Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit
Chapter 80 – Love Hourglass

Chapter 80 - Love Hourglass

The entire corridor fell into a stunned silence, jaws slack, eyes wide with disbelief. It was as if a grand revelation had just shattered the expectations of an audience watching a climactic twist unfold on the silver screen.

“Eh?” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Eh?” Kian echoed, his expression mirroring my shock.

“Eh?” Remuel’s voice joined in, the weight of the moment sinking into his bewildered stare.

“Eeeeeeh?” A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers, a synchronized chorus of astonishment. The sheer absurdity of the situation hung in the air, thick and heavy.

Myrrh, ever the performer, turned her gaze toward me, her twinkling deep blue eyes shimmering with an unreadable glint. Her lips curled into a forced smile, but her grip on my hand tightened—a silent plea, or perhaps a demand. Then, with an exaggerated sweetness, she cooed, “Oh my, darling. I’m so glad you’re here to clear up the misunderstanding!” She punctuated her words with a playful wink, her intent crystal clear.

I glared at her, my expression frigid. This audacious, scheming little—ugh. How did I end up tangled in another romantic disaster? My hands were already full dealing with Fei and Neil’s turbulent relationship, and now, against my will, I was being roped into whatever convoluted mess existed between Myrrh and Kian. My thoughts churned into chaos, my tongue suddenly useless.

“I-Is this true?” Kian’s voice wavered, slicing through the tension with pure disbelief. “I-I thought Zaft was just your friend.”

“W-Well, my relationship with Zaft has always been... complicated, haha.” Myrrh let out an awkward, airy laugh, her attempt at nonchalance painfully obvious. Then, with a dramatic flourish, she lifted her hand, flashing the KAWAII agent ring glinting on her finger. Before I could react, she grabbed my wrist and hoisted my hand into the air, proudly displaying the matching ring now snug around my ring finger.

“This is our proof!” she declared. “Zaft put this ring on my finger!”

I cringed—internally, of course. Myrrh’s audacity knew no bounds. How dare she drag me into her web of lies? And to use the KAWAII emergency ring as fake evidence? That ring was meant to summon KAWAII agents in times of crisis, not fabricate some ridiculous love story.

“H-How long have you been in a relationship?” Kian stammered, his disbelief clinging to every word. His eyes flickered between us, searching for cracks in the illusion.

Myrrh didn’t miss a beat. With a wistful sigh, she pressed her hands together like a lovestruck heroine. “You see, Zaft here was my childhood friend,” she began, her voice dripping with nostalgia. “When we were six, we promised to marry each other with a four-leaf clover ring. It was a sacred vow, a bond forged in innocence. We’ve kept it low profile all this time because we didn’t want others to know. Not even our closest friends knew this.”

She exhaled softly, as if the weight of her "confession" was truly moving.

“Well, apparently, I didn’t know thi—OUCH!” My words were cut short as a sharp, agonizing pressure crushed my left toe.

Myrrh had stomped on my foot.

Her smile remained angelic, as if she hadn’t just inflicted physical pain upon me. “My, my, darling,” she purred, tilting her head. “Please don’t embarrass me in front of so many people. It took so much courage for me to reveal our love for each other, so just help me out, okay?” She added another playful wink, her expression a perfect portrait of faux vulnerability.

I cringed harder. Was Myrrh really this committed to preserving her Mary Sue image? Did her need for perfection truly run this deep?

Kian’s expression finally hardened into something unreadable as he stood up. Without hesitation, he strode toward me, his presence looming with an unshaken resolve. His sharp gaze locked onto mine, demanding the truth.

“Zaft, is this true?”

Before I could answer, Myrrh shifted slightly, her body brushing against mine. I could see her eyes now—blue, shimmering, almost hypnotic. The twinkle in them was like distant stars scattered across a vast cosmic abyss. She was close—too close. It was an unmistakable plea, a silent cry wrapped in the art of feminine manipulation. This was the Abandoned Puppy-Eye Technique, a classic move reserved for girls desperate to be saved by a knight in shining armor.

I swallowed hard, forcing a smile as I flicked my gaze back to Kian.

“Y-yeah.” I nodded.

Kian didn’t budge. His eyes narrowed, scrutinizing every inch of my face. “Are you sure?” His voice cut through the tension like a blade. “You actually look more surprised than I do. And I never would have thought that Myrrh would choose you.”

Oof. That last part was a low blow.

I know I don’t exactly exude ‘charming prince’ energy—I probably look more like a hobo thug shaking empty cans for spare change in a dark alley—but damn, that stung. My pride took a direct hit, and before I could stop myself, I doubled down on Myrrh’s ridiculous lie.

“Myrrh is madly in love with me,” I declared, folding my arms smugly. “I mean, on all our dates, she’s been the one paying for everything. She even introduced me to her mother, Mirana Alicent, who personally gave me her blessings. I know everything about her—her strengths, her weaknesses, her favorites, her pet peeves. Sure, she’s got a filthy mouth and the temper of an active volcano, but she’s always cared about me and my well-being. I love her just as much as she loves me.”

The words left my mouth smoothly, but the effect was instantaneous.

“Z-Zaft…”

Myrrh’s face went up in flames. Her skin turned a deep, glowing shade of strawberry red, as if her body had been dunked in boiling water. Her blue eyes trembled, shimmering under the weight of unshed tears—tears of what I could only assume were joy.

“Is that so?” Kian muttered, his voice hollow with defeat.

“Yeah. And she’s a good fuck—OUCH!”

Pain shot through my foot as Myrrh’s heel came crashing down on my poor, abused toe for the second time that day.

“My, my, darling,” she chirped, her voice sweet but laced with unmistakable menace. Her smile was radiant, but her irking eyebrows told a different story. “Please don’t go around sharing what we do in private.”

“I-I’m sorry, darling,” I mumbled, swallowing my suffering like a true gentleman.

Kian let out a deep, resigned sigh. His fingers loosened, and the bouquet of cyberflowers he had been holding drooped slightly before he finally lowered his hand. He looked at Myrrh, his expression filled with both disappointment and quiet determination.

“I’m sorry for this misunderstanding,” he said, his voice steadier now. “I’ll be hands-off when it comes to you… but I promise I’ll be the best support unit you’ll ever have until the end of the school year.”

A faint smile played on Myrrh’s lips. “I appreciate it,” she said gently. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t be your date.”

Kian gave her one last solemn nod before turning away. He walked off, his footsteps fading into the distance. Soon, the crowd that had gathered for this impromptu drama-packed performance also dispersed, their murmurs fading into the school’s background noise.

Remuel, one of the last to leave, threw me a lazy wave and a smirk before disappearing around the corner.

And then, at long last, it was just the two of us.

The corridor felt strangely quiet now. I exhaled, my shoulders finally relaxing—until I noticed something.

I was still holding Myrrh’s waist.

A wicked thought crossed my mind. If she could dish out pain, she should be able to take it too, right? With a slow, deliberate movement, I tightened my grip—then pinched her side. Hard.

“Ow! Owowow! Ouch! Stop! It tickles and hurts at the same time! Ihihihi!” Myrrh squirmed in my grasp, thrashing like a trapped animal. Her laughter spilled out between sharp cries, her body twisting as she desperately tried to escape. “I said stop, dammit! This is sexual harassment!”

“This is revenge,” I declared coldly, my grip unyielding. “For slapping my butt back in the space temple. And for stomping my toe—twice. And most of all, for dragging me into your sea of toxic lies!”

“F-Forgive me! Ow! Hahaha! Eeek! Kyaah!” Myrrh shrieked, caught in a ridiculous mix of pain, laughter, and helplessness.

After five long, satisfying seconds, I finally let go, crossing my arms as I watched her stumble back. She gasped for air, her hands on her waist, her face flushed from all the struggling.

I wasn’t usually the type to play the stern authority figure, but this time? I needed answers.

I narrowed my eyes. “Can you tell me what the fuck just happened?”

“Haaah.” Myrrh exhaled, still catching her breath. Then, when our gazes locked, she did the one thing that made me more suspicious—she forced a smile and clasped her hands together like she was about to pray.

“I-I’m sorry,” she said, voice small. “It’s just… that guy was persistent. He kept leaving letters in my locker, and I just found out today that the cyberflower I received was from him.”

I scoffed, rubbing my temple. “And instead of rejecting him outright, you decided to throw me under the bus?”

“I was trying to be nice!” Myrrh whined, her lips pressing into a pout. “I’d feel bad if I rejected him too harshly.”

I let out a humorless chuckle. “Oh, so you’re nice to everyone except me?” My tone turned sharp, my patience running on fumes. “You really are a selfish woman, you know that?”

“I-I’m not a selfish woman! Hmph!” Myrrh pouted, crossing her arms with an indignant huff. Then, with a dramatic flick, she tossed her long lime-blonde hair over her shoulder like some high-class aristocrat. “How about this? As payment for saving me, I’ll let you lick my feet.”

I blinked. Then my eye twitched.

“I’ll spit on your feet!” I roared, heat rising to my face. “I may be a degenerate, but I still have self-respect, you arrogant bitch!”

“Jeez, calm down!” Myrrh said with an exasperated laugh, clearly unfazed by my righteous fury. “Fine, fine. If you want, I’ll treat you to a nice meal today.”

A nice meal would be nice. My stomach, which I had been trying to ignore, chose that moment to protest with a low, treacherous growl. I hadn’t eaten lunch since my mind had been occupied—first with figuring out how to comfort Fei, then trying to untangle the mess inside Neil’s head. The hunger had settled into my mood like a dark cloud, making every little irritation a thousand times worse.

I sighed heavily, pressing my fingers to my temples. “You still owe me one date. This meal doesn’t count.”

“‘Kay.” Myrrh shrugged, as if casually agreeing to unpaid debt.

I exhaled again, this time staring at the ceiling in pure resignation. How the hell did my life get this complicated?

I was already tangled in one love triangle, and now I’d been forcefully shoved into another. At this point, it was safe to say that I wasn’t just involved—I was the damn center of it.

Like the middle of an hourglass, with everything collapsing around me.

That’s right.

I wasn’t just in a love triangle.

I was in a love hourglass.

And I was so fucking screwed.

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