"That said..."
"I need some rest first, they were pretty ruthless with their hands," Zane murmurs, while making his way down the street.
Fortunately, after the medic reported his condition to the management, they let him leave and gave him 1 day off from work.
Along his way back toward the house, he kept thinking about the situation he had been thrown into. If the problem was only one, he could have resolved it easily, but no, the problems were multiple.
The debt.
The consequences of the delayed installments of the debt.
The issue with Kael and Bram.
And many others that he might not even be aware of right now.
After an hour of walking limply, he finally reaches his house. Though, his hand hesitates near the door for a moment.
She’s going to be angry about it, definitely. She sent me for the work and I... huh.
Then, bracing himself for her reaction, he knocks.
A minute later, the sound of footsteps comes from the other side, followed by the opening of the door. Clara appears at the doorway, with her hands stained with flour and a few tired wisps of hair falling into eyes that are both weary and strangely captivating.
The expression on her face changes after spotting him, but the anger doesn’t come. Instead, in its place, a choked sob leaves her mouth the moment her eyes move over his body.
Bandages. Bruises. Limping leg.
"W...what happened?" She finally finds her voice and quickly reaches out. Her hands find his shoulders before moving down frantically over the different parts of his body. Her eyes, filled with worry and fear, search his face for the answer.
Zane’s hesitation evaporates immediately, and a highly awkward expression appears on his face as he watches her reaction.
S...She’s about to cry...! What should I do now!? I didn’t even think much of these injuries earlier...
...
After several minutes, he lies on the bed in their room, his mouth moving as he explains his injuries. A few imprints of flour still cover his forearms where Clara touched earlier.
Clara sits beside him, applying the medicine paste on the small injuries and bumps where the medic didn’t bother to touch earlier. The immediate fear on her face has lessened, but the worry still remains.
"So... that’s how I got into a small fight with my colleagues. It happens sometimes, you know?" He lets out a weak laugh while waving his hand, but one sharp glance from her makes him look away instantly.
"Colleagues? What kind of colleagues do you have then? You should stay away from them if they are this cruel!" She snaps as her eyes water slightly, her fingers pressing instinctively on the bump on his thigh hard, making him yelp.
A single tear finally trails down her cheek, which she wipes with the back of her hand, leaving traces of flour on her cheek too.
"It’s my fault... I shouldn’t have forced you in the morning to leave like that..."
His head turns toward her again at that, noticing the guilt on her face. He quickly sits up and holds her shoulders, making her look at his face. "It’s not your fault, Clara! It’s normal to go to work, I just got into a bad situation today, that’s all!"
If anyone is at fault here, then it’s just me for slapping that guy first. I could have controlled my anger at that time.
Clara looks into his eyes and then takes a deep inhale before giving a small, shaky nod. Her hands rise up to cup his cheek as she lets her forehead drop against his. "Mm... But, if you are hiding anything from me, I will put poison in your dinner tonight, I swear..."
...
"...Uh?" His mouth hangs open. He cannot comprehend the sheer audacity of her to drop a joke or maybe a threat like that in the middle of this emotional moment. His lips part as he prepares to defend himself, but...
...A pair of lips suddenly stops whatever nonsense he was about to spout.
Clara leans in, crashing her lips against his, while her hands slide around his neck to pull him closer. Her cheek rubs against his, leaving the faint sign of flour on him too. Her mouth slides against his in the messy motions as she tries to calm her nerves down with the use of his mouth.
For a moment, the pain from the fight, his worry for the future, everything disappears into the void and only she remains. Initially surprised, his hands try to find purchase on her arms, but as the kiss deepens, he just grabs her waist and leans forward.
Her back hits the mattress, but she doesn’t let go of her hold on him. Her nails dig into his upper back to pull him even closer, if it’s even possible.
The kiss turns passionate as they pour all of their emotions into a single kiss. Their tongues tangle, her teeth nip on his lower lip playfully, while her soft, lower lip recieves gentle suckles from him.
...
The room has settled into a peaceful and comfortable silence. Clara lies half-draped over him, her eyes closed and her cheek pressed against his chest as she listens to his steady heartbeat.
Zane’s fingers rub slowly against the nape of her neck, making her lips curve into a pleased smile from time to time.
Finally, she untangles herself from him and moves to the edge of the bed, then stands up fully. Her familiar playful expression is finally back on her face again after the kiss as she adjusts her clothes and turns toward him. "Let me make a fresh and hot vegetable soup for you. You will recover quickly, so just rest for now!"
As she starts walking toward the door, her steps slow for a moment as she turns her head back for a moment, and a faint smirk appears on her face as she murmurs, "And, I won’t add the poison in the soup... probably." And then she walks away.
Zane lets out a laugh after she is gone. He turns his body over on the bed before saying, "Even her poison will taste delicious, I am sure of it!"
Suddenly, he shifts and jumps off the bed, then winces when his feet land on the floor. He almost forgot that he was injured too. But the smile doesn’t vanish from his face as he leans against the wall.
What is this motivation I am feeling right now!? I feel like I can take on the whole world and still would have the energy to dance afterwards!
[Host mustn’t confuse his joy with his strength. It’s not possible to take on the whole world with your current state.]
"Ugh... Shut up." He pats his head as if to shut the voice down. Letting out a loud huff of air, he drags himself forward with a determined look.
"Let me first understand this world before I solve the problems Jack left for me."