Little Assistant

With no more classes, Kai finally had a full week of freedom before the operation began. However, he wasn't the type to slack off. Discipline had been drilled into him, and he followed a strict daily routine to keep himself in top shape.

Every morning, he woke up at six sharp, no alarm needed—his body had long adjusted. A two-hour workout at the gym followed, pushing his limits and keeping his physique strong. Then, a refreshing shower before sitting down to breakfast, freshly prepared by his cooking robot, programmed to make nutritious, low-calorie meals.

Afterward, he allowed himself a bit of leisure time, indulging in video games for two hours—nothing too competitive, just enough to unwind.

As for the afternoons? They were open-ended. A rare thing for him.

Today, Natasha had invited him to her lab.

She hadn't told him why, just a simple message asking him to stop by. It was located in the same building as General Hackett's office, the very place where Kai had once been implanted with his cybernetic chips.

Stepping into the lab, Kai expected Natasha to greet him—maybe even with a kiss.

But instead, he was met with a surprised gasp.

"K-Kai?! I-I didn't know you were coming over!"

He blinked. It was Lily.

Her reaction was adorably panicked, her hands gripping a clipboard tightly.

"Uhm, t-take a seat, please…" She pointed toward the examination bed. Then, realizing what she just said, her face turned beet red.

"W-wait, no! I didn't mean it like that! I'm not going to examine you—!"

Kai watched, amused, as she scrambled to correct herself. He hadn't even said anything yet.

"It's okay, Lily." He chuckled, walking over and sitting on the examination bed anyway. "I don't mind."

Lily fidgeted nervously, suddenly very interested in rearranging medical tools.

Kai leaned back slightly, watching her. "So, how have you been? It's been a while since we talked… and usually, Nat is around when we do."

Lily hesitated, her fingers tightening around a vial before placing it down.

"Uhm… y-yeah, I've been doing good…" she muttered. Then, after a pause, her voice grew even quieter. "Also… this is our first time meeting in person…"

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Wait, really?"

She nodded, still avoiding eye contact. "We've only ever talked through VC…"

That explained why she seemed so flustered.

They continued talking for a while, the conversation growing more relaxed as Lily gradually became more comfortable. Kai found it amusing how nervous she had been at first, but now she was finally opening up—though still a little shy.

Then, the door swung open.

Both Kai and Lily turned toward it, expecting Natasha.

Instead, Jack stepped in, dressed in his work uniform. His sharp eyes scanned the lab, searching for something—or someone—before he finally noticed Kai and Lily staring at him.

Kai blinked, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing here, Jack? You're the last person I expected to show up in a lab."

Jack, as usual, looked unfazed.

"I'm looking for Ms. Natasha," he said plainly. "She messaged me to come pick something up. Have you seen her?"

Before Kai could respond, Jack's gaze shifted.

"Hey there, Lily." His tone was neutral, but noticeably more casual—without any honorifics.

Lily jolted upright as if struck by lightning.

Her entire face turned scarlet, and without even glancing at Jack, she stammered, "Y-y-you too, J-Jack… I-I have to go!"

Then, without another word, she spun around and bolted out of the lab, practically fleeing.

Kai watched her go, then turned back to Jack, his expression unreadable.

He had a very good guess as to what was going on.

Jack, however, simply frowned. "Why is she running?" he asked, completely oblivious.

Kai exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly. Oh, this is going to be interesting.

Meanwhile...

Lily bolted out of the lab, her face burning red as she covered it with both hands. How she managed not to bump into anything on the way was a miracle.

She only stopped when she finally reached the cafeteria, panting—not just from exhaustion, but from something far more overwhelming.

Her heart was still racing.

Taking a few moments to calm herself, she placed her hands on her cheeks. Still warm…

"That was so dangerous…" she whispered to herself, groaning softly. She knew she had overreacted, but at the time, running away had felt like the only option.

"I probably shouldn't have run away though…"

"Oh my, are you hungry too, my cute assistant?"

Lily jumped.

She spun around to see Natasha standing behind her, smiling gently. The older woman was still wearing her lab coat, her arms crossed in amusement.

"M-Ms. Natasha?! You're here?!" Lily stammered before quickly correcting herself. "I-I mean, I'm not hungry…!"

Her fingers fidgeted nervously, betraying her words.

Natasha raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced.

"Hmm… is that so?" she teased.

Lily desperately needed to change the subject.

"Uhm, K-Kai is in the lab, waiting for you… A-and Jack too." She glanced away, still flustered. "Y-you shouldn't keep them waiting."

Natasha's smile widened.

"Oh? So you ran away and left Kai alone in the lab?"

Lily stiffened. She'd been caught.

Natasha chuckled, patting Lily's head. "Relax, sweetheart. I'll take care of it."

As Natasha turned to leave, Lily exhaled deeply, pressing her hands against her face again.

"What is wrong with me today…?"

Back in the lab...

Kai and Jack stood near the examination bed, casually chatting while waiting.

Then, the door swished open.

"Hey, boys. Were you waiting for me? I had something to take care of."

Natasha's smooth voice filled the lab as she walked in, her confident stride making it clear she owned the room. Without hesitation, she went straight to Kai and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

"Especially you~" she teased.

Jack, witnessing the moment, barely reacted. He had seen this coming long before they even admitted it to themselves.

"Ms. Natasha, I came to pick up the items you requested." His voice was calm, polite, and unwavering—completely unfazed by the scene in front of him.

Natasha pulled back slightly, giving him a nod. "Ah yes, the things. Let me grab them." She disappeared into the back of the lab.

As soon as she was gone, Kai shifted uncomfortably. He could still feel Jack's presence, watching in silence.

"Uh… Sorry you had to see that."

Jack glanced at him, arms crossed.

"Don't worry about it. I knew you two were going to date. Congrats." His tone was flat, but there was a hint of sincerity behind it.

Before Kai could respond, Jack's sharp gaze darkened.

"But that also means Hana is off-limits now." His voice dropped slightly, his stare becoming downright lethal. "If you ever do anything to her, I'll tell Ms. Natasha—" he leaned in slightly, his eyes narrowing—" and then I'll kill you myself."

Kai swallowed.

If looks could kill, he'd be six feet under.

Jack wasn't just protective—he was dead serious.

Natasha returned, a box in her hands and a knowing smirk on her lips.

"I'm back. Hm? Did something happen while I was gone?"

Her voice was casual, almost innocent—but Kai wasn't fooled. He caught the subtle glint in her eyes. She heard everything.

"No, nothing happened," Kai replied quickly, eager to move on. "What's with the box?"

"Oh, these? Just some things I asked Jack to pick up." She handed the box over to him.

Jack took it without a word, then gave them both a slight nod. "Okay. See you later, Ms. Natasha. You too, Outsider."

Kai sighed. Even now, after everything, Jack still insisted on calling him that. Though, at this point, it felt more like a habit than an insult.

As the door slid shut behind Jack, Kai turned back to Natasha, still confused.

"So… why exactly did you invite me here?"

Natasha simply smiled, tapping a finger on her chin.

"You've met my cute little assistant, haven't you?"

Kai nodded. "Yeah, Lily. What about her?"

Natasha's smile widened. "Then you've already seen the reason for yourself, haven't you?"

Kai blinked. "Huh? What do you mean? I don't under—" Then it clicked.

His eyes widened slightly as he pieced it together.

"Ohhhh… I get it." He let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "Wow, you're sly, Nat. Dropping hints like that. You're lucky I'm not completely dense."

Natasha merely shrugged, looking pleased with herself.

She had orchestrated everything perfectly.

She invited Kai to the lab, making sure he met Lily in person for the first time.

She had Jack show up at the same time to pick up something from the lab.

She didn't warn Lily about Jack coming, ensuring Lily's reaction would be completely natural.

And she wasn't even in the room when it all happened, yet still managed to make Kai figure out what was going on.

Kai was impressed. The level of planning, the subtle mind games—Natasha was scary smart.

"You really went through all this just to make me notice?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She leaned in closer, her voice teasing. "Of course~ You need to see things for yourself sometimes, Captain."

Kai chuckled. "Alright, I admit it. You got me."

They are laughing and having fun talking about it while Lily is still blushing hard at the cafeteria. Jack is completely oblivious about what happened and just goes on with his task; bringing the things Natasha asked him to someone.