"Well, I might as well be. What I'd do to have her Devil Fruit—without the drawbacks, of course," Eve said, her voice laced with both humor and a quiet longing as she leaned back against the fountain.
Her eyes had a dreamy spark, as if imagining herself soaring through the sky or bending the elements at will.
Travis chuckled. "Yeah, that would be nice. But me personally? I'd take the Quake Quake Fruit any minute of the day," he said with conviction, his tone almost too eager.
Eve's head snapped toward him with a sly grin. "Damn, who are you trying to kill, Travis? I mean, I'm certain that you have no enemies, right?" she teased, her smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.
Travis smirked back and extended his hand. Without hesitation, she met it with her own, the sharp clap of their dap ringing out like the seal of an inside joke.
Moments like these were rare, but also priceless. Their banter felt effortless, understanding each other's humor, riding each other's energy, never missing a beat. For Travis, it was like discovering a frequency only they both could hear, a reminder that sometimes life stitched people together in the strangest but most beautiful of ways.
"You heard that Rent-a-Girlfriend is returning?" Eve suddenly asked, breaking the moment with a mischievous grin.
Travis groaned instantly, his whole body cringing. "I hate that anime—well, more specifically, I hate that anime's protagonist," he said, disgust dripping from his words.
Eve threw her head back and nodded with fire in her eyes. "True! That dude Kazuya is such a loser. Like, how the hell can he still want that girl after she left him? Plus, he can't even see that she's clearly just using him. The author must have some kind of mental illness, because even the dumbest guys would eventually notice."
"Facts," Travis said, leaning in with equal disgust. "It's like he's possessed by the same demon that controls dudes in NTR comics. Like, your girl's out 'exercising' in the middle of the night or conveniently at her parents' house every weekend—and you don't suspect anything? Bro, come on!"
Eve let out a loud laugh, throwing her hands up. "That annoys me so much! And don't get me started on when you're just starting a pornhwa, and in the very first chapter, the main character's girl gets clapped by his boss or something. I freakin' hate that!"
"Bro, I've experienced that so many times." Travis rubbed his temple like it gave him trauma. "The one I hated the most was Queen Bee. That one had me contemplating suicide."
Eve's eyes widened, then she burst out laughing. "Oh, thank God I read the comments before I even touched that! But before that, I was dumb and stumbled onto Silent War. I was way too young, and I saw so many things I wasn't ready to see." She cringed, covering her face at the memory.
"True that!" Travis groaned. "But I ended up finishing that story anyway. It wasn't the greatest, but I'll give it this—it had decent character development. Other than that, man, i wouldn't read it again." He rolled his eyes dramatically.
The two of them cracked up again, their laughter echoing off the stone paths of the park.
The shared frustration, the mutual disgust, and the way they could both vent without judgment it knitted them closer with every word.
"Wow, you have a heart of steel," Eve finally said between giggles, catching her breath. Then her smirk returned, eyes narrowing playfully. "Enough of that, let's talk about some personal things, why don't we?"
Travis arched an eyebrow, mirroring her expression with a sly grin. "Cool. So, what—like a Q&A?"
"Exactly. But…" she leaned closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret, "…for every question you choose not to answer, you'll be dared by the person who asked it."
Travis's grin widened, excitement bubbling in his chest. He loved games like this. "Pretty cool rules," he said, leaning back casually but his eyes locked on hers. "Well, let's get it!"
The game was on, and Travis could already tell this was about to get interesting.
Eve rubbed her hands together dramatically, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Alright, since I suggested the game, I get the first question."
Travis leaned back on the fountain ledge, smirking. "Bring it on."
She tilted her head, studying him. "Okay, Travis… do you have a crush on anyone right now?"
He raised an eyebrow at the bluntness of the question. "That's how we're starting? Straight to the jugular?"
"Of course," she said smugly. "No warm-up questions here."
Travis chuckled, leaning forward. "Yeah, I do."
Eve's grin widened. "Oh? Care to spill who?"
"That wasn't the question," he replied smoothly, dodging with a smirk. "Next."
Eve narrowed her eyes. "Tsk, fine. My turn to answer one of yours then."
Travis scratched his chin, pretending to think hard. "Okay… do you believe in love at first sight?"
Her eyes softened for a moment before she shook her head with a playful laugh. "Honestly? No. Lust at first sight? Definitely. But love? That takes time."
"Smart answer," Travis said, grinning. "You're up."
Eve tapped her finger on her chin mischievously. "Alright, Mr. Mysterious. Since you avoided telling me who your crush is, you get a dare."
Travis raised an eyebrow. "Already?"
"Yep," she said, her smirk growing. "I dare you… to let me check your phone gallery. Right here, right now."
Travis froze for a second, blinking at her. "You're insane," he laughed, shaking his head. "That's my private gallery—you think I'd survive showing anyone that?"
"Ha! That's a skip then. You owe me one." Eve grinned victoriously, folding her arms.
"Fine, fine. Your turn." Travis leaned in, eyes narrowing slightly. "Tell me the biggest secret you've never told anyone."
Her face went blank for a second, the playful vibe faltering just slightly before she let out a laugh to cover it. "Damn, you went deep fast. Nope, I'm skipping that one."
Travis smirked. "Alright, then I get to dare you. Hm…" He looked around, his grin wicked. "I dare you to… stand on the fountain edge and shout your favorite anime line at the top of your lungs."
Eve's jaw dropped. "What? Right now? People are literally walking by!"
He crossed his arms, leaning back smugly. "A dare's a dare."
She glared at him, then dramatically climbed onto the fountain's edge. She threw her arms up and yelled, "DATTEBAYO!" in the most Naruto-like voice she could manage.
A few people walking by turned their heads, laughing or clapping. Eve hopped down quickly, her face red with embarrassment but a grin stretching across her face. "I hate you," she muttered, swatting his arm.
Travis laughed, holding his stomach. "Worth it. Totally worth it."
"Alright," she said, catching her breath and regaining her composure. Her eyes sparkled mischievously again. "Next question, Travis… have you ever kissed anyone before?"
Travis leaned closer, so close their knees brushed under the fountain's edge. He smirked, lowering his voice just enough to make her heart skip. "Maybe. Why? You offering to change that answer if I say no?"
Eve's cheeks flushed, and for once, she was at a loss for words. She looked away, laughing nervously, her hand gripping her notebook tightly. "Y-you're insufferable."
He chuckled, satisfied with her reaction.
[System Notification]
Affection +3% — Eve's current affection: 22% → 25%
『25%』
'Yeah, things are definitely going well,' Travis thought, watching her try to hide her blush.
Suddenly, she began to smile maliciously as she turned to face him, her legs crossing gracefully as she leaned back on the bench. The mischievous glint in her eyes made Travis raise an eyebrow.
"Have you ever had a wet dream before? If you have, who was in that wet dream?" Eve asked, her voice casual, but her tone carried a sharp edge of challenge. She looked directly into his eyes, her lips twitching into a smirk, clearly testing him.
Travis blinked at the boldness of the question. For a moment, the playful air between them shifted into something heavier. He could feel the tension hang between them, like a string pulled tight.
'Shit… she really went there,' he thought, his mind scrambling. He honestly couldn't even remember the last time he had one, but he wasn't about to kill the mood by admitting that. So instead, he leaned back casually, playing it off with a smirk.
"I think it was our English teacher back in middle school, second year. What was her name again? Oh, yeah—Ms. Fiona. She was pretty sexy," he replied smoothly, his tone dripping with confidence as he threw out the lie.
Eve's jaw dropped before she burst into laughter, smacking his arm playfully. "Wow, you dreamt about fucking Ms. Fiona? Of all people? You know how people—mostly guys—used to talk about her? They said she got tossed around one time during sports day."
Travis chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, pretending to be embarrassed. "I didn't know that at the time. Honestly, I wouldn't have cared. Back then, I was hellbent on getting laid by anyone. Now, I'm like, whatever, you know?"
"That doesn't change anything!" Eve teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She leaned forward, resting her chin in her palm. "Well, your turn. Don't disappoint me."
Travis smirked back, his eyes narrowing in playful retaliation. He wanted to hit her just as hard with a question, one that would force her mask to slip.
"Fine," he said, his tone low and deliberate. "Have you ever masturbated while thinking of someone? If you have… who was it?"
Eve froze. The words struck like a jolt of lightning, and her entire body stiffened. Her confident smirk faltered, replaced with wide eyes and a faint blush that crept up her neck.
'Fuck… how do I even answer this?' she thought, her heart racing. The truth was brutal: she had used Travis as her personal "fap fuel" more times than she could ever admit. Even earlier that day, she had gotten herself off while thinking of him. The thought made her thighs press together instinctively, her pulse quickening.
But saying that out loud? Impossible.
Travis leaned back, enjoying every second of her hesitation. The smug curve of his lips only made her nerves worse.
'Damn it, Travis. Why'd you have to flip it back on me? This bastard…'
She bit her lip, struggling to come up with something clever. Finally, she chuckled softly, trying to buy herself time. "Damn, you don't hold back, huh? Going straight for the kill."
"That's the point of the game," he said smoothly, resting his chin on his hand, studying her reaction. "So… what's it going to be? Answer, or skip?"
The silence stretched. She could feel her pulse in her ears, the heat in her face betraying her calm façade. Slowly, she leaned closer, closing the gap between them until their faces were just inches apart. Her perfume mixed with the night air, sweet and intoxicating.
"…Yes. I have."
Travis's eyebrow arched, his smirk widening. "And who?"
Eve hesitated, her lips curling into a wicked grin as she dropped her voice into a whisper. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Travis chuckled lowly, shaking his head. "So that's a skip?"
"Maybe. Or maybe I just gave you the answer without saying it outright," she teased, her confidence surging back as she winked.
Travis leaned back, watching her closely. Inside, he was laughing to himself. 'She's good… too good. But that reaction? Yeah, I already know the answer.'
[System Notification]
Affection +4% — Eve's current affection: 25% → 29%
『29%』
The tension lingered between them like static, their little game shifting into dangerous territory. Neither wanted to back down, both caught in a battle of wit, charm, and suppressed desire.
TO BE CONTINUED