Proof by Impact

Raven braced herself, forcing down the sudden lump in her throat. She cleared it, trying to steady her voice, even as the weight of Rein's smug stare pressed down on her like a vice.

"Well… we mostly just call each other by nicknames…" she said with a weak chuckle, the sound brittle and unconvincing, like glass on the verge of shattering.

Rein didn't even bother to hide his reaction. His unimpressed expression made it clear—he saw through the bluff instantly.

After all, he was an S-Rank. Trained to read people. To exploit weakness.

"It's a simple question, Raven," he said, voice cool and confident. "Just answer and I'll be off." His smirk widened slightly, the curve of his lips smug with realization. He had her cornered. And he knew it.

So this relationship might not be as real as I thought, huh? his eyes seemed to say.

Raven's mind scrambled for an escape route, thoughts tumbling over each other as she tried to calculate a response that wouldn't raise more suspicion. She couldn't afford a single misstep—Rein was exactly the kind of person to dig through social media archives, exploit public perception, and ruin reputations with a single post.

Especially now, with the Guild watching. With the rules already bent to keep her out of trouble.

This fake relationship had been her shield. One more crack, and it would all fall apart.

But before the pressure could break her, before Rein could land the final verbal blow, a low cough cut through the tension like a blade.

Aren stepped forward.

"Let me give you a special answer…" he said, voice laced with a casual smirk.

His tone was light, but his gaze shimmered with a hidden weight.

'I might be emotionally detached', his eyes seemed to say, 'but I've watched humans for millennia. I know exactly what's going on here.'

With a fluid motion, Aren closed the distance between them. He reached up—fingers surprisingly gentle—as he removed Raven's mask.

"Wait—"

And without another word…

He kissed her.

The café went still.

Raven's eyes widened, stunned, her breath caught in her chest as Aren's lips pressed against hers. Warm, unfamiliar, and sudden. Her body locked up, frozen mid-thought, a thousand responses jamming in her throat all at once.

'He kissed me…?' Her mind could barely process the act.

Rein's expression shattered. His jaw hung open, face slack with disbelief. He stood motionless, like a statue struck by lightning.

The woman he wanted—needed—was kissing someone else right in front of him.

"What…?" he breathed, voice cracking from sheer disbelief.

For Aren, the moment held no grand meaning. Just a calculated move—a learned behavior, reinforced by centuries of observation and now colored faintly by this body's lingering human instincts. He felt the rush of hormones spark in his veins. His face remained composed…

…except for the faint blush blooming across his ears.

He pulled back slowly, the kiss ending, but the silence afterward thundered louder than any explosion.

Raven stood stunned, her pupils unfocused, like her soul had left her body for a split second. She swayed slightly, as if a stiff breeze could topple her.

Aren glanced toward Rein, expression cool and aloof.

"Is that enough proof for you?" he asked, voice flat—almost bored.

Rein trembled.

Then his fist clenched.

With a snarl, he slammed his hand onto the café table beside him. The wood cracked like glass under the force, splinters flying as the whole thing collapsed in a single violent smash.

"You bastard…!" he roared, eyes burning. "You'll pay for taking her first kiss from me!"

And in a burst of mana, his figure blurred—then vanished into thin air, leaving behind nothing but a swirl of dust and broken pride.

The café fell into silence once more.

Well…

Almost silence.

Because, unknown to Raven and Aren, a crowd had been watching from outside. Customers, staff, a few low-ranked hunters—and even a local news drone, its red recording light blinking silently in the corner of the café ceiling.

They had seen it all.

Ever since Rein had stormed in—while Aren had been fighting the B-Rank Hunter outside—the scene had built like a play on center stage. And now, the finale had arrived.

A spectacle of two powerful Hunters—one a popular S-Rank, the other a nameless anomaly—fighting over Raven.

And Raven herself?

She stood dazed, face flushed, lips parted, limbs limp beneath Aren's hand on her back. Her expression was unreadable—like a glitching program or a soul forcibly rebooting.

Like the kiss had stolen not just her breath, but her entire ability to process reality.

And the crowd?

Silent.

Until the first whisper broke through.

"…Was that… the S-Rank, Glacial Storm?"

"…Is that guy her boyfriend?"

"…Did he just—?"

Phones came up.

Screens lit.

The internet was about to explode.

And Aren?

He blinked, looking down at Raven with mild curiosity.

"…You okay?" he asked, utterly unfazed.

Raven didn't answer.

Because in that moment…

She honestly didn't know.