2.

I fed him.

But it wasn't for my own selfish reasons!

He's the one who asked me to feed him!

I can vouch for myself!

"Yummy."

He grinned, his smile sweet.

I was a little speechless. Was one bite of instant noodles really that satisfying?

I glanced at the package. Hmm, Braised Beef Flavor. I'll have to buy a case to keep at home later!

Poor me, I'd been starving for half the day. I finally had a mouthful of something hot, and Zane Thorne ended up eating most of it.

I finished the last remaining mouthful of noodles, took a couple sips of broth, and silently chanted to myself twice: 'You're full, you're full.'

"Why haven't you left yet?"

After washing the dishes, I came out to find Zane Thorne sprawled shamelessly on my couch, watching my TV. He even flashed me a smile.

"You're back!"

His long lashes fluttered, and the starlight in his eyes twinkled.

I took two deep breaths.

'I can't be seduced by his good looks!'

"It's time to go home."

I reminded him for the second time.

His face was full of pleading, his eyes welling up with tears as he gazed at me.

I hadn't even done anything, yet I felt like I'd committed some terrible crime.

Fine. I'd told him twice already. I couldn't just keep trying to kick him out, could I?

The fitness routine video was still playing on the TV, and my other soul began to dance gracefully.

I decided to ignore him. He could do whatever he wanted. My soul needed its workout!

But I couldn't focus—

His dark, glistening eyes were fixed on me, unblinking.

It was such a direct and open gaze that I couldn't ignore it even if I wanted to.

I stiffly turned my head to look at him, forcing a smile. "Zane Thorne, is something wrong? You keep staring at me."

"You're pretty."

Zane Thorne tilted his head, lying down next to me.

A blush spread across his fair face, and the smile at the corners of his mouth was pure and pleasant.

'This... is just too cute!'

A wicked thought popped into my head.

I reached out and gently pinched his cheek.

'So soft, so smooth... it feels so good!'

Just as I was worrying he might snap out of it and curse me out for being a pervert, something I never would have dreamed of happened.

First, he had a look of pure enjoyment on his face, then he immediately took my hand and placed it on his head.

"Pat my head."

Me: !!!

To be honest, I'd had this idea for a while—I'm no Sir Galahad, able to resist temptation. When such a handsome man serves himself up on a platter, how could I not take advantage?

I just didn't expect him to provide the excuse for me.

'You're the one who said it!'

My conscience clear, I ruffled his hair. Watching him squint like a little wolf cub, rubbing his head insistently against my hand... I let go of my worries and "ravaged" him to my heart's content.

He seemed to think just getting his head patted wasn't enough, so he leaned directly on my shoulder, bit his lip, and murmured, "Pat me."

I now have definite and reasonable grounds to suspect that Zane Thorne has been swapped out by aliens!

In the middle of the night, once he was fast asleep, I finally got the key from his bag and sent this little ancestor home.

: Allergic to Alcohol

3.

The next day, I opened my door with huge, dark circles under my eyes, and Zane Thorne, from across the hall, came out at the same time.

He glanced at me, his face expressionless.

'No doubt about it, this is the real Zane Thorne.'

I glanced back at him. The icy look on his face was the same as ever.

The thought of what happened last night made me wonder if it was even real.

We walked into the elevator together.

"Last night..."

I wanted to ask him what exactly had happened.

But before I could finish, he stared at me with that same indifferent gaze as always. "What about last night?"

My face was a picture of disbelief. 'You came to my place last night and offered yourself to me!'

'Don't you remember?!'

But how could I possibly say something like that out loud?

I watched him for a long time. As the elevator descended from the eighteenth floor to the first, I couldn't find any crack in his facade. It was as if... he'd really forgotten about last night?

'Fine.'

If he'd forgotten, it wasn't my place to bring it up.

The last thing I wanted was for him to know I'd taken advantage of him while he was drunk.

The elevator doors opened, and we walked out one after the other.

He slowly turned back, looking down at me. "What about last night?"

I coughed lightly, quickly hiding the blush on my face. "It's nothing. I just remembered last night that I have a bottle of red wine I brought back from Meridia. I don't really drink, so I was wondering if you wanted it?"

If I wasn't mistaken, his answer would definitely be: no.

"No."

He wouldn't accept anything from me. In fact, he wouldn't accept anything from anyone.

He was always cold and aloof; other people's kindness meant nothing to him.

I hadn't actually planned on giving him the wine.

"Why not?" I asked.

He left me with one sentence and walked away.

"I'm allergic to alcohol."

'Allergic to alcohol?'

'No wonder.'

'If he weren't allergic, how could a tiny bit of alcohol make him get so drunk he'd offer himself up to someone?'

I made a complete mess of my work today.

I either forgot to make coffee for my boss or forgot to sign off on reports.

Before the end of the day, a colleague asked me, "Joelle, why have you been so out of it all day?"

"I'm fine," I said calmly.

'Could I really tell people I've been thinking about a guy all day?'

'Drunk Zane Thorne is just too cute!'

'If there's a next time, I'm definitely recording it!'

The "next time" came very soon.

I had just bought groceries, plus a whole case of instant noodles, and when I got to my front door, yesterday's scene replayed itself.

Zane Thorne lifted his flushed face, sitting there obediently. Hearing me approach, he looked up, his eyes filled with surprised delight.

"You're back!"

From his tone... I felt like a husband coming home after a long, hard day of work to his doting little wife.

But I wasn't.

"Zane Thorne, have you been drinking again?"

As I got closer, I could again smell the faint scent of alcohol on him.

'I mean, seriously, even if you're drunk, you shouldn't keep showing up at other people's doors to act all tipsy, right?'

'Isn't this a nuisance?!'

'Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to control myself?!'

"I'm hungry."

Zane Thorne's eyes were wide as he stood up and leaned against my shoulder. "Hungry. I want to eat something."

'Fine.'

I opened the door and settled him in the living room.

4.

I had the food ready in no time. The man was like a bloodhound. One moment he was resting on the sofa, but the second he smelled the food, he stumbled over to the dining table.

"You're the best."

He grinned at me again, giving me a thumbs-up as he shoveled food from his bowl. "As if being beautiful wasn't enough, you're an amazing cook too!"

'I take back what I said before.'

'He wasn't bothering me.'

I held back a laugh and put a little more food on his plate.

After dinner, as I cleared the dishes, he sat to the side, quietly watching me.

I watched TV as usual, and he lay down beside me, watching me with his chin in his hands.

I worked on some files, and he leaned on my shoulder, watching me.

'All of this felt so natural... and yet so bizarre!'

'This won't do!'

'I can't let this go on!'

'If this keeps up, I'm going to lose myself in this illusory dream!'

I closed my laptop, turned my head, and forced a smile. "Zane Thorne, it's getting late. How about you head home?"

'If you stay here any longer, my true colors might start to show!'

"No," he said in a soft, childish voice. "Not unless you give me a kiss."

'A kiss?'

My eyes went wide. It took all my self-control to suppress the urge to rush over and rip his face off to see if he was wearing a mask.

"Men and women should maintain a proper distance."

I gently pushed him away and shook my head firmly.

"I want a kiss."

He pouted, his lips a tempting red, looking as if he wouldn't give up until he got what he wanted.

"No."

'I'm a person with standards!'

'Assuming I can remember what those standards are, that is.'

My stance was firm, but the rejection written all over my face seemed to break his heart.

His eyes reddened, and he rubbed them. "You'll make me sad."

'So be sad.'

Showing no intention of compromising, I turned back to the TV.

Suddenly, my vision went dark. The next second, something soft and warm pressed against my lips.

It was warm, with a faint taste of alcohol.

"Zane Thorne!"

My murderous expression clearly frightened him.

He flinched and shrank back. "Sister, please don't scare me!"

I froze.

'Am I that scary?'

'And "Sister"?'

'Zane Thorne, have you no shame? You're six months older than me!'

The brief kiss was over in an instant, but my mind was such a mess that I don't even remember how I got him home.

Lying in bed later, my mind was still filled with the memory of that soft, warm sensation.

'Zane Thorne, oh, Zane Thorne, who would have ever guessed!'

'You're usually so cold and aloof!'

'But get you drunk, and you turn into a clingy little puppy who just wants kisses and cuddles!'

「The next morning.」

Just as I expected, Zane Thorne had forgotten everything that happened the night before.

He looked at me with the same ice-cold gaze.

I also pretended nothing had happened.

'Anyway, you're drop-dead gorgeous. It's not like I lost out on a single kiss.'

Zane Thorne and I live on the same floor and also work at the same company.

We'd occasionally run into each other in the cafeteria at lunchtime.

'Like right now, for instance. He was standing in line in front of me. Looking at his tall figure and his cool, aloof back... I wondered, if he were to remember what happened on those nights, would he blush beet-red from embarrassment?'

"What are you getting?"

He was in line, right in front of me.

His sudden question startled me out of my reverie. I quickly composed myself and pointed casually at the Meatballs in Tomato Sauce. "That one."

He paid for me.

I was a bit surprised. Since our food was on his tray, I had no choice but to follow him and sit down across from him.

'What's gotten into him? Why is he suddenly treating me to lunch?'

I was on pins and needles throughout the entire meal. His table manners were impeccable and his movements so elegant that I felt crude by comparison, afraid to make any sudden moves.

"Just be yourself."

He seemed to notice my discomfort. Glancing at me, he said coolly, "There's a meeting this afternoon that will probably be draining. You should eat more."

'A meeting?'

'Why would it be draining?'

'My mind was filled with question marks.'

Perhaps because my mind was elsewhere, my hand slipped, and I knocked over my food. The tomato sauce trickled across the table and right onto his brown overcoat.

"I'm so sorry."

I shot up from my seat and frantically tried to wipe the stain off his coat with a napkin.

"I'm so sorry, really! Here, let me take the coat. I promise I'll get it perfectly clean for you!"

'I was just making a polite offer.'

To my surprise, he actually took off his overcoat and handed it to me. "Alright," he said. "Have it back to me in three days."

'...???'

'We've known each other for years, couldn't he cut me a little slack?'

I took the overcoat, painfully aware of the snickering glances from our nearby coworkers...

'I was utterly mortified.'