(Rose Mira's PoV)
For three days, Rose Mira had been living in a state of profound, terrifying cognitive dissonance.
She had tried everything to reassert her identity. She had read textbooks, she had practiced her breathing exercises, she had even tried to convince herself that the kiss in the bathroom had been a collective hallucination brought on by bad whiskey and poor lighting. But her body refused to cooperate with the lie.
Every time she closed her eyes, she felt the ghost of Cassius's hands on her ass. Every time she heard a door close too loudly, her pulse spiked. She wasn't a lustful person she was the kind of girl who blushed when a boy accidentally touched her elbow but her body had apparently decided to undergo a spontaneous, aggressive awakening.
It was a mistake, she told herself fiercely while staring at her salad in the cafeteria. A drunken, stupid, momentary lapse in judgment. He was drunk. I was confused. It was a one night accident that lasted approximately ninety seconds. That's it. That's the whole story.
But then there was the problem of the present moment.
The problem was that Cassius wasn't keeping his distance. In fact, he was doing the exact opposite. Instead of sitting across from them like the third wheel he usually played, he had claimed the seat directly beside her. His shoulder was pressed against hers, a warm, solid presence that made every nerve ending in her left side scream in recognition.
Why? Why? Why? Why? Rose repeated in the private cathedral of her mind as Jin talked.
"So anyway," Jin said, waving a fork around animatedly, "the instructor said my Fire mana output increased by three percent this week. Pretty decent, right?"
Rose blinked, forcing her face into her customary, cheerful smile. "That's amazing, Jin! You're working so hard."
I have no idea what you just said, she thought frantically. I am literally three seconds away from having a nervous breakdown, but yes, three percent is very impressive, dear.
"You're not really listening, are you?" Jin asked with a fond laugh.
"Of course I am!" Rose squeaked, her voice an octave higher than intended.
"She's listening, Jin, she's just... processing deeply," Cassius interjected smoothly. His voice was casual, almost cheerful. He sounded completely normal. Completely unbothered.
Except his hand wasn't normal.
Underneath the table, hidden by the heavy tablecloth, Rose felt something warm and firm slide between her thighs. Her breath hitched.
No. No, no, no. Not here. Not in front of Jin.
Cassius's fingers found the hem of her skirt. His touch was light barely there but it was deliberate. He grazed the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, moving upward with agonizing slowness.
"Anyway," Cassius continued, leaning toward Jin as if engaged in a serious tactical discussion, "I think we should focus more on Earth mana control next week. The defensive barriers need work."
"Yeah, probably," Jin agreed, nodding seriously. "Earth is tricky."
Rose felt like she was vibrating out of her skin. Her face was a mask of pleasant interest, but beneath the table, her leg was shaking so hard she feared she might vibrate right off the chair.
Cassius, stop it! He's right there! He's literally two feet away discussing earth mana!
But Cassius didn't stop. His fingers pressed higher, finding the damp heat that had been waiting for him since the bathroom. He began to stroke her through the thin fabric of her underwear, a slow, rhythmic motion that made Rose's vision blur.
"You okay, Rose?" Jin asked, noticing her sudden stillness. "You're looking a little flushed."
"Just... the soup!" Rose blurted out, her voice cracking. "It's... it's very hot today. The cafeteria temperature is... elevated."
"Is it?" Jin asked, genuinely confused. "I feel fine."
Cassius let out a quiet laugh. "Maybe it's just the excitement of the new week, Jin. You know how Rose gets when things get intense."
His fingers hooked into the edge of her panties, applying just enough pressure to make her whimper. The sound was muffled by her own forced swallow, but to Rose, it sounded like a gunshot in the quiet cafeteria.
He's doing it on purpose, she realized with a wave of horrified arousal. He's doing this while talking to Jin about barriers and mana. He's a monster. A beautiful, terrifying, absolutely insane monster.
And the worst part the part that made her want to scream and cry at the same time was that as his fingers moved against her clit, her hips instinctively tilted upward to meet him.
I hate this, she thought desperately, even as her hips rolled against his hand. I hate this so much. Please don't stop.
"You know, man..." Jin said suddenly, turning to Cassius with a genuine, sunny grin. "You look better these days. Like, actually better. Is there good news?"
Rose froze. Her entire body turned into a statue. Her heart wasn't just beating; it was trying to escape through her throat.
Cassius didn't miss a beat. Beneath the table, his index finger pressed harder against Rose's clit, applying a precise, punishing pressure that made her vision spark with white light.
"Better?" Cassius asked innocently, tilting his head as if confused by the question.
Jin scratched his chin, studying his friend. "Yeah, like... you're smiling more. Talking more cheerfully. Like when we were kids, before everything got all complicated."
Cassius's smile widened, becoming something dangerously pleased. His other hand joined the first, two fingers now working through the soaked fabric of Rose's underwear. He began a steady, relentless scratching motion against her swollen folds.
Shlick. Shlick. Shlick.
"Ah... well, let's just say I've decided to start doing my own thing," Cassius said smoothly. His eyes flickered to Rose for a fraction of a second a deliberate, wicked wink that screamed I am claiming my prize.
"I don't know what that means, but I'm happy for you, buddy!" Jin beamed, completely oblivious to the fact that his best friend was currently performing a violation of sacred trust three inches from his elbow. "Isn't that wonderful, Rose? Cassius is finally finding his own path!"
Jin turned to her, his smile bright enough to rival the sun.
Rose felt like she was dying. Her brain was a static filled radio station. Her body was a live wire.
"Y yeah!" Rose stammered, her voice cracking like breaking glass. "W wonderful! So... so great for him! Congratulations, Cassius! Really! Truly!"
I am going to vomit, Rose thought, her fingers gripping her fork so hard she feared it would snap. I am going to vomit, then I am going to die, then I am going to haunt them both as a vengeful spirit. Oh god, his fingers they're so fast they're so warm
"......Hm........" she managed to moan out when Cassius dragged his nails across her most sensitive spot. She immediately covered it with a cough. "Excuse me. Just... a bit of throat irritation."
"You should drink more water, Rose," Jin said earnestly. "You're always forgetting to stay hydrated."
"Right. Water. Yes. Hydration is key," Rose squeaked, while beneath the table, Cassius was wreaking absolute havoc.
"Anyway," Cassius continued, leaning back and looking casual while his fingers worked Rose into a state of near delirium, "this personal project is taking up most of my time. It requires a lot of... hands on research and dedication."
Research?! Rose thought, her eyes watering. Is that what we're calling it now? This is research?!
"What kind of project?" Jin asked, leaning in, genuinely curious.
"Oh, you know, private endeavors," Cassius said vaguely, his thumb finding the center of her clit and applying a circular pressure that made Rose's toes curl inside her shoes. "It's about understanding what makes people truly happy. Finding what really matters."
"That sounds deep, Cassius," Jin said, sounding impressed. "Very noble of you."
"Very noble," Rose echoed, her voice strained as Cassius increased the speed of his fingers.
......Nnhh........
She bit her lip so hard she tasted copper. Her hips gave an involuntary twitch upward, seeking more of that devastating friction. She felt like she was being torn apart between two worlds: the wholesome, sunny world of Jin's conversation, and the wet, filthy, terrifying world Cassius was creating beneath the table.
Cassius, you bastard, she thought even as she leaned closer to him, seeking more of his heat. You absolute, shameless, wonderful bastard.
And then, as abruptly as the torment had begun, Cassius withdrew.
His fingers slid out from between her thighs with a wet, sucking sound that seemed to echo in Rose's entire soul. The sudden absence of pressure felt like a physical wound. Her body, which had been coiled tight like a spring, suddenly went slack, and a small, involuntary sound of disappointment a pathetic, broken "Ah..." escaped her lips before she could clamp her mouth shut.
No. No no no no no. Why did he stop? Why does it feel like I've been robbed?! Rose's mind screamed in protest even as her hips gave a desperate, unconscious twitch upward, searching for the contact that was gone.
But Cassius wasn't done.
He didn't retreat to his own side of the table. Instead, he lifted his hand, bringing his fingers up to his face. Rose watched, paralyzed, as he deliberately licked them clean, his tongue dragging across each fingertip with slow, obscene deliberation. He didn't look away from her. He kept his gaze locked onto her pink eyes the entire time, savoring the taste of her as if she had personally served him a gourmet meal.
Oh my god. Oh my god. He just he just
Rose felt the heat rush to her face with such force she thought her skin might actually ignite. Her cheeks burned crimson, her ears felt like they were on fire, and her entire face became a mask of mortified, flustered shock. She wanted to hide under the table, to vanish into the floorboards, to dissolve into a puddle of shame.
He licked them. He actually licked them. Right in front of Jin. Right in front of everyone. He's insane. He's a complete and utter maniac.
And yet, beneath the horror, there was that traitorous, humiliating spark of arousal. The way he had looked at her while doing it so confident, so possessive made her stomach flip in a way that made her want to both scream and beg for more.
Then, as if he hadn't just performed a public act of debauchery, Cassius simply lowered his hand, picked up his fork, and returned to his meal. His entire demeanor shifted back to that of the cheerful, easygoing childhood friend.
"So anyway," Cassius said, stabbing a piece of meat as if nothing had happened, "about that Earth mana training Jin was talking about "
"Yeah, exactly!" Jin chimed in, completely oblivious, continuing the conversation as though the last five minutes had been nothing more than ordinary lunchtime chatter. "The instructor said if I can stabilize the output, I might be able to "
"You'll be able to clear Grade C Gates with ease," Cassius finished for him, grinning brightly at Jin. "Just don't get cocky and try to show off."
"I won't, I won't," Jin laughed.
Rose sat there, frozen, her fork trembling in her hand. She stared at her salad as if it contained the secrets of the universe, her breath still coming in shallow, uneven gasps. She couldn't speak. She couldn't even look at them. She could only sit there, burning, humiliated, and secretly, devastatingly aware of how wet she still felt beneath the table.
This is not normal, she thought desperately, her eyes stinging with tears of pure sensory overload. This is not how friendships work. This is not how people behave. But why... why does it feel like this is the first time anyone has ever actually seen me?