A Truly Mind-Blowing First Kiss

Lily and Haku awkwardly looked away from each other. Lily's hand slid down her waist, and she nervously fidgeted with her hands. Haku's face smoothed out, though it seemed to have become even redder. Lily broke the awkward atmosphere by taking a step forward towards the boys.

"Ren, I really appreciate you thinking of me this way. But we barely know each other." She nervously shuffled in place, then stopped, looked up at him, and continued louder. "I'm sorry, but I can't return your feelings!"

Complete silence. It was as if the world had stopped for a moment.

Haku jumped in front of Lily, trying to distract Ren from the girl, which didn't work because of the height difference.

She pointed to herself, "What's wrong with me? You've known me longer! Why didn't you fall in love with me?" She turned to Lily, her eyes immediately drawn to the girl's chest. "Is it because of this? So that you know, I'm still growing!"

Lily covered her chest with her arms, and Zel decided to join in.

"Yeah, where's my flower?"

Ren answered, grinding his teeth, "Don't you start too! You know exactly why I bought it!"

"I know! But I think I deserve one too!"

"Then go and buy one for yourself!"

Zel wiped away his fake tears and spoke in a crying voice, "It's not the same."

Lily slowly raised her hand to her slightly parted mouth, "It's possible that Ren didn't even buy the flower for us."

Ren's face brightened. Finally, someone understood. It was clear that the Prophet was the most intelligent of these brutes.

"Because in reality, he doesn't even like girls."

Ren fell back into despair, while Haku nodded continuously and agreed with the orange-haired girl.

"So, the whole elf girl thing was just a lie so you could be with me?" Zel asked, as he sensually tucked a stray hair behind his ear.

Resigned, Ren didn't even bother to answer. He gave up and prepared to go back to his room.

"Where are you going?" Haku asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Back to my room."

"But we're doing the Prophecy thing now." Haku pointed to the bag at Lily's feet.

"You do it without me."

"Maybe you have something better to do?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I do."

"What better thing could someone who has no home or family have to do?" Haku asked, her voice sharp with irritation.

Anger began to boil inside Ren. No matter what kind of relationship he had with Haku, she went too far. She was the only person—or oni—who knew everything about him, and yet she brought up the fact that he had nothing. Every. Single. Time.

The blood in his right arm warmed, a liquid fire spreading through his veins. When it reached his fingertips, it began to tingle, and a new feeling took hold of him. Something otherworldly—a feeling he would have sworn he had never felt before.

Lily suddenly appeared next to him and squeezed his wrist; the previous feeling vanished, and he couldn't even find its remnants within himself.

"I thought I said beginners need gloves!" the girl reminded him strictly. "Haku, Zel, we're going back to my house. Ren is a big boy, he can do whatever he wants."

They all muttered something under their breath. Ren, that he didn't even know where to find gloves, and Haku, that she regretted bringing the boy. Zel, on the other hand, just watched and processed what had happened.

Ren breathed a sigh of relief, patting his chest where the familiar ache had returned. He didn't leave his empty room until noon."He tried to create a new look, moving his shoulder scarf back and forth, but he had little to work with. In the end, he decided on his everyday clothes, thinking that Sonja had already found him cute this way once; therefore, it could happen again.

He couldn't get enough of the beautiful nighttime street scene painted before him. He was increasingly starting to like Ivory Concord and could even imagine himself starting a new life here. He would find a job, like working as a salesperson in a store or as a librarian. He would earn enough money to buy a small shack somewhere on the outskirts of the city and live his boring life happily. He would get a pet. Like a dog, for example. Is there any dog in this world? Or maybe he could get a buma. The flying pigs, with their unusual appearance, look quite cute. Is it harder to look out for a pet that can fly? Does he have to put it on a leash? Can they be house-trained?

He really longed for a boring life.

He arrived in front of the West Bar, which appeared to be closed that day. There was no one around. He leaned casually against one of the wooden tables and, with his arms crossed, looked left and right, waiting for his date to appear.

Sonja nervously peeked out from behind a house, clinging to the wall. Her thick, braided white hair glowed in the night, a stark contrast that highlighted her skin and blue eyes. Stepping away from the house, he saw the girl's knee-length orange skirt, which highlighted her wide hips. Her tiny baby blue top showed her thin stomach.

"You're beautiful," Ren stammered, not taking his eyes off the girl's face. "This is for you." He held out the flower with orange petals, which overlapped each other like hearts. The girl's face brightened, and she laughed sweetly.

"How did you know I would be dressed to match it? Thank you. It's beautiful."

Her smile made Ren forget what had happened before. Or rather, everything that had happened to him so far.

"I was thinking of showing you my favorite place! But it's a little far."

He shook his head, indicating that it was not a problem.

They left the Ivory Concord and the stone wall that surrounded it, and after about a 3 km walk, they stopped at a small lake. The water's surface shimmered in the darkness, painting a picture that was both slightly frightening and breathtakingly beautiful. The trees around it ominously invited them into the water, the depth of which was difficult to determine. A pier was built so they could get to the middle of the lake.

They took off their shoes, sat on the pier, and dangled their feet in the water. For a while, they just silently watched the shimmering ripples. Then Sonja gently placed her hand on Ren's. With their fingers intertwined, they smiled shyly, each averting their eyes from the other. The air was clear, and the cool wind gently blew the water onto them.

She looked at him with big eyes, like an invitation. Ren leaned closer, the girl's warm, sweet-smelling breath tickling him. He gently touched her face, as if he was afraid she might disappear at any moment. He gently tilted her head up with his thumb so they could look at each other. The girl closed her eyes. Her big, sensual lips parted slightly, inviting him in. The boy leaned closer to taste her.

When their lips met, a blue explosion from his hand pushed them both in two different directions.