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“What??? I thought it would make sense if he chose Rudo or another guy like Follo, instead it was them?” Tomme’s voice was all you could hear when you were just trying to enjoy breakfast, in the Ground there wasn’t much luxurious food provided everyday, saved mostly for special celebrations, like yesterday. Simple noodles with cold vegetables, you asked if there are any juices available, nobody called you a kid. Only one.
“Kid’s finally off the leash,” the familiar mocking voice blew behind your ear, Zanka had leaned down, just to jab you on purpose with his words, god knew how he grew so tall. You wanted to spit the words back, the poor quality chopsticks snapped into two between your fingers, leaving splinters.
“Oh,” His attention went onto your fingers immediately, “bad temper kid, that sounds better?” His tassel earrings swinged slightly back and forth, brushing briefly against his neck.
“Sorry, I finished everything,” You shrugged mockingly, “didn’t expect you to be poking your nose around, especially after my breakfast, mixed with my saliva.” You smiled proudly at him, batting your eyelashes, to provoke him, like usual.
Zanka scrunched up his nose, made a disgusted face at your comment, he adjusted his grip on Lovely, standing up straight again, basically looming over you since your height was even shorter now seated.
“Oh, here is Lovely, you scrub her every night? Peck her with kisses?—-”
“Shut up,” his fingers rubbed against the staff, shaking slightly with anger, “don’t say crude things about my Jinki, it’s disgusting and inappropriate.” He glared your way one last time, before distancing your bodies.
“Heyo!” One big hand smacked your back, shook your entire nervous system, they lowered their face to stare at your face, the smell of tobacco overwhelming your nose. “How’s my girl doing, did you have a fight with Zanka again?” Enjin grinned, faint dimples appearing on his cheeks, he looked back and forth between you and Zanka, noticing how Zanka is holding onto his Lovely so tight in his crossed arms, face turned away.
“They made an inappropriate comment about my Jinki,” Zanka kept his chin pointed up, not turning his head around.
“What? I was just joking, because you seemed to love your instrument soo much–” You said through clenched teeth. Then, a snicker broke the tension, Enjin placed one hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking.
“You two really did it, didn’t you, arguing like a couple, over, because of a vital instrument? BWAHAHA,” He laughed for a good while, it caught the attention of Tomme along with some other supporters.
“Yoo, did I hear what I hear?” Tomme opened her palm and placed it behind her ear, as if trying to hear the conversation better, “princess Zanka got upset? He sure is protective about his Lovely Assistaff.” She elbowed Gris, who said nothing but smiled in defeat, beside them, Follo was halfway finishing his skewer, his eyes seemed to widen at the scene in front of him.
“Tomme, what is going on?” He asked, confused, and was unfortunately ignored.
Tomme stood up on one of the empty tables, she shouted proudly
“Zanka got a lovergirl! He can’t keep them off his mind, he is too torn to choose between his Jinki or them!~”
The flush crept up your face, you desperately tried to cover up your ears, the noise around you swirled together like a trash tornado caused by the usual weather outside, replaying and replaying. The heat went up the tip of your nose, your forehead, your hairline, your brain, your eyeballs, your every single nerve and muscles…
Beside you, Zanka had also covered up his, you blinked, he was gone, probably too embarrassed to be facing anyone for the next two hundred years, you scoffed.
“Aw, he got embarrassed, go chase after him, lovergirl~!” That was the last shout, the most encouraging one yet, your feet moved on its own, planting in the ground as you marched in big steps, towards the only physical barrier between you and Zanka.
Knock.
No response.
Knock.
No response.
Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOC–
“STOP,” he slammed the door open aggressively, nearly hitting you and possibly knocking you out, his chest heaving up and down, his hair a mess, across his forehead, one of his earrings was removed, he was taking it off halfway before your interruption.
Why are you here? Will you quit knocking? Can you get away from me? These questions filled your brain, blocking out his actual reply.
“Did you embarrass me back there on purpose?” He wanted to grab your collar and shake you so badly, yet any physical contact now would probably send a false signal to your brain.
“Zanka, I did not plan that, I swear to my very heart,” You crossed your fingers in front of your chest, receiving narrowed eyebrows from him, his eyebrows could appear so small, sometimes you don’t even know he had ‘em.
A heavy sigh left him, he waved his hand, shooing you. “Don’t knock so many times, it’s annoying, it stresses me out.” He pointed a finger directly at you, his face hidden when he turned away again.
“Also, don’t tell a single thing to Riyo, nor Rudo, especially not Enjin, about what I called you at breakfast. I don’t even know, I..” The rest of the sentence was a mumble, flushed ears noticeable, poking out of his hair, “something is up with me, I could be sick, tell Enjin if I’m sick.”
Then he closed the door, gentler this time.
Wow, well, damn.