Month: Early December
Year: X775
Ages:
Kaito – 10 | Erza – 10 | Mirajane – 10 | Juvia – 10
Lysanna – 8 | Elfman – 9
Location: Fairy Tail Guild / Training Yard
---
Kaito realized something was wrong the moment he stepped into the guild hall.
Too quiet.
Erza sat at one table, posture perfect, hands folded.
Mirajane sat at another, chin resting in her palm, smiling softly.
Both were watching him.
"Why do I feel like prey," Kaito muttered.
Erza stood first.
"Kaito," she said calmly. "Walk with me."
Mirajane immediately stood as well. "Oh? I was just about to do that."
Erza turned. "You can walk after."
Mirajane smiled wider. "Possessive?"
Erza's eye twitched.
They closed in on him—one on each side.
Kaito was escorted like a criminal.
"You enjoyed yesterday," Mirajane hummed.
Erza nodded. "Clearly."
Kaito raised a brow. "You're both smiling. That's usually a bad sign."
They stopped.
Then—
Erza leaned down slightly and flicked his forehead.
Mirajane followed immediately, poking his cheek.
"Payback," Mirajane said sweetly.
Erza nodded. "Fair is fair."
They did it again.
And again.
Flick.
Poke.
Flick.
Kaito sighed. "So this is my punishment?"
"Yes," Erza said flatly.
Mirajane giggled. "Endure it."
From across the hall, Cana whispered, "Oh this is going to be fun."
--
Training was announced shortly after.
The yard filled quickly.
Kaito adjusted his gloves—then felt a gentle tug on his sleeve.
"Um… Kaito," Juvia said softly.
He turned. "Yeah?"
She hesitated.
Her fingers tightened.
"…Juvia will train with you today."
Not a question.
A statement.
Kaito smiled. "Of course."
That smile alone nearly broke her.
They paired up.
Simple movement drills. Footwork. Balance.
At one point, Juvia stepped too close—then froze.
Normally, she would retreat.
Today—
She stayed.
"…Is Juvia doing this right?" she asked quietly.
Kaito adjusted her stance gently. "Yeah. You're doing great."
Her heart pounded.
"…Then," she said, barely above a whisper, "Juvia will keep doing it."
She met his eyes for a second longer than necessary.
Then—
A tiny smile.
Not flustered.
Not frozen.
Kaito blinked once.
Oh.
From the sidelines—
Mirajane noticed.
Erza noticed.
Both narrowed their eyes.
---
Someone yelled, "SPARRING MATCHES!"
That was it.
The yard erupted.
Erza vs Mirajane started immediately—verbal jabs flying faster than punches.
"Try not to scream this time."
"At least I don't glare like I'm being confessed to."
Steel clashed. Demon energy flared.
Gray got knocked into a fence. Again.
Elfman cheered. Too loudly.
Lysanna clapped happily.
Juvia practiced controlled water steps—focused, calm, steady.
Kaito sparred multiple guild members back-to-back, Great Sage quietly optimizing movement.
Makarov watched with a grin. "Lively as ever."
Then—
Someone shouted, "HEY! FIVE JEWELS SAYS ERZA WINS!"
"…What?"
Cana slammed her mug down. "Oh no. New idea."
---
Within minutes—
A chalkboard appeared.
"KAITO LOVE LIFE — CURRENT ODDS"
Erza – 3:1
Mirajane – 3:1
Juvia – 5:1 (rising)
"Dies Single" – Gray (disqualified)
"What is WRONG with you people?!" Kaito shouted.
Cana shrugged. "Statistics."
Mirajane leaned over the board. "Hey! Why are we tied?"
Erza crossed her arms. "Because we're equals."
Juvia stared at the board.
Quietly.
"…Juvia does not like numbers."
But—
Her odds ticked down.
From the crowd, someone whispered, "She's improving."
Juvia's ears turned red.
Kaito erased the board with one slap.
"Training is over."
Booing erupted.
Makarov laughed until he cried.
Above the chaos—
Erza and Mirajane exchanged looks.
Juvia stood a little straighter.
And Kaito realized—
This was only getting louder.
---