Kara stares, standing in front of her as she wipes her tears, looking down.
"It hurts… I can't get it out of my mind," says Sera as tears fall from her hands like a flood.
Her hands start to become black as her eyeliner blends in with her tears.
Kara notices her hands and makes a sad face. I made her tear yet again, says Kara.
Sera reaches out again to wipe her tears.
Kara grabs her hands.
Sera notices someone grabbing her hands. As she looks up in shock, she finds Kara standing right there. Her face is still, with no emotion at all, still processing.
Kara brings out a handkerchief and gently wipes off her face, removing all the blended makeup. As his hands gently wipe, her eyes squint and her cheeks get red.
"Are you a little baby to cry like that? Let's go in."
They both keep standing as Sera looks down.
Kara says: "Hey, let's go inside."
She clenches her fist, grabbing her dress.
"But I don't have my makeup…"
Kara looks down at her with a serious face and a cold eye. His hands move—he grabs her face and pulls it towards his chest, hugging her with both of his arms.
"If you want makeup, then I can provide it to you inside."
Sera blushes very hard, her heart starts to go crazy. Kara continues:
"But if you ask me, you look more beautiful with no makeup."
"Hey, it's going to be late. Let's go," says Kara as he offers his hand to her.
Out of curiosity, Sera looks up with only her eyes at him, still filled with blush from their interaction. She sees Kara looking away with a hint of embarrassment but confidence and care in his gentle suit.
Sera looks down with confidence and less embarrassment, closing her eyes. You always remind me why I loved you again. Of course, you never leave any woman in need—either you love her or not, Sera thinks in her mind, as she lets out:
"You should see how red you are now."
She happily grabs the hand he offered with her view.
"Quite quickly did you change your mood," Kara says, looking at her, his head turning the other way but his eyes still on her.
They both walk to the door elegantly.
"Well, it happens on certain days, don't you know?" Sera says as they are walking. with a little smile.
Wait is she talking about her period Kara jumps a little hearing the words come out of her. I guess I should enjoy my time with him as much as I can, Sera thinks to herself.
People in the background notice them and start commenting:
"Look, she looks so beautiful. Wonder which makeup brand she used."
"Guess you were not wrong after all," Sera says as the guards salute both of them going in.
"Just shut up," says Kara with his face all flustered.
Sera lets out a small giggle.
The whole venue glisters as we see all the people inside—from party members to business merchants and a few nobles—minding their own business, grabbing food and drinks as they have conversations in groups.
Sera makes her hands a bit closer and tighter to Kara as they walk by.
A bit afar, in a group, someone waves at them wildly in a perfect yellow suit.
A closer look—it's Mizuno, with his blue eyes and blond hair, smiling.
"Hey sis, we're all here," says Mizuno.
Kara turns around to Sera and says: "Hey, let's go. They are all there."
Sera almost gives her hand but hesitates—finally, she gives her hand.
Kara pulls her slowly, reaching where everybody is having fun.
Including Hana and Hachi.
The girl from before comes near them and waves at Kara.
"Hello, are you busy there, Kara?"
Kara takes his glass and walks with her, leaving the group.
Sera notices them, sees them talking a bit far, looks closer—she sees them laughing together, and the girl with him blushing a little.
The girl starts to turn her head to look around.
Kara then asks her: "Is there something you were looking for?"
"Yes, I thought there was another drink?"
Kara calls in a person to bring up some drinks. Right when he is calling, the girl takes a glance at Sera with a cold look.
Sera quickly turns around in panic.
Sera grabs a drink from the table.
"Are you okay?" a voice from behind she hears.
She turns around to find Kara has come back. He just stands there with his wine glass in his hand, looking at her in confusion.
Wait, is she maybe having an ache right now? Man, I am totally not familiar with these things, he starts to think to himself.
Sera, looking at Kara, says, "Ahh, I was just wondering if this drink would taste good," as if nothing just happened there.
Mizuno looks at the cup Sera is holding."Sis, I think you got the wrong glass—that's alcohol," Mizuno says calmly.
Kara looks around the table. There is no non-alcoholic drink on the table, he thinks. He just runs off."Just wait, I will get something for you," he says.
Sera's eyes wander down to the table where she sees his glass of wine, a little bit finished, glistening with the shine of the red wine. She stares at it and thinks, Should I take a sip out of his drink? Don't they say if you share something then love is sure to shin—
Kara comes back with two glasses, handing one over and putting another on the table."Sera, here, take this. There's no alcohol in this one, it should be fine."
She puts the drink on the table, then realizes and thinks, Wait, how did he— She turns around to look at Kara and asks,"How did you know I couldn't handle—"
Hachi speaks while eating a piece of cheese, one eye closed."Mizuno was kind enough to tell us."
"Take a sip, I made sure they had your fav in stock," Kara says with a smile, pulling the chair beside Sera as she looks at him with a normal expression.
He sits down, notices her looking at him, and just stares.
"Is there something on my face?" Kara asks in confusion, looking at Sera.
Sera gives a smile."No, everything is all right," she says.
Then Hachi comes closer to Sera."Are you sure you don't want to tell him about the girl he was talking to earlier?" Hachi whispers in her ear.
She starts to blush, her face instantly red. Sera looks at Hachi with a composed but blushed look and says back,"Uh n... no, why do you think that?"
"What if they are dating in secret?" Hachi whispers in her ear again.
Her face gets even redder. Wait, does she mean he is already seeing someone?
So Hachi tells her,"Although I'm not sure myself, there won't be much chance for you, my dear sister. I mean, literally everyone in the room your age has eyes for him—and you."
She slices up another piece of cheese. Her eyes start to scan the room as she thinks, Wait, is she telling the truth?
Sera sees lots of eyes looking at Kara and also glancing at her with a deadly stare. Wait, she was not wrong, she thinks. She grabs her head."Ahh, why am I in this situation? I will just break them if they ever try to approach him—not that I care about them anyway..." she says aloud.
Her eyes open wide. Ahh, wait, did I just say that out loud? She looks straight and finds Kara, Hachi, Mizuno, and Hana all looking at her.
Wait, I did say it aloud, didn't I? she thinks.
Hana reacts,"Oh my, that's one true lover right there," placing her hand on her cheek, smirking with a blush.
Sera puts her hands together and places them between her thighs, looking down as her body slowly starts to heat up and get red.
"Ahh, you should taste your drink," Kara says in a calm tone while taking a sip of his wine. But in his mind, gloom fills him.
Kara, what am I even saying? Does it even make sense—taste your drink... that's the best I did? Again, he thinks, folding his arms with an angry expression. And girl, this is no time for daydreaming. I mean, if you had any questions then just say it. Is her emotion taking control of her or wha—
A hand comes in front of him before he could finish thinking. Kara notices it, so he opens his eyes. Before he can react, Sera gulps down every bit of wine in his glass, which he had just taken a sip of.
Kara looks at her with a bit of hesitation."Hey, that is a vodka shot—I only took a sip of it."
Before they all could process what just happened, the venue echoes with a voice:
"Kara, why didn't you say I am beautiful...?"