Night fell over Tower Alpha.
Most students were still unpacking, celebrating, or just collapsing from exhaustion.
Kain wasn't like most students.
He had a plan.
And a six-pack of imported beers tucked under his arm.
He sauntered down the polished hallway, the floor cold against his bare feet, wearing nothing but a plain black T-shirt and loose gray sweatpants.
Casual.
Disarming.
Intentional.
Stopping at room 308, he lightly rapped his knuckles against Ruby's door.
Knock, knock.
A few seconds later, the door cracked open.
Ruby peeked out, wearing a loose, oversized white shirt that slid off one shoulder.
Her hair was damp from a recent shower.
The sight hit Kain harder than he expected.
She blinked at him, clearly surprised.
"...Kain?"
He gave an easy, charming smile, lifting the beers slightly.
"Figured since we're neighbors and all," he said smoothly, "might as well celebrate surviving the trial together"
Ruby hesitated, glancing back into her room.
Then back at him.
"...Fine," she muttered, stepping aside.
Kain slipped in without missing a beat, his shoulder brushing hers just slightly as he passed.
Ruby didn't say anything about it, but he didn't miss the way she stiffened for half a second before relaxing.
The room smelled faintly of her shampoo, something sweet and floral, and was still half unpacked.
Books on the desk.
A plush blanket was tossed over the bed.
"Nice place," Kain said, tossing her a beer.
She caught it instinctively.
"Pfft. We all have the same layout," she said, but there was a ghost of a smile on her lips.
Kain cracked open his can, took a sip, and flopped down onto the cushioned bench by the window.
Ruby stayed standing for a moment before reluctantly following, sitting across from him.
For a few minutes, they just drank quietly, watching the stars through the massive glass window.
It wasn't awkward, exactly.
But it was charged.
Kain decided to push it a little.
"So," he said casually, tilting his head, "tell me about yourself"
Ruby gave him a dry look.
"You already know I'm here for Finn"
Kain chuckled low in his throat.
"Yeah, you say that. But I want to know about you. Ruby Elena, not Ruby-who-chases-Finn"
She opened her mouth to fire back, then paused.
Maybe it was the beer.
Maybe it was the loneliness of being in a new place.
Maybe it was the way Kain's voice dipped low, warm, and inviting.
Whatever it was, she answered.
Bit by bit.
Family stuff.
Dreams of joining the Royal Guard.
Fear of being average.
As she talked, Kain shifted, pretending to stretch, and their knees brushed under the table.
Ruby flinched slightly, but didn't pull away.
His system flickered softly:
[ Ruby's Affection: 10% → 14% ]
Kain hid his smirk behind another sip of beer.
A few more touches, innocent, casual, followed.
A brush of hands when reaching for a second drink.
A light nudge of his foot against hers during a laugh.
Each one eroded a little more of the distance between them.
Finally, as Ruby leaned closer to grab her beer, she stumbled slightly, maybe from the alcohol, maybe just nerves, and bumped right into him.
Kain caught her automatically, hands finding her waist to steady her.
For a second, they froze there.
Close.
Too close.
Ruby's breath hitched.
Her eyes, wide and uncertain, locked onto his.
Neither of them spoke.
The air between them crackled with electricity.
Then, almost without thinking—
Or maybe exactly because he was thinking—
Kain dipped his head and kissed her.
Soft.
Testing.
Ruby stiffened—
Then, to his surprise, she kissed him back for the briefest second before pulling away, her cheeks flaming red.
"I—I shouldn't," she stammered, stepping back, shaking her head.
Kain stayed where he was, smiling lazily.
"Maybe you shouldn't," he said quietly.
"But you did"
Ruby swallowed hard, clutching her beer like it was a lifeline.
"You should go," she said, voice barely above a whisper.
Kain pushed himself up with a low grunt, heading for the door.
But just before he stepped out, he glanced back over his shoulder.
"Goodnight, Ruby," he said, voice low and rough.
"And hey... anytime you wanna talk again... I'm right next door"
The door closed behind him with a soft click.
And as he strolled back toward his room, his system chimed softly:
[ Ruby's Affection: 14% → 20% ]
[ New Status: Conflicted Feelings Unlocked ]
Kain grinned to himself, running a hand through his hair.
'Yeah,' he thought lazily.
'This is gonna be fun!'
The Next Day / Morning
The sun barely crested the horizon when Kain wandered into the dorm cafeteria, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
His black shirt was rumpled, and he still hadn't bothered putting on proper shoes, just his lazy slip-ons clapping against the polished floor.
He spotted Ruby immediately.
She was sitting with Finn at one of the back tables, picking at a half-eaten plate of eggs like it personally offended her.
Finn, meanwhile, was laughing loudly about something, absolutely oblivious.
The idiot probably still had no idea what went down last night.
Kain grinned to himself.
'Fucking goldfish,' he thought lazily.
'Good thing he passed out after two beers. Going to his room first was a good idea!''
Ruby must have felt his stare, because she stiffened and glanced up.
The moment their eyes met, she snapped her head back down so fast he half-expected her neck to crack.
[ Ruby's Affection: 20% → 22% ]
Kain almost laughed out loud.
'The system doesn't lie'
She could pretend all she wanted, hell, she was pretending, sitting rigidly next to Finn like Kain didn't exist, but her cheeks were betraying her.
Even from across the room, he could see the faint pink tint dusting her ears.
Smirking, Kain grabbed a tray of whatever slop they were serving and sauntered over.
Finn noticed him first, waving cheerily.
"Yo, Kain! You crashed early last night too, huh? I don't remember shit after like, my third drink—"
He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Man, we gotta party harder next time"
Kain just shrugged, dropping into the seat across from them.
Ruby didn't even look at him.
She just stabbed her eggs harder.
Hard enough that Kain wondered if she was imagining his face under there.
He rested his chin in his hand, elbow on the table, and watched her work herself into a silent rage.
'God damn,' Kain thought wickedly, eyes trailing slowly down the curve of her neck to where her shirt collar gapped slightly.
'She's so fucking cute when she's pretending she doesn't want it'
His mind, already a little dirty by default, helpfully conjured images of last night:
Her body pressed against his.
Her lips, warm and soft against his for that one stolen moment.
The way her breath had caught in her throat.
He had to fight the urge to smirk like an absolute jackass.
Instead, he leaned back lazily and cracked open his soda.
"You sleep okay, Ruby?" he asked innocently.
Ruby's hand froze mid-stab.
Her shoulders went rigid.
Finn, completely clueless, shoved another sausage into his mouth.
"Ruby's always grumpy in the morning, dude. Don't take it personally!"
Kain's grin widened.
"I don't mind," he said, voice low enough that only she would catch the real meaning.
"I think it's... cute"
Ruby's face turned a shade of red he didn't know was physically possible.
She finally snapped her gaze to him, glaring daggers, mouth opening—
Then slamming shut again when Finn laughed like an idiot at something on his phone.
[ Ruby's Affection: 22% → 24% ]
[ New Status: Denial Activated ]
Kain barely contained his snicker.
'She's fucking adorable when she's fighting it,' he thought, biting into a burnt pancake.
Ruby, seething and mortified, shoved her tray away and stood up abruptly.
"I'm going to class early," she muttered, not looking at either of them.
Finn waved like nothing was wrong.
"Later!"
But Kain caught it.
The tiny glance Ruby shot at him as she left.
A glance so fast it was almost invisible.
But it was there.
Need.
Confusion.
Longing.
All wrapped up in a scowl.
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head, feeling pretty damn pleased with himself.
'First crack in the armor,' he thought smugly.
He didn't even wait for Finn to finish choking on his sausage.
He stood up, tossing his tray carelessly onto the return cart, and strolled after Ruby, hands in his pockets, whistling lazily.
He caught up with her just as she was storming down the dorm hall, stiff as a board.
"Yo, Ruby," he called casually, like they were best friends.
She ignored him.
Naturally, Kain just sped up, falling into step beside her.
"You're heading to class early, right? Might as well wait outside my room," he said, stretching his arms above his head with a lazy yawn.
"I'll grab my stuff. We'll go together"
Ruby shot him a sharp glare, clearly two seconds away from telling him to fuck off—
But for some reason...
She hesitated.
Kain caught that flicker of doubt immediately.
"You do owe me after last night," he added, dropping his voice to a teasing murmur only she could hear.
"Y'know... for letting you steal a kiss"
Ruby froze mid-step, cheeks flushing deep pink.
He didn't give her a chance to argue.
Just turned down the hallway toward his room, tossing over his shoulder:
"You better hurry"
"Of course!"
Outside Kain's Door
Ruby stood stiffly against the wall, arms crossed, face burning.
'Idiot. Stupid idiot,' she thought viciously.
'Why am I even waiting for him?!'
She was about to storm off when she heard the door creak open.
"Hey, just gimme a sec," Kain said, voice muffled from inside.
"Forgot my jacket"
Ruby huffed impatiently, glancing sideways, and the door swung open a little wider.
Instinctively, she peeked in.
Big mistake.
Kain was standing inside... shirtless.
His back was to her, muscles shifting lazily under smooth skin as he rummaged through a pile of clothes.
But that wasn't the worst part.
No, the worst part was the fact that he was wearing nothing but low-slung sweatpants, hanging dangerously off his hips, leaving very little to the imagination.
Ruby's heart slammed against her ribs like a hammer.
'Holy shit!'
She immediately jerked her head away, face blazing.
But it was too late.
The image was burned into her brain.
The muscles.
The sharp lines of his waist.
And... well.
What he was packing!
[ Ruby's Affection: 24% → 30% ]
[ Ruby's Lust: 0% → 6% ]
[ New Status Effect: Flustered ]
Inside the room, Kain grinned like the devil.
He'd seen her peek.
He knew she was dying right now.
Whistling innocently, he tugged on a clean black jacket, ruffled his already messy hair for maximum "accidental hotness," and sauntered out into the hall.
Ruby refused to look at him.
"Ready?" he asked, voice dripping with fake innocence.
Ruby nodded stiffly, cheeks so red she would have melted steel beams.
Kain chuckled under his breath, slipping his hands into his pockets as they started walking.
'This is too fucking easy,' he thought smugly.
'If she's this rattled now... just wait till combat class'
His mind, naturally, drifted to even worse ideas.
Close combat.
Sweaty skin.
Panting breaths.
Yeah.
Today was gonna be a very good day.
Class
It was held in the open-air arena behind the dorms, the morning sun hot and heavy above them.
Finn, still half-asleep from the night before, yawned so hard he almost fell over while stretching.
Kain?
He looked like he was thriving, hands in his pockets, a lazy grin, eyes gleaming with mischief.
Ruby stood stiffly on the other side of the courtyard, studiously ignoring him.
Her cheeks were still a little pink.
Not that she could hide anything, the system loved keeping him updated.
[ Ruby's Affection: 30% ]
[ Ruby's Lust: 6% ]
[ Status: Flustered → Recovering... ]
Kain smirked.
The instructor, a grizzled old bastard named Coach Varro, stomped onto the field.
His face looked like it had been carved out of a mountain and then punched repeatedly for good measure.
"Today's lesson!" he barked.
"Close combat! Survival instincts! Partner drills! No mercy!"
Everyone shuffled awkwardly.
"Pick a partner!" Varro barked.
"NOW!"
Instant chaos.
Kain didn't even hesitate.
He was across the courtyard in three long strides, dropping his arm lazily around Ruby's shoulders before she could react.
"Guess it's you and me, partner," he said, low and smug in her ear.
Ruby flinched slightly, not enough to push him off, and turned to glare at him, but she didn't move away.
Progress.
Meanwhile, Finn paired off with some big farm kid named Hugo, blissfully oblivious.
Coach Varro clapped his hands.
"Get in position!"
Kain stepped onto the sparring mat with Ruby, grinning like he already knew how this was gonna go.
Ruby squared off against him, fists raised, clearly ready to beat the shit out of him just to save her own pride.
Kain, naturally, took the most unserious stance possible, hands in his pockets, one foot lazily cocked.
"Come on, Ruby," he teased.
"Don't be shy"
Ruby growled under her breath, actually growled, and lunged.
She was fast, no doubt.
But Kain was faster.
Upgraded Agility, baby.
He slipped around her like smoke, letting her momentum carry her straight past him.
She stumbled, spun around, right into him.
There was a messy tangle of limbs.
And somehow, somehow, Kain ended up flat on his back on the mat, Ruby sprawled right on top of him.
Full chest-to-chest contact.
Legs tangled.
Face inches away.
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.
Ruby's eyes went wide.
Her breath hitched.
And Kain?
Oh, Kain didn't waste a fucking second.
He looked her dead in the eyes and smirked, voice a low drawl.
"If you wanted me under you, you just had to ask"
Ruby exploded backward like she'd been electrocuted, scrambling off him, face a nuclear shade of red.
Around the field, some of the students snickered.
Coach Varro, without even blinking, barked, "AGAIN!"
Ruby clenched her fists so hard her knuckles turned white, trembling with fury and—
Well, other things.
[ Ruby's Affection: 30% → 35% ]
[ Ruby's Lust: 6% → 12% ]
[ New Status Effect: Distracted ]
Kain rolled lazily to his feet, dusted off his pants, and winked at her.
'Yeah,' he thought smugly.
'This is way too easy'
"Again!" Coach Varro barked, blowing the whistle.
Ruby charged this time with way more aggression, but she was sloppy, emotions getting the better of her.
Kain sidestepped easily, catching her wrist mid-swing.
Instead of tossing her aside, though, he pulled her in.
Right into his chest.
Again.
She froze, muscles tense, breath caught.
Kain, wearing the cockiest smirk imaginable, leaned down, his voice just low enough for her to hear:
"You're telegraphing your punches, sweetheart. Try this instead"
Before she could snap at him, Kain moved behind her, way too close ,and guided her arms up into a proper defensive stance.
His hands were large, rough, confident as they slid down her forearms, adjusting her posture, his chest practically pressing into her back.
Ruby stiffened so hard she was trembling.
"Relax," Kain murmured, letting his breath ghost across her ear.
"You're too tight like this. Gotta be loose to move quick"
Her entire body jolted like she had been struck by lightning.
Meanwhile, Kain was mentally cackling.
The system blinked:
[ Ruby's Affection: 35% → 38% ]
[ Ruby's Lust: 12% → 17% ]
[ Status Effect: Flustered ×2 ]
He almost burst out laughing right there.
He kept going, moving her hips a little, guiding her foot placement, hands dangerously low.
Maybe a little "accidental" brushing against her waist, her sides, just to see if she'd snap.
Ruby was breathing hard now, her face completely red, but she didn't shove him away.
Not even when his fingers lingered for a second too long on her hips.
Instead, she blurted out:
"I can handle it myself!"
And twisted free, turning on him with a look that was half murder, half... something else.
Kain just shrugged lazily.
"If you say so, princess," he drawled.
"But next time you end up underneath me... don't say I didn't try to help"
Ruby practically vibrated with rage (and something way more dangerous) as she stomped back a few paces.
Coach Varro's whistle blew again.
"TIME! SWITCH PARTNERS!"
Ruby practically ran away without even looking at Kain.
He just chuckled, stretching lazily like he hadn't just completely ruined her concentration for the entire day.
The system pinged again:
[ New Quest: Get Ruby to Ask for "Help" Again ]
[ Reward: +10 Skill Points + Bonus Perk ]
Kain grinned, already scheming.
As Ruby fled across the field, Kain dusted his hands off like he was done for the day.
But in reality, he was already flipping open the system menu.
[ Skill Points Available: 20 ]
And after that little show?
He knew exactly where he wanted to invest.
He spent:
5 Points into Looks again pushing himself even hotter, because why stop now?
5 Points into Agility to stay slippery and touchy without getting caught.
5 Points into Charm to make every smirk, wink, and word hit harder.
5 Points saved because he was strategic like that.
[ Looks Lv. 3 → Looks Lv. 4 ]
[ Agility Lv. 1 → Agility Lv. 2 ]
[ Charm Lv. 1 → Charm Lv. 2 ]
System pings rolled in:
[ Minor Passive: Natural Seduction Aura unlocked ]
[ Minor Passive: "Can't Catch Me" unlocked / Slight boost to evasion and counter moves ]
[ Minor Passive: +5% Affection gain from flirting or teasing ]
Kain felt it instantly.
Every step he took now had a certain swagger.
Every glance from the girls had a little more heat behind it.
Even Coach Varro raised an eyebrow, muttering something under his breath about Kain "finally acting like a man!"
Kain just grinned lazily, hands in his pockets, like he wasn't actively becoming a living, breathing nightmare for every poor girl in the dorms.
And speaking of dorms—
Tonight?
Oh, tonight he had plans.
He was gonna make sure Ruby came knocking again.
And when she did?
This time, he wasn't going to accidentally touch her.
He was going to make her beg for it!
That Night
Kain leaned back on his bed, tossing a stress ball into the air, whistling a low, lazy tune.
He knew she'd come.
Ruby was stubborn.
Prideful.
But not immune.
Not after the way he had handled her earlier.
Not after the way his hands had slid over her hips like they belonged there.
And sure enough—
Knock knock.
Kain's smirk widened.
He let her knock again, impatient, before he finally called:
"Door's open"
Ruby pushed the door open just enough to slip inside, arms crossed, glaring like he owed her a blood debt.
She was dressed down tonight, too.
Loose tank top, shorts, like she'd rushed over before she could overthink it.
'Smart girl'
Kain stretched exaggeratedly, flashing a teasing glimpse of his toned stomach as his shirt rode up.
Her eyes flicked down, betraying her, before snapping right back up with even more fury.
"You said... You could help me. With my stance," Ruby snapped, as if every word was poison.
Kain tapped his chin, pretending to think.
"Did I now?" he said, the laziest, cockiest drawl imaginable.
Then he grinned.
"Alright. Come here"
Ruby hesitated a full three seconds before stomping closer.
Exactly what he wanted.
He stood up, towering over her a little.
'Thank you, stat upgrades'
Ruby stiffened as he circled her slowly, once, like a wolf sizing up prey.
Then, casually, way too casually, he brushed her hair off her neck with his fingers.
She shivered hard.
Kain's grin sharpened.
"Relax," he murmured again, just like earlier.
"Gotta be loose... remember?"
Ruby gritted her teeth, trembling, but she didn't pull away.
He moved behind her again, sliding his hands down her arms, adjusting her stance.
Slow, deliberate, intimate touches that had nothing to do with combat and everything to do with making her crazy.
And just when she started to relax a little—
He stepped forward, his chest pressing flush against her back.
She froze.
Kain leaned down, his breath warm against her ear.
"Better," he whispered.
"But you're still a little too tight"
His hands drifted lower, adjusting her hips again, fingertips brushing her shorts where he had no business being.
Ruby let out the softest whimper before she clamped her mouth shut.
Kain felt the system ping.
[ Ruby's Affection: 38% → 43% ]
[ Ruby's Lust: 17% → 26% ]
[ Status Effect: Flustered ×3 ]
Good.
He was about to pull away when she twisted suddenly, maybe to elbow him, and her movement dragged her body across his.
Specifically, across the very obvious bulge in his sweatpants.
Both of them froze.
Kain's smirk evaporated for half a second.
Ruby went dead silent, staring wide-eyed at the very real situation pressed against her hip.
He was recovering fast, leaned down until their faces were inches apart, grinning like the devil.
"See somethin' you like, sweetheart?"
Ruby made a choking noise and tried to backpedal, tripping over his foot, falling right into him.
Their mouths brushed.
Not a full kiss, just a graze.
But it was enough.
The moment stretched, electric.
Ruby's face burned scarlet.
Kain could feel her heartbeat hammering against his chest.
His hands, somehow, slid up to catch her waist, holding her steady.
Their eyes locked.
A beat of silence.
Then—
Ruby punched him in the chest and bolted for the door.
"IDIOT!!"
The door slammed behind her so hard the walls shook.
Kain stood there, blinking.
Then he burst out laughing, running a hand through his hair.
The system chimed:
[ New Title Earned: "Heartbreaker" ]
[ Bonus Effect: +5% Charm when teasing targets under Status: Flustered. ]
[ Ruby's Affection: 43% → 50% ]
[ Ruby's Lust: 26% → 34% ]
[ Status: Dreaming of You Tonight ]
Kain collapsed back onto his bed, hands behind his head, grinning ear-to-ear.
"She's so fucked," he muttered to himself.
And so was he, if she ever got the guts to come back for Round 2.
The Next Morning
Kain rolled out of bed feeling like a goddamn king.
A little bit of stretching.
Little bit of cocky whistling.
And a whole lotta grinning at the memory of Ruby practically melting in his arms last night.
He threw on a fitted black shirt (just tight enough to show off the muscles he'd been quietly stacking up with his stats), some ripped jeans, and ruffled his hair for that perfect messy look.
[ Passive Skill: "Effortless Cool" Activated ]
And he was out the door.
Mess Hall
Kain swaggered in, snatching a tray, casually scanning the room—
There she was.
Ruby, sitting stiff as a board at a table near the windows, was picking at her food like it had personally insulted her.
Again.
And sitting right next to her, way too close, was Finn.
Fresh-faced, clueless, and flashing his dumb golden retriever smile.
Kain fought the urge to laugh.
Finn was chattering nonstop.
Oblivious to the cold-blooded murder flashing across Ruby's face every five seconds.
"And then I thought," Finn was saying, laughing, "if the chimera's got three heads, do I need three swords?"
"Or just aim for the middle one? Haha!"
Ruby grunted something noncommittal, glaring laser beams at her oatmeal.
Finn, undeterred, leaned over and… god help him… tucked a stray lock of hair behind Ruby's ear.
Ruby went rigid.
Kain nearly dropped his tray from trying not to laugh out loud.
[ Passive Skill: "Karma Enjoyer" Activated ]
Finn gave a shy little chuckle.
"You're really pretty when you're mad, y'know that?"
Ruby made a noise that sounded somewhere between a dying cat and a rabid wolf.
Meanwhile, Kain strolled over casually, pulling up a chair across from them, spinning it around and sitting backward on it like a total delinquent.
Ruby's eyes flicked to him instantly.
And unfortunately for her, her gaze dipped way too low, catching on the way his jeans clung to his thighs, and...
Yeah.
She looked.
She realized she looked.
And she whipped her head back up so fast it was a miracle she didn't snap her neck.
Kain smirked like the absolute bastard he was.
[ Ruby's Lust: 34% → 40% ]
[ Status Effect: Distracted (Severe) ]
Finn finally noticed something was off, kinda.
He frowned at Ruby.
"You feeling okay, Ruby? You're all red... are you sick? Did you get cursed?!"
Kain almost choked on his drink.
Ruby, poor Ruby, actually made a tiny keening sound in the back of her throat, like she was being physically tortured.
"I'm. Fine," she gritted out.
Finn leaned closer, like he was about to kiss her forehead or some dumb shit.
Kain couldn't help himself.
He cut in, voice dripping with mock concern:
"Maybe you should lie down, sweetheart. You're burning up"
Ruby's entire soul tried to exit her body.
She slammed her palms down on the table and shot to her feet so fast her chair skidded across the floor.
"I'M GOING TO TRAIN!" she barked, and practically sprinted for the door.
Finn watched her go, blinking slowly.
"...Was it something I said?" he asked.
Kain finally lost it, throwing his head back, laughing so hard he nearly fell out of his chair.
The system dinged:
[ Ruby's Affection: 50% → 56% ]
[ Ruby's Lust: 40% → 48% ]
[ Hidden Bonus: "Forbidden Fruit" Unlocked. ]
[ They desire you more when someone else wants you ]
Kain wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling.
He hadn't even touched her this time.
She was doing all the work herself.
And that was a bloody good joke.