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Dan Heng and March 7th just stopped on a new planet. They're here to seal the stellaron. It's still a speculation; it was Himeko who concluded that there's a stellaron on this planet that's why Dan Heng and March 7th stopped here to investigate, and of course, seal the stellaron.
Dan Heng and March 7th were following what seemed like a Fragmentum when they encountered monsters that reside on this planet.
“March, prepare for battle.” Dan Heng warned March 7th, in which March just winked for an answer.
Dan Heng just sighed and shook his head at how carefree March 7th is.
They're faced with five monsters. Dan Heng plans to fight the three who are twice his height and leave March with the other two, although he would prefer it if March would just stand back and he'll fight the five monsters by himself. He actually hates it whenever they are left with no choice but for March to fight. It's not that he doesn't believe in her ability or thinks she's weak. He just really hates it when she has to fight and endanger her life. He makes her fucking worry.
"March!" Dan Heng shouted when he turned around and saw that March 7th was about to be blown away by the monster's fire ability. Dan Heng was about to run as fast as he could towards her when a stranger pulled March 7th and was the one who finished off the monster.
"Oh my God! Thank you! If it's not for you, I would have died by now!" March laughed while thanking the blue haired stranger.
The stranger laughed. "You won't die with that blow because he was already weak because of you. But you would have been badly injured."
"Even so! Still, thank you! I owe you one!" March said, beaming.
"March…" Dan Heng said and went to her. He held her cheeks and examined her face and body. Dan Heng even caressed her arms. "Are you okay? Were you hurt?"
March 7th laughed awkwardly, blushing because of how close they are in front of a stranger. She cleared her throat and nodded her head. "Yep. I'm fine! Thanks to… uhm, what's your name?" March faced the stranger who saved her.
"Emmanuel." the stranger smiled, showing his perfect teeth.
"Oh! Hi, Emmanuel! I'm March 7th and this is Dan Heng." March 7th offered her right hand for a handshake but was caught off guard when, instead of shaking her hand, Emmanuel kissed the back of her hand.
Dan Heng's brows furrowed. He took a step forward and pulled March behind him, trying to shield her. With a swift move, he pointed his Cloud-Piercer on Emmanuel's throat.
"Back off."
"Woah!" March 7th gasped. "Hey! Dan Heng! What are you doing?!" March hurriedly went in the middle and pushed aside Dan Heng's spear. She faced Emmanuel with an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry. He's just… uhm, protective."
Emmanuel smirked. "It's okay."
"Are you hurt somewhere?" March asked while touching his neck.
Emmanuel chuckled. "I'm fine, March. A beautiful woman like you shouldn't worry about me."
Dan Heng snickered with Emmanuel's remark. He suddenly got the urge to point his spear at him again.
March glared at Dan Heng. "Say sorry."
"What?"
"Say sorry. He saved me yet you pointed your weapon at him. Go."
"It's fine, March." Emmanuel said with an irritating smile on his lips.
Dan Heng just stared at March, not budging.
"Say sorry or I'll be very mad." March warned.
Dan Heng sighed and cleared his throat. Not fair, he thought. "Fine. Sorry."
"What kind of apology is that? Say it properly."
Dan Heng sighed heavily. Why does he need to apologize? The man looks suspicious with his irritating smirk and gaze towards March. "I'm sorry… Emmanuel."
"It's really fine." Emmanuel smirked.
"Okay." Dan Heng said and shrugged his shoulders. "Let's go, March."
"What? Wait!" March removed Dan Heng's hold on her wrist and went in front of Emmanuel.
"Thanks again. How about we treat you to lunch tomorrow?"
Dan Heng grunted. He looked at Emmanuel and tried to glare at him, in hopes that he would get scared and decline.
"Sure. That would be my pleasure." The asshole fucking agreed.
March 7th beamed. "Let's meet at the café in the capital! The one with dogs!"
"Sure, beautiful." Emmanuel answered, making Dan Heng irritated again. "Anyway, I need to go. I have some business matters to do."
"Okay, take care, Emmanuel! And thank you again!"
"You're welcome, March. See you tomorrow."
Dan Heng wanted to roll his eyes but stopped himself.
"Why are you so rude towards him? He saved me!" March 7th said as soon as Emmanuel left.
"He looked suspicious." Dan Heng answered.
"That's it? That's rude! Like I said, he saved me! You should have been kinder in approaching him."
"Okay. Sorry." Dan Heng mumbled.
"Be in your best behavior tomorrow, okay?"
Dan Heng grunted. "What am I? A kid? You're the childish one between the two of us."
"Hah! Me? Am I the one who pointed his weapon towards someone who just saved his friend?" March said sarcastically.
Dan Heng sighed. "Fine. I will."
"Good."
In the morning, as they were about to go to the capital, they encountered some bandits.
"Ugh! Again?!" March cried. They've been encountering bandits since they set foot on this planet.
Dan Heng prepared himself for a fight and stood in front of March in a defensive stance.
He was about to launch his spear when someone jumped in front of them and fought the bandits head on.
"Good thing I had some business on the second floor of this building." the familiar man said after fighting the bandits on his own. (It was easy to fight the three bandits, Dan Heng could have finished them within seconds only if he didn't interfere, Dan Heng thought.)
"Emmanuel!" March 7th beamed. "You saved us again!"
Dan Heng wanted to roll his eyes. Saved? He could finish them within seconds. Those bandits were weak.
"Of course. I won't let a beautiful woman like you fight those." He smirked and took March 7th's hand and kissed it.
Dan Heng fought the urge to attack him. Why does he always fucking kiss her hand? Who does he think he is?!
March 7th laughed awkwardly and pulled her hand away. "Uhm, let's go to the café?"
While eating, Dan Heng was the only one who was silent. March 7th and the annoying bastard who kept on smirking and saying flirtatious remarks towards March were the only talking.
He hates what he's seeing. He hates that this asshole makes her laugh and makes her eyes shine.
Despite her ability to use ice, for Dan Heng, March 7th is the personification of the sun—of everything bright and warm. Her smiles always reaches her eyes, her eyes always shine as if the stars reside there; she's always bright in his eyes.
And he hates how that brightness is being seen by an asshole like Emmanuel. He hates it.
And no, don't fucking ask him why. Because he doesn't have a fucking answer for that.
He doesn't know why he hated it when he saved March, when in fact, he should be grateful. The man saved March from danger… Dan Heng should be grateful… he should be… but he can't. He wants to be the one who will always save March 7th and he hated how selfish that sounds.
Fear crept his chest when a thought flashed in his mind on what's the possible reason for his selfishness.
No way…
***
"Okay. What's your problem?" March 7th snapped and asked Dan Heng.
They just finished sealing the stellaron and was about to go to their respective hotel rooms. But March can't take Dan Heng's silence any longer. And he's also avoiding her! He's been like this for a week now. She can't think of any reason aside from that maybe he hates Emmanuel? But she can't think of any reason why!
Emmanuel saved them and he even helped them into sealing the stellaron. He was also fun to be with. So she really can't understand him.
"What?" Dan Heng asked nonchalantly.
"Don't what me, Dan Heng! You've been silent for the past days! I mean, yeah, you've always been silent. But not this silent, you know! Also, you've been avoiding me!"
"So what's your problem? Tell me! I hate how you're avoiding me! Did I do something wrong?"
"You did not do something wrong, March. And I'm not avoiding you. I don't know what you're talking about, really."
"Oh, shut up!" March snapped. "What's wrong?"
Dan Heng opened his door and sighed. "I said, nothing."
March 7th followed him inside and sat on his bed. "No, seriously. Dan Heng, what's wrong? I can't enjoy my stay here when you're being like this."
Dan Heng stiffened with March 7th's somber voice.
March bowed her head and played with her fingers. "I've been wanting to spend some time with you, but you always have reasons and did your best to avoid me." March pouted. "We only had a few pictures since we went here!"
Dan Heng averted his gaze. "I thought you wanted to spend your time with that… man."
"Huh?"
"With Emmanuel. You were always laughing and smiling with him so I thought you'd want to spend some alone time with him." Dan Heng scoffed with what he said.
"Why would I?! I only spent time with him because you were always avoiding me!"
"What? I thought you like him?" Dan Heng asked, confused.
"It's true! Whenever I try to have some time with you, you always refuse! And Emmanuel is always free, so I don't have a choice but to spend time with him." March 7th pouted. "And what do you mean like? Are you dumb? How could I like someone I've just met?!"
Dan Heng sat next to March and chuckled.
"What are you laughing at?!" March asked, confused.
Dan Heng sighed and rested his head on March's shoulder blades.
"Uhm… Dan Heng?"
"Let me be. Just for a while." He mumbled against her skin, tickling her.
"O-Okay…"
Dan Heng heaved a deep sigh of relief.
The truth is… he's been bothered with March 7th closeness with that guy.
Also… he kinda figured out his feelings. Yeah. That kind of feeling. The reason why he's so selfish of March. The reason why he hated Emmanuel saving March. The reason why he hated March spending time with that man.
He figured it out. And… he actually doesn't know how to act on it.
He vowed to always protect March 7th. At first, it was out of duty… and a little bit of pity. They found March who was slumbered in an eternal ice and when she woke up, she didn't have a recollection of her past, her identity, and her life.
That's why he was always protective of her.
And that's the only thing he's good at when it comes to her.
Protecting her.
He doesn't know how to act on this feeling. Besides, March might not like him the way he likes her.
So maybe, he'll just keep this to himself for a while.
"March, you know that I will always protect you, right?"
March, despite being confused with his out of the blue question, nodded. "Yes. I know. And I will try my best to protect you, too. You're my best friend."
Dan Heng smiled against March's skin.
Okay. That's enough for now. Baby steps, Dan Heng.
"Let's go out and take some pictures tomorrow. Just the two of us." Dan Heng said.
"Really?!" March moved away from him and cupped his cheeks to ask if he's really serious.
Dan Heng gave her a small smile. "Yeah."
"Yay! I can't wait!"
Dan Heng smiled while looking at March as she began to talk about the place she wants to go to. Her eyes are sparkling.
Ah… I really do like her.