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The streets of Lumina Square are as busy as ever–bright lights, loud voices, and the constant hum of music coming from nearby shops. The air smells faintly of rain on pavement–the kind of crisp city smell that never fades.
Wise and Lighter walk side by side, weaving through the flow of people.
“-and then the guy swung so hard, he spun himself around,” Lighter says, half-laughing at his own story. “One punch to the jaw, boom. Done.”
Wise hums. “Did you actually knock him out, or did he just get dizzy?”
Lighter scoffs, tipping his sunglasses down just enough to shoot Wise an unimpressed look. “What do you think?”
“I think you’re avoiding the question,” Wise replies, smirking.
Lighter pushes his shades back up, shrugging. “Does it matter? A win’s a win.”
Wise chuckles lightly, shaking his head. “Guess you’re the expert here.”
Lighter grins, his teeth flashing in the city glow. “You wound me, Wise. Here I am, sharing with you, and you hit me with that attitude? Unreal.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Wise waves a hand dismissively before casually adding, “You’re stupid.”
Normally, Lighter would shoot something back–call him jealous, or boring, or objectively incorrect.
But this time, he doesn’t. The conversation dies mid-step. Lighter continues walking, but he’s gone quiet, his expression slipping into something unreadable.
Wise glances at him, one brow raised. “Lighter? You good?”
Lighter doesn’t answer. The sounds of Lumina Square stretches between them.
And then, just when Wise starts to think he might’ve actually offended him, Lighter suddenly jerks to a halt and grabs him by the wrist. Before Wise can react, Lighter yanks him into a nearby alley, the sharp tug on his arm enough to make him stumble.
He steps in front of him, blocking the exit, his arm pressed against the wall beside Wise’s head, trapping him.
Wise blinks, taken aback. “Hey, what the hell? What’s-” He cuts himself off, confusion clear in his voice. This is a side of Lighter he hasn’t seen. Gone is his usual cocky grin, instead replaced by something colder. More serious.
Lighter stares at him for a moment. His voice drops down lower, quieter. “Give me three compliments.”
The words catch Wise off guard, his brow furrowing as he processes them. “What? Lighter, c’mon, let’s go.”
Lighter leans a fraction closer, his eyes narrowing slightly behind his sunglasses. “Three compliments. Right now. Or I’ll be stuck thinking you don’t really like me.”
Wise tilts his head. “I’m supposed to compliment you? After you dragged me into some random alley like this? Are you serious?”
Lighter nods once, firm and unyielding. “Dead serious.”
Wise exhales, eyes flicking to the side as if searching for some kind of escape–not from Lighter’s arm blocking the way, but from the pressure of the moment pressing down on him. He shifts uncomfortably.
“Fine.” Wise mutters, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh… you’re good at what you do.”
Lighter tsks. “Gotta be more specific than that, buddy.”
Wise sighs. “Your Hollow work. You’re fast and strong. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you hesitate, even when things get messy.” His words are reluctant. There’s no playfulness behind those words.
“Alright,” Lighter says, his voice softer. “That’s one.”
Wise hesitates before speaking again, shifting his weight. He wasn’t expecting this conversation tonight, let alone being pressed for genuine words.
“Your bike,” he says finally. “Riding with you at night… it’s nice.”
Lighter raises an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“Coasting through the Outer Ring,” Wise continues, his voice quieter now. “Just the wind and the road.” He glances at Lighter, then adds, “It’s different when it’s with you.”
Lighter’s grip against the wall eases slightly. He doesn’t respond right away, just watches Wise, unreadable behind his shades.
“That’s two,” he says after a beat.
Just one more.
Wise shifts under Lighter’s gaze, exhaling softly, before finally, “Your eyes.”
Lighter stills.
Wise hesitates before continuing. “Even if you never take those sunglasses off… I don’t know. They suit you. They’re… nice.”
Lighter just stares at him for a few more moments. He clears his throat, looking away, before stepping back and straightening himself up.
“There we go. That wasn’t so hard, now, was it?” Lighter says, sounding satisfied.
Wise blinks. “That’s it? Nothing else to say?”
Lighter shrugs. “Nah. We can continue our stroll now. Unless you wanna hang out in this alley a bit longer.”
Wise rolls his eyes, holding back a laugh. “I’ll pass on the alley life for now.”
The moment’s tension fades as they both fall back into step, walking side by side. But as they near the end of Lumina Square, Wise lags behind just a bit, his eyes drifting toward Lighter.
Lighter glances over his shoulder, catching him staring back at him.
“What?” Lighter asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Nothing,” Wise replies quickly, offering him a small smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Just making sure you’re not gonna pull me into another alley anytime soon.”
Lighter grins. “We’ll see, Manager. We’ll see.”