The girl, who had been bothering Sunny for the past 30 minutes blinked. She fanned herself subtly with her hand, a hint of discomfort finally creeping into her tone "Whew… is it just me, or is it getting kinda hot in here?"
His gaze shifted from the cup to the girl.
His face didn't move. His voice didn't shift.
But the words came out.
"No. It's her."
He tilted his chin toward the corner of the café.
The girl followed his gaze, her eyebrows lifting.
Just in time to see Nephis slowly set her fork down. Her silver eyes had never once turned their gaze away from Sunny.
(just realised while rechecking I lowkey made nephis seem like a hobo... sat at the corner, looking at sunny the whole time like ???)
Not even for a second.
The girl froze.
For a heartbeat, she didn't seem to fully register what she was looking at. Then recognition crept into her face.
She saw the beautiful features across her face, the beautiful silver hair that landed at her middle back. And her terrifying demeanour.
"…Wait. Is that-?"
"Changing Star," Sunny said, still neutral.
The girl choked on her words.
He could see her brain work overtime to process it. First came the surprise, then the confusion, and then, slowly… a bit of horror. The realization hit her like a snowball to the face.
(get it)
She had been flirting in front of one of her cohort members.
And she hadn't even noticed.
"Oh my gods," she whispered.
Her body straightened almost reflexively, like her spine had been yanked upright by sheer instinct. Her hands went to her lap, her eyes wide, posture suddenly very proper.
"I-I didn't know she was… I didn't think…"
Sunny poured a glass of water and placed it in front of her.
"For the heat." he offered flatly.
The girl nodded quickly, taking the glass and sipping with the fear of someone who'd just accidentally insulted a deity.
Over in the corner, Nephis lifted the fork again, not saying a word. But she had stopped eating.
Her eyes remained fixed on the counter... More specifically, on Sunny.
He didn't need to look at her.
He could feel the heat radiating across the room like a slow-burning furnace.
And in a strange way… he felt a little amused.
'I guess she does like the cake, after all.'
With a sigh, he turned to the espresso machine and began preparing another drink, letting the awkward silence linger just long enough for the girl to fully absorb her mistake.
He spoke again, this time quieter. Just enough for her to hear.
"If I were you… I'd sit with your friends today."
She didn't argue.
With a muttered apology and a nervous smile, she slid off the stool and scurried across the café to the far table where her giggling companions waited, blissfully unaware of the heat wave that had nearly cooked her alive.
Sunny glanced over his shoulder.
Nephis was still looking at him.
As if wanting to man up, he braced himself and spoke.
"…Alright," he said, turning fully toward her and wiping his hands on a cloth. "What's wrong?"
She blinked once.
Then looked down at her plate. The fork gently tapped the side of the dish before she set it down.
"…Nothing," Nephis muttered quietly.
Sunny raised an eyebrow.
'Nothing?' This wasn't like Nephis at all. When did she get so... cute?
His eyes narrowed slightly, suspicious.
"You sure?" he asked, voice dry. "Because my mimic almost caught fire a few minutes ago."
Nephis didn't meet his gaze.
Instead, she picked up her fork again and slowly cut another bite of cake, as if nothing had happened.
Sunny stared for a second longer, waiting for something more.
She just… ate.
He sighed and muttered, "Yeah. Totally normal."
Before turning away, he noticed it. A slight silhouette, a ghost of a smile appearing in her face.
He gave a smile of his own, watching her contempt with the cake.
'Guess she really likes cakes, huh?'