The leather seat gave off a faint, luxurious scent, but Fubuki felt the seatbelt like an overly eager python, snugly pressing against the delicate curve of her chest.
For the third time, as she pretended to adjust the strap, her peripheral vision caught Gaio's Adam's apple bobbing slightly—a discovery that made her fingers freeze.
(Why does the car's air freshener smell like cedar…)
(Why does the dashboard's blue glow reflect off his eyelashes like that…)
(Why do his knuckles look so good gripping the steering wheel…)
Fubuki pinched her thigh hard to snap out of it.
Outside, the scenery whipped by, and in the reflection of the window, she saw her ear tips glowing red like neon signs.
"Uh…" Gaio's sudden voice nearly made her jump. "Wanna listen to some music?"
"Just… something normal," Fubuki blurted, immediately regretting it. (Normal? What even is that!)
Gaio's finger swiped across the center console screen, and the opening notes of an electronic synth track shattered the car's silence.
The pulsing beat of the song—Addiction, the one dominating the charts—made Fubuki instinctively grip the seatbelt tighter.
When the lyrics kicked in, she realized the voice was coming from the driver's seat.
"Wait…" Fubuki turned, catching Gaio's slightly embarrassed side profile. "That voice is…"
The car's display clearly read: Singer - Nero.
"Haha…" Gaio scratched his cheek. "When I'm not around, Marin uses this car, so the playlist is…"
Fubuki's eyelashes fluttered as she recalled a tidbit from the Hero Association's intel.
"Nero, the superstar from the neighboring island."
"Ohhh, right~" She leaned closer, propping her chin on one hand, elbow resting on the armrest, and gave Gaio a teasing smile.
"I totally forgot~ You're the guy your fans call the 'Tyrant of the Music Scene,' huh?"
Gaio chuckled, pulling to a stop at a red light. He turned, meeting her gaze with a playful grin.
"Ever consider that 'Nero' might just be a name I threw out there?"
When he leaned in, Fubuki suddenly realized their noses were less than eight inches apart.
The cedar scent of the car mixed with Gaio's clean, crisp fragrance, short-circuiting her brain.
"The seatbelt…" His voice synced with the crescendo of Addiction, and as his fingertips brushed past her ear, the song hit its iconic line:
"Now that I love you, I need you more."
"I got it!" Fubuki jolted back into her seat like she'd been zapped, only for the seatbelt to snap against her collarbone with a thwack, her flushed face reflecting in the side mirror.
(Why that lyric of all things…)
(Why am I leaning toward him again without realizing it?)
Gaio's hand reached for the console, and Fubuki held her breath—only for him to turn the AC down a degree. "Too hot in here?"
"N-no, it's not that!" Flustered, she fumbled for the window button but accidentally hit the seat warmer instead.
The leather seat heated up just as the song belted out:
"Give me a shot that I can't ignore."
Gaio let out a soft laugh and lowered her window a bit.
When the light turned green, the car rolled forward.
"Next concert," Gaio said suddenly, his knuckles tapping the steering wheel to the beat, "want me to save you a VIP seat? Tyrant's special reserve."
"VIP seat… Tyrant's special reserve…" The words looped in Fubuki's head as the scenery outside blurred into colorful streaks.
The car's tires rumbled over a speed bump, and she realized they were pulling into an underground parking garage.
"We're here," Gaio said, snapping her out of her daze.
She turned to find him looking at her, sunglasses slid halfway down his nose, revealing eyes sparkling with amusement.
(Oh no… he totally saw me zoning out!)
Fubuki scrambled to unbuckle her seatbelt, and Gaio watched, grinning at the flustered older-sister vibe she was giving off.
She bolted out of the car like it was a Hero Association emergency mission.
As she marched forward, head down, she heard Gaio's muffled chuckle behind her. "Wrong way. Exit's to the right."
When the elevator reached the surface, a wave of sugary sweetness hit her.
Jiyugaoka's colorful shop signs sparkled in the sunlight, the aroma of crepes and strawberry daifuku flooding the air like a tangible force.
Gaio suddenly stopped, making Fubuki nearly bump into him. He was staring at a shop's cat-paw cotton candy sign, lost in thought.
"Uh, this place…" He scratched his cheek. "It's Dessert Street. Lots of girls like it here. Apparently, it's great for cute photos."
His hesitant tone was a far cry from the untouchable 'Tyrant' on stage.
(Oh, I get it…)
(This guy has no idea how to handle a date!)
When Gaio passed the same strawberry daifuku shop for the third time, Fubuki couldn't hold back her laugh.
His clueless expression reminded her of that iconic moment when fans mobbed him—the one turned into the 'Tyrant Confused.jpg' meme.
"Mr. Gaio," Fubuki said, grabbing his sleeve. As he turned in surprise, she pointed at a shop window. "That place's Mont Blanc is ranked number one in tons of reviews."
As his sunglasses slipped, she saw the exact expression she'd expected: the same guy who'd coldly obliterated the Hero Building in City A now looked completely unsure.
"Haha… really?" Gaio rubbed his nose. "Wanna give it a try?"
Fubuki nodded with a smile, taking the lead and heading inside.
Once seated, after ordering drinks and desserts, Fubuki propped her chin on her hand again, studying the man across from her.
"Mr. Gaio, how'd you win over Marin?"
Her sudden question caught him off guard. He rubbed his chin. "Uh… actually, Marin's the one who chased me."
Fubuki's smile widened—her suspicions were spot-on.
"So, you've never really asked a girl out yourself?"
"I have, I guess. Just… not to places like this. Usually amusement parks or, like, libraries."
Gaio scratched his chin, thinking.
"Pfft." Fubuki covered her mouth, barely containing her laughter.
"So the great Tyrant doesn't even know the difference between a Mont Blanc and a mousse?" She poked the chestnut cream topping on her dessert with a silver spoon, watching Gaio hide his embarrassment behind a sip of coffee. It felt like that high school thrill when she and Tatsumaki realized they could get stronger.
She deliberately clinked her spoon against her teeth, and as Gaio looked up, she held out the spoon she'd just used. "Wanna try?"
It wasn't until he froze that she realized how overly familiar she'd gotten again.
"Too sweet," Gaio said, but his tongue flicked out to swipe the cream off her spoon.
Fubuki yanked her hand back, drawing stares from the couple at the next table. The culprit, meanwhile, pointed innocently at her mouth. "You've got some cream there."
(He's definitely doing this on purpose!)
(This cheesy rom-com stuff doesn't even show up in manga anymore!)
Leaving the shop, Fubuki deliberately picked the most crowded direction.
When Gaio got pushed against her back for the third time, she finally heard the sigh she'd been waiting for. "Hey, this way." His warm hand suddenly wrapped around her wrist.
(What's his deal…)
(Acting all smooth when he clearly doesn't know what he's doing!)
Fubuki spun her hand, interlocking her fingers with his. Under his surprised gaze, she gave their clasped hands a little shake. "Does the Tyrant's VIP package include tour guide services?"
The sunset stretched their shadows across Dessert Street's colorful walls, perfectly overlapping into a hand-holding silhouette.
Their connection was growing closer, but little did they know, not far behind them, a twin-tailed blonde girl was staring daggers at them.
"Hey, Eriri! What's up?" A girl with long black hair approached, holding two ice cream cones.
Eriri pointed ahead at the increasingly cozy pair. "Utaha, isn't that Gaio?"
Utaha followed her finger, her eyes widening. "No way… it's really him!" She nearly flung her ice cream, staring at Gaio. "Who's that girl with him? Never seen her before."
She muttered, her gaze scanning Fubuki up and down like she was trying to dissect her.
Eriri scoffed, crossing her arms. "Who cares who she is? That guy's never short on girls around him."
Even as she said it, her eyes were glued to Gaio and Fubuki's intertwined hands, a strange irritation bubbling up inside her.
"Hmph, that playboy jerk." She grumbled under her breath, chomping down on her ice cream like she was taking out her frustration on it.
"Maybe they're just friends," Utaha said, but her tone carried a hint of doubt and a touch of jealousy.
Her eyes gleamed mischievously as she leaned closer to Eriri with a sly grin.
"But they seem pretty close, don't they? Come on, let's follow them and find out."
"No way!" Eriri snapped, flinging her braid back.
"If you don't figure this out, you'll end up a loser~ A blonde loser, at that."
"Utaha, you hag! What'd you call me? I'm no loser!"
"Hey, didn't we agree to drop that nickname?"
"Then go tell Gaio—he's the one who came up with it!"
"You blonde mutt! I'm trying to help you here!"
"Like I need your help!"