Chapter Text
The door shut behind them, leaving behind a loud, hollowed thud from the process. The noise echoed to the room, cutting through the tense silence between them, but only for a second.
Cale's eyes never left the other. He can feel the cold amethyst eyes staring down at him, but his stoic copper colored eyes looking back at him didn't back down, yet it didn't stop the fear and tension alerting his mind.
Cale took a deep breath to calm himself. He should've gotten drunk first before meeting him, knowing Vil would start questioning him about his interference to Epel's "diet" once Vil corners him (which is basically what's happening right now). Cale always forgot that this academy is full of walking time bomb, and Vil is no exemption. Vil can suffocate him with poison with just a snap of his gloved fingers.
Great, being reminded again that he's still not safe even in this new world makes him want to write a poem full of curses, all dedicated to God of Death.
Cale let out a sigh. Might as well get this over with before things get out of hand.
"Wha-"
"Wait." Vil stopped Cale with a raise of his hand.
Cale didn't want to admit it, but Vil's voice surprised him a little, most of all if Vil suddenly talked like that while he was about to say something, which is very rude.
Cale shut his mouth and crossed his arms with an eyebrow raised from Vil's way. Cale's usual blank expression changed to confusion with slight irritation, a change of expression that was noticed by Vil, almost making him let out a gasp for seeing a different experience from the usual stoic person, but one blink of his eyes and Cale's expression is back to his usual.
Vil decided that what he saw seconds ago is nothing but a vivid dream.
Cale watched Vil sigh and slowly walk forward in his way. The click of Vil's heels slowly becomes louder, piercing through his ears until it stops when distance between them shortened, enough to reach each other's hands and feel the caress of the other's breath.
Cale flinched when Vil took his hand with no warning or shame, as if they're close. He wants to remove the sudden hold but remembers that Vil can easily kill him, so he lets him be instead. Cale watches him turn his hand left and right with fascination written in his face.
"Your nails look nice." Vil said as he continued to observe Cale's hand. "Rook did a pretty good job at painting it."
"The color choice is neat. It matches your hair." Vil continued and let his hand go.
"But it made you look bland."
Cale blinked. "Excuse me?"
Vil lets out a hum and taps a finger underneath his chin as if he's deep in thought.
"Your clothes are not helping."
"But.." Cale looked down at his clothes "I'm wearing our school uniform."
"Excuses, excuses."
Cale almost feels a vein pop out from his head. He grinds his teeth instead to calm his nerves.
-...Behave...Cale….- Super Rock say after being so quiet for so long. His voice is very faint but still there.
It's better than nothing.
"It made you look like you're in your emo phase."
Emo phase??
Vil clicks his tongue. "Of course I had to word it out for you to understand." He murmurs with a dejected sigh.
Vil looked at him straight in his eyes. His violet eyes that look at him so cold not too long ago now hold a serious aura and determination from what he's about to say to Cale.
Which is...
"In short, you look ugly."
…a complete bullshit..
If you ask Cale on what type of person he hates dealing with besides the crybaby immature one's, it would be the fashionable type.
Cale doesn't hold hate nor grudge to those types of people, none at all! If you're the type of person to make yourself beautiful as your life long goal, then be his guest. He won't judge, most of all because he's someone who's life dream is to become a slacker. Cale just wonders why go so far to make yourself as beautiful as possible when you already look perfect to the way you are.
That and also on why drag others along the way? Because one moment he's from the Pomefiore dorms, the next thing he knew he's in a famous mall from the Land of Pyroxene now.
Well, at least he's not alone this time.
"This place looks pretty, nya!"
"Hmph! Not as pretty as our home from Roan!"
"Our dongsaeng is right nya!"
Cale continues to caress the top of Hong's head while he looks around the mall. The place is packed with people from all ages, as expected when school time is over. Cale tightens his hold from Hong and On hands so they won't stray far away from him and get lost. Cale didn't have to hold Raon when he's already clinging behind his head and shoulder, invisible.
A large paw tapped behind his head. "Human! Where are we?"
"We're in a mall."
"What's a mall?" Hong asks with a tilt of his head to one side, looking up at him with his wide, curious golden eyes.
"It's a shopping area that features a variety of shops." Cale simple explanation.
Hong scratched a finger underneath his chin with his free hand. "Then... aren't they the same as the market from Roan?"
Cale lets out a hum. Hong is technically not wrong about that.
"True, but the mall is more refined, looks like it's catered for rich and middle class people and has a higher security than the market from Roan."
Cale heard the children averaging nine-years-old let out a simultaneous drawl out "oh" as if they now understood what he meant.
"Human! Let's ask the Crown Prince and human father to build one once we come back!" Raon said while tapping the top of his head softly but a little too fast.
"Good idea nya!" Hong immediate agreement.
On nods at her brother. "It'll help the merchants feel more safe." She continues and looks at him, Hong and Raon did the same.
Cale sighed. He can feel three puppy eyes directed to his.
"Once we come back home, we'll ask them."
Cale heard them let out a loud chorus of "yay!", but he ignored their excited chattering in favour of finding the familiar shoulder-length blonde hair with lavender highlights who dragged him here but immediately left him alone to answer a call.
Good thing Cale had a goal in mind while looking around or he might notice people looking, cooing, and some are even crying and taking pictures from the adorable scene they're seeing in his way.
Who wouldn't be blinded from the adorable scene when a very handsome young man is being gobbled up from the excitement and happiness of two adorable children (and a dragon).
What a pure scene for the people who manage to witness.
"Sorry for the wait."
Cale sighs and turns his head to face the familiar voice. The way Vil walks to their way really shows he's a famous person. Vil even managed to make the school's uniform look like the latest fashion trend, no wonder he always makes people stop what they're doing and must look at his way without putting effort.
Speaking of being eye-catching….
'Aigoo ….the attention they're getting.'
Cale can feel eyes drilling down behind his head, making him let go of his hold from On's hand to rub the goosebumps rising from his other arm. He shouldn't be this surprised, it's expected to get this much stares when the famous actor is standing in front of him.
Cale observed Vil who's now busy fixing his jacket. Cale really can't blame people for staring too much at Vil. He is pretty. He's on par to Choi Han and Beacrox, but it will never be enough to slap Eruhaben in the face. In fact, his beauty may not even be able to push Eruhaben at all, it'll only feel like Eruhaben is being pushed by a malnourished kitten.
On noticing Cale's discomfort and his usual observing pretty people either up close or far away decided to pat his side, both as a comfort and a way to get his attention back to reality.
Cale shook his head when he felt a tap on his hip and faced Vil again as if he didn't stare at him minutes ago.
Vil raised an eyebrow. "I didn't remember bringing children from our trip?" He continued while looking at three children who looked back at him with a glare.
"We followed him of course!" Hong replied at Vil and crossed his arms.
Vil sighed. "How did the mirror take you when I showed the waiver?"
In order to travel outside from the mirror, one must show a waiver, officially signed by the Headmaster, as proof that you got the permission to go outside. So being able to remove their presence that they slipped through even from the mirror's radar implies that the school's security system is shit.
The children looked at one another for a moment before smiling innocently in his way.
"We politely ask the mirror!" Raon's simple response.
"And you can't take us back there because we said so, you're not the boss of us nya!" Hong said with a smile.
"My little brothers are right!" On chime in with a proud look.
Vil looks at the two kittens who're in their human form and the voice of where the invisible dragon is. Vil's pretty face that always looks so calm now scrunched up into a frown as if he wants to say something to the children but decided to shut his mouth instead. Watching the children talking back to the third year student who's usually known for being sassy like a stereotype mean girl is funny to watch, makes Cale feel so proud for his children he's proud raising.
"How did you even find him?"
"I secretly poured a tracking spell from human's drink when he was not looking! It's the one Fluffy Coat Crewel taught from alchemy class" Raon explained with a flutter of his wings as if he was proud of what he learned and used the knowledge for.
Vil's frown now morphed into slight horror. Cale can feel Vil's side-eyed pointed look directed to him as if to tell the children about boundaries. Whatever it is, he only gave Vil a shrug of his shoulder as a response.
It's too late for that anyway.
Vil composed himself by taking a deep breath.
"Enough. Let's just go." Vil said and starts walking. Cale and the children averaging nine-years-old silently followed behind him.
"Hey you!"
"I had a name."
Raon ignored Vil's snark response. "Our human is already beautiful!"
Cale heard Vil let out a scoff. "Your guardian looks like your grandpa."
"But…Goldie gramps is also beautiful."
"Much more in fact." On casually added in a murmur but still loud enough for Vil to hear.
Vil immediately stopped walking and slowly turned to face Cale with sheer horror as if he looked offended by the children's remark that there's someone out there much more beautiful than him.
"Oh Seven. Your grandpa had a better fashion sense than you?"
Nevermind, Vil wasn't offended at all. In fact, Cale should be the one feeling offended here.
Also for his information, Cale is already beautiful! And the people barking on the streets whenever he passes by are proof of it.
(To be honest, Cale still doesn't understand why people are barking at him. Yuu explained to him- while wheezing, he wondered if they're okay that time -that it's a new latest trend on how people express their praises and compliments. Cale didn't understand why you had to bark just to compliment someone. Can they say the compliment normally and straight up? That's easier than barking which wastes saliva more. Then again, people do have a hard time forming words that can be considered as something positive and not something a creep would say.
But, doesn't barking show that the person it's directed to is hostile? It's okay if it's a beastman who does that (maybe? Cale didn't want to look biased here but he really didn't know anymore), but he encountered a lot of people who are not beastman barking at him like hyenas. Cale concluded that it's probably a new "gen z culture", so he'll ignore it and let them be for peace of mind.)
Cale clicks his tongue. "Can we just go? We're making a scene here."
"Welcome!"
Cale slowly walked inside of the shop with the children in tow. Cale lets Vil talk to the employee since he's the one who guide them here and instead look at the children averaging nine-years-old to gauge at their shock yet amazed reaction.
"So many clothes nya!"
"The place is bright too!"
"Like gold nya!"
Cale watched On and Hong slowly walk away at him to gauge at the place, only to immediately run back from his side.
He sighs and gently pushes them forward. "Go take a look around and bring me the stuff you want to buy, don't worry about the price."
"But-"
"Don't worry." Cale said and slowly leaned on On and Hong to say the rest of his words in a whisper.
"Vil will be the one who'll pay for us."
Cale lips curled up into a smirk. This is the reason as to why he agreed to let Vil choose his clothes, because Vil will be the one who'll pay for the expenses.
On and Hong slowly mirrored his smile when they heard his whisper. They nod at him and run straight at the items the shop is selling.
"Human! Are we going to scam someone?"
Cale didn't answer the black dragon's question. Instead, he tap Raon's back who's still leaning behind him.
"Go look around too."
"Okay! I'll make sure to bring the most expensive item to you!" Are Raon's last words before the weight from his shoulder disappears.
Cale sighs at ease from the lack of weight from his shoulder. He lazily stretches one of his shoulders to pop some knots and check Vil who's just in time finished talking to the staff and face him.
"I'll let you choose first, so I'll know the type of clothes you're after." Vil said and crossed his arms.
Cale huffed, might as well go for it since he's not paying. Cale walked straight to the rack near to him and grabbed the first shirt he saw.
"This."
"Too simple."
"That?"
"Too fancy."
"What about this?"
"Are you going back to the Victorian era or something?"
Cale, too tired to say more 'this' and 'that' to the clothes, wordlessly pulled out another shirt from the rack.
"You look like you're taking your wife to the Chili's tonight."
"....but…" Cale slowly lowered the shirt he pulled out "...I don't have a wife?"
Vil turned to face the rack instead, not elaborating his words. It made his words look ominous that started to scare Cale.
Did he sign something suspicious? Sure some people give him papers that require his signature. Mostly from the crown prince and there's one time from his father (it's something about rejecting an offer to build something-something in their territory. He should've read more of what the contract is all about, but in his defense, Clopeh made that contract, and he did not want to know what that bastard is on to this time), but he's always strict about giving it away! Because someone might forge and use it.
(There are instances where someone would reveal themself and declare that they're married to Cale and show a marriage certificate with the exact copy, of his signature, that he didn't remember signing, in it. Ever since that day, he became strict giving it away to avoid experiencing five stages of grief and almost witnessing a murder scene in front of him.)
Cale closed his eyes and used his Record ability to rewind the days he spent here to make sure. He saw most of the papers he signed are waivers to let Yuu go outside of the campus, but other than that, none. He decided to think about this more later once he's back at the dorms.
"I've seen enough now." Vil voice pulled Cale out of his thoughts.
Cale watched Vil pulled a white long sleeve button up shirt and look back at him with a stoic stare that matches his.
"Wait for me at the fitting room and try what I'll bring to you later."
"I told you to fix the sleeves properly once you wore the shirt." Vil said with a sigh.
Cale let grab his arm to fix the sleeves because he's busy looking at himself in the mirror.
The deep purple long sleeve shirt compliments his slim posture. The shirt is straightened and tucked in under the high waisted black pants, hugging the lower part of his body. If Cale turns his body a little, he'll see the tiny back slit in the shape of a diamond placed on top of his back.
A silk object wrapping itself from his neck broke his thoughts. Cale looked at Vil with an raised eyebrow but got ignored because Vil is still concentrating on tying a black and white striped ribbon from his collar without his permission, so he decided to let him be.
"There." Vil lightly taps his chest. His action made the light purple pendant attached to the ribbon let out a glare of light, all thanks to the bright lighting from the ceiling
Vil takes a step back, his violet never left to his.
Cale heard him whistle. "Not bad." Vil said with a hum.
Cale moves his body around to feel the fabric run through his pale skin.
Cale frowned. "Why does the pants feel like its hugging me too tight?"
"To show off your assets."
"....Excuse me?"
"To look perfect, you also have to show what others call 'assets'." Vil simply said. He took a step forward and lightly grabbed Cale's chin and turned him left and right.
"Your face is one of your best assets, so you need to step up your game in order to defeat me."
"I'm not even trying to fight you-"
"So I decided to help you show off more of your look, and color me surprised that you had other good assets with you besides your face."
Vil looked him straight in the eyes.
"Your thighs." He adds with a serious tone.
Cale can only blink rapidly from the entire thing he said. Speechless with his heart and mind saying one thing in common.
What the fuck?
Cale shook his head and decided to bury all about that for his future self to deal with later. Instead, he brought his attention back to Vil who put a gloved finger under his chin while looking at him, deep in thought.
"Anyway, if you let me put you on a corset, then you would've looked more great-"
"Not a chance." Cale's immediate reply with a shudder, as if he remembered a scary memory which he did and it involves Rosalyn and Ron.
"High waisted jeans it is then." Vil said with a shrug of his shoulder and looked at the pile of the approved clothes from his side.
"I think this is enough. Go change now so we can add that to the cart."
Cale lets out a sigh in relief. Who wouldn't know that playing dress up for hours, most of all if with Vil, could be so exhausting. He lazily stretches both of his hands above his head, creating a small arc of his chest and waist in the progress. He turned his way back to the fitting room.
"Oh human! You look good!" Raon's voice echoed between them, stopping him from entering the fitting room and paying attention first to the dragon (in case he needed something from him).
Raon canceled his invisibility spell when he noticed it's just the two of them in the fitting room. Showing his majestic appearance at the two unbothered kings who didn't even bother fuss about his decision of revealing himself open.
That's because the so-called "unbothered kings" are focused on the item he's holding.
"What's that?" Cale asked and points at the object.
"Oh! I brought the most expensive item they had for you. I heard it's the latest design, here!" Raon gave the item to Cale.
Cale straightens the item to reveal its a wine coloured turtleneck with slits both from front and back.
Cale blankly stared at the shirt for a moment, mind processing both the shirt and what Raon said.
'Most expensive item…...for you..'
Shit.
Cale immediately pushed the shirt back from Raon's paws and was supposed to tell him to return it to where it belonged when Vil's mouth beat him to it.
"Try it now!"
Thus, another round of acting as Vil's Barbie doll commenced.
"The cashier said our order will take 30 minutes to serve." Vil said and took a seat in front of him.
Cale only hums in reply. He can hear Vil checking their shopping bags but decided to focus on petting On and Hong, who are both now in their cat forms, instead. Both are now in his lap, taking a nap after the exhausting walk around the mall. He can feel their purrs vibrating under his palm as he continues petting and also Raon's weight back behind his shoulder.
After the whole fiasco at the shop, they continue their journey to look around and buy more (using Vil's credit card) before deciding to take a rest at the café named "Moriartea" inside the mall.
A sigh in front of him caught Cale's attention, making him slowly look up and face Vil who had one hand placed underneath his chin while the other was on the dark oak wood table in front of them, separating him from the other.
"Since we'll have to wait for our order…"
Vil gently tilts his head to one side. His stoic, slanted eyes staring straight to his.
"Why don't we continue our talk? Shall we?"