Bonus Chapter (R15+)

Kai opened his door and barely took a step before his legs gave out.

With zero grace, he collapsed forward, landing straight onto his bed.

He let out a muffled groan, his body refusing to move.

"Gosh… they are gonna kill me, aren't they…" he mumbled, voice heavy with exhaustion.

After a few seconds of just laying there, he finally shifted, barely lifting his head before pressing his face deeper into the pillow.

"It's like pulling five all-nighters in a single night…" he muttered into the fabric, not even bothering to move again.

Kai sighed into his pillow. "I better get some sleep…"

He wasn't going to bother undressing—way too much effort. His body felt like lead, every muscle screaming for rest. His eyelids grew heavy as he exhaled, ready to drift off.

Then, just before he closed his eyes—

His door opened.

Kai groaned, forcing himself to sit up slightly. "If you're in here to ask for an extra pillow or something, be my ge—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

His brain short-circuited.

Rose stood in the doorway, and his exhaustion instantly vanished.

She had just gotten out of the bath—her pink hair damp in places, lazily brushed but still effortlessly falling around her face. She wore a light pink shirt, just loose enough to slip off one shoulder, revealing the smooth curve of her collarbone. And worse—it had a boob window.

Kai's eyes shot straight to it before his brain screamed at him to look anywhere else.

Then there were the shorts.

Short. Way too short.

Her toned legs were fully exposed, smooth skin catching the dim lighting of his room. Every small shift she made just made it worse.

Kai felt his face heat up instantly.

This was unfair.

His mouth opened, then closed. Then opened again, but nothing came out. He felt like he had completely lost the ability to form words.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Kai snapped his head away so fast he almost gave himself whiplash.

"Wh-what do you mean, 'what?!'" His voice cracked. "Why—why are you dressed like that?!?"

Rose glanced down at herself, completely unfazed. "Like what?"

Kai internally screamed.

He yanked his blanket up like it was some kind of shield. "L-like that!!"

Rose sighed, stepping further into the room. "Relax, I just got out of the bath. Not my fault you're acting like some flustered schoolboy."

Kai felt like his soul left his body.

"I—I'm not—!!" His voice completely betrayed him, stammering worse than ever. His face burned with embarrassment.

This was not how he expected his night to go.

She had a smirk on her face.

"I just wanted to talk."

Before Kai could even react, she walked over and sat right next to him—way too close.

He tensed immediately.

"Personal space much?" he muttered, leaning away.

"Nope," she said without hesitation.

Kai sighed, rubbing his face. "You here to give me my daily dose of annoyance? Well then, go on, get it over with." He scooted a little farther away.

But then, her tone shifted.

Serious.

"Kai…"

His stomach dropped.

The way she said his name—it wasn't her usual teasing voice.

He looked at her, noticing the way her expression had changed. Whatever this was about, it wasn't just her messing with him.

She gripped onto his shirt sleeve, fingers tight, as if letting go would make everything fall apart.

"I'm scared…" she whispered, her voice trembling, her usual confidence nowhere to be found.

Kai's expression softened just a bit.

"Shouldn't you be talking to Aika about this?" he asked, trying to deflect, unsure if he was the person she should be opening up to.

Rose shook her head, her pink hair shifting slightly over her shoulders. "She's fast asleep. You know her…"

Kai gulped. He wasn't used to seeing her like this—vulnerable.

"Okay…" he exhaled slowly. "I'll listen. You can dump everything onto me, I guess."

Rose turned to face him fully, and for the first time, he saw it—tears pooling in her Green eyes.

"Kai… I'm so afraid…" her voice cracked. "Markus was so strong… and he died. Just like that. Both of us together couldn't beat him… and—and…"

Her grip on his sleeve tightened, her hands shaking.

Kai swallowed hard before lifting a hand and placing it on her head, gently ruffling her hair.

"Shh, Rose… it's okay." His voice was low, steady.

She didn't respond, but she didn't pull away either.

"I'm not gonna die that easy."

She sniffled, her breathing uneven. "You better not…"

Kai let out a small chuckle, but it lacked his usual teasing edge.

"I'm going to get stronger… and stronger. And you will keep growing as well."

Rose blinked up at him, her tail resting still against the sheets, something that almost never happened.

She sniffled again, wiping at her face quickly, almost as if embarrassed.

"You better," she muttered, her voice quieter now.

Kai sighed, leaning back against the headboard. "Yeah, yeah. No pressure or anything."

But despite the weight of everything, she didn't let go of his sleeve.

They sat there in silence for a while. The only sound was the faint hum of the room and their quiet breathing.

Then Kai heard something—a faint, rapid beating sound.

He turned his head slightly, glancing at Rose. She was gripping the hem of her shorts, her knuckles tight, her ears twitching slightly.

Before he could ask what was wrong—

Suddenly, he was on his back.

His head hit the pillow, and Rose was on top of him.

"R-Rose…?" His face burned instantly, his heart pounding in his chest. He was completely embarrassed but also completely frozen.

Her eyes were locked onto his, filled with something raw, desperate.

"Kai…" Her voice was trembling. "I don't want to lose you… I… I…"

She took a deep breath—then—

"Kai!!"

"I love you!"

And before Kai could even process the words, she kissed him.

Hard.

O my spirit.

What the heck is going on.

Ain't no way Rose is kissing me right now… I mean… there's no chance…

But those are definitely lips, bucko.

His entire body locked up, his mind spiraling out of control.

I don't know what to do.

Then, as she pressed deeper into the kiss, he felt it—a single tear from her cheek falling onto his.

Be a man.

But his rational side kicked in instantly.

I'm not gonna take advantage of a girl when she's in distress. That's just plain wrong.

Slowly, she pulled away from his lips, her breath uneven.

Her face was completely flushed, her pink hair messy, strands falling in front of her face, sticking to her damp skin.

Her Green eyes burned into his, still inches away.

"Kai…"

"Rose…" he swallowed hard. "I'm… confused…"

Her expression twisted in frustration.

"Idiot!" she yelled, her voice cracking. "I said I love you!"

Kai's brain was still buffering.

"Idiot!!" she repeated, even louder this time.

And then—she kissed him again.

Kai tensed, his hands shaking. He didn't know what to do, whether to push her away, pull her closer, or just stop existing altogether.

Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

And for the first time—he thought about holding her back.

"I'm not missing my chance with you… Kai, I love you…"

Kai's mind nearly shut down.

No way she loves me… Like that…

Before he could even process it, she kissed him again.

His whole body tensed.

I should say something back… I should tell her this is not the—

His thoughts stopped.

IS THAT HER TONGUE?!

Shock.

It's so soft…

Kai was scared. Confused. His mind screamed at him to process what was happening, but it was too much—too fast.

But then… he gave in.

His body moved on its own, instinct overriding hesitation.

He kissed her back.

The warmth of her lips, the softness, the way she clung to him—it all sent his heart racing out of control. He could feel her breath hitch as she pressed closer, their fingers locking together, gripping tightly as if neither of them wanted to let go.

A quiet hum escaped Rose, her body melting against his.

Kai wasn't sure if it was the exhaustion or the emotions overflowing, but right now, nothing else existed. Just this. Just her.

"Just a little longer," she whispered against his lips, her voice breathy, filled with something deeper than just affection.

And for the first time, Kai didn't think—he just felt.

Her shirt slipped down her shoulder, exposing more of her smooth skin.

"Oopsy…" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper, her face turning bright red. She had no idea what had come over her, why she was acting like this—but she didn't stop.

Her fingers traced lightly across Kai's chest, sending shivers down his spine. Slowly, she opened up his shirt, the fabric sliding apart beneath her touch.

Kai's breath hitched.

He was literally going with it.

Even a nerd… has feelings.

As she leaned in closer, her tail instinctively wrapped around his waist, holding him there, pulling him just a little closer.

The dim light flickered softly in the quiet room. Their breaths intertwined, hearts pounding in sync.

And that night… neither of them pulled away.