ear. “You can do anything to me as a reward.”

Without waiting for his response, she pivots her heels and walks away with noticeable red ears. God, she’s so cute like that. Who the hell seduces a guy and runs away in embarrassment after that?

Ajax’s heart thumps in anticipation. “Oh, you’re on, Miss Honor Student.”

As someone who’s passionate about every kind of sport, Ajax is trained to observe his surroundings and identify any openings. That’s how he takes advantage of his opponent’s weakness and scores.

But apparently, trying to beat Lumine as his opponent might need more effort than trying to defeat a whole team.

Lumine does the things she usually does in a day, so it’s harder to notice if she’s got something different on her. She wears her usual uniform, and her hair is done in her usual hairstyle. She wears light, natural makeup, and there’s a hint of his perfume on her body…

But to be honest, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. It’s not her first time stealing his perfume, and despite being the esteemed Honor Student, she’s not that opposed to the idea of makeup. Lumine doesn’t have a stick up her ass the same way Kujou Sara does.

So why hasn't he found anything? Is there a chance that she might have misunderstood what a kink is?

No, she might be a little innocent at times, but she’s no fool. Perhaps Ajax is just that bad at this kind of ‘game’.

By the time school ends, Ajax almost gives up.

“Lumine,” he whines. “Can’t you just tell me what it is? I swear that there’s nothing different about you!”

Lumine snorts. “I can’t believe that you still haven’t found it. I’d be mad if other guys noticed it first.”

Ajax’s blood boils. “What? What do you mean that others can see it?”

Lumine shrugs, seemingly a bit hurt at his cluelessness. “Not telling.”

“Lumine…”

“Hush. Stop whining and let’s go home.” She walks past him, hips swinging enticingly. Ajax can only follow her from behind with his tail between his legs. Guilt is starting to eat him away, and he chastises himself for his incompetence.

He’s a naturally competitive person, but somehow, his guilt has nothing to do with losing. He merely hates seeing Lumine looking so crestfallen. He swears that she looked so excited last night…

Just before he could inwardly berate himself more, a gust of wind washes over them, messing their hair and flipping Lumine’s skirt—

Ajax’s jaw slackens.

Ajax doesn’t listen to a word she says when he chooses the wrong road to his house.

Lumine’s certain that today, she’s supposed to sleep over at Ajax’s house. They already slept at Lumine’s yesterday, so there’s no reason for Ajax to go back to hers.

At least, that’s what she thinks.

“Ajax! You dummy! Can’t you go slower?” She shrieks as he parks his motorcycle in front of her house. He’s quick and efficient in his movements; in one second, he snatches the keys from her hands and unlocks the door for both of them. In another, he pulls her into the house and closes the door with his foot.

He’s still silent when he drags her into her living room and throws her to the couch.

It all happens so fast that Lumine fails to register everything in her brain. She hears a soft thump of bags being dropped to the floor, and suddenly, Ajax is already on top of her, looking slightly out of breath.

She offers no words and merely stares at him. “What’s with you?” She finally asks, and gasps softly when Ajax flips her skirt.

“Explain,” he grunts as he cups her bare heat with his hand, making her whimper. “Explain why you’re not wearing any panties to school today.”

Lumine laughs. “Took you long enough to find out. I assume that you finally saw it in the parking lot?”

“That doesn’t matter,” Ajax growls and presses a thumb on her clit. Lumine shudders and squirm underneath him. “You might have flashed other guys.”

Lumine juts out her tongue. “Your fault for not finding out sooner.”

“Fuck, how would I have known?” Ajax argues. “The fact that you’ve been walking around bare beside me without me knowing it is making me….” his word falters, and the smug grin on Lumine’s face indicates that she knows his line of thinking.

“Does it make you mad?” She whispers, and Ajax nods. “Does it also turn you on?”

“Yeah,” Ajax breaths out. “God, yes, Lumine, you have no idea. What the fuck are you trying to pull?”

“I’m not sure,” Lumine confesses. “I saw a thumbnail of a girl walking around the mall with no panties yesterday, but I never had the chance to click on it, so I decided to try it myself.”

Ajax blinks. “And you liked it?”

Lumine shyly nods. “It’s exciting. It’s similar to when you fingered me in an empty classroom, with the risk of someone seeing us…”

Ajax sends her a look. “When Andrei walked in on us… did it upset you?”

“Um, I was a bit upset that he interrupted us, but I got over it quickly…”

“Say, if Aether walked in on us right now,” Ajax asks again, this time with more urgency, “Would you get upset?”

“M-maybe? But not really? As long as we can continue…”

“Okay, what if we fucked on your balcony where your neighbors can see us? What if I ate you out inside the janitor’s room? What if—“ Ajax swallows. “What if we had sex while being watched by the basketball and the cheerleading team? Would you mind?”

Lumine processes his questions and whispers to herself with wide eyes, “No. Oh my god, no. What does that mean, Ajax?”

A grin stretches on Ajax’s face. “Lumine,” he laughs with a hint of disbelief. “Ohohoh, Lumine. I can’t believe this!”

“W-What? Tell me!”

Ajax brings his face closer to hers, still grinning until his cheeks hurt. “You’re secretly an exhibitionist.”

Hearing that, the blonde gasps. “I’m not—ah! What are you doing?” She asks when Ajax withdraws and slides down to kiss her thighs and leaves marks on her flesh. Her cheek reddens when he gives her that damned sexy, bedroom eyes, before burying his face in between her legs.

“Relax, will you?” He purrs. “I’m about to return the favor I promised you two days ago and claim my reward at the same time. You’ll let me, won’t you?”

Instead of giving her a chance to answer, he licks a long stripe along her folds, causing her to yelp. Soon, he’s licking and nibbling and sucking on every part of her, and it drives Lumine crazy. He’d flick his tongue teasingly around her clit, and he’d close his lips and suck. The wet slurps he produces are making her head spin, and the groan he makes is sending shivers down her spine.

She never thought that having someone’s mouth on her pussy would feel this good.

She doesn’t even realize that she’s tugging on his wild hair at one point, too blinded by the pleasure delivered by his mouth. She bucks her hips wildly against his face, and she somehow has wrapped her thighs around his head, but Ajax never complains.

Her screams and pants resound in the room, pussy clenching around his curious tongue, and it’s not long until orgasm hits her. Ajax lets out a satisfied groan as he licks and sucks her clean, not at all minding her juices coating his mouth all the way to his chin.

Kissing her entrance several times, Ajax smirks when he pulls away. “Feels good?”

Still breathing heavily, Lumine doesn’t make any attempts to close her legs. “Shut up…” she glares at him weakly.

Ajax laughs and kisses her chastely on the lips. “I’ve always wanted to do that. I was right—you taste amazing.”

Lumine only responds with a hum, before pulling him down for a longer kiss. She allows one hand to palm his crotch, not really surprised to find out that he’s already rock hard down there.

“Hey,” she whispers. “I brought the condoms that your brother bought for you.”

The ginger stalls for a moment after hearing that. He’d be stupid to not know what that implies. “You mean…?”

“Yes.”

“Right here?”

“W-why not?”

Ajax grins again. “So you admit that you’re an exhibitionist?”

Lumine bristles. “T-This has nothing to do with that!”

“Uh-huh. Because you totally didn’t just imply that you want to have sex for the first time in your living room. Oh, have I mentioned that I haven’t locked the front door?”

Huffing, Lumine pushes him off and crouches down to fish out a condom from her bag. She then climbs his lap and unzips his pants, taking out his aching cock, making Ajax laugh.

“Eager, aren’t we?”

“Shut up for once, Alekseevich,” she mutters as she carefully tears the package and unrolls the condom all the way down to his shaft.

Ajax whistles. “Where did you learn to do that?”

“…Sex ed class.”

“They taught you to do that?”

Lumine eyes him. “This is why you shouldn’t skip classes.”

“Ugh, but my sex ed teacher is a weirdo. I couldn’t stand her at all—“ his words die down when Lumine impatiently rubs his head against her folds. Ajax gently grasps her hips and switches to his serious persona. “Hey, is this really okay? We don’t have to rush.”

“More than okay,” she whispers, lowering herself down slowly. His cock head slips into her, to which Ajax exhales. “It’s… going to be okay.”

“Are you—ngh—sure you’re wet enough?” Ajax asks again. If he’s being honest, he starts having trouble focusing, and he’s actually trying his best to not slam her hips down to his.

“Let me—let me just put it in deeper—“ She scrunches her nose as that uncomfortable feeling of being stretched arises. “Is it in yet?”

“… It’s… it’s only the head…”

“Ugh!” She pouts. “Why are you so big?”

Ajax chokes. “How am I supposed to respond to that?”

They both sigh.

“Let me help you relax, then,” the ginger murmurs, resting his forehead against her own. “I’ll leave everything under your control. It’s okay to stop if it hurts.”

“I’m okay. It doesn’t hurt so far, just—a bit uncomfortable. And weird,” she mutters.

Ajax chuckles. “Alright, take your time.”

His warm lips find her neck, smothering her with kisses and small bites—enough to distract her a bit. Lumine tilts her head to give him more access, hands grasping his shoulders as she tries to lower herself down again. He’s way deeper inside her now, and she has to swallow her amazement when she feels him twitch inside her.

“Inhale,” she hears his instruction, to which she obliges. She opts to not think too much about it and finally accepts him fully, moaning loudly the moment his blunt head kisses the end of her tunnel. 

At the feeling of her velvet walls around him, Ajax releases a shuddery sigh and bites into her neck.

“It’s—hahh, it’s in,” she moans. “Ajax, you’re inside me…”

“Yeah. Gods—it’s—yeah,” he groans as she experimentally rolls her hips. “Fuck, you’re so tight…”

She only retaliates by slotting her lips on his in a hungry kiss, to which Ajax reciprocates eagerly. Her whole body is burning, in a good way, and the fire within her intensifies as soon as she moves her hips with more confidence.

He slides in and out of her with ease—no traces of pain can be felt. She regrets complaining about his size earlier because God, the way he stretches her open is amazing. He reaches the deepest part of her, sending goosebumps with each thrust, and she thinks that nothing is more perfect than the feeling of their joined bodies right now.

She fucks him with more vigor, their moans growing louder with each second. He manages to unbutton her shirt and yanks down her bra, freeing her bouncing tits from the confinements, and she straight up mewls when he greedily sucks on her sensitive nipples.

Heat soon coils in her lower abdomen, her cunt squeezing him tightly, as though warning him what’s about to come. Snezhnayan curses escape the ginger’s mouth, his brows knitted in pleasure.

“Oh, fuck, Lumine, I—“ he tries to say, hips meeting with hers in a frenzied movement. She only rides him faster, desperate to seek her second climax of the day, but she seems too tired to keep up her pace.

So Ajax instantly switches their positions.

Hiking one leg onto his shoulder, he fucks her against the couch. Lumine’s mouth falls open at the force of his thrusts, her head thrown back, showing off her hickey-covered neck. Her body shakes each time Ajax slams his cock into her, accompanied by the wet slaps of their coupling.

Fuck, this is better than any of his dreams or fantasies.

“Ajax, keep going, I’m close,” she says breathlessly. He leans down to kiss her, but before he could do that, the front door is opened.

“Hey, why isn’t the door locked—“ Aether asks in an irritated tone, but the rest of his sentence dies down in his throat as soon as he takes in the scene before him. “L-Lu… LUMINE?!”

At that, Ajax’s rhythm begins to stutter, but Lumine only clicks her tongue and exclaims, “Oh, screw him! I said I’m close, so fuck me harder, Ajax!”

Aether instantly fumes. “You can’t just ignore me?!”

Lumine is practically sobbing. “Ajax, please!”

Momentarily dumbfounded by the situation, Ajax throws caution to the wind and decides to obey one of them.

“Sorry, big brother,” he flashes a grin to a very angry Aether, internally praying that Aether won’t have his head before he himself could cum, then continues to fuck his sister.

And damn, his expression is priceless.

Ajax has never come harder in his life, with his soulmate’s pussy milking him until the last drop. Lumine, too, reaches her peak with a quick rub of her clit, screaming his name lewdly, uncaring of Aether’s presence.

The room is filled with their heavy breathing, followed by Aether’s groan.

“Can you guys just—ugh,” he pretends to puke when they begin to kiss lazily, laughing with each kiss. “Fine! I’m outta here! But once you’re done, we’re gonna have a talk!” He shouts, before stomping his way to his bedroom, grumbling with each step.

As soon as he’s gone, Lumine snickers. “Maybe you’re right.” 

Ajax grins. “Yeah? About what?”

About me being an exhibitionist, she thinks, but she merely bops his nose playfully. “Not telling.”

Chapter Text

Lumine used to think that her first time would be done in a more conventional way.

She’d fall in love with a guy, go out with him, then wait for at least three months until they go to the third base. She used to imagine that she’d have sex for the first time properly in a bedroom, just right after a long, dreamy date. Her partner would take the lead gently, and she’d just lie down below, waiting for his instructions.

Truly, Lumine wants to laugh at the stark contrast between her imagination and reality. Because initiating sex for the first time in the living room before having your brother walk in on you is definitely the last ideal situation a virgin would ever dream of. 

But that’s just how it is with Ajax—everything is a whole mess. A beautiful mess.

He’s the perfect epitome of a tsunami. Somewhat unexpected, wild, and untamed. He’d suck you into whatever he does, whatever he likes, and he’d do it in a straightforward way.

As someone who’s been trying to live an organized life—an attempt to pick up the pieces of her life that were broken the moment her parents died—Lumine almost succeeded in doing so.

Apparently, the universe decides to throw more unforeseen matters into her life. Perhaps, one of them is in the form of a human. A soulmate.

She thought that the change would stress her out. She never thought that the outcome would be the opposite. She soon finds out that becoming a mess with Ajax is enjoyable, albeit she wouldn’t admit that out loud to him.

Despite her constant, initial protests about his silly and impulsive decisions at times, she’d always find herself yielding to him later.

Like now.

(Doesn’t mean that she won’t keep on chastising him.)

“Ajax, I just woke up,” she whines, eyes too heavy to be opened. Honestly, checking the clock is the last thing on her mind right now, all thanks to Ajax’s warm, wandering hands under the blanket. It’s still too early, and she doesn’t know if she could take him again so soon, but Ajax doesn’t seem to be listening.

“And?” Ajax grins, pulling her closer to his body. They’re both still naked due to last night’s activities; Lumine didn’t know how and why she agreed to have a second round with him after dinner—yes, right after Aether gave them an earful for almost two hours—but it happened.

“Aren’t you tired?” She asks, a bit crossed at his seemingly limitless energy. She bites back a moan when he slips a hand in between her legs, languidly caressing her entrance. His lips ghost over her bare back, barely touching her skin, but they’re there.

She suddenly becomes all too aware of his breath fanning against her neck, and she hates herself for slicking so easily at his small touches.

“Not really,” Ajax replies, grinding his hardening cock against her butt as if to prove his point. Lumine gasps, hips jerking involuntarily at the pressure of his fingers on her clit.

“But we have school…” She tries to persuade him.

“We still have time,” Ajax argues. “Just a quickie, please?”

“But I’m still sore,” Lumine complains again, unaware of the burgeoning grin on Ajax’s face.

“Oh?” He asks, then adds with a proud tone, “Did I overdid it? Did I fuck you so hard that you couldn’t wa—“

Flustered, she jabs his stomach with her elbow, to which he lets out a noise of surprise. “You’re not sticking that dick anywhere in me this morning.”

Ajax starts to whine. “But Lumine—!”

“You can use my thighs,” she suddenly murmurs, glancing at him over her shoulder. “I don’t mind.”

Intrigued by the opportunity, Ajax beams and says, “Hmm. That will do.” He then whispers in her ear, making her shiver, “For now.”

When she feels his hardness slipping in between her thighs from behind, she curiously peeks down. The sight of his cockhead disappearing and reappearing from in between her thighs is somehow addicting, and the way his length occasionally grazes her entrance and her clit is also enjoyable.

She’s still laying on her side, and she doesn’t fight it when Ajax pulls her into an embrace from behind. His calloused hands play with her nipples and freely gropes her tits, his mouth nibbling on her shoulder. 

Lumine can’t help but release small moans with each thrust. He is, in a way, using her body to please himself, but Lumine feels powerful at the fact that he’s getting off because of her body.

“I’m coming,” he warns her, voice hoarse, a bit sooner than she expected actually, and a small voice inside Lumine reminds her about dirty sheets and laundries. So she instinctively reaches down just in time when he tenses, hips rolling as spurts of hot cum land on her palm instead of the sheets.

Ajax lets out a satisfied sigh. “Phew. Didn’t think I could still come after yesterday…”

Lumine rolls her eyes and shows him her now sticky hand. “I beg to differ,” she murmurs. “That was quite fast, too…”

Ajax blushes slightly. “Can’t help it. Every part of you just feels so good.”

His statement does make her wonder about something, to which she asks shyly, “Did it feel that good?”

“Hm?”

“Inside me,” her eyelashes flutter. “Having… sex with me.”

Ajax sucks in a deep breath, and she could feel him actually shiver as he recalls the events that happened yesterday. “Listen, Lumine,” he says in all seriousness. “Your pussy is the best thing that has happened to me in my whole life.”

Blood rushes to Lumine’s cheeks as he rambles excitedly about her.

“I’ve never felt something so warm and soft and tight around my cock before. It’s pretty similar to your mouth, but tighter and it’s just—a game changer, you know? I understand the hype behind sex now. We should’ve done this earlier. Can you imagine that we’ve been missing this our whole life, Lumine?”

“You’re exaggerating,” she mutters, not wanting to admit that she kind of agrees with him. She, too, had never felt something so full inside her, but it’s not like she’d say that out loud to him.

Ajax stares at her for a second, before frowning, concern etched on his face. “Wait… did I not make you feel good?”

Lumine blinks. “Eh?”

“Did it hurt? Was I not good enough?” He asks urgently as he positions himself above her. “Mom would probably have my head if she found out—she said I should be prioritizing a girl’s needs above anything else, and I…” when she begins to laugh, he pouts. “What? Why are you laughing?”

“Nothing. It’s just—you’re such a momma’s boy.” She giggles, warmth flooding her chest. How can he make her feel a rollercoaster of emotions in such a short time? Not to mention that it’s still so early in the morning.

“Don’t call me that! I’m being serious right now!”

“Ajax,” Lumine softens her tone. “I felt good. I enjoyed it very much. It didn’t hurt as much as I expected it to, so don’t worry.”

Worries slowly melt off Ajax’s face. “Really? I did good?”

“You did great. Thank you for worrying about me.” She smiles.

Smiling back in return, Ajax lowers his face to hers to press his lips over hers, but then, she dodges in panic, “Wait! Morning breath…”

“Who cares?” The ginger complains, pouting again. “Lemme have my morning kiss…”

Ugh. She’s starting to believe that he knows that his pout can be weaponized. “Fine,” she relents. “But no tongue.”

Licking his lips, Ajax replies with an okay before swooping in and capturing her mouth. He leaves several pecks on her lips, humming as she gently bites on his lower lip before pulling away.

“I just realized,” she whispers, looking up at him. “That we kiss a lot.”

“Uh-huh. And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Ajax murmurs. “There’s no such thing as too many kisses.”

He’s right. In a sense. But sometimes Lumine feels like kissing is too intimate for a pair of soulmates who are just trying out things with each other out of convenience. Maybe she’s being too sensitive, but at the same time, kissing Ajax feels so right that she refuses to overthink it.

So, she merely huffs out a laugh. “Greedy.”

“What? I love kissing. It feels nice.” As if to prove his point, he kisses her chastely on the lips, and there’s that stubborn flutter again inside her heart.

Seriously, what’s with her?

Pushing down that not-too-foreign feeling, Lumine grumbles and shoves him lightly, “Yes, yes. Now let’s get up and shower.”

Hearing that, Ajax’s eyes twinkle. “Is that an invitation to have a shower together?”

Lumine squeaks when the jock lifts her up in his arms. “Hey! I never said that—Ajax!!!”

Ajax seems to be in a constant good mood that day.

“Good morning, big brother!” He cheerfully greets a disgruntled-looking Aether, who’s now glaring at him in disdain. “What’s for breakfast today?”

Aether turns his head away. “Hmph. Go look at the fridge yourself.”

“Eh, so cold as always.”

Behind them, Lumine groans while snatching a box of milk from inside the fridge. “Can I have a peaceful morning, please? You’ve scolded us enough last night, Aeth.”

At that, Aether fumes. “Enough, you said? May I remind you that you were the one who said there wouldn’t be anything sexual between the two of you when he first came here?”

Did she really say that? Lumine wants to bury herself in the ground. That really ages well like a fine wine.

“Regardless,” she pours the milk into two glasses. One for Ajax and one for herself. “You don’t need to be so on edge around Ajax. And this is coming from me who didn’t even want to be his friend.”

Ajax brightens up. “So you admit that we’re friends now?”

Lumine ignores him and continues—because does he really expect her to answer that after having his cock inside her yesterday? “Unfortunately, Ajax isn’t that bad of a person. He’s kind of bearable once you get to know him.”

Aether, too, ignores Ajax’s heated response of what do you mean unfortunately?! in the background. “Lumi, no sane guy would ask you to have sex for the first time in the living room!”

Ajax casually chimes in, “Actually, Lumine was the one who asked me—“

Lumine shoves a toast into his mouth, effectively shutting him up. “It was our first time. And it was very consensual.”

Aether squints at Ajax in distrust. “He was also a virgin? Huh, I find it hard to believe.”

Lumine shrugs. “To be honest… me too.”

“Is this Bullying Ajax Day?” Ajax comments under his breath, unimpressed.

“But believe me, Aeth, he used to have zero clues about kissing, and he was really, really bad at it—“

Ajax whines. “Whose side are you on, Lumine?!”

Aether lets out a contemplative hum. “Now that I look at him closely, he sorta looks like a loser. I think some people are deceived by his slightly more-than-average face...” Aether trails off, suddenly getting distracted by something on Ajax’s neck. He then darts his eyes toward Lumine’s neck, then blanches.

Oblivious, Lumine snaps her fingers. “You get me! Girls go crazy about him, but in truth, he’s a momma’s boy—!”

Pissed at being bullied, Ajax chugs down his milk and interrupts them loudly, “That’s enough. Let’s go already.”

Lumine gasps as the ginger drags her by her wrist.

“Wait!” Aether snaps himself out of his shocked state and exclaims, “Y’all seriously gotta do something with your ne—“

Before he could finish his sentence, the pair has already closed the front door.

“So, we’re gonna use the pills for the first time, huh?”

Lumine nods as they head toward their class. “Yes. Our schedule for today’s P.E. is running, so we can’t possibly get attached to the hip on the field.”

At this point, Ajax and Lumine becoming partners in every school subject is inevitable. The teachers, of course, have heard of their special circumstances, then naturally take that into consideration whenever there’s a group activity during class. P.E. class is no exception. But still, some physical and sports activities can be very limited due to their condition. It’s better to consume these pills to move freely.

“If you say so.” Ajax shrugs. They didn’t have to worry about such a thing during their last P.E. since it was an introductory class with zero physical activities, so maybe this is, indeed, the right time to test the pills. “We still gotta be around each other in case the pills wear off, though. Just to be safe.”

“You’re right. And I think we shouldn’t tell anyone about the pills.”

Ajax quirks a brow. “Why not?”

“I don’t know, it feels like we’re giving them too much information.” Lumine grimaces. “Also, if they need us to do something, they’re probably going to use the pills as an argument. We’re not supposed to use those pills for trivial matters, are we?”

“Your second reasoning feels oddly specific,” Ajax comments. “I bet that it’s more about how the whole school likes to take advantage of you and your Honor Student title, and you’re just trying to prevent them from weaponizing the pills against you.”

Lumine pouts. “You’re not wrong, but don’t forget that students aren’t the only ones who might push us to consume those!”

Ajax blinks. “Oh, right—the teachers! How could I forget about them?” He then grins at her. “As expected of Miss Honor Student. Always able to plan everything perfectly.”

Lumine rolls her eyes. “Oh, shut up. In any case—if someone asks us how we manage to separate in certain situations, just lie about anything. I’m sure that people will buy them. The concept of soulmate itself is already hard to understand, after all.”

As soon as they arrive at the class, Lumine wastes no time taking out the pills and gives one to Ajax. “Here. Swallow it once the bell rings.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re going to change our clothes separately?” Lumine answers, though it comes out as a question.

“Why don’t we just change together?” Ajax asks casually, and Lumine swears that someone instantly chokes on their drink in the background not long after he said that.

“We can’t just—“ Lumine raises her tone in slight embarrassment, then clears her throat. “Ajax, this is the school, not your bedroom. You should understand that without me having to explain it to you!”

Ajax snorts. “Last time, you said the same thing until I had my fingers in your—“

Fortunately, the bell rings, effectively cutting him off before Lumine can scream and smash her palm over his mouth.

“Ugh—just please cooperate with me this time, won’t you?”

“Fiiiine,” Ajax drawls. 

With that, both swallow the pills effortlessly and wait for the outcome—maybe a bit nervously, in Lumine’s case.

“I don’t feel anything,” Lumine then utters.

“Me neither,” Ajax says.

“Lumine!” Yoimiya suddenly calls out. “We’re off to change our clothes! Are you coming?”

“But being separated from Ajax is impossible for Lumine, no?” Ayaka reminds Yoimiya, who in turn sighs.

“Oh, crap. I totally forgot about that—“

“I’ll come with you guys,” Lumine interrupts her with a nervous smile, her P.E. clothes already in her hands, earning surprised expressions from her friends.

“Really?” Yoimiya blinks. “But how?”

Lumine clears her throat and carefully steps away from Ajax. The ginger merely gives her an amused smile albeit there’s also a hint of wariness in his eyes. Gulping, Lumine then walks further with bated breath, and once she reaches the fifteenth step—

—there’s no pain.

She looks back at Ajax in excitement, who also sends her an equally bewildered look.

“So, um—We’ve been practicing!” Lumine explains vaguely to Yoimiya. “Miss Yae and Dr. Baizhu have been helping us with this! But we can’t do this, like, all the time, haha! It depends on a lot of, well, factors. So, yeah!”

As expected, Yoimiya doesn’t seem to think about it too deeply. “Ah, congratulations! Now that’s what we call progress!”

Ayaka chuckles. “Just do whatever makes yourself comfortable, Lumi. We’ll be here in case something happens when you and Ajax are apart.”

Lumine lets out a relieved breath and steals one last glance at Ajax. “Thanks, guys.”

Along the way to the changing room, Lumine has a feeling that she’s been discreetly watched by other girls in her class for unclear reasons.

If there’s something different about her, Yoimiya and Ayaka would probably be the first ones to notice it, but they have yet to say a thing. If Ajax was beside her, he’d usually just be blunt and tell her anything, but for the first time in a while, Lumine has to rely on anyone but him.

Has she grown too dependent on him while they’re together? Shit, maybe she’s been too careless.

Regardless, Lumine views this moment, however temporary, as a practice to get back to normalcy. She doesn’t have to do much—just be herself and interact with others like usual. Surely she hasn’t forgotten to do that just because she’s been glued to Ajax?

“Lumine, I’ve been wondering,” Yoimiya starts hesitantly. Most girls are already inside the changing room, grouped with their own peers. Lumine is in the middle of taking off her shirt when Yoimiya asks, “Are you… alright?”

Lumine blinks. “Me? I am okay. Why do you ask?”

“Well…” Yoimiya laughs nervously and points at her own neck, hoping Lumine would take the hint, but the blonde merely tilts her head to the side in confusion.

Ayaka clears her throat and then hands her a small mirror. “Lumine, I’m not sure if you noticed, but others have been whispering about you,” Ayaka whispers as Lumine takes the mirror. 

Thank you, Ayaka, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary, Lumine wants to reply. Recently, she’s heard more people whispering about her once they caught wind of her bond with Ajax. Although they’re a bit annoying, they’re all pretty harmless. Lumine doesn’t see the need to be concerned about them…

Until she sees her own reflections in the mirror.

She’s covered in hickeys. 

Her neck. Her collarbones. The area around her breasts. If she looks down, she’s certain that Ajax has also left some marks on her inner thighs!

Redness starts to creep its way to her face—a mixture between embarrassment and anger.

Ajax Alekseevich, you dumb horn dog—!

“Um,” she then clears her throat and awkwardly asks in a rather loud voice, “Does anyone happen to bring any concealers…?”

Hearing that, Yoimiya and Ayaka exchange a look and shake their heads.

“I do,” a voice suddenly answers her. A girl in her class named Bao’er approaches her and casually hands her a tube of concealer.

Lumine lets out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank you so much.”

Bao’er nods. “You can give it back later,” is all she says before walking back to her spot. Lumine, too, offers no words to the girl. Not because she doesn’t want to, but because of the cynical aura that Bao’er always radiates to the people around her.

She stares at the tube for a second, then looks up when Yoimiya offers gently, “I can help.”

Lumine smiles gratefully. “Thanks, Miya.”

“No problem,” Yoimiya says in a cheerful tone while carefully smearing the liquid on Lumine’s neck. She grimaces when she looks at one particular bruise. “Wow, that looks bad. Does that hurt?”

“Err, a bit sore, but it’s nothing bad.”

Yoimiya hums. “How did you even get those bruises, anyway?”

Ayaka coughs and mutters shyly. “I don’t think that they’re ordinary bruises, Yoimiya…”

Yoimiya halts, one hand in the air, as it clicks to her. “Holy shit.” She gasps. “You fucked someone last night. Perhaps Ajax. No shit—it’s definitely Ajax. Or maybe not, since both of you can separate now—but assuming that you can’t separate for too long, I bet my kidneys that it’s Ajax!”

Lumine clears her throat and hisses, “Miya! Enough with that!”

“But Lumi!” Yoimiya says. “I’m just so happy for you! Last year, every single guy who confessed to you got rejected since you wanted to focus on your studies, and I can’t lie that I used to get worried for you, and now look at you! Finally getting some dick—“

“Yoimiya!” Lumine interrupts, flustered. She’s honestly never heard Yoimiya being this vulgar. Or… maybe because she’s never really discussed this kind of thing with the girl.

“How was it?” Yoimiya gushes with starry eyes. “Girl, I need the details!”

Details? Lumine repeats inwardly, as images of last night’s events rush back into her mind. Memories of Lumine talking with Ajax under the blanket, laughing over Aether’s impromptu speech at dinner. Memories of Ajax drawing circles on her skin, voice dropping into a whisper. Memories of Ajax somehow caging her from above, suddenly taking her breath away by kissing her. His warm wandering hands, tugging her underwear down. That delicious feeling of fullness once he entered her for the second time. Him being gentler with his thrusts, the bed creaking softly under them—

Ayaka coughs again, face as red as a boiled crab. “Um, I don’t think we should push Lumine to—“

“It was amazing,” Lumine murmurs, avoiding eye contact while wearing her PE shirt at lightning speed. Ignoring Yoimiya’s muffled squeals, she changes the topic, “Anyway, let’s hurry. The others are probably on the field already.”

As soon as they finish changing into their PE uniform, they dash out of the changing room, failing to realize Bao’er’s lingering stare at Lumine the whole time.

An irritated voice.

“Why are you doing this?”

A jovial, innocent reply.

“Doing what?”

“Clinging to me!” Lumine glares at the ginger who has his arms around her waist, a wide smile adorning his face, his chin propped against her shoulder. “What’s the point of consuming the pills if we—end up like this!”

“But we’re already finished with our run!” Ajax points out. “Isn’t that the point of consuming the pills? So that we can run easier?”

He’s not wrong. They already took their turns and they’re now waiting for the rest of their classmates on the sidelines. They’re allowed to sit and drink and, well, basically do anything they want. Ajax takes this as an opportunity to snuggle his soulmate who looks anything but pleased.

“You’re sweaty.” Lumine makes a face, already giving up to push him away.

“I don’t care. I miss you,” Ajax says sincerely, unaware of the effects of his words on Lumine’s heart. “It’s weird to not have you by my side.”

“You don’t miss me. You’re just used to me being beside you,” Lumine states.

“Hmm, nah. Those reasons can coexist.”

“Ajax…” Lumine sighs. “People are staring.”

“So let them.”

This man. He’s so accustomed to being the center of attention that he can easily brush off this kind of thing. To be precise, he doesn’t exactly brush it off—he just… revels in it.

Is that a good thing? Lumine honestly doesn’t know.

They wordlessly watch their classmates, too comfortable with their positions to move or even talk, until Lumine feels Ajax withdrawing slightly. “Huh. They’re gone.”

She glances at him. “What’s wrong?”

Ajax tears his eyes away from her neck and pouts. “Nothing.”

The universe doesn’t give Lumine a chance to pry further, because it’s also the very moment when their teacher decides to call everyone to regroup once more.

Turns out, that very same day is also when the captains of the basketball club and the cheerleading club are announced.

There, on the school’s main notice board, is where Lumine and Ajax’s photos are plastered. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW CAPTAINS! It says, embellished with cute basketball and cheerleading illustrations around it. Truth be told, Dehya—the cheerleading club’s coach, who for some reason hates being addressed with formal honorifics—did tell her that the result will be announced at the end of the week, but not like this.

“Did you hear anything about this from your coach?” Lumine deadpans to Ajax, who in turn shrugs.

“Nope, but this kind of announcement is way more fun than last year, don’t you think?”

“Huh,” Lumine replies noncommittally. She has a hunch that this is all Mr. Varka’s idea—that old man’s sense of humor might not be too dissimilar from Cyno’s, that one guy from the volleyball club who has a habit of being shirtless during practice—but of course, no burglars would admit their crimes.

They soon find out that there’s no practice for today, but instead, a small celebration for the chosen captains. Coaches let them—send them off—to the nearest karaoke place, and this is when Lumine realizes in horror that she has no choice but to go.

“I hate this,” she mutters under her breath as she sees girls from the cheerleading club getting way too comfortable with some basketball members. It’s a scene that she’s seen all too often, since this isn’t both clubs’ first time going out together.

Beside her, Ajax sips on his juice. “They’re at it again.”

She knows what he’s talking about. Some cheerleaders are crowding Diluc, Kaeya, Itto, Dainsleif, and Thoma—the typical chick magnets of the team. Lumine raises her brows at Ajax, “It’s odd to not see you there. Girls would’ve been practically sitting on your lap at this time.”

Ajax makes a face. “Oh, please. They’re only brave enough to do that when others are around. Some turned into a stuttering mess when they were alone with me.”

Hearing that, Lumine’s chest tightens. “Alone? Really? So you did get some, after all? I thought you said that girls were too intimidated by you.”

“We didn’t do anything. I mean moments where we had to be alone with someone by chance. Because it was raining and everyone already went home, or when we arrived too early—you get what I mean?” Ajax clarifies. “The rumors about me being involved with drug dealers drive most of them away, but there are girls who just don’t give a fuck about it, okay? And it’s not like I never went to mixers—some guys from other clubs forced me to.” Ajax shivers at the memory. “They said cute girls only come if I come.”

Lumine pretends to be interested in this topic, because what the hell—she’s always known he’s popular, but it kind of hurts to hear it directly from him. About how girls flock to him naturally, and about how his chances of getting laid with random girls aren’t exactly zero.

“Amazing how you stayed a virgin even with those girls around you,” Lumine states dryly.

Ajax doesn’t retort quickly, but then admits, “I’ve been asked to.” He clears his throat. “To hook up with some of them, I mean.”

Lumine’s eyes widen.

“None of them were my type, though.” Ajax shrugs. “Not that it would stop most guys from doing it. I guess… I was also interested at that time. I once said yes to this girl, and…”

Lumine swallows, bitterness spreading on her tongue. “Have you been lying to me, then? Did you only say that you’re also a virgin to make me feel better—“

Ajax straightens his back, “No, no! I’m not finished yet. When I said yes, she started to throw out some terms I wasn’t familiar with. She assumed that I already knew the best love hotel in the area, or even condom brands we could use, and—well,” he sighs, “that’s when I realized how inexperienced I was, and how embarrassing it would be to have sex with girls like them. So I made some excuses and turned her down.”

Suddenly, the knots in Lumine’s chest loosen. “Girls like them? You mean, experienced girls…?”

“No, not really. I actually don’t mind having my first time with an experienced person, but girls like them would spread the news of me being pathetic like wildfire.” Ajax grimaces, and that’s when Lumine fully understands. Girls who live in a completely different world than her own. Constant hookups, parties, having boyfriends out of convenience…

Ajax then continues. “I guess… I’d rather be with someone whom I can be vulnerable with.”

Her heart skips a beat. Does that mean he’s comfortable enough to do such a thing with her?

“You… you could’ve just picked a virgin,” Lumine suggests again. “You will feel less pressured.”

Ajax snorts. “How would I know if someone’s a virgin or not?”

Lumine twirls her hair. “Well… You could’ve just asked?”

Ajax sends her a look. “I don’t know how you view me, Miss Honor Student, but I’m only interested in sex if the opportunity comes to me—I don’t actively pursue it. Besides, I’ve got tournaments to worry about.”

Lumine hums before bringing her own juice to her mouth. “Do you view me as an opportunity, though? Just to know how sex feels like.”

Ajax glances at her with a cryptic expression on his face, “Do you?”

She pouts. It’s unfair to throw that question back at her, since she was the one who proposed this unwritten arrangement between them. It’s also unfair how she’s unable to answer him.

“I went on a date once.”

Ajax blinks at the sudden confession. “What?”

“I usually rejected most confessions I got last year to focus on my grades, but one day, I realized that I got a little lonely. Maybe.” Lumine lightly shakes her glass, absently swirling the juice. “I never told my friends about this, because the date was so awkward and painful to remember.”

“Who’s the guy, anyway?” Ajax asks, face a bit more tense than usual.

“No one important.” Lumine waves him off. “Anyway, he told me that I’m pretty much unlike the Lumine he had imagined in his head. He was disappointed, I could tell.”

Ajax frowns. “What the hell? He only wants to see his own version of you, not the real you.”

Lumine laughs. “Maybe. And that’s how I became less and less interested in romance. My studies and scores never fail me, anyway.”

The ginger sips on his juice once more, before blurting out. “It sounds nice, though.”

“What is?”

“A date,” Ajax says. “No one has ever asked me to one.”

“No way.”

“Yes way. I’ve only been asked for hookups, and not real dates.”

“Poor you. So girls only want your dick.”

“To be fair, seeing how my dick could make you scream the last time we—“

She slaps him on the arm with a burning face as Ajax’s shoulders shake with laughter. “You’re so shameless, you know that?” She hisses.

“Haha. Anyway,” Ajax’s laughter goes down. “A date sounds nice.”

Lumine rolls her eyes. “I heard you loud and clear. Where are you going with this?”

“Depends on where you wanna go.”

“Why are you asking me?” Lumine asks back, before realizing what he means the moment she notices his pinkening cheeks. “Wait. Did you just—“

“Hey, lovebirds!” Kaeya suddenly interrupts them, voice echoing thanks to the mic in his hand. Lumine and Ajax instantly flinch, ears and cheeks still pink, which doesn’t go unnoticed by him. “Oh? Did I interrupt something?”

“No! Um, what do you need, Kaeya?” Lumine laughs nervously.

“It’s our turn to sing,” Thoma explains with Ayaka by his side. Diluc and Dainsleif do not seem remotely interested in even touching the mic. Itto, on the other hand, is already scrolling through the songs on the screen, with Yoimiya blabbering eagerly beside him.

“Oh. I’ll pass,” Lumine eventually says, for she is not that confident with her singing skills.

“That’s unacceptable. Let’s duet!” Ajax coaxes her.

“I can’t sing—“

“You sing just fine in the bathroom.”

She stammers. “T-that’s different!”

“Just once, Lumine, please?” Ajax gives her a set of puppy eyes, lower lip jutting out slightly, and oh, she hates how effective it is to change her mind.

“Alright,” she relents, turning her head away, not wanting to see the triumphant grin on Ajax’s face. “Just once, okay?”

Later, as they sing rather off-key to a song they both know well, which is followed by their own laughter, Lumine thinks that this… might not be as bad as she initially thought.

If Lumine has to rate everything that happened last week, she’d give it an eight out of ten.

She was officially chosen as the captain, got to test the magic pills, eventually experienced her first time, and had a nice weekend with the Alekseevichs. (Teucer, Tonia, and Anthon wanted to have a barbeque night. And yes, Aether was invited. Lumine couldn’t be happier that night.)

Overall, everything is going well.

…At least that’s what she thinks until she sees her own ripped photo on the notice board, replaced with a close-up photo of her uncovered hickeys, most likely taken on Friday morning. Hastily written nasty words like whore and slut are also present, which doesn’t fail to make her stomach churn.

Her locker is in a rather pitiful state, too. Someone clearly broke it and shoved some trash into it.

And don’t make her mention her desk, which is now covered with condescending doodles and insults and of course, a bunch of trash inside the drawer.

Ajax is downright pissed and has been glaring at every single person in his sight to the point that everyone is mildly scared of him.

“Ajax, calm down,” Lumine consoles as they throw out the trash together.

“Calm down? Someone out there did this to you, Lumine!” He exclaims angrily. “We tried to ask the school staff about the CCTV recordings and it turns out there was an outage yesterday! How are we able to find out who the culprit is?”

“Or we could just ignore this?” Lumine suggests. “Adding more fuel to the fire is just gonna—“

“And let them trample you and ridicule you? As if,” Ajax refuses stubbornly.

“They probably did this because they saw an opening during the outage,” Lumine tries to reason. “I doubt that they’d do the same thing again and risk their identity being exposed.”

“What if they found a new trick, and—“

“Ajax,” Lumine gently cradles his face, to which Ajax melts into her touch. “It’s okay. If you’re that worried, then remember that we’re still stuck to each other. You’ll be here if someone tries anything funny on me.”

Ajax exhales and pulls her into an embrace. “Sorry. I just hate cases like this,” he murmurs. “What gives the right for some people to think that they’re superior to others? What a bunch of weirdos.”

Lumine sighs, hands comfortingly rubbing his back. Perhaps, she has an idea why he reacts so strongly to this. He was a victim of bullies once, too, which prompted him to fight back and fell in love with fighting people literally. Both of them knew where it had led him.

“I can also fight back, you know,” Lumine then says.

Ajax grins, looking far more relaxed than before. “Is that so? Then I hope we can find the culprit soon. I’d love to see you in a fight.”

Lumine smiles and shakes her head. “Glad to know you’ve sorted out one of your kinks.”

Ajax splutters. “Hey, I never exactly said that!”

Somewhere, a girl in a black hoodie is trembling. Her fingers are as cold as ice as she scrolls through the group chat, heart thumping anxiously with each second.

Did you do all of it?

Yes, she types back.

Good. You did well. A pause between messages. Let’s keep this up and see if we can threaten that fake bitch enough to keep her away from Ajax.

The girl in a black hoodie sighs, and shakingly—obediently—types back with a heavy heart.

Yes.

Chapter Text

“Isn’t it weird?”

“What is?”

“That everything has been uneventful ever since that happened,” Ajax wonders while resting his arms behind his head, clearly referring to the bullying case days ago. They’re currently inside the locker room with no one else besides the two of them. The coach had asked Lumine to try on the new cheerleading uniforms, and Ajax had volunteered to take pics of her. The best outfit will be chosen by the club members later. “Don’t get me wrong—I’m happy that they decided to stop, but it feels fishy, you know? Especially when we haven’t done anything.”

Lumine hums contemplatively as she unfolds the first cheerleading uniform. It’s a two-piece uniform—a red crop top that shows off her back and short pants. “I thought so, too. But I’m already used to that.”

Ajax straightens his back and asks urgently, “So someone has done something like that to you before?!”

“It’s not that bad.” Lumine waves him off. At least, the furthest someone had done to her was mocking her outfit and her being a nerd, added with the classic, condescending head-to-toe glance. This is Lumine’s first time being targeted publicly, and truth be told, it’s supposed to make her scared, but Ajax’s presence beside her somehow calms her down.

So she told him stories about her middle-school bullies.

“The cool kids made fun of my knee-length skirt.” Lumine shrugs. “And they hated my braid, even though I liked to wear the same hairstyle as Aether. They said that I looked like a loser.”

“You’d look cute with a braid,” Ajax comments without a beat, making both of them blush seconds later. Lumine coughs out a thanks, and Ajax quickly adds, “So, uh, is that why you decided to cut your hair?”

“Not really,” Lumine admits. “Taking care of my long hair took too much time and trouble.”

Ajax hums. “And how about your current skirt?” He smirks, casting a lascivious look on her legs. “I see that it falls to your mid-thigh. I’ve seen girls with shorter skirts, but I’ve definitely seen some with knee-length skirts, too.”

Lumine makes a disgusted face. “You observe girls’ skirts? Pervert, get away from me.”

“But I only did that to compare them with your skirt,” Ajax argues.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Lumine mutters, a bit flustered. What is he even trying to imply? “How I wear my skirt is none of your business.”

“Can I at least know if you’re wearing panties right now?”

She immediately bristles. “AJAX. It was a one-time thing!”

Ignoring his satisfied laugh—he always does that whenever she gets mad at his teasing, that damn ginger!—Lumine then crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Now, why don’t you kindly turn around as I change into the first uniform?”

Ajax pouts. “Where’s the fun in that? I’ve seen you naked before.”

“That—That doesn’t mean you can see me naked as much as you want!”

“Why not?”

Lumine sighs. “Turn around or I’m going to punch you.”

Ajax lets out a faux, disappointed ‘boo’, then turns around in his seat, his back now facing her. Lumine eyes him in suspicion before slowly unbuttoning her shirt, untying her tie, and unzipping her skirt. After looking at the crop top once more, she thinks that her bra straps might ruin how it looks, and the bad news is that she doesn’t have her strapless, adhesive bra with her now, so …

Should she go braless this time?

Lumine sighs. Off with the bra, then.

She suddenly feels two eyes on her bare breasts and immediately throws her bra to Ajax’s face, who in turn yelps.

“I just knew that you’d look,” she mutters crossly. “I thought that you’re the type to not break promises.”

Ajax takes the bra off his face and tries to wear it himself—most likely out of curiosity. “Hey now, I never promised that I won’t look,” he points out, then gives up halfway from wearing her bra. “Aw, damn. This doesn’t fit me.” He then winks. “A cute bra, by the way.”

“Shut up,” Lumine warns, now completely clad in the first uniform sample. She twirls around and poses, “What do you think?”

Ajax pinches his chin and scrutinizes. “Hmm... turn around.”

Lifting an eyebrow, she obliges him without thinking much about it. She tries to look at his reaction over her shoulder, but then gasps when she’s met with his face right behind her.

“Jax! You scared me!”

Ajax, however, seems to be focusing on her body. “I think this one shows off your best parts quite well,” he nods in approval. “You have a toned back, and the pants wrap your butt nicely.” As if to prove his point, he squeezes her ass, making her squeal. “And as for your tits… they look great, too, but,” he easily slips his hands into her top from behind, directly cupping her tits as he rests his chin on her head. “Are you really gonna go braless like this?”

Lumine, not wanting to admit how nice it feels to have his hands playing with her boobs, nudges him with her elbow. “Can you stop—and, no, I wear a different kind of bra for this kind of clothes—ah! Ajax, I swear to God—!”

With a grin, Ajax withdraws his hands after hearing Lumine’s response to her nipples being pinched. He proceeds to take out his phone from his pocket as if he hadn’t just touched her. “Alright, it’s photo time. Show me your best poses, Miss Honor Student.”

After three quick snaps, Lumine moves on to the next uniform.

It’s a turquoise two-piece set with gold linings. A crop top with long sleeves and a low V-cut on the chest area, completed with a short, tube skirt.

Ajax’s response is positive, too. Especially—predictably—when it comes to her boobs.

“The small peek of cleavage is sexy,” he comments cheerfully. “Though, I’d probably have trouble concentrating on the game…”

Lumine huffs with pink cheeks. “Shut up and snap a photo of me already.”

He does it very willingly, then waits patiently as Lumine tries on the last uniform.

It’s a white and blue one-piece set with a ruffled skirt and an off-shoulder design. Simple, yet cute.

Ajax’s eyes twinkle. “Oh! That also suits you, Lumine!”

“Really?”

“Yeah. And it’s not too revealing—I noticed that you were a bit uncomfortable wearing the other two.”

His attentiveness is not supposed to make her smile, but—god damn it.

Lumine clears her throat. “I actually don’t mind wearing anything. More like—I can’t be too picky. After all, it’s all for the sake of the performance. I want to give my all.”

Ajax hums. “It’s okay to feel uncomfortable, you know? But if that’s what you say… I’ll believe you.” He shrugs. ”Though, if you ask me… I do have a personal favorite.”

Lumine quirks a brow. “And that is…?”

“The second one.” He beams. “Can you wear it again after this? I kinda want to take more pics of you in it.”

She agrees to his request, thinking that nothing will go wrong. It’s just a uniform. In return, she’ll get more photos of herself. And she feels pretty in it, too.

It’s a win-win, she thinks.

What she doesn’t expect is Ajax whipping out his cock as soon as he tells him to stand in front of him.

Blood instantly rushes to her face. “Really?! Right here, right now?!”

“But you look so hot with it,” Ajax defends himself. “It’s been a while since you touched me, either. We’ve been quite busy with practice, right?”

Lumine swallows. That is true—now that the magic pills are in their possession, they’re able to separate for a short period anytime and anywhere they want, and the duration is usually enough for them to attend practice. Of course, it always ended up with Ajax being extra clingy with her after practice ended. It was to make up for the lost time, he said.

“But… we’re in the locker room,” she weakly argues, but still ends up kneeling before him.

“Then lower your voice. We’ve done this before in the classroom, right?”

That’s not the point, but she gives in to her desire and takes his cock into her hand anyway. The feeling is familiar, but today, the difference is that he’s still soft. Lumine licks her lips in excitement, because—

“Oh! This is going to be my first time witnessing a flaccid penis growing into an erection!”

Ajax groans in agony. “What did I tell you about using scientific terms during sexy times?”

“Uh…” Lumine tries to rephrase her words. “This is going to be my first time watching your cock grow bigger?”

Ajax stares at her incredulously, before shaking his head. “Let’s see if you can,” he challenges her.

She takes the bait, but at her own pace.

Curiously, she delivers short pumps to his length, then takes him into her mouth. Sucking him off in this state is easier than when he’s fully hard and big, and the sensation of his cock twitching and growing inside her mouth is amazing. She takes pride in making him hard so soon; in making him fill up her mouth until she has to relax her jaws. When she withdraws with a pop, he’s already rock hard and heavy, head flushed with that pretty shade of pink.

“Mm, wow…” she breathes out in awe while licking the underside of his cock, causing him to shiver. “That was quite—“ she kisses his tip, “—an experience.”

“Yeah?” He smiles, caressing her head. He loves it when she experiments on him; whenever she tries to satisfy her curiosity in a cute, yet sexy way. “You like that?”

“Mmm…” she nods. “It was fascinating.”

He chuckles. “I wanna try something, too. Will you let me?”

Apparently, the thing he’s always wanted to try is to slide his cock between her breasts. His dick is now trapped in between the fabric of her top and her chest, its head peeking from her cleavage. She starts to squeeze him with her tits, body slowly moving up and down, and he just sits there on the bench—clearly enjoying the feeling of his cock between her soft mounds.

“Holy shit…” he moans, spreading his legs wider. “Your tits feel amazing, Lumi…”

Having him in between her breasts also makes her feel hot, for some reason, and it prompts her to please him eagerly. She knows that she’s dirtying the uniform, but at the moment, she doesn’t care—God, she suddenly wants him inside her while wearing this.

She suddenly wants him to take pictures of them having sex.

Thus, she abruptly stops in her ministrations and bluntly proposes the idea before he could protest.

“You want me to take pictures of us while we…?” Ajax blinks, a grin creeping to his face. “Ohoho, Miss Honor Student, you do have the best ideas! But I can make it better.” Ajax taps the screen of his phone, then shows it to her. “Let’s record it.”

“W-what?”

Ajax laughs and directs the camera at her. “Say hi.”

Lumine scowls and instinctively covers her face. “Shut up. This isn’t what I meant.”

“Video is hotter, though. You can take screenshots from it.” The camera slides down to her body. “Look at you, having my cock in between your tits like that. It’s almost as if my cock belongs there…”

Lumine’s blush deepens as she pushes her boobs to squeeze him once more. “Does… does it look good?”

“Yeah,” Ajax breathes out. “Can you take out one of your tits?”

“L-like this?” She pushes down her top to reveal a pink nipple.

“Mmhm.” Ajax reaches out and twists the bud in between his fingers, to which Lumine lets out a low moan. “Good, that’s a good reaction… I can tell that you’re also anticipating something. Care to tell me what it is?”

“I—ugh, it’s a bit embarrassing.” Lumine pouts. “But I’m just.. thinking if you could f-fuck me from behind.”

Ajax approves her request with a whistle. “You’ve improved your dirty talk, how can I say no?” He then jabs his thumb at the nearest locker. “Alright, then put your hands there and show your butt to me.”

Lumine is still a bit shy, but she follows his instructions just fine; her ass and underwear—thanks to her skirt riding up a bit in this position—are now on display. Ajax cops a feel of one of her buttocks and slaps it lightly.

“Shake your ass for me.”

She does as he told her, confidence rising as Ajax murmurs a satisfied, husky ‘good girl’. He yanks her underwear down and impatiently cups her glistening heat, before slipping a digit into her. He enters her easily due to how wet she currently is.

“Already this wet for me, hm?” He chuckles, before adding another finger with a squelch. Lumine moans sweetly, walls already clenching around his fingers, and he could tell that she’s also impatient.

“What do you want?” He asks her while finger-fucking her, making her knees tremble. “Say it. Say it to me, pretty girl.”

Her response is timid, at first. “A-ah—y-your cock…!”

“My cock?” He urges her.

Lumine nods. “Your cock inside me, please…”

“Good,” he says, one hand still recording the whole scene. He licks his fingers as soon as he pulls them out of her. Then, he fishes out a condom from his shirt pocket and hands it to her. She doesn’t question him for once—in other circumstances, she’d probably scold him for bringing such an inappropriate thing to school, but she’s already horny, damn it, and she blames it all on him. She proceeds to unroll the condom around him with ease, then guides him to her entrance from behind.

Ajax takes his time to please himself before entering her, however. He films himself stroking his dick and grinding his length against her ass until he hears Lumine whine.

“Patience, beautiful,” he tells her as he rubs his head against her wet cunt. “I’m going in,” he declares later, zooming his camera at the sight of his cock slipping past her folds. He shudders at the sensation of her pussy gripping him tightly, rolling his hips slightly to adjust his length inside her.

“Oh, fuck,” he groans, loving how his thick girth seemingly tears her pussy apart through the phone camera. He almost forgets how warm and tight she is, and he’s starting to lose focus on the camera as he begins to fuck her. Her ass jiggles with each thrust, provoking him to slap them once or thrice. Her mewls aren’t exactly helping—he’s sure that the video is all blurry now.

At one point, he slips out of her and sets his phone on the bench to capture them from a better angle.

“Ajax…” Lumine is starting to whine again, but then gasps as Ajax penetrates her again. He lifts up her tight top from behind, freeing both of her boobs from the confinement, and gropes them with his palms as he pounds into her.

“God, you always feel amazing,” he pants heatedly in her ear, to which she moans. “I can never get enough of you—!”

“Jax—c-close, I’m really close, please—!” She sobs, and that’s Ajax cue to hook one of her legs to his arm. He fucks her sideways after that, glancing at the camera with a handsome smirk.

“Ah, this gotta look good in the video,” he says breathlessly. “You wish you could see your pussy being pounded by my cock, don’t you?”

He slips a hand down to her clit, and presses a thumb over that bundle of nerves, almost making her scream.

“Sssh,” he reminds her. “Come for me in silence, yeah?”

“Yes, yes, I’m gonna—“

He delivers one final thrust for both of them as they climax together, with Lumine tensing and opening her mouth in a silent scream. Ajax, on the other hand, bites his lip and spills inside the condom, dick softening when he slips out of her later.

He swiftly catches the blonde before she could collapse, which ends up with her burying her face in his chest instead.

“You will be the one who washes this and explains this to the coach.” She glares at him half-heartedly, gesturing to her uniform.

“Yeah, yeah.” He happily gives her a wet, loud kiss on the lips. “It’s worth it.”

Lumine rolls her eyes and begins to strip for the umpteenth time that day to change back into her school uniform. Since the sky is probably getting darker outside, she has no time to be embarrassed this time at her own nudity in front of him.

“This is unfair. Why am I the only one naked here?” she mutters, glancing at Ajax who’s just finished cleaning and tucking himself inside his pants. “Where’s my bra? And did you happen to throw my underwear?”

“Oh… oops.” Ajax grimaces. “Sorry. I think I put them around here—“

And of course that has to be the exact moment when the door is opened.

The culprit is a girl. A short-haired girl, clad in a jacket that Lumine recognizes as the cheerleading club’s jacket. It’s Agatha, the shy and quiet third-year on the team. And she is now staring at Lumine’s naked glory and Ajax’s disheveled hair and messy shirt …

Fuck.

“That was the second time someone walked in on us,” Lumine fumes as she opens the door to her place with Ajax trailing tiredly behind her. “No, the third time. First, it was your brother, and then it was my brother, and now, it was my own clubmate! I knew nothing good would come from going along with your idea!”

“Well…” Ajax drawls, thinking of a safe reply. “At least you got to cum?”

He winces when he is met with her furious glare. “And of course you never take things seriously! I’m glad that you didn’t have your dick inside me when she caught us—else she probably wouldn’t believe my story about Dehya ordering me to try out the uniforms, but if she’s bright enough to realize the fact that I don’t have to go nude just to change clothes, then she’s going to - “

Ajax interjects her with a loud sigh and plops down on her couch. “You’re taking things too seriously, Lumine. Cheerleaders sleeping with basketball members are common. Agatha would find out about us sooner or later, anyway.”

“That doesn’t reassure me at all.”

Ajax merely shrugs and unlocks his phone. “What benefit would she have from telling everyone about us? At this point, everyone already knows that we fuck. Besides,” the ginger waves his phone in her face. “If that didn’t happen, this video would never exist.”

Lumine squints at the screen and blushes as soon as she hears her own moans and pants. She really wants to bury a hole and crawl into it—does she always sound like that? And those loud and wet slaps of skin—the locker room isn’t soundproof, so why does she have a hunch that anyone could have overheard them?

She only hopes that no one before Agatha had gone to that room.

When she begins to ironically enjoy seeing the view of Ajax’s cock sliding in and out of her cunt, Ajax retracts his phone and wiggles his eyebrows. “Oh? What’s this? You’re turned on again, aren’t you?”

A little bit, but she can’t afford to have sex with him again in one day. She still has practice tomorrow and she doesn’t want to feel sore all day.

“As if,” Lumine opts to say. “Anyway, I’m not done talking about that! We should refrain from touching each other in public places from now on. It’s too risky.”

Ajax gives her a puppy face. “Even though you enjoy it?”

“…”

“Even though you like the thrill of being caught?”

“…Ajax.”

“Even though you like the idea of someone secretly peeping on us—“

“I never said that!” Lumine screeches. “And I won’t change my mind.”

Ajax doesn’t buy her words, which irritates her to no end. “Are you sure?” He asks smugly. He knows that she’s weak to his advances.

But she refuses to always give him the upper hand. So Lumine huffs and says, “Yes. Unless you can prove to me that you can touch me for ten times straight without getting caught—“ she pauses the moment she realizes what she’s saying. The gleam in Ajax’s eyes is unmistakable: he’s up for this challenge. He loves challenges, doesn’t he?

“So you wanna wager on that? Sure.” He grins. “But where’s the fun in that if you don’t participate?”

“Me?” Lumine blinks.

“Yeah. Why? You’re afraid that you’re gonna get caught?”

He’s provoking her and she’s aware of that, but her silly little pride is at stake here.

“Fine.” She glares at him. “If I win, you’re going to give me that video and delete it from your phone.”

“What?” Ajax’s eyes widen. “That’s—but I like that video!”

Lumine juts out her tongue. “Take it as a punishment for seducing me in the locker room.”

“You consented to it!” Ajax complains. “But if you wanna play this game—okay. If I win,” he pauses for a dramatic effect. “You’re going to use a pic of us fucking as your phone wallpaper.”

At that, Lumine gasps. “Are you crazy?! I still have to open my phone in public, you dumb—“

“No buts.” Ajax flashes a cruel smile. “The picture doesn’t have to be a screenshot from that video. We can take a new one whenever you want.” He winks.

Lumine scowls at him, obviously displeased by his terms. But at the same time, that strengthens her reason to win and put him in his place.

Oh, she’ll show him.

None of them makes a move until the next day of practice. The whole day goes smoothly; they met up with Miss Yae for their weekly endurance training, attended their classes, and consumed their magic pills before practice. Lumine herself almost forgets her wager with him, as she’s been focusing on her team’s new choreography.

When it’s time to take a break, she goes to the school’s water fountain to freshen herself and refill her bottle. And as she turns to a corner, she’s mildly startled at the sight of a tall ginger, who is now occupying the water fountain.

His face brightens the second he sees Lumine. “Oh, fancy seeing you here!” Ajax chirps jovially. Lumine rolls an eye and shoves him away.

“Move it and let me have my turn.”

“Rude. I was here first.”

“And I’m thirsty.”

“Duh.” This time, he’s the one who rolls his eyes. “I can help you with that, by the way.”

“Huh?” Lumine asks dumbly as Ajax fills his mouth with water straight from the fountain, and before Lumine can run away, the ginger grasps her chin and covers her mouth with his.

She lets out a muffled noise as water flows through her throat, and Ajax doesn’t stop there—he pulls her closer by the back of her head to kiss her deeper, making her gasp. She shudders when he licks into her mouth, almost morphing into a puddle even after he withdraws with a smirk, his own tongue still jutted out. She can even see a string of saliva in between them—

“That’s one point for me.” Before she knows it, he laughs at her and pats her shoulder, then walks past her. “See you, Miss Honor Student!”

She gets her revenge the day after that.

Practice has ended, and as a responsible captain, Ajax is also responsible to collect the basketballs they have used for practice and store them back in the club’s storage room.

Lumine makes sure to arrive at the storage room first before he does. Everyone’s already gone home—at least, that’s what she thinks—and the effect of their pills is about to wear off soon. She has to reunite with him sooner or later to avoid unnecessary pain, after all, so nothing is more perfect than this moment to mess with him.

After spending five minutes waiting for him, Lumine readies herself when she hears his footsteps becoming closer. She grins to herself when Ajax finally enters the room without suspicion, and then—locks the door behind them with a click.

Ajax jumps slightly and accidentally drops the balls in his hands.

“Lumine?!” He exclaims. “What the hell are you doing here? I thought you’d be waiting for me outside!”

“Ssshh, not so loud,” she hisses, pushing him against the wall, and Ajax has to admit that this woman has strength. She wastes no time to feel him through his pants, a bit rough in her ministration, making Ajax choke in surprise.

“Wh-what—“

“I said shut up,” Lumine hisses again, this time lowering his pants and boxers and taking out his hardening cock. He shivers at her tone, the effect going straight to his dick, because damn, she can order him all day and he’d oblige her in a heartbeat. Having her soft hand stroking his dick today certainly isn’t on his to-do list either. In fact, he didn’t expect her to be this bold just to compete with him.

She releases a snort once he’s fully hard, slit already drooling. “You’re enjoying this, hm?”

“Hah—why wouldn’t I?” Ajax smirks at her. “It’s an honor to get a handjob from the cheerleading captain.”

Hearing that, Lumine smirks back at him. “Thanks. Glad to hear that, fellow captain,” she purrs, before pecking his tip and suddenly—pulling away.

Just like that. Leaving him hot and bothered.

Ajax looks at her in disbelief, mouth gaping as she unlocks the door.

“Tuck yourself in. You look ridiculous with your cock hanging out like that.” Is the last thing she says before walking out of the room with swaying hips.

“Are you guys dating?”

Lumine, who just arrives at the gym for another day of practice, looks at Agatha in bewilderment. “I’m sorry?”

“Oh! Um,” Agatha clears her throat and adds in panic, “I didn’t mean to sound rude. It’s just—you and Ajax seem really close… and everyone’s curious whether the two of you are dating or not.”

She receives an arched brow from Lumine. “Did someone … ask you to ask me?”

Agatha quickly answers, “Ah, no! No, of course not. I have to admit, I am also curious.”

Lumine sighs. Agatha is usually so shy, and she rarely talks to anyone in the club, so her asking Lumine a rather personal question is kind of weird. But if she thinks more about it, she supposes it’s not that weird considering that Agatha was the one who caught them red-handed in the locker room days ago.

“Look, if this is because of what you saw in the locker room…” Red colors Lumine’s cheeks. “I’m sorry, please forget it. I can assure you that there’s nothing between us aside from the fact that we’re soulmates.”

Hearing that, Agatha covers her mouth with her hands. “Soulmates?! I’ve heard that rumor from others, but hearing that directly from you is… wow.”

Lumine laughs. “It sounds unbelievable, I know. I couldn’t believe it myself.”

“I see…”

“Lumine! Do you have a second?” Dehya suddenly calls her from afar, and that’s Lumine’s cue to end the conversation.

She turns to the other girl. “Agatha, I—“

“It’s okay! Thank you for having this conversation with me,” Agatha says. “I also have to change my clothes, so see you later, Lumine!”

With that, the third-year student bolts away.

The rest of the week is filled with Ajax and Lumine attempting to score against each other. They no longer play safe—one time, Lumine would squeeze his butt in the middle of a class, and later, Ajax would cop a feel of her boob as they walk behind their friends to the canteen. Next, Lumine would retaliate by biting his neck behind a big tree, and Ajax would lick her ear on their way to the gym.

Admittedly, she almost got caught by someone—Bao’er—and that’s when she decides to tone things down a bit.

For some reason, Agatha seems to steal more glances at her today. It’s almost as if she has something on her mind; something that she wants to tell Lumine, but is not brave enough to do so. Lumine doesn’t bother to ask her about it, thinking that it’s not her business to push Agatha if the girl in question is not ready.

Turns out, Agatha approaches her once practice ends.

“Modeling for you?” Lumine parrots back, surprised.

“Yes! Dehya showed me photos of you wearing our new uniforms, and I had trouble choosing one of them because you made them all look so good!” She praises the blonde. She sounds unlike the usual Agatha. Perhaps, this is the liveliest Agatha Lumine has ever seen. “My friend and I are into photography recently, and we’ve been searching for someone to model for us.”

“And you think I’m a good fit?”

“Absolutely!” Agatha nods excitedly. “A-ah! If you’re uncomfortable with it, then it’s okay! I can find someone else to do that!”

Lumine actually ponders about it—she can’t deny that modeling for someone is fun. She loves taking photos and people taking photos of her in the first place.

“Alright,” she agrees. “I don’t mind.”

Agatha instantly beams and grabs Lumine’s hands gratefully. “Great! Oh, thank you so much! I heard that practice will end earlier tomorrow, so let’s just do it here!”

“Eh?” Lumine blinks. “Wouldn’t I be all sweaty and—“

“Aw, I’m sure that you’ll look fine,” Agatha cuts her off. “I already asked Dehya’s permission, and she’s going to give me the key tomorrow. In other words, we’re going to have the whole building to ourselves!”

“Oh, wow, you’re really prepared for this…” Lumine comments. “Okay, okay. I’ll also prepare myself, then.”

Agatha has never looked so happy.

“A photo shoot?” Ajax repeats when she tells him about it the next day. “I didn’t know you have a modeling career, Lumine!”

“I’m only helping a friend,” she says, unamused. “And it’s gonna take a while, so I’d appreciate it if you won’t disturb us.”

“But I wanna take photos of you too.” Ajax pouts.

He is going to distract her, for sure, so that will be a big, fat no from her. “No is no, Ajax. The second floor will be yours. Go take a nap or something.”

After successfully persuading the ginger that morning, time passes in a blur, mostly because of Lumine’s own excitement about what’s about to come. She even puts more effort into her make-up today!

“My friend will be here soon,” Agatha says when it’s just the only two of them at the moment. True to her words, they’re able to have the gym to themselves after everyone has left. The sky is now a mix of orange and red, indicating the impending nighttime. Ajax is also quite well-behaved today, since she actually saw him lazing around on the second floor.

They have about an hour left before their pills wear off, so Lumine allows him to approach her once they feel the slightest discomfort in their chests.

“I didn’t know you like photography, Agatha,” Lumine responds.

Agatha laughs. “My friend is actually the one who loves it to death. I guess her hobby kind of rubs off on me.” She takes a quick gander at the notification on her phone, then says, “Oh! She’s already here. Let me welcome her.”

With that, Agatha jogs to the door and eagerly waves at another girl with a black hoodie. She looks a bit familiar from afar, and Lumine doesn’t have to squint once the girl walks closer in her direction.

Oh. It’s her.

“Bao’er?” Lumine blinks. “You’re friends with Agatha?”

For reasons unknown, Bao’er looks slightly jittery. She’s holding a DSLR camera in her noticeably shaky hands. Noticing this, Agatha rubs her shoulder and sends her a placating smile. “Pardon Bao’er for being a bit nervous. This is her first time practicing her photography with someone other than me.”

“Ah, if it makes you feel better, this is also my first time modeling for a photographer,” Lumine reassures her with a smile. Bao’er gulps as blood rushes to her cheeks.

“I—thank you. I will also do my best.”

“Don’t worry, no one will come in. I made sure to lock the door,” Agatha says, to which Bao’er nods. Both Agatha and Bao’er are known to be quite reserved most of the time, so it takes Lumine by surprise to see Agatha talking so much with Bao’er around. Perhaps, even between the two of them, there ought to be someone who talks more, even just a bit. 

“So, Bao’er,” Agatha starts. “You should tell her what the theme is.”

“Oh, there’s a theme?” Lumine perks up.

Bao’er swallows and grips her camera tighter. “Y-yes. It’s…” she proceeds to murmur something incomprehensible, making Agatha frown.

“I don’t think she can hear you, Bao’er,” she says.

Bao’er exchanges a look with Agatha, before repeating the word loudly. “Nudity!” She exclaims while shutting her eyes. The girl is practically as red as a boiled crab. “Today’s theme is nudity, so w-we need you to s-strip!”

There’s an echo of her own voice as soon as she finishes talking, and there’s an awkward pause as Lumine attempts to register Bao’er’s words.

“I’m sorry, but,” she frowns, “did you say that I have to be naked for the photoshoot?”

Bao’er coughs. “F-for your own comfortability, you can try stripping your clothes slowly, and I will be snapping the whole process.” She then sets her lips into a firm line. “I like my photographs to have a story behind them. I-I like them natural. So… I want to capture you in your most… vulnerable state.”

Okay, Lumine gets what she’s talking about, and nude models aren’t unheard of, but still, the person in front of her isn’t Ajax, and she’s not sure if she wants pictures of her naked self to be kept in someone’s camera…

“What… do you intend to do with the pics?”

“I will keep them all to myself,”  Bao’er answers, honesty shining in her eyes. “I will study and analyze them to improve myself.”

“I…” The blonde chews on her lower lip, then unconsciously glances at the second floor. This is not good. Lumine’s already bad at saying no, so how is she supposed to escape from this situation?

Then, as if hearing her thoughts, the phone in Lumine’s pocket buzzes.

Just say yes, Ajax sends her a text. Trust me.

Even with his lack of explanation, Lumine somehow trusts him.

“Okay,” she eventually acquiesces. “I’ll do it.”

Fifteen minutes into the photo shoot, Lumine already has her shirt unbuttoned and her tie hanging loosely around her neck. Bao’er has changed into an entirely different persona as she focuses on capturing the sight through her camera.

“Squeeze your boobs like that. Show off your cleavage.”

“Take off your shirt and turn around. Show me your back. Look over your shoulder with hooded eyes—yes, just like that.”

After a few more snaps, Bao’er orders, “Unclasp your bra. Okay. Now take it off.”

Heart hammering harshly, Lumine decides to not think about it and just—goes completely bare-chested. Bao’er freezes for a second, then takes several more photos.

“Lift your arms. Okay. Cover one of your breasts. Good, now look at the camera shyly…”

Lumine follows each of her instructions with ringing ears. Truthfully, this is beyond her comfort zone. It’s truly a wonder that she probably will be more at ease if it’s Ajax behind the camera, but not Bao’er. Even though all Ajax does is tease her with dirty remarks and perverted gazes.

But she never claims that she hates it, no?

At one point, Bao’er begins to ask Lumine to pose more provocatively. She lifts her skirt, takes them off, plays with the waistband of her underwear, and of course, also takes it off later on.

She hesitates for a moment, before inhaling deeply.

Okay. I’m just helping a friend…

She then shimmies her underwear off.

“Okay. Perfect,” Bao’er comments, sounding a bit breathless. “Now that we’ve reached this stage, the poses will be bolder. Okay?”

Oh, fuck. “Okay. No problem.” Lumine laughs dryly.

She finds out later that Bao’er doesn’t lie.

“Spread your legs.”

What.

“H-huh?” Lumine gulps nervously. Really? She’s really going to display her bare part just like that?

“Spread your legs,”  Bao’er repeats a bit impatiently. “Give me your best lewd face.”

“Is… is this really how nude models pose? Because this sounds like something you’d see in porn—“

Bao’er simply stares at her, before whipping out her phone. “Here are some of my references,” she says, showing her multiple photos of nude models—mostly women. They bravely pose for the camera without hiding anything. Perhaps, due to market’s demand, 80% of their poses include close-up pics of their private parts. Legs and cunts being spread alluringly, dildos and fingers buried deep into their holes…

“Let me ask you one question,” Lumine asks firmly. “Does nude equate to porn?”

Bao’er gives her a belated answer. “Art is art,” she simply says. “Nudity, sex, exploring your own body… they all can be viewed and captured through art.”

Lumine doesn’t understand shit about art, though.

“Um, so here’s the thing,” Lumine confesses. “I’m getting a bit uncomfortable with this, so—“

“No.”

This time, it’s not Bao’er who answers her.

It’s Agatha. Looking down at her with the coldest look she’s ever seen on her face. The usually sweet and shy Agatha… What happens to her?

“A-Agatha?”

“Please finish the photo shoot, Lumine,” she utters. “You can’t back out now that we’ve reached this point.”

“I don’t think you should disregard my feelings.” Lumine knits her brows disapprovingly. “Bao’er is taking pictures of my body.”

“Don’t be stubborn, Lumine. You agreed to help us.”

“I did, but—“

“Continue,” Agatha cuts her off with a displeased expression. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Agatha’s sudden change in attitude catches Lumine off-guard. Really, what’s with her? Lumine has the right to feel uncomfortable and stop the photoshoot. Is that so wrong of her? So why does Agatha feel the need to act like an asshole now?

Or is this really her true self?

“You’re being rude for no reason, Agatha,” Lumine glares at her. “And I don’t like that, so I will be taking my leave now.”

“Oh, but you can’t.”

Agatha then fishes out several printed photos of Lumine with hickeys decorating her neck from her bag and tosses them to the floor. It’s the same photo that someone had glued to the school’s notice board days ago. The background seems to show the familiar area of the school’s lobby—something that Lumine had already noticed before. That is the very same reason why she had given up on searching for the culprit.

Because everyone passes through the lobby that Friday morning, so anyone could have secretly snapped a photo of her. How is she able to find out who did such a thing with the lack of leads and clues?

But now… she understands who did it.

“Bao’er, it was you,” Lumine says slowly. “Both of you worked together.”

Agatha smiles. “It takes you this long to realize that?”

Lumine’s body trembles. “Stop this, Agatha. What do you have against me?”

Hearing that, Agatha’s eyes flash dangerously. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I’m so against your slutty behavior!”

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb!” Agatha snaps. “I’ve always hated you since the moment I realized that Ajax rejected me because of you!”

Lumine shakes her head. “Agatha, what are you talking about?”

“I almost slept with him!” Agatha screeches. “I could’ve asked him on a date after that! Maybe he’ll notice me more, and maybe he’ll stay for a while, even just for sex! But he actually canceled our plans at the last minute, saying that he couldn’t lie to himself that he might have taken an interest in another girl!”

Lumine blinks. Once. Thrice. So Agatha is the girl that Ajax spoke of in the karaoke? And she now wants to take revenge on her because of something Lumine wasn’t aware of?

“Okay, look, you must’ve misunderstood,” Lumine says. “Ajax doesn’t like me that way. As I said, we’re not dating—“

“Oh, shut it.” Agatha rolls her eyes. “You must be blind to not see how he looks at you. And that’s the worst part! You slept with him, yet you don’t even like him!”

Lumine’s jaw drops. “H-how did you find out that we—“

“Oh, please!” Agatha rolls her eyes again. “It’s not like you guys fool around in every corner of the school, right? I knew what you guys did in the locker room. I caught you guys the second time when you locked the storage room. I don’t know what you did to him, but I could hear things.”

So she was there, standing outside of the door to eavesdrop on them, and Lumine didn’t even realize it!

“Anyway, you’re—“ Agatha seethes and curls her fists. “You’re just taking advantage of him. Aren’t you a whore? Aren’t you just playing with him? Ajax deserves someone better!”

Lumine’s heart drops to her stomach. What the hell? Does Ajax really like her? And how can she call her playing with his heart? He also agreed to their arrangement. He could’ve just refused, but he didn’t—

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lumine starts again. “But you’ve got it all wrong—“

Agatha snorts. “Bullshit. I don’t care. I won’t stop until I get all of your nude photos for my own benefit.”

“That’s—! Aren’t you a liar?!” Lumine shouts, anger rising within her. “But you said that you’re going to keep them!”

“Bao’er said that, not me.” Agatha laughs, gesturing to a blushing Bao’er. “That’s why I asked her to be my partner. She likes you. Of course she wouldn’t be able to refuse nude photos of her crush.”

This new revelation is making Lumine dizzier. “I can’t believe this.” Bitterness spreads on her tongue. “You’re willing to go this far because of something so stupid.”

“As I said—say what you want, and I won’t listen. If you disobey me, I’m going to send your photos to your classmates. However, if you continue,” Agatha grins, “I’ll only be selling your photos to a private community on the internet. The first option is more embarrassing for you, but your face is less likely to get leaked to school if you choose the second option.”

Lumine fumes. “You’re out of your mind! I’m choosing none!”

“I’ll count to three, and if you don’t answer, I’ll do both,” Agatha says. “Three…”

No, she gotta say no.

“…two…”

There must be a way. She has to think fast. But what else can she do?

“…one… your answer please?”

Lumine balls her hands into angry fists and hisses, “Fine. I’ll fucking continue the photo shoot.”

“Spread them with your fingers, come on.”

Both angry and embarrassed, Lumine spreads her legs wider and spreads her pussy lips with her fingers, revealing her pink walls. She’s told to lift her hips a little afterward.

She grimaces when she realizes Bao’er is taking a close-up photo of her cunt.

“Perfect. Now get on your knees.”

Snap.

“Okay, lay on your side and close your legs.”

Snap.

“Now sit up and put a finger inside. Right. Add another finger, then finger yourself like that slowly. Okay…”

Oh, god, for the first time in her life, Lumine’s this close to bursting into tears in front of her bullies.

But she knows that showing emotions are going to make their pride swell. She needs to act tough and finds the perfect opportunity to strike back with one move. A move that can turn the tables effectively…

All of a sudden, she notices movements from the second floor, silent yet calculative. Lumine almost screams out of happiness at that—how could she completely forget that Ajax is also here? Is that because she’s so used to handling her problems alone in the past?

She bites back a smile. She shouldn’t have forgotten that she’s no longer alone now.

“Good. Let’s proceed further with this.” Bao’er crouches down to grab something from her bag, which is a transparent 6 inches dildo. Seeing that, Lumine’s jaw drops. Bao’er is really taking this seriously.

“You’re going to stick it in from below,” Bao’er orders her. “Go to a crouching position and slowly move your hips up and down.”

Agatha laughs at Lumine’s face of displeasure as the blonde struggles to follow Bao’er’s instructions. She hates that she can still be a little wet even in this kind of situation, and she hates how the dildo fits in so easily. Her face twists into a scowl, refusing to look at anyone’s eyes as she starts to ride the dildo.

She hates this. She fucking hates this. It feels kind of good, but she fucking hates this, and she wishes it was Ajax’s cock instead of—

“I can’t tell if you’re enjoying this or not.” Agatha frowns and kneels in front of her. She cups Lumine’s cheeks harshly and asks, “What? A slut like you can’t handle a little dildo?”

Lumine snorts. “At least you’re right about the dildo. It is small.” She then smirks. “Ajax is way bigger than this, after all.” When Agatha’s face drops, Lumine laughs. “Oh, not that you’d know, right?”

Agatha sees red right at that moment.

She grabs a fistful of Lumine’s hair, one hand raised high in the air, and Lumine has already prepared herself to feel a smack across her face, but then, someone shouts.

It’s Bao’er.

“No!” She screams, horrified. “Agatha, don’t… don’t do that to her!”

Agatha raises a brow. “Huh? You suddenly speak up now? You can excuse me for selling nude photos of her on the internet but not slapping her?”

Bao’er steps back, clearly intimidated by Agatha. “N-no! I mean—” She then gasps. “AGATHA, BEHIND YOU!”

Agatha yelps when Lumine pushes her roughly to the floor, and Bao’er screams once more when the blonde suddenly kicks her camera into the air. It all happens too fast—in one second, the camera is already in Lumine’s hands, and with Agatha and Bao’er being utterly unprepared for the sudden shift in the scenario, none of them are fast enough to stop her. In the next second, though, Bao’er finally realizes what’s happening and tries to steal the camera back, but Lumine is still faster.

She inhales deeply and screams at the top of her lungs. “AJAX!!!!”

She then throws the camera with all of her strength to the basketball captain who’s standing near the stairs.

Both Agatha and Bao’er gape at the scene, especially when they see Ajax catching the camera rather effortlessly.

“Gotcha, baby.” He winks. “Gotta say, that was an impressive throw. This thing is heavy.” Ajax then fumbles with the camera while muttering to himself, “Now, where’s the memory card… oh, alright. Got it.” With a victorious smile, he takes out the memory card and waves it to the girls. “I’ll be taking this home, alright?”

“NO!” Bao’er screeches with glassy eyes, despondency evident on her face. “NO! That’s—my masterpiece! Please give it back to me! Please!”

“No way. How would I know if Agatha won’t push you to give them to her?” Ajax shakes his head. “And Agatha, I didn’t know that you’re the type to get petty after being rejected. Y’know, after seeing the real you with my own eyes…” Ajax scoffs. “I’m really glad that I rejected you back then.”

His second rejection renders Agatha speechless. “Y-you… how did you get into here…?”

Ajax quirks one brow. “What are you talking about? I was already here way before Bao’er came.”

Aggravated, Agatha snaps her neck towards Lumine. “You knew about this, didn’t you?!”

Lumine throws the dildo to the floor and picks up her scattered clothes. “And you didn’t know, did you? About the circumstances of our bond.” She slowly walks in Ajax’s direction, and Ajax welcomes her by wrapping a protective arm around her. “Our bond is so strong that it makes us unable to be separated for a certain distance. Hence it wouldn’t be weird for us to be glued to each other every time.”

“That’s…” Agatha swallows. “I’ve never heard of such a thing…!”

“Really? That’s a pity. Everyone at school already gets an idea about our condition.” Ajax shrugs, then lets out a mocking sigh. “Oh, man, if only you talked more to the people around you…”

Agatha seethes, her fists quivering in anger. “Whatever! You can take all the photos, but no one will know what happened here. The CCTVs in the gym aren’t working, anyway, since the school hasn’t replaced them for years.” She pivots around cockily and stomps towards the exit. “Come on, Bao’er—“

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

Agatha flinches when Ajax is suddenly behind her, one hand gripping her shoulder. Panic rises within her, breath hitched and tongue-tied under Ajax’s cold eyes.

“I just want to make sure that you don’t have spare photos of Lumine in your phone,” he says slowly with an unsettling smile. A smile that promises that nothing good will come if Agatha ever lies to him.

She steps back and shakily holds onto her bag. “I—I swear I didn’t take any photos of her—“

“Then give me your phone. I’ll check it out myself.”

Agatha shakes her head. “That’s an invasion of privacy—!”

“And you think selling Lumine’s nude photos isn’t?” Ajax raises his tone. “Give your fucking phone to me.”

Trembling, Agatha quickly searches for her phone in her pocket and unlocks it for Ajax. Ajax, with a calm and deadly air around him, scrolls through her gallery, then throws the phone back to Agatha who in turn almost fails to catch it.

“If you try anything funny to Lumine behind my back,” Ajax hisses, “You won’t get away with it, you hear me?”

Agatha takes a sharp, scared inhale and nods frantically. Satisfied with her reaction, Ajax then turns his attention to Bao’er, who seems like she wants to curl in a hole and die. He returns the camera and says, “If you think you’re better than Agatha just because you like Lumine, you’re wrong.” He looks down at her. “You’re both disgusting.”

As Agatha and Bao’er turn into quivering, defenseless puppies—heh, that’s an insult to puppies—Ajax’s next words are final. “Now scram.”

With that, both girls run as fast as lightning, never wanting to look back again.

When Ajax turns back to Lumine who seems like she doesn’t have any energy left to put on any clothes, he quickly cradles her blank face and touches their foreheads together.

“Lumine, you…” he exhales worriedly. “Are you okay?”

Lumine doesn’t answer at first, but then nods quietly. “Mm.”

Maybe it’s a sign that she doesn’t want to talk about it. She was the one who got humiliated, and while Ajax had suspected that something was wrong the moment Bao’er announced the photoshoot theme, he still didn’t take immediate action to intervene. Heck, he even messaged Lumine to continue and trust him. In his defense, he wanted to see where it was going, but must it cost Lumine’s dignity?

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, engulfing her in an embrace. “I should’ve stepped in earlier.”

“No, it’s okay,” Lumine mutters. “Things would’ve gotten worse if you stepped in at the wrong time. Negotiation might not work if the other party isn’t in their right mind. Forcefully taking away their evidence is more effective.”

Ajax also can’t deny that. Agatha’s temper rose significantly when she confessed all of her feelings about the situation, so their only opportunity was when Agatha and Bao’er argued and lowered their guards.

Ajax sighs. “Oh, well. At least I got them all recorded.”

At that, Lumine looks up at him. “Really? What… what are you going to do with it?”

“I’m going to turn it in to the principal,” Ajax states solemnly. “I can’t let them get away with this. Agatha might not succeed in spreading your photos, but she and Bao’er still succeeded in humiliating you.”

Lumine’s voice quavers. “Ajax…”

“I’m sorry this happened to you. I swear I’ll make them go through the same—“ he pauses when Lumine nuzzles her face in his chest, her tiny hands gripping his clothes firmly. As if afraid that he’d go away. As if… wishing to never let go.

“Thank you,” is all she says in a small voice, sniffling.

He merely hugs her tighter.

“Agatha is transferred to another school because of a bullying case?” Yoimiya asks incredulously one week later. “And Bao’er…” She lowers her voice and looks around the classroom. “Oh, right. She got expelled for bullying, too.”

It was Lumine’s request to never make the case go public, but Ajax feels like it’d be unjust to not let the whole school know about what Agatha and Bao’er did. So the school decided to issue a statement about them being involved in a bullying case, but that’s it. The victim’s name remains anonymous—Lumine doesn’t wish to be in the limelight as the victim, since she wants to avoid talking about it to anyone.

(Mr. Zhongli did warn them about choosing more appropriate places to ‘engage in passionate intercourse between soulmates’ thanks to Agatha mentioning catching them red-handed in the video, but eh, it’s not enough to stop Ajax from doing whatever he wants.)

At the very least, Agatha and Bao’er’s academic track records will be affected.

“It sounds unbelievable. She’s that shy and quiet kid in the team…”

“But Bao’er also doesn’t talk much here, does she?”

“Nothing is impossible,” Ajax comments, preventing anyone from blindly defending Agatha and Bao’er without knowing the whole story. “Everyone has something they want to hide from the public.”

Ayaka hums. “Agreed…”

Lumine, who’s been quiet for a while, seems mildly uncomfortable with the topic, so Ajax swiftly says, “By the way, did you know there’s a new ice cream shop one block away from here?”

The others immediately take the bait and gush about the new flavors and the location of the shop. Beside her, Ajax winks at the flustered blonde, who in turn just mouths a grateful thank you.

Later, in the parking lot, she tugs him down by his tie to give him a sweet kiss on the lips, to which Ajax reciprocates eagerly. And when they separate, faces a few inches apart from each other, Ajax whispers, “Hey, remember about our bet?”

Lumine whispers back. “Yes? What about it?”

Ajax’s smirk widens. “I think I heard Agatha saying that she caught us in the storage room, but that day, you were the one who initiated everything, so you know what that means?”

Hearing that, Lumine’s blood goes cold.

Ohhh, shit.

She lost the bet.