Tangling Relationships (2)

Shui was pulled out of his trance by the sound of a stick breaking. A quick glance led him to spot Kate's figure.

'Hmm, she seems off.'

"Oh Kate, it's you. I was waiting you know."

Shui started walking towards the frozen Kate who had her back turned to him. Unaware of what was going on inside her head, he tried to pat her shoulder but his hand was brushed away.

"Kate?"

Worried, no, certain that she knew the truth, Shui cautiously called her name.

'Why did I...?'

The moment after Kate brushed away his hand, she felt drowned in regret as she looked at her hand. However, her blissful ignorance only lasted for a moment before the truth told her why she did it.

"I'm sorry but, can you leave?"

"Oh... um, okay."

Shui wanted to ask why, but he was silenced by her trembling tone. He felt a hand squeeze his heart and he was convinced that that hand was his.

'Damn it.'

Unable to think of the right words to say, Shui left as he said he would. Watching Shui leave, the pain that tormented Kate's heart softened, but she was then washed by a deep feeling of sorrow and loneliness.

'I'm, sorry.'

Similar to Kate, Shui left with a heavy heart. At the time he was just having fun and didn't see anything wrong with what he did. If it wasn't for the fact that the two knew each other, then even if Kate did find out about the kiss he was sure he could just take his time to placate her. However, he happened to have such bad luck this time around.

'What should I do?'

Shui had grown to be fierce and decisive before his enemies but he was still a fledgling in the art of love and war. He didn't think this was something that could be put off for long so Shui continued to his house with a pensive expression. He even ignored the gaze he felt on him.

'Even if I tell her there's nothing between us I doubt she'll believe me. Ugh, I'm starting to think introducing her to Lily would be easier.'

Finding all of his ideas unusable, Shui was about to scratch his head when he picked up the presence of someone that gave him mixed feelings.

'This will be awkward but it could also be a chance.'

After breathing out his hesitation, Shui did a quick dash and appeared before her sight.

"Were you waiting long?"

Once she heard him, she approached with her arms crossed over her bulging chest.

"No, you're sooner than I expected. Were you meeting with Kate?"

"Uh, what makes you think that?"

"Just a guess."

Lisa didn't say anything else but Shui still answered her by nodding. Since he needed her help in resolving this matter there was no point in hiding this information.

Lisa could tell from his reaction that it didn't go well, so she could erase the last bit of her hesitation. With her steps even firmer than last time, pressed herself against Shui and reached for his neck, but her attempt was stopped.

"Didn't you tell me not to run if you called?" she asked in a flirtatious tone

"I didn't call you."

"That's why I made the effort to come. I said not to forget me."

"I didn't forget you."

Shui held Lisa by her wrists with a difficult expression as she faced him with a strong resolve.

"Maybe not my face, but you want to forget these lips, this body, this warmth."

Lisa pressed herself even more onto Shui, but he remained unmoved.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this. You're Kate's friend."

"So it's fine if we're not friends?"

"No! That's not what I mean-"

"Then what do you mean?"

"I-I-I, it's..."

Shui had already found his answer, but he hesitated in saying it, and from this hesitation Lisa got what she wanted to know.

"Never mind. You don't need to tell me."

She pulled her hands away from him and walked away with an annoyed expression.

"Lisa!"

Shui called out to her but she kept walking. Shui didn't try to stop her, because he didn't think he had that right.

Meanwhile in another place, there was someone smiling at his misfortune. Thanks to the maid she sent to watch them, Kasia could enjoy a front row view by linking their sights.

"Mistress, she appears to be heading to see Kate. Should we stop her?"

"Hmm, no we shouldn't make any extra moves. Besides, it would be more exciting if things didn't go according to plan."

Kasia wasn't sure why Lisa would visit Kate, but she knew it wouldn't be a peaceful chat.

'I'm sorry my dear Kate, but I'll make sure to spoil you when this is all over.'

In the forest near her house, Kate tried to train but her mind just wasn't in it.

'I can't focus like this.'

Even when she heard that her father died, she could turn to training to keep herself from thinking about it, but she couldn't do that this time. She was confused, scared, worried, and all of these emotions left her unable to make a decision. She didn't even know what she was supposed to make a decision about.

'I'll head back.'

Since training wouldn't help her, Kate walked to her house, but she froze before she could reach the door.

"Lisa..."

"Hi, Kate."

Kate stayed in place looking at her older friend, but unlike Shui, she welcomed her inside for tea. However, Kate avoided looking Lisa in the eye and barely spoke a word as she got the tea ready. As Lisa looked at her, she remembered when they first met. It was a mission where Kate was the leader, but due to how stern and cold she was, the inner sect disciples that she was supposed to be leading didn't know how to approach her. It was only after coincidentally catching Kate shedding tears in her sleep while calling a certain name, that she decided to be her friend.

Contrary to her usual stiff demeanour, Kate was surprisingly kind to Lisa and the other two when they first met. According to what she told them, she just didn't know how to interact with people she was supposed to lead when she was so much younger than them, unaware of how she was praised as the Cold Princess.

'She was so cute back then.'

When Kate came to Lisa with a cup of tea, more nostalgia filled Lisa's heart.

"Kate, do you remember when we first taught you how to make tea?"

Kate was caught off-guard by the sudden question, but she nodded while also recalling that time. It was a week after visiting Shui with a fellow disciple, she told the three about how shocked she was by the tea Shui made. She only wanted to praise him, but somehow the conversation turned into how she couldn't let him beat her in that area. As she remembered the ruthless teachers they transformed into until she could finally make a decent cup of tea, Kate chuckled.

"So you can still smile, huh?"

"Uh!"

Like she couldn't believe it, Kate reached for her lips to check Lisa's words.

'I'm actually smiling.'

Nothing had been resolved, but her heart felt better than before. Therefore, Lisa decided to move on to the main topic.

"So, how much did you hear?"