Chapter 557 Too Easy
Chapter 557 Too Easy
Just as Kafka leaned in, presumably to bestow another kiss upon his mother, Nina scoffed, interrupting the tender moment.
"Hmph...Don't you dare try to make me jealous, as such cheap tricks won't work on me." She declared, trying to project an air of nonchalance, even though, deep down, she was feeling a pang of...something.
'Definitely not jealousy. Just...a mild curiosity about what those kisses were like. Yeah, curiosity.' She thought to herself.
"I'm immune to your charms, Kakfa, so don't even try." She finished lamely.
Kafka, however, seemed to have other plans. He glanced at Nina, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, here I was, thinking of rewarding you with a thousand kisses in return for being making you watch a sight." He said offhandedly, his tone laced with deliberate provocation.
Nina's eyes widened for a split second. 'A thousand kisses?' The thought sent a shiver down her spine. But then, she quickly recovered, realizing it was a trap, a ploy to elicit a reaction.
"Hmph!" She huffed, crossing her arms. "I don't want your stinky kisses. You can keep them all to yourself." She tried to sound dismissive, but her rapid heartbeat betrayed her bravado.
But Abigaille, sensing an opportunity, seized it with surprising quickness. "Well..." She said sweetly, turning to Kafka with an innocent smile. "If Nina doesn't want them, I'll gladly take them in her place, Kafi." Her eyes sparkled with playful mischief.
Nina's jaw dropped.
'That sneaky little...!'
She hadn't expected Abigaille to be so...strategic when it came to winning Kafka's affection. She was usually so gentle and unassuming. This sudden display of competitive spirit took Nina by surprise.
"Oh no, I appreciate your willingness, Mom, but I couldn't possibly do that to Nina." Kafka said, his gaze shifting back to Nina, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. "That particular offer..." He continued, his voice dropping to a low, teasing murmur. "...is reserved exclusively for my dearest Nina."
Nina's heart did a little flutter-kick.
'My dearest Nina?'
The words echoed in her mind, sending a warm wave of sunshine through her.
'Pride.' She told herself. 'It was just pride. Pride at being singled out, at being deemed worthy of such a grand gesture...A thousand kisses!'
The image flashed through her mind again, and she had to suppress a sudden urge to throw herself at him right then and there.
Why? Because Camila was watching.
She could feel her gaze, sharp and judgmental, boring into her.
If she gave in now, she'd never hear the end of it. 'Stay strong, Nina.' She told herself. 'Don't let him see how much it affects you.'
But then, Kafka's gaze intensified. He looked at her with such...warmth, such intensity in his eyes that Nina's carefully constructed composure began to crumble.
It was a look that made her want to simultaneously hide and throw herself into his arms. It was too much. Too intense.
She tried to ignore it, tried to pretend she didn't notice the way his eyes lingered on hers, the way his lips curved into a soft smile. But she couldn't. The heat rising in her cheeks betrayed her.
Finally, unable to bear the intensity any longer, she stammered, her voice a little higher than usual. "What? What is it?" She asked, her hands fidgeting nervously. "Why are you staring at me like that? Do you...do you have a problem with me? Do you want to fight or something?" She tried to project an air of aggression, hoping to mask her flustered state, but even to her own ears, it sounded weak.
'Fight?' She thought. 'Seriously, Nina? That's the best you could come up with?'
Kafka chuckled softly, shaking his head. "No, no, I don't have a problem with you at all, Nina." He said, his voice gentle and reassuring and then continued saying with a grin on his face like he already knew how she was going to react once it was said, "It's just...for some reason, you look especially beautiful today."
Nina blinked, a flicker of pleasure dancing in her eyes.
It wasn't the first time Kafka had complimented her appearance, but the words still had the power to make her heart flutter. She was used to the teasing, the playful banter, but every now and then, Kafka would drop a sincere compliment like this, catching her off guard and making her defenses crumble just a little.
Camila, ever the skeptic, saw right through Kafka's tactic. She rolled her eyes and subtly gestured towards Nina, silently warning her not to fall for his sweet talk.
But Nina, already basking in the warmth of his words, seemed oblivious to the warning.
"Stop joking around." She mumbled, her cheeks flushing a delicate shade of pink. "You're just saying that to try and win me over."
Kafka's expression softened. "Not at all." Se said sincerely. "For some reason, today, you seem even more radiant than usual. I can't seem to take my eyes off you."
Nina's blush deepened. She was utterly defenseless against such compliments, no matter how often she received them. "Oh, stop it." She murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
He smiled at her, a slow, knowing smile, the kind that sent warmth rushing straight to her chest. And then without missing a beat and with a sincere look in his eyes, he said,
"...The best part about you, is that your mine."
Nina's hands froze mid-air.
Her heart skipped.
"What?" She mumbled, hesitantly, her voice muffled behind her hands. "W-What did you just say?"
Kafka leaned in just a fraction, his voice steady, warm, unwavering. "The best part about everything I just said—the reason why I can say it with so much confidence—is because you're mine, Nina. And I'm yours."
Her breath caught.
"No matter what happens." Kafka continued, his voice low but certain, like he was declaring an undeniable truth. "No matter what circumstances life throws our way... you will always be mine."
Nina's fingers trembled slightly.
He wasn't done.
"And just like that..." He reached out, gently brushing his knuckles against her flushed cheek, his smile turning impossibly tender. "I will always be yours too. There's nothing anyone can do to change that."
That was it.
That was it.
Nina, who had been hanging by a thread, completely snapped.
Her heart burst.
Her resolve shattered.
The heat in her chest spread like wildfire, and before she even realized what she was doing, she let out a loud, desperate, "Kafka!" and launched herself at him.
Kafka barely had time to brace himself before she crashed into him, her arms locking around his waist, her face burying itself into his chest like she wanted to crawl inside and never leave.
His breath trembled slightly at the force of it, but then his body relaxed, his arms naturally wrapping around her in return, steady and sure.
Nina let out a shaky exhale, pressing her face even deeper into his warmth. "You idiot." She mumbled against his chest, her voice trembling just a bit. "You're such an idiot."
Kafka chuckled softly, his hand finding its way to the back of her head, fingers threading gently through her silky green hair. "Am I?" He mused, completely unbothered. "But I thought you loved me."
Nina made a small, frustrated noise, gripping onto his shirt like she was afraid he'd disappear. "I do." She admitted, her voice raw, unfiltered. "I love you more than anything in this stupid world."
Kafka's movements stilled for a split second. His fingers paused against her hair, then slowly, deliberately, traced down her back, rubbing soft, reassuring circles.
"Yeah?" He murmured, his voice carrying that dangerous warmth again.
Nina nodded, still pressed against him. "Yeah."
She hesitated for a moment before adding, softer this time. "And just like you said, I really...really couldn't live without you, you know."
Kafka closed his eyes for a second, his grip on her tightening ever so slightly. "Good." He said, his tone carrying just the faintest trace of emotion. "Because I wouldn't let you."
Nina let out something between a choked laugh and a sigh, her body sagging into his like she was finally done resisting.
Meanwhile, Abigaille watched the scene unfold, shaking her head with an amused sigh.
"Honestly..." She murmured, rubbing her temple. "She acts so high and mighty, but she's the easiest one to break under my Kafi's words, that even I have to say are rather cheap at some times." She said even though Kafka wouldn't even need to say 10 percent of what he said to take his mother, who coddled him way too much down.
Camila, on the other hand, just stared, her mouth slightly open in sheer disbelief. "I can't believe it," She muttered, her voice flat. "She actually fell for it."
'Just how dumb and easy is my best friend?'
Camila wondered as she shook her head, wondering how the first tigress she had once known had turned into this docile kitten in front of her...
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