Time slipped by quietly in the stillness, passing like fine sand through one’s fingers—silent and unnoticed.
Aiding felt as though he were having an impossibly wonderful dream.
In the dream, it was as if he’d nestled himself into an enormous, soft ball of cotton candy, his entire body enveloped in an indescribable warmth and comfort.
A gentle breeze brushed against his face, bringing a soothing pleasure that was almost intoxicating.
Not only that, from time to time Aiding caught whiffs of a faint, elegant fragrance, lingering delicately at the tip of his nose.
Occasionally, there was also a moist, gentle, and unusual sensation, like the softest of feathers, carefully and almost imperceptibly caressing his cheeks and lips.
This feeling brought Aiding an unprecedented sense of security and delight.
Instinctively, he became a bit greedy for this warmth and touch.
His body shifted slightly on its own, burying himself even deeper into this “cotton candy,” his cheeks sinking into that inexpressibly soft and springy sensation, while the scent around his nose grew clearer, bringing a comfort that seeped into his very bones.
In his hazy drowsiness, he even unconsciously, as if savoring some delicacy, gently bit down, his teeth seemingly feeling a sweet, melt-in-the-mouth sensation that was neither cloying nor overwhelming.
So sweet.
Some more time passed, and his muddled consciousness gradually surfaced from the depths.
Aiding slowly awakened, his eyelids fluttering a few times before he opened them.
The first thing to enter his still-blurry field of vision was Seres’ flawless, beautiful face, right before him.
She was lowering her head slightly, eyes closed, her long and curled lashes casting faint shadows beneath her eyes.
Her ice-blue hair hung down like the finest silk, several strands almost brushing against his face.
Aiding shifted his somewhat stiff head ever so slightly, immediately noticing the spot under the back of his head was astonishingly soft and elastic.
He rolled his eyes around, glanced at his surroundings, and took in his current posture.
He was lying on his back on a long bench, his head…resting atop Seres’ together legs.
This is…
Pillow Knees?
Aiding’s eyes slowly widened, and any lingering drowsiness instantly vanished.
Memories flooded back like a tide.
Only now did he recall that he had passed out after forcing himself to use double adrenaline, which brought on double the weakness as a side effect, ultimately leaving him exhausted and asleep.
No wonder this sleep had been so deep and comfortable—it was because Seres had let him rest his head on her legs the whole time…
And she, too, seemed to have dozed off in exhaustion, worn out from the earlier intense battle and from holding that posture for so long.
Once he fully came to his senses and recognized his current situation, a mixture of surprise, gratitude, and a hint of embarrassment surged in Aiding’s heart.
Instinctively, he wanted to sit up carefully, trying not to wake her.
But as soon as he moved a little, Seres seemed to sense the motion on her legs.
Her long lashes trembled gently like butterfly wings, and she, too, slowly woke from her light sleep, gradually opening those ice-blue eyes.
For a moment, their gazes met in the air, eyes locking.
The air seemed to freeze at that instant.
Seres looked at Aiding, who was now fully awake yet still somewhat dazed.
At once, she remembered all the bold and embarrassing things she had done while he was asleep, as well as that long, exploratory, and intoxicated kiss…
A fierce wave of shyness surged through her like wildfire, burning her fair cheeks bright red—like ripe cherries.
Her beautiful eyes seemed as if they’d just been washed by crystal-clear autumn water, glimmering with a panic that came from having her secret nearly discovered, and a trace of indescribable tenderness.
She stared at Aiding without blinking.
Aiding saw that Seres had woken up and was meeting his gaze, and for no reason, he panicked.
Instinctively, he wanted to sit up at once and put some distance between them—it was all too intimate.
Yet in his haste, he forgot his head was still on her legs.
As he tried to rise, his forehead bumped right into Seres’ smooth brow—she was also leaning down, just as flustered—and there was a light “thud.”
“Ah!”
They both cried out in pain at the same time, each instinctively covering their bumped foreheads and letting out a stifled groan, pain clear on their faces.
“Sorry, Seres. I—I guess I’m not quite awake yet, I moved too fast.”
Aiding endured the throbbing pain and was the first to apologize, his tone filled with regret.
He looked at the spot she was holding, concern in his eyes.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
“No, no, it’s fine.”
Seres gently rubbed her aching forehead, her ice-blue eyes brimming with tears from the pain, but she shook her head softly.
Her voice was gentle.
Compared to the pain on her forehead, the shyness swirling inside her and the anxiety that her earlier “crimes” had almost been exposed felt even more intense.
“And… Thank you. Actually, you could’ve just put me on another bench, you didn’t have to…”
Aiding rubbed his own forehead, a bit embarrassed as he continued.
He paused, his gaze briefly sweeping over the pair of supple legs he’d used as a pillow just moments ago—his meaning clear.
To him, Pillow Knees felt just a bit too intimate and ambiguous, and he wasn’t quite sure how to react.
Still, Aiding had to admit that he had slept exceptionally well.
He hadn’t felt the muscle soreness or fatigue that usually came after overexerting his strength.
On the contrary, he felt refreshed and in surprisingly good shape.
“I just thought…this way, Aiding might rest more comfortably…”
Seres lowered her gaze, not daring to meet his eyes, and softly explained.
She paused, then lifted her eyes to cautiously study Aiding’s expression, tentatively asking,
“How was it? Did you sleep well?”
As she asked, her cheeks flushed uncontrollably once more.
She knew well that while Aiding was asleep, she’d done a series of “indescribable” things.
At the moment, she just wanted to probe whether he had noticed anything.
“Very comfortable. It felt like lying on a big, soft, warm ball of cotton candy. I slept so deeply.”
Aiding didn’t catch the deeper meaning behind her words—he just stretched his arms and sighed sincerely.
He even unconsciously smacked his lips, as if savoring that “sweet and light” taste from his dream.
“That’s good…”
Hearing this comparison, Seres’ cheeks turned even redder, as if blood might drip from them.
She quickly lowered her head and replied in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
For a while, her heart was a jumble of emotions.
On the one hand, she was glad Aiding seemed completely unaware of her sneaky actions, thus sparing her from embarrassment.
On the other hand, a faint sense of disappointment quietly crept in—a secret part of her heart seemed to hope he might notice, after all.
This contradictory, complicated feeling left Seres endlessly conflicted.
“So it’s already this late.”
Aiding didn’t notice the turmoil in Seres’ heart.
He raised his hand to check the clock on the wall, a hint of surprise on his face.
It was exactly six o’clock in the evening.
He’d slept for nearly three or four hours.
Seres nodded, letting out a response as light as a feather from her throat.
She quietly stole glances at Aiding with her ice-blue eyes, her gaze filled with lingering shyness and a barely discernible sense of admiration.
“Aiding, you’re amazing… To be able to hold your own against me even when I’m in my Magic Release state…”
“It wasn’t holding my own at all.”
Aiding heard this and gave a wry smile, shaking his head with honesty and a trace of helplessness.
He flexed his still slightly weary arms and began to explain.
“The spells I used…well, I guess you could call them special magic. They’re powerful, but essentially, they overdraft my stamina and potential. If I can’t defeat my opponent while the effect lasts, once the side effects kick in, I’m guaranteed to lose.”
“So…that’s why you were so exhausted earlier, and even passed out?”
Seres seemed to understand, nodding as her ice-blue hair swayed gently.
She seemed to realize something and looked up at Aiding.
“Today’s situation was a bit unusual. Normally, using it wouldn’t make me so weak that I’d faint right away.”
Aiding scratched his cheek, a little embarrassed.
It was because training with Seres had fired up his competitive spirit, and he wanted to test his limits, so he tried using double adrenaline for the first time.
“I see…”
Hearing this, Seres gently turned her head aside, as if trying to hide the smile playing at her lips.
But beneath her long lashes, those beautiful, watery eyes brimmed with joy and satisfaction, unable to resist sneaking another look at Aiding.
Her gaze was as clear as water, yet seemed to have hooks within it.
“Then…next time, if you find yourself in that situation again and need to go all out…”
The girl spoke softly, her tone carrying an inexplicable gentleness and resolve.
She paused, as if carefully choosing her words.
“I’ll always be here to support you like this.”
Her words were ambiguous, easily understood as either support during battle or a deeper kind of emotional dependence.
With her slight upward gaze, staring intently, her originally pure and flawless face now unexpectedly showed a kind of soul-stirring ambiguity and allure.
This made Aiding’s heart skip a beat, his throat suddenly dry.
He swallowed unconsciously.
No wonder she’s one of the heroines…
Seres’ features were so perfect that not a single flaw could be found, as though she’d been carefully sculpted by the hands of a goddess.
Usually, this girl appeared so cool and proper, pure as ice and snow, but at certain unguarded moments, her expression would inadvertently reveal an innate, alluring charm.
Both pure and seductive at once, truly hard to resist.
“Um, it’s getting late, we…we should head back.”
Aiding felt his cheeks heating up and quickly coughed twice, trying to cover his embarrassment and awkwardness.
He averted his gaze, his tone hurried.
As he spoke, he fumbled to get up from the bench.
“Ah.”
Seeing this, Seres instinctively tried to stand as well.
However, after letting Aiding use Pillow Knees for hours, her legs had long since lost their circulation and were numb and powerless.
As soon as she exerted herself, she felt as if thousands of ants were crawling over her legs—sore and numb, unable to muster any strength.
Her body gave out, and she let out a startled cry as she toppled to the side.
Aiding reacted swiftly and caught her.
Seres tumbled straight into his arms, her cheek unavoidably pressing against his firm chest.
Through his fitted shirt, she instantly felt his warm body heat and his strong, slightly rapid heartbeat.
“Are you okay, Seres?”
Aiding supported her shoulders and looked down with concern.
“N-no… I’m fine… My legs are just a little numb, I just need a moment…”
Seres leaned into his arms, softly shaking her head, her voice tinged with both softness and embarrassment.
She hesitated, then looked up at Aiding with pleading eyes, and said quietly,
“Aiding… Can you…can you just stay like this for a little while, and not move?”
Seeing her slightly flushed cheeks and those expressive eyes, Aiding’s heart softened, and he nodded.
“Alright.”
And so, Seres quietly nestled in Aiding’s embrace, her cheek pressed to his chest, the steady, powerful beat of his heart in her ear, and his reassuring scent filling her nose.
She gently closed her eyes, savoring this brief and precious moment of intimacy.
Deep inside, she felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and longing, silently wishing—
If only things could stay like this forever.