World After Worlds

"What happened, Love?" Kraig turned to his left and saw Yanarym with a worried countenance. Kraig looked at the guys who were walking out of the cafeteria. "Hmm, who are they? Your friends? Why did he grab your collar? Are you alright?" He tangled his arm on her waist and pulled her closely and promptly skimmed his lips on hers. She was taken by surprise, eyes widened and reddened cheeks—the view calmed Kraig's nerves. He smiled widely and let go of her. Brushed his thumbs on her thin lips, he wanted to suck them until they were swollen but he could not do that here…

"No, we had a conversation, that's it. Why are you here? Are you done eating?" She nodded softly and held onto his arm, he laughed feeling how sluggish she became for just a peck.

"Like what I mentioned earlier, I saw someone grab your collar, you look like you were about to fight, I worried so I—" he transferred her hand intertwined to his fingers. "I hurried here to stop them from hurting you."

"I teased him, so he was angry at me. I guess I shouldn't joke with strangers." With one hand he was holding the tray which he put down eventually and decided to just buy bread. When he laughed he felt her head lean on him.

"Don't fight," she murmured. "Don't get hurt," Kraig paused and turned to look at her, and her fingers wrapped on him. And he remembered what that varmint guy said, they said she stabbed Ejai.

"Speaking of fighting, Love…" He uttered and walked them to the nearest vacant table. He guided her to the chair. "I heard a rumor just now."

"About?" He fixed her hair and sat beside her.

"About you," she was startled and seemed to have the idea what he was about to say. "They said you stabbed someone." He took a bite of the bread and watched her reaction, she did not deny and the complicated thoughts seemed to be running to her head but she was determined not to make excuses. Kraig was stunned, "You really stabbed Ejai?"

"..." She dropped her eyes, but immediately raised her head and stared at him with resolve. "She deserves to get stabbed." Kraig swallowed the bread in his mouth without chewing, receiving from the sudden coldness in her eyes directed at him. Because of that, he choked. "Are you alright?" She patted his back and served him water.

"Rym? She deserves to be stabbed?" He was surprised, he did not expect her to say it so confidently. Because all she showed him was… nice things and delicate warmth. He almost forgot her villainous nature. He was aware she was a violent person when provoked, he knew because he protected Tiana from all of her schemes. She was brutal—though it slipped on his mind. But still, as he remembered it now, he assumed she would lie or deny about this gruesome side of her, but it turned out she would not hesitate to display herself to him.

Why? Isn't she concerned? What if I don't like her bad side? Why won't she even hide it and pretend to be good? What if I told her I don't want her because she is detestable? Isn't she worried about things like that? Is she confident that I will not disregard her for being bad or… is she ready to give me up once I disregarded her again?

"She irritated me, Kraig." She said with apparent displeasure in her eyes, Kraig blinked his eyes and woke up from a reverie, "She's been getting on my nerves ever since you ignored me and chose Tiana." Kraig gulped. She called me Kraig… it sounds strange. Did I become used to the endearment she gave me? More than that, she is not reluctant to express her contempt. Did I just worry about the endearment over the more crucial matter?

"Rym, this is why people don't get near you. Why did you do something crazy?" He flashed the other things running on his head and filled his mind on how to scold her. She stabbed someone with a fork! She was not supposed to do that so easily, at least when they were still in this relationship she was supposed to be a good …girl.

Guide-sama: "You're supposed to be a good girl, he thought. What does he mean by that?"

Yanarym stared at Kraig's complex expression, his mind and heart were in chaos, but Guide-sama was able to read it. A good girl, he was expecting me to behave like Tiana? Yanarym smiled weakly, but laughter echoed in her mind. A girl that could do nothing but show him all the pleasantries? I can't give you your ideal girl, Kraig. That was Tiana, unfortunately, you had Yanarym.

"I don't need people, I only need you." She held out to touch his face, Kraig was flustered. He sustained his expression although his heart quivered and an unknown squashy thing brimmed his stomach. He struggled to ignore it.

"Why'd you do that?" He toughened his tone, to show her that he was not pleased by how she acted, but she was not swept. She was determined to defend the bad thing she did. "That was atrocious, Rym. You're not even remorseful for hurting her? What did she do to you?"

"Do I ever regret hurting Tiana from before?" Kraig paused. He recalled the events from the past. The only moment where she was sorry for all of her viciousness was when she was saying her farewell to him. When she asked him for… sex. "Ejai, she wants you." She muttered.

"What does it have to do with me?"

"She likes you. So, I gave her a warning." She added. Kraig's stomach knotted, he gulped and looked away for a second. He was getting wavered by the way she displayed her possessiveness on him. Electrifying, it was pleasurable. "In that way, she won't even dare to look at you anymore. Isn't it great? One of my rivals is gone." As if something had left on his chest, Kraig felt the comfort from her words and jolts on his spine.

She was not saying anything he thought he would hear. Like begging for him not to get disgusted by her vile behavior or she would do anything and behave because he was not approving of her current temperament.

He strained eyes, "You'll get disciplinary action for this. Ejai is the daughter of a powerful family." She tilted her head and stared at him with an innocent gaze as if what he said brought her confusion.

"Are you worried about that?" She giggled and shook her head, "They've got no evidence. I have."

"What evidence?"

"After I stabbed her, I gave her a time-reversed potion. Her physical condition would be as good as brand new, no bruises nor even a scratch." She explained and took the bread in his hand that he forgot to eat, she shredded it into small chunks and directed it into his mouth. Kraig refused to have it so she ate it herself.

"Time-reverse? Can you make potions like that?" She gnawed slowly and drank water and turned to him.

"Marcus gave it to me," Yanarym answered nonchalantly, "He said it would help me if unexpected things happened and it did. I should ask for more potions."

"You said you have evidence? What is that?"

"Oh," she looked at the ceiling and pointed her finger on her jaw, there were bruises. Scratches and deep wounds of nails on her delicate skin. Kraig's mind blanked out, anything else on his mind vanished.

"She hurt you?" He grabbed her wrist and that made her look at him, when he met her eyes she smiled. But Kraig could not smile back at her, his chest became heavy, he breathed raggedly. "Don't smile, Rym. This is not funny anymore."

"Don't get mad, this is my evidence. If it leaves a scar, it's much better. Knowing Mother she would not back down to those big people."

Kraig trapped her chin on his finger and lifted it, he leaned close to her and examined the bruises on her neck. He was upset, he would often leave her body with his bite marks but later he would let her have some anti-scar cream because it would be such a waste if her body would have some scars. Then, what? Someone would scratch her skin with their nails and leave her scars? He forgot the condoning he had, right now, he was imagining that if he was with her, he could stab that Ejai with a spoon and she would die.

He blinked his eyes and realized his thought. It was funny, but not humorous. This is bad, isn't it? I'm thinking that I could kill Ejai for simple …bruises. He got something else to worry about, not a catfight of Yanarym. He was about to scold himself for getting too involved in the situation.

However the moment he saw a glint of despondent in her eyes, he was silenced, "You're too busy to think of other things anyway." She uttered. "So, stop worrying about me."