Chapter Text
When Yuu went for her “weekly Mostro Lounge visit” - more accurately described as a “daily Mostro Lounge visit” - that night, she found Deuce and Ace acting like two crazed cats chasing a laser pointer.
Both Heartslabyul boys were completely insane, crawling under tables, opening closets, and even climbing over each other to look up at the chandeliers.
On the other side of the room, the Octavinelle trio was calmly drinking tea and eating butter cookies.
That contrast was… a little worrying, so Yuu fastly decided to discover what kind of potential scam was happening with her friends… right after eat some cookies.
“What’s going on with them?” she asked no one in particular as she sat down next to Azul on one of the Mostro Lounge sofas.
“They are generously helping us” Jade replied smoothly.
“Crabby and Little Mackerel are looking for a coin” Floyd added at the same time.
Yuu raised an eyebrow and glanced at Azul. He was carefully avoiding eye contact, but the weight of her stare made him sigh.
He adjusted his glasses and smiled before offering,
“Would you like some tea?”
Twenty minutes passed. Yuu was still sitting on the sofa with Azul by her side, but now she held a teacup in one hand and a half-eaten butter cookie in the other.
“They’re really putting a lot of effort into it” Yuu commented as she watched her Heartslabyul friends.
“Effort is meaningless if it doesn’t bring any results” Azul shrugged.
Earlier, he explained everything to Yuu: the missing one hundred Madols, the honor of finding it, and the agreement made with the Heartslabyul boys. Yuu thought it over for a moment and, since no contract was involved, decided to let her friends keep searching.
It still felt suspicious - very suspicious - and it was painfully obvious that Ace and Deuce had fallen into some kind of trap. But as long as none of them lost their freedom again… it wasn’t her problem.
Besides, the cookies were delicious.
“If I find the coin, do I get a wish too?” Yuu asked, finishing the last bite of her cookie.
Azul’s mouth twitched. Quickly and subtly, almost unnoticeable.
“Of course”
Yuu smiled and stood up. She jumped three times.
“What are you doing, Little Shrimpy?” Floyd asked. Jade stood up behind him, looking just as confused as his brother.
“Farming luck” she replied.
…and then she started searching.
She slowly walked through the lounge, searching for anything that might catch her eye (like a little blink or shy sparkle), but nothing did. So she headed back to the sofa area, where she had been sitting moments ago, and slipped her hands between the cushions.
Back in her world, all kinds of things got lost between sofa cushions. Maybe it was the same here.
She checked a few sofas when… “Found it!”
She raised the coin, smiling like a Magift champion.
The Leech twins smiled as well; Jade offered a “Thank you very much. That solves our problem” while Floyd let out a loud “Waaa! Good job” Ace and Deuce came running from the kitchen, both shouting happily and ready to hug Yuu.
Azul, however, looked clearly worried.
“Well done” he said with a polite, clearly forced smile “After all that hard work, shall I get you a drink?”
“Thanks. I will have a juice” Deuce said in a tired voice as he dropped onto one of the lounge sofas.
“Same” Ace added, copying his friend.
Azul glanced at Yuu.
“No. I drank tea. I’m fine”
Suddenly, the worried look on Azul’s face vanished.
“Great.”
Floyd handed the juice cups to the Heartslabyul boys. They drank them almost in a single gulp.
“Yum! Nothing beats a cold juice after a hard work!” Ace exclaimed loudly.
“I am alive again!” Deuce agreed.
“I’m glad to hear it” Azul said with a smile. “So your wish has been granted”
“What?!” burst out of the first-year boys at the same time.
“I interpreted it as your wish and served it to you free of charge” Azul continued calmly. “What is more, you have both already consumed the juice”
He truly was a son of a bitch. Yuu knew that. But remembering it was always funny. She smiled as her friends left the Lounge, loudly complaining about the scam.
“So…” she said, turning toward Azul.
The merman’s body tensed, though he tried to hide it. “Yes?”
“I didn’t ask for any juice…”
“You didn’t” he agreed.
“Can I make my wish now?” she asked with a mischievous smile. Just that expression made Azul feel his cheeks warming.
“Go on” he said in a small voice. Behind him, the twins started laughing.
“I want a thank-you kiss” Yuu declared proudly.
Azul’s eyes widened. The Leech twins were clearly having the best time of their week - Yuu could tell by the loud sounds of their laughter.
“J-Just that?” he asked, faking confidence despite his face being completely red and his words coming out slightly stuttered.
“Yes” she replied simply. She turned her face, offering her cheek. “Right here.”
Azul took a deep breath. He leaned closer, entering Yuu’s personal space.
His lips pressed against her skin. He was cold; she was warm. The contrast sent a shiver down Yuu’s spine and made her smile.
“Thank you” she heard him whisper near her face. At some point, she had closed her eyes, unaware of just how close he still was.
When she opened them, Azul had already stepped back. His cheeks were red, his mouth tightly pressed and his body lightly stiff, while the twins bullied him mercilessly. Floyd poked his cheek and Jade wore a disturbingly pleased smile.
“So your wish has been granted” Azul repeated what he had told the boys earlier, now hiding part of his face as he pretended to adjust his glasses. “Now you may leave. We need to close the lounge”
“It was a pleasure!” Yuu said brightly “Call me whenever you need!”
“Y-Yeah…” The twins were already heading toward the kitchen but Azul lingered, still acting shy “I will”
Teasing him was way too much fun. Yuu never got tired of it.
“Your Madol coin is still with me” she said, opening her hand to show it “Here. Take it.”
“Hm? Yes. Thank you” Azul replied, reaching out for the coin.
Before he could react, Yuu leaned in and placed a soft kiss at the corner of his lips.
Azul froze. Then immediately felt so hot it was a miracle he didn’t spontaneously combust.
She dropped the Madol into his palm and gently closed his fingers around it.
“Try to lose more things” she said with a grin “so I can win more kisses from you, okay?”
He blinked, completely at a loss for words, watching Yuu leave the Lounge with a cute smile and a small wave from the door.
Inside his mind, he was already analyzing what else he could accidentally lose and what prizes he… I mean she… could win.