[Nakime's POV]
I have been a bundle of frayed nerves since the very moment I opened my eye this morning.
The Mauler Twins have provided me a sustainable, continuous supply of cloned meat that my master likes to call Immortal meat. My accursed hunger has never bothered me since. I could finally eat to my satisfaction without the crushing weight of human guilt pulling down on my soul.
As a demon, I possess near limitless physical stamina, especially after constantly consuming that lifeforce-rich flesh.
But all of that demonic endurance meant nothing after what we did the whole night.
Waking up completely bare next to Master was an experience that nearly caused my heart to jump straight out of my throat. To find myself tangled in the sheets with him was intensely shocking. He was so sweet and patient with the mess I had been. Just remembering the raw intimacy of last night made my face burn up all over again and shivers ran down my spine. I felt like a flustered maiden from a bygone era, rather than a blood demon who commanded an infinite fortress. I couldn't get it out of my head!
"My dear Nakime, am I boring you?"
His gentle voice pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. I looked up to find Master in his disguised form. He was back in his 'Johnny Joestar' persona, sporting messy black hair, sharp features, and those incredibly stylish tea-shades resting on the bridge of his nose.
"No, Mast... Johnny. I was just thinking about something embarrassing," I replied softly.
I still could hardly believe I had called him by his real name last night. It felt so intimate, a secret shared between the two of us.
We were walking together through a beautifully manicured park in the heart of the city. The Mauler Twins had provided me with everything to protect my sensitive skin from the sun.
But Master was still being overprotective. He insisted on carrying a large, frilly parasol over my head to make sure not a single stray ray of sunlight touched me. He held it at the perfect angle, his other hand resting gently on my waist to guide me along the paved path.
He was playing my heartstrings like a master musician. Every small gesture, every warm smile, every protective glance he threw at the passing strangers made my heart flutter.
"Mast... Johnny, please. I am the servant here. It is highly unbecoming of me to let you carry the umbrella," I protested weakly, though I secretly hoped he would refuse.
"Shh, Nakime. You are my date today. You wouldn't take away my chance to be a proper gentleman, would you?" he said with a bright smile that made my knees feel strangely weak.
I probably should not admit this, but this disguised form was charming in its own rugged way. He looked like a carefree young man, completely detached from the horrific burdens of Chaotic Gods and accursed enemies.
I blushed deeply and simply nodded, allowing him to pamper me. I had spent nearly a century in the dark, serving Muzan. Being courted in the sunlight was a luxury I never thought I would experience.
We eventually arrived at a massive oak tree casting a giant, dark shadow over the lush green grass. Master laid out a checkered blanket with care, prepared our little picnic spot, and took my hand, inviting me to sit beside him.
[Image Here]
It was perfect. We spent a pleasant afternoon just holding hands and talking softly in the cool shade. I delicately ate the Immortal sandwiches the Twins had packed for us. The cloned hero meat was incredibly dense in lifeforce, completely satisfying my demonic cravings.
Master tried his best to keep his composure, though I noticed him turning slightly green every single time I took a bite of the premium hero meat. He really was trying his hardest for me, pushing past his own human disgust just to make sure I was comfortable and fed. It was a level of devotion that made my heart swell.
Eventually, we fell into a comfortable silence. The distant sounds of the city faded away, leaving only the rustling of the oak leaves above us.
Master looked down at his hands with a deeply thoughtful expression on his face.
"You know," he began quietly, breaking the silence. "I got a lot of tickets from the feats yesterday. After the fight in Chicago, I mean. I even got a Diamond Ticket just for surviving that monster."
My breath hitched in my throat as I realised where this might head.
"My very first instinct was to roll it immediately," he confessed, his voice tinged with a dark, familiar shame. He sighed heavily, putting a hand to his face. "To gamble it all away for a quick fix of power so I could be better prepared the next time a monster like Battle Beast shows up. The urge was so strong, if it wasn't for you last night, I…"
The mere mention of gambling sent an icy spike of dread straight through my heart.
The warm, romantic atmosphere of the park shattered into a million pieces as a horrific flashback surged into my mind with stark clarity.
I saw the face of my late husband. He too was once a sweet, gentle man who promised me the entire world. He used to smile at me just like Johnny did. But then the gambling took over his soul, rotting him from the inside out.
I remembered the day he stole my most pristine yukata. It was a beautiful garment, the one I had bought after months of grueling work, so I could finally play my biwa in front of the local nobles. He took it while I was sleeping and sold it for a few meagre coins to feed his addiction. His bright, loving eyes became dull and devoid of any love. They were terrifying. I was watching a man lose his mind.
And then, I remembered the final night. I remembered how his face transformed into a bloody mess. A caved-in nose, ruptured eyes, and white bone breaking through the pale skin. It was exactly the way he looked after I bashed his skull in with a hammer, fuelled by rage and betrayal.
'I…I am a monster. What was I thinking? I am not worthy of Master.'
As long as his love for gambling occupied his heart, we were doomed to repeat that same tragedy. I couldn't live thinking I would eventually do something equally horrible to him if he went down that same dark path. If he lost himself to those tickets after he got so close to controlling his impulse, M…my heart can't take it again.
I physically recoiled on the picnic blanket. My single eye widened with unshed tears, my breathing growing shallow and panicked. He looked at me, not even surprised by my reaction.
But Johnny did not reach to tear the tickets to gamble them away.
Instead, a brilliant, glowing ticket with a glimmering diamond texture materialised out of thin air. He took my trembling fingers and gently placed the ticket directly into my palm, folding my fingers over the valuable item.
"I did not roll it," he said softly, his voice full of resolve. "Sebas…if he were here, he'd beat this crippling addiction out of me. If I rolled this ticket now, I would be spitting on his sacrifice."
He looked deeply into my eye, completely laying his soul bare.
"So, I am giving this to you, Nakime. I want you to use it to empower yourself. I trust you with my most precious item."
A profound wave of relief washed over me, shattering the dark memories of my past. Sir Sebas's strict, unforgiving training had finally bore fruits. Johnny was willing to give up a 'Diamond Ticket', a literal artifact of unimaginable power, purely for my sake and to honor a fallen friend.
He was not my husband. He was John and he was trying to be better.
A pleasant breeze rustled the leaves above us, dropping a few stray acorns onto the grass. The tears I was holding back didn't know whether to drop from trauma or relief.
Seeing the moment was right, Master leaned in closer. His eyes fluttered shut as he tilted his head, his face drawing incredibly near to mine.
I was overwhelmed with emotions. I closed my eye, tilting my chin up, entirely ready to reciprocate and kiss him.
But my momentary hesitation from those memories had made me slightly slow to react. Master, always overthinking every single detail of his life, abruptly pulled back.
"Oh, crap. I am so sorry," he stammered, his face turning red as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "It was rude of me to assume I could just kiss you just because of last night. I should have asked. I really need to wok…. I mean work on my boundaries."
I wanted to correct him immediately. I wanted to grab him by his shirt collar and tell him that it was not his fault at all, but mine! I wanted to tell him he could kiss me whenever and wherever he pleased.
But a high-pitched and incredibly obnoxious voice interrupted our intimate moment.
"Johnny? Johnny Joestar, is that you?!"
We both turned around, whipping our necks.
I instantly recognized that utterly infuriating and childish bob cut. It was the girl from the shopping mall Kiosk. I couldn't stop my ugly countenance at her intrusion. I could rival Muzan during his worst moments right now.
Kate.
[Image Here]
All of my carefully maintained poise and elegant self-reflection violently exited my posture in a matter of seconds. A single, highly territorial thought crossed my mind, completely overriding my usual serene demonic nature.
'It's that classless little bitch Kate.'
Johnny replied in a surprised, slightly panicked tone. "Oh, hey Kate! Such a pleasant surprise. How have you been?"
Kate walked right up to our picnic blanket, putting her hands on her hips and looking quite salty. Her posture was completely devoid of any grace.
"You tell me, mister," Kate huffed, her voice dripping with an unearned sense of familiarity. "You were so sleek and charming back at the mall, and then you did not even bother to call me?"
Master was caught between a rock and a hard place. He let out a cracking, highly nervous laugh, clearly unused to dealing with the drama. "Well, you see... things have been a bit complicated recently."
Kate's eyes finally shifted over to me.
I'd put away my anger and sat perfectly still, maintaining a blank expression. I watched as her gaze swept over my pristine white sundress, my wide-brimmed hat, shaded glasses and the elegant posture I had perfected over a century of performing for high society.
She looked completely unimpressed. In fact, that bitch looked almost condescending.
"Oh, and who is this?" Kate asked, her tone too casual for my liking. "Is she your older sister? Or maybe a cousin visiting from out of town? Ah, where are my manners? I am Kate, Johnny's... very close friend. And you are?"
The audacity of this human child. The classless disrespect to look down upon me and claim my Master as her own personal friend after just a ten-minute talk. She was nothing but a fragile, splitting parlor trick in an audacious suit, and she dared to insert herself into our lives?!
God knows what took over me. I lost all of my composure and forgot about the public setting.
I acted purely on an overwhelming jealous impulse.
I reached out and forcefully latched onto Master's arm. I pulled his bicep tightly against my breasts, pressing myself against him to establish my claim.
I glared directly into Kate's eyes and yelled, a bit too loudly for the quiet park.
"I am his girlfriend, you slut!"
The volume of my voice caused shocked looks from both Master and Kate. Even a few passing onlookers on the paved path turned their heads to stare at our little picnic spot.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Kate stood there, her mouth slightly open, stunned by the aggressive declaration. And Master was frozen stiff, staring at me as if I had just grown a second head.
Realizing what I had just screamed at the top of my lungs in a public park. I quickly let go of his arm and brought both of my hands up to cover my mouth.
My face exploded into a blush so incredibly bright and hot; it could give competition to the sun itself.
[A/N]: If you want your date to be interrupted, too, drop them Stones!!
If you want to read up to 10+ Chapters in advance, check out my P@treon - Max_Striker.
If you wanna hang out, join my Discord server- https://discord.gg/XxGEYk2PM5