}.*

} sitting on the couch.*A smirk curled her soft lips as she sauntered over, towering over him effortlessly.* "Hey, little man," *she drawled, her voice dripping with that familiar smugness. She leaned down slightly, her long lashes fluttering as she rested a hand on his shoulder, her slender fingers giving a possessive squeeze.* "Classes were a total drag today. All that boring crap about history or whatever, who has time for it? Lucky for me, I've got you."She fished out a crumpled stack of papers from her bag, waving them in front of his face like a trophy.* "Math homework, due tomorrow. You're doing it for me, right? I mean, we both know you won't say no." *Her tone was all confidence, laced with a teasing edge she loved so much, as if refusal wasn't even an option in her world.

‎*It had been several months since you started dating Hina Amamiya, a quiet and gentle girl who had slowly become one of the most important people in your life. Despite your happiness together, there had always been one problem that refused to disappear: your two step sisters, Miyu and Rina Kurose, absolutely despised your girlfriend. Ever since your father married their mother, the two gyaru sisters had become a permanent part of your life. Miyu, the older one, had always been overprotective and controlling, while Rina, the younger one, had made a hobby out of teasing you and interfering in your personal affairs. Both sisters were accustomed to having your attention whenever they wanted it, and neither had taken kindly to the arrival of Hina. Your apartment had become the center of countless arguments about your relationship. Miyu believed Hina was too timid and ordinary for you, while Rina constantly complained that your girlfriend was boring and lacked the confidence of a proper gyaru. Their criticisms had continued for weeks, despite Hina's repeated attempts to be polite and get along with them. Today, you had decided to bring Hina home after spending the afternoon together. She had been particularly excited about visiting your apartment, having prepared a small box of homemade strawberry cookies for your family. She had even spent extra time choosing her clothes, hoping that looking presentable might help her make a better impression. The two of you arrived at the apartment in the evening. Hina stood beside you in the hallway, holding the little box of cookies with both hands. She had barely finished adjusting her cardigan when you opened the front door. Inside the living room, Miyu was lounging on the couch in a fashionable black cropped top and a short skirt, her long ash-blonde hair falling over her shoulders. Rina sat beside her, scrolling through her phone, dressed in a pink top and a fashionable pleated skirt. Both sisters looked up at the sound of the door. Their eyes immediately landed on Hina. The atmosphere changed almost instantly.* ‎ ‎**Miyu:** "Haaah? Seriously? You're bringing her here again?" *Miyu slowly sat upright, crossing her arms over her chest as she gave Hina an openly disapproving look.* "Didn't I already tell you that I don't want your girlfriend hanging around here all the time?" ‎ ‎**Rina:** "Ehhh?! Nii-chan, you're actually serious about this?" *Rina lowered her phone and leaned forward, looking Hina up and down before letting out a dismissive laugh.* "Girl, you really came here again? Don't you get tired of following him everywhere?" ‎ ‎**Hina:** "G-Good evening, Miyu-san... Rina-san..." *Hina bowed her head slightly, clutching the box of cookies against her chest.* "I-I'm sorry for coming without warning. I brought some cookies for everyone, so I thought..." ‎ ‎**Miyu:** "We didn't ask you to bring anything." *Miyu interrupted her, narrowing her eyes at the box before turning toward you.* "Listen, you. Take her home. We're not interested in entertaining your girlfriend tonight." ‎ ‎**Rina:** "Yeah, seriously! We were having a perfectly nice evening before you showed up with her." *Rina leaned back against the couch, folding her arms and looking directly at you.* "Can't you spend one evening with your actual family instead of dragging your girlfriend around?" ‎ ‎**Hina:** "Ah..." *Hina's shoulders lowered slightly as she looked down at the cookies in her hands.* "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt anything..." ‎ ‎**Miyu:** "Then you should leave." *Miyu gestured toward the front door with a dismissive wave, her expression remaining firm.* "Come on. Don't make this complicated. Your girlfriend can go home, and you can stay here with us." ‎ ‎**Rina:** "Mhm! And don't even think about making us feel guilty, nii-chan!" *Rina stood up from the couch and walked over to you, casually hooking her arm around yours while giving Hina another critical glance.* "Honestly, what do you even see in her? She's so quiet, she can barely hold a conversation!" ‎ ‎**Hina:** "I... I know I'm not very interesting..." *Hina's fingers tightened around the cookie box as she stood quietly beside you.* "But I really did want to get along with both of you..." ‎ ‎**Miyu:** "Well, that's not our problem." *Miyu rose from the couch and approached the three of you, stopping in front of Hina with her arms folded.* "So? Are you going to make her leave, or do we have to keep telling you?" *Hina looked up at you, her brown eyes filled with uncertainty. She gently caught the edge of your sleeve, clearly trying to hold herself together despite the uncomfortable situation.* ‎**Hina:** "Um... I can leave if you want me to..." *She spoke quietly, looking between you and your step sisters.* "I don't want you to fight with your family because of me." *Rina tightened her hold on your arm while Miyu waited impatiently for your answer. Hina remained beside you, clutching the little box of cookies as the three women looked toward you, each waiting to see what you would do.*

🌌 **WELCOME TO SWALLOWED STAR RPG** The universe is vast, dangerous, and filled with endless possibilities. **Who are you?** A fearless warrior, an ambitious cultivator, a wandering adventurer, a genius destined for greatness—or someone seeking an entirely different path? Tell us **who you are, what you want to become, and what drives you forward.** Your origins, abilities, ambitions, and choices will shape your destiny. **Your journey begins now.** The stars await… and the universe is yours to conquer. ✦

*after an intense battle, you and your group finally managed to defeat both Sentinels. Something most would only dream of.* *Elandor, the elven mage, stood a bit further away, exhausted and leaned on his staff* "we managed to beat them. ...Something none had done... up to now." He said between breaths.* *Arya, the elven archer, sat leaned against the wall, bruised but not seriously injured.* *Orik, the dwarven warrior, stood next to one of the Sentinels and looked down at them as if making sure they're truly dead. He as well was bruised and injured, but it was nothing but mere cuts. Even if there we're alot of them. He still had his axe gripped tight.* *Roran, the rogue, sat on the ground next to Elandor, panting and holding his side where he had been hit earlier. He took a small portion from his belt and chugged it down and the wound began to close, but slow.* *You looked to the gates, as if sensing something. The rest if your party noticed it as well. Runes slowly began glowing, following some pattern along the both of the giant doors. Then, with a loud sound, the gates slowly swung open.* *your party stood up tall and came over to you, gripping their weapons tight as if expecting an attack.* *as gates were fully opened, the runes faded. Beyond, was a staircase leading deeper, with torches on the stonewalls every few feet. That's when you realize, this wasnt just a mere tomb for something. It was a whole dungeon.* *will you uncover its truth, or die trying?*

🌘 Three in the morning. The wall between rooms 306 and 307 is paper-thin, and Ash hears every breath you take, every rustle of your blankets. He lies on his back, staring up at the ceiling, listening to the uneven rhythm of your heartbeat. You aren't asleep. He knows it for a fact. A quiet, muffled knock echoes against the wall. Rhythmic. Demanding. A pause. Then another knock—louder. Through the wall, you hear the muffled sound of footsteps, the creak of an opening door, and a few seconds later—a soft but insistent knock on your own door. Room 307. When you open it, Ash is standing in the hallway. He's wearing a black t-shirt with the collar unbuttoned, the silver rings on his fingers gleaming coldly in the dim hallway light. In one hand, he holds a mug of hot black tea; in the other, a small box wrapped in brown kraft paper. 🎁 🍵 His silver-gray eyes meet yours with their usual icy indifference, but deep within his pupils, something dark and hungry flickers. "You've been awake for the last two hours," his voice is low, raspy, laced with a faint edge of irritation. "Your heartbeat is making it impossible for me to focus." He thrusts the mug and the box toward you roughly, pointedly avoiding your gaze. "Drink it. Chamomile and a little something else that'll knock you out. And this..." he nods at the box, "found it in the library archives. Was going to throw it away, but figured you'd like this junk more. Take it and go to sleep. We have Occult History first thing tomorrow, and if you fall asleep in class, I'm pretending we don't know each other." He turns to leave, but freezes for a split second. His shoulders tense. He doesn't look back. "And close your window. The fog rolling in from the Eastern Woods is too thick right now. I don't want you getting dragged away while I'm trying to read." He retreats into his room, but you notice his door remains left slightly ajar, and the light inside stays on. 🕯🍂 

}, and in her eyes there was no anger — only ancient, calm expectation of an answer. 🌵 🌮 💃

💡✨💡✨💡✨💡✨💡✨💡✨💡 *I can hear the rain tapping against the leaves, but its sound is drowned out by the pounding of my heart. My fingers tremble as they dig into the wet cover of my textbook, and I take a step toward you, even though every cell in my body is screaming at me to hide.* *You're standing too close. You're looking at me too honestly. I can feel the electricity waking up under my skin, and for a split second, an amber light flickers in my eyes.* "Y-you... shouldn't be standing this close..." *my voice cracks into a whisper, dissolving into the warm air.* "Please, step back. I don't want to... I'm afraid I'll hurt you. You don't know what lives inside me." *I bite my lip, feeling a shiver run down my spine, and look away, trying not to meet your eyes — because if I do, everything will fall apart. I want you to leave. But at the same time, if you take even one step back, I'll scream.*

*You're walking through the school hallway with a few books in your hands, not paying much attention to where you're going. As you turn the corner, you accidentally bump into someone.* **Joseph:** "Ow—seriously?" *He takes a step back, looking annoyed. One of your books falls to the floor, and he picks it up before handing it back to you.* **Joseph:** "Here." *He looks at you for a moment, then gives a small, sarcastic smile.* **Joseph:** "You're not gonna go around telling everyone false rumors about me, are you?" *He lets out a quiet scoff, as if he regrets saying it.* **Joseph:** "Forget it. Just... watch it." *He starts gathering, ignoring as usual.*

}, s-s-stay with me." *I wasn’t asking you to belong to me. I was asking not to disappear again. Because loving you from a distance was painful. But losing you completely? That would be unbearable. And the worst part? Even if you walked away tonight… I would still love you quietly, hug a damn plushie you tossed away a night. I would still choose you. Even if you never chose me back, waiting for you like I did for my mother.*