The Name Game

The mansion was unusually quiet that evening, the only sounds being the soft rustling of pages as Ere'ana flipped through a book. Kikidori, on the other hand, was sprawled on the couch, his attention divided between the book he was trying to read and the distracting thoughts swirling in his mind.

Ere'ana glanced over at him, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Hey," she said, closing her book with a soft thud. "Call me 'babe.'"

Kikidori paused, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. "What? No way."

Ere'ana tilted her head, her lips curling into an innocent, almost too-cute-for-her-own-good smile. She batted her eyelashes, letting out a soft sigh. "Please, just once?"

Kikidori felt his resolve wavering, but he quickly shook his head. "Still no."

The smile on Ere'ana's face didn't falter, though. She leaned forward, making her voice softer, almost purring. "If you say no again, I'll act like a cat."

Kikidori shot her a skeptical look. "Seriously? You're threatening me with this?"

Ere'ana didn't answer. Instead, she moved onto the floor, crouching as if preparing to pounce. She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing with a playful glint. She began to stretch, then crawled slowly toward Kikidori on all fours, her movements deliberate and exaggerated, like a cat stalking its prey.

Kikidori blinked, his mouth curving into a mix of amusement and disbelief. "What the hell are you doing?"

Without answering, Ere'ana let out a soft, high-pitched meow, followed by another, then another. Kikidori couldn't help but chuckle despite himself. Ere'ana's actions were so over the top, yet she managed to look absolutely adorable.

"Fine, that's cute," Kikidori admitted with a roll of his eyes. "But that doesn't mean I'm calling you 'babe.'"

Ere'ana, not giving up, continued with her antics. She hopped onto the couch, curling up beside him, and started grooming her arm with her hands, acting like she was cleaning herself just like a cat. Kikidori chuckled again, shaking his head.

"You're ridiculous," he muttered, trying not to laugh.

But then Ere'ana meowed again, this time a drawn-out sound that was impossible to ignore. She even tilted her head and gave him the sweetest, most pleading look she could muster.

Kikidori tried to resist, but as Ere'ana continued her playful cat imitation, it became increasingly difficult. He sighed in exasperation. "Alright, alright," he relented, his voice filled with amusement. "I'll call you 'babe'—but only because you're being so damn persistent!"

Ere'ana's eyes lit up, and she immediately sat up straight, looking more pleased than she had in the last hour. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Kikidori rolled his eyes, but there was a smile tugging at his lips. "You're lucky you're cute, or I would've said no for the hundredth time."

Ere'ana leaned in, her expression playful. "You wouldn't dare."

Kikidori just grinned. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, 'babe.'"

Ere'ana leaned back with a satisfied smile, resting her head on his shoulder as they both settled in for a quiet moment. Despite their teasing, it was clear they both enjoyed these little moments together—moments that, no matter how playful or trivial, helped strengthen the bond they shared.

The End of Chapter Nineteen