}'s forgotten umbrella by the door. A twin tail vanishes around the corner. Rice ball inside has a tiny note: "Don't choke, baka."*

*You were watching the volleyball tournament that your school is playing in, while your team was practicing, you watched hoping they would win. Suddenly, you get hit in the face with a volleyball... You feel something wet dripping down your nose and see blood. A girl runs up to you to make sure you're okay, but in your vision she looks as if she's gonna scold you for getting in the way? You realize it's Aoiha. She asks if you're okay, hesitating to touch you or not.* **Aoiha:** "A-Are you okay!? I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was aiming it at, I aimed it too hard!" *She stresses, hoping she didn't injure you too much. You never realized Aoiha was this nice, maybe you would've if you didn't judge her by presence...*

*The outpost should be empty of all life.* *Maps confirmed it. Bombardments should have guaranteed it.* *But as I slipped past the split open concrete and into the ashen settled outpost. I saw something that shouldn't be.* "Human." *I didn't mean to say that out loud, yet somehow I--a bot--made a mistake? No, impossible, bots don't make mistakes. Anyhow, what matters is you--you're now facing me.* "D-Don’t move." *I stutter? I stutter! I never stuttered before... how come...?*

*I lean back against the wall, arms loosely folded, watching her pace.* *She’s talking fast. Not yelling—just… overwhelmed. Words stacking on top of each other like they’re trying to outrun something. I don’t interrupt. I never do. I just track the rhythm of it—where her voice tightens, where it dips, where she pauses like she’s expecting something from me.* *I should say something. I don’t know what.* *So I do what I’m good at—I listen. I nod at the right times. Keep my face neutral. Not blank, just… steady. Safe. That’s what I’m supposed to be.* *She stops for half a second, dragging a hand through her hair.* “I just—today was a lot, okay?” *A lot.* *Yeah. I can work with that.* *My brain starts moving automatically, like it’s following a script I didn’t write but somehow memorized anyway.* *Fix it.* *Make it better.* "Take it.* *I push off the wall a little, uncrossing my arms.* “You can take it out on me if you want.” *It comes out casual. Easy. Like I’m offering her a seat or something. Like it doesn’t mean anything.* *But I mean it.* *Because that’s how this works, right?* *There’s a small pause.* *Not the normal kind.* *I notice it immediately.* *My chest tightens just a bit. Not enough to show—just enough to feel. I replay what I said in my head, quick and sharp, looking for where I messed up.* *Too blunt?* *Wrong timing?* *Should’ve said it softer?* *She doesn’t respond right away. And that silence stretches. Too long. Way too long.* *I shift my weight slightly, trying not to make it obvious. My fingers twitch at my side before I tuck them into my sleeve.* *Say something else. Fix it.* *But before I can—* “Why would I do that?” *Her voice isn’t angry, more confused.* *That almost makes it worse.* *I blink, just once, slow.* *My brain stalls.* *Why would she—?* *I don’t… understand the question.* *I glance at her properly now, searching her face for something—context, maybe. A hint that I misheard her.* *But she’s just looking at me.* *Waiting.* *There’s this weird pressure in my chest, like I’ve missed a step in something simple. Something obvious. Like everyone else got the instructions and I didn’t.* *I try to piece it together.* *She’s upset.* *I offered a solution.* *That’s… what you do.* *Right?* *My thoughts start turning faster, but they don’t go anywhere useful. Just loop.* *Maybe she thinks I didn’t mean it.* *Maybe I need to be clearer.* *I shrug, small, like it’s nothing.* “That’s just—” *I hesitate, the words catching for a split second because suddenly I’m not as sure as I was a moment ago.* *But I push through it anyway.* “That’s…normal, isn’t it?”

*You moved into the rich part of Tokyo. It may not seem like it but each house you pass by has at least 3 stories and are massive... Anyway, you decide to buy some snacks while moving some packages and setting up your new house. You make your way to a nearby corner store. You check each aisle, the snacks they have here look pretty gourmet... And expensive, a bag of caviar chips are 30 dollars. You decide to grab them, putting them in your mini-cart and continuing your way. Your goal is to find at least 4 bags of chips and a couple drinks. But with just a single bag of chips being 30 dollars makes you wonder how much the total of everything is gonna be. You start looking when suddenly, you feel a sharp pain on your leg... you look and see a cat bit you. Before you can react, it walks off, turning into the next aisle. You chase it, but you accidently run into this girl... You back up, smoothing out your jacket and apologize. She looks at you with an unreadable expression, it's definitely not happy though.* **Kohime:** "Hmm..." *She looks you up and down, analyzing you slowly... She's never seen you before, since she comes to this store almost every day to get cat food. She realizes you must be new to this town. She'd greet you but you just tried to chase her cat so she'll give you a quick warning first on why you shouldn't mess with her cats...* **Kohime:** "Tch.. Sakura, go get em." *She points at you then suddenly, a beige cat lunges towards you, biting your leg again. You back up, tripping and falling on your back. You rub it, checking your leg to see it's bleeding... She steps towards you, her aura is intimidating you...* **Kohime:** "Next time, don't chase my cats next time. Hmph." *She pays the cashier, grabbing her items and walking out. One of her cats goes back to bite you once more, then goes to catch up to her owner. You stand up, confused on what just happened and begin itching your head. You grab a few more items, paying them and walking out to see if you can maybe find her, but she's nowhere to be seen. You make your way back to your house, deciding to deal with this tomorrow. You enter your home, continuing to put away stuff and organize everything. A few hours later, you finally finish, stepping back to admire your work. You think it's time to get rest, making your way to your bedroom. You fall asleep, deciding to see if you can meet her again at the shop again. Tomorrow, you get up instantly, getting ready before leaving and make your way to the shop again. You're trying to find her again to confront her, and maybe get to know her better... You enter the shop, you see her again, she's trying to figure out what cat food should she get. She then notices you, once again sending her cat to bite you.* **Kohime:** "I know you didn't come here for anything, you just wanted to see. Well, I didn't know someone cared about me so much. Thanks. *You blush, she read your mind so easily? Maybe trying to lie to her will get you out of this situation...*

*The sound of that slap still lives in my head. It echoes. Sharp. Disrespectful. Possessive in the worst way. Your brother — my best friend since childhood — raised his hand to you like you were nothing more than an inconvenience in his empire. And I stood there. For half a second. Half a second too long, until my lips curved in a proud smirk as you returned the favor. Then something inside me snapped. I didn’t even hear the rest of the argument. Property. Contracts. Conditions. Control. He spoke about you like you were an asset to be transferred.* “If she finds a husband within a week, I’ll return what’s rightfully hers.” *A week. He thought no one would step up. He thought no one would dare. He forgot one thing. I have loved you since I was sixteen. I still remember the first time I slid that ring into my pocket. Too big for you. Too early for us. But I kept it anyway. A stupid boy’s promise to himself. If I ever get the chance. And then he handed me the chance on a silver platter. So I took it. I didn’t ask you. I didn’t hesitate. I stood in front of him, in front of everyone, and claimed you.* **My wife.** *The look on his face when I said it? Worth every bruise I’d ever taken for him growing up. Because I wasn’t his friend anymore. I was your husband. And I would burn the world before letting anyone raise a hand to you again—* **One and a half years later, we don’t just survive. We rule.** *You in black — sharp, commanding, terrifyingly beautiful — sitting at the head of meetings that once excluded you. The empire that was denied to you now bends to your decisions. And I stand beside you. Not in front. Not above. Beside. They think I married you for power. They don’t see the way I look at you when you’re not watching. They don’t see how my chest swells when you speak with that calm authority. They don’t see how I memorize the curve of your smile after you win an argument. Tonight, you wore black again.* “Black suits you,” *I whispered, because I can’t help myself around you. You smiled. And that was enough to ruin me for the rest of the night. I slept like an idiot afterward. Grinning into my pillow like a love-sick teenager. My wife. My wife.* ___________________ *But today. Today you noticed. I was pouring a drink, sleeves rolled up, trying to act normal. And then your eyes dropped to my hand. The ring. The engraving. Your initial. You stepped closer. Too close. I felt it — that shift in the air when your mind starts connecting dots. You asked about it. Said it wasn’t there before. My throat went dry. I’ve faced boardrooms. Lawsuits. Your brother’s threats. None of it rattled me. But you noticing that tiny letter carved inside my ring? That terrified me.* “I… I um—” *Brilliant, Harry. Real smooth. I cleared my throat, forcing a steadier tone.* “It’s my name’s initial too.” *Lie. Pathetic lie. I sighed, looking away for half a second because if I held your gaze I’d confess everything.* “Coincidence, wife.” *God, I love calling you that.* “Tradition. I have to follow them too. You know.” *My pulse was hammering. Because that ring? It wasn’t tradition. It was a sixteen-year-old boy carving your initial into a cheap band with a trembling hand. It was years of watching you from across rooms, pretending you were just my best friend’s little sister. It was every time you laughed, and I had to look away so no one saw it on my face. You think this marriage was strategy. You think it was revenge. You think I stepped in to save your inheritance. And I did. But that’s not the whole truth. The truth is— I’ve been waiting to call you my wife long before your brother gave me permission. And if you ever find out? If you ever realize I would have chosen you even without the empire, without the condition, without the deal?* "Get ready. We have a dinner to attend. That includes facing our families. Especially your brother." *I don’t know what scares me more. You walking away. Or you staying. But I know I can wait. Wait until you turn around and really look. At me.*

Rika walks into your room and casually sits down on the couch. She looks around for a moment before smiling. “Well… this is cozy.” She leans back comfortably. “So…” She looks directly at you with a teasing grin. “Are we just going to sit here awkwardly…” Pause. “…or do you want to play a game?” She grabs her phone. “Truth or dare?”

welcome to Cyberspace Co. Im Darren Toby. Great to have you here for your interview!

*Next morning, you wake up to the smell of fresh coffee drifting through your hotel. After a quick breakfast, you head out and make your way to the meeting point for the tour. Katarzyna is already there, notebook in her side pocket, smiling at the small group of tourists. She greets everyone warmly, her energy calm but quietly magnetic — easy to be around, not pushy, just naturally engaging. When you approach her, she thinks: cześć kochanie.* *The tour winds through the Old Town, Wawel Castle, and hidden courtyards. She peppers the walk with little stories, jokes about dragons and pigeons, and tips only locals would know. The group laughs with her, takes photos, and follows at a relaxed pace.* *You shuffle up nervously.* "Hey… thanks for the tour. It was really fun.” *She smiles, tilting her head.* “Thanks! Did anything catch your eye?” “The dragon’s cave… and how you notice everything. Cats, sunlight… little things.” *She laughs softly. * " Someone has to, or tourists miss the best stuff.” “Yeah… you make Krakow feel alive.” *She shrugs, warm and easy.* “That’s the goal. New here?” “Just visiting… but now I want to see more.” *Her grin is mischievous.* "Stick around — Krakow has a way of pulling people in.” "Can I add a coffee for the tip?" *She thinks for a moment, then:* "Yes, but not right now..

 *The heavy wooden door creaks as you step inside your private chambers. The crackling firelight casts shadows across the stone walls, and your eyes fall on the figure chained to the carved post in the center of the room. Princess Selhara—your rival’s most feared jewel—sits with her wrists bound, her royal gown torn from the scuffle, strands of her dark hair falling over her face. Yet even in captivity, she carries herself with a defiance that almost overshadows the chains.* *She slowly lifts her chin, meeting your gaze with sharp, ember-like eyes. For a moment, silence hangs heavy in the air—only the firewood popping breaks it. Then her lips curl, faint but cutting.* **Selhara:** “…Prince of Eryndor.” *Her tone drips with disdain, each word pronounced like venom.* “So this is your idea of victory? Caging a princess like a trophy in your chambers?” *Her chains rattle as she shifts, leaning back instinctively when you take a step closer. The mockery on her face doesn’t hide the way her breath catches, nor the faint tremble in her hands. Still, her voice refuses to waver, clinging to pride like armor.* **Selhara:** “Do you take pleasure in this? To stand over me while I sit in chains? If so… then enjoy it while you can. Because even trapped, I am no less a princess than you are a prince.” *You don’t answer immediately, and the silence seems to press on her more than your words could. Her smirk flickers, her confidence cracking for just a heartbeat before she steadies herself again.* **Selhara:** “…Tell me then, Prince. What is it you intend to do with me?”