---
Kaoru sat at his desk, leaning back in his chair with an exaggerated pose, as if he were the king of a grand empire. In his hand, he twirled a pen like it was a legendary sword forged in the flames of the Abyss.
"The time has come," Kaoru announced dramatically. "The protagonist of my new romance manga will unlock the power of the Celestial Bond a sacred connection between two souls destined to rewrite the fabric of reality itself!"
Aya, seated nearby, rubbed her temples in frustration. "Kaoru, it's a romance manga. Not a shounen battle series."
Kaoru spun around to face her, his eyes gleaming with determination. "And who says romance can't have epic stakes, Aya? Imagine it: the hero confesses his love, but as soon as he does, the moon explodes!"
Aya blinked. "That's… the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."
Kaoru smirked, leaning forward. "Ridiculous? Or genius?"
Before Aya could retort, Kaede walked into the room, twirling a pink lollipop in her hand like a ninja with a kunai.
---
Scene 1 Action?: The Great Chest Debate!
Kaede strolled over to Aya, her eyes narrowing with a mischievous glint. "So, Aya, still hanging around my brother, huh? Isn't it sad how some people can't even admit their feelings?"
Aya's stoic expression remained, but a faint blush crept up her cheeks. "I'm his editor. I'm here for work, not… whatever you're implying."
Kaede smirked and crossed her arms only to immediately regret it as she glanced at Aya's figure.
"You know.." Kaede began, trying to sound nonchalant, "big… personalities like yours aren't everything."
Aya tilted her head. "What are you talking about?"
Kaede's face turned red as she clutched the lollipop tighter. "N-Nothing! It's not like I care or anything!"
Kaoru, who had been scribbling furiously at his desk, suddenly turned to face them. "Are you two fighting over the Abyssal Lord of Passion again? Fret not, for there's enough of me to go around."
Aya and Kaede simultaneously shouted, "No one's fighting over you!"
Kaoru looked genuinely confused. "Then why are you yelling?"
Kaede sighed and plopped onto the couch, grumbling under her breath. "This is why he'll never get a girlfriend.."
Aya muttered, "Agreed."
---
Scene 2 Action!: Romance Manga Troubles.
Kaoru held up his latest sketch, showcasing the protagonist of his untitled romance manga. The character bore an uncanny resemblance to himself, complete with dramatic poses and an air of chuunibyo grandeur.
Aya groaned. "Why does your protagonist look like you?"
Kaoru gasped, clutching his chest as if she had mortally wounded him. "How dare you! This is clearly an original character! Can't you see the subtle differences in his hairstyle? It's parted slightly to the left!"
Aya stared at him, unimpressed. "That's… groundbreaking, truly."
Kaede snatched the sketch out of Kaoru's hand and squinted at it. "Why does the heroine look like Aya?"
Kaoru blinked, then snatched the sketch back. "She does not! The heroine is a completely original creation, inspired by… um… the spirit of the cosmos!"
Aya raised an eyebrow. "Spirit of the cosmos?"
Kaede grinned. "Translation: he totally based it on you."
Aya turned away, her face reddening slightly. "You're both idiots."
Kaoru ignored her and turned back to his sketch. "Now, where was I? Oh yes, the dramatic rooftop confession scene!"
---
Scene 3 Action!: Anime References Galore
As Kaoru worked, the conversation drifted into familiar territory anime references.
Kaede smirked. "You know, Onii-chan, your whole chuunibyo act reminds me of that silver-haired samurai from that parody anime. The one who spends more time talking about mayonnaise than actually fighting."
Kaoru grinned. "A true warrior knows the importance of condiments, Kaede. It's all about balance!"
Aya rolled her eyes. "And your romance manga is starting to sound like one of those high school harem series. Let me guess, the protagonist accidentally walks in on the heroine changing clothes?"
Kaoru looked offended. "I would never stoop to such clichés! My protagonist is far more sophisticated. He would walk in on her… while she's practicing kendo! For dramatic tension!"
Kaede burst out laughing. "You're literally just mashing together every anime trope you've ever seen!"
Kaoru crossed his arms. "I prefer to think of it as paying homage."
Aya sighed. "If you say so."
---
Scene 4 Action!: The Lollipop Incident..
Kaede, still annoyed about the earlier chest conversation, unwrapped her pink lollipop and popped it into her mouth. She leaned back on the couch, her eyes narrowing as she watched Aya.
"You know.." Kaede said around the lollipop, "it's weird that you're so serious all the time, Aya. Maybe you should try loosening up a little. You might actually have fun."
Aya glared at her. "I'll pass, thanks."
Kaede smirked. "Suit yourself. But just so you know, Kaoru has terrible taste in women. If you're trying to impress him, you're going about it all wrong."
Aya's eye twitched. "I'm not trying to impress anyone."
Kaoru, who had been listening to their argument with mild interest, suddenly stood up and struck a dramatic pose.
"Fear not, ladies! The Abyssal Lord of Passion shall settle this dispute with his unparalleled wisdom!"
Both Aya and Kaede groaned in unison.
"Kaoru, sit down," Aya said.
"Yeah, big bro, you're not helping," Kaede added.
---
Scene 5 Action!: Chaos and Laughter!
By the end of the day, Kaoru had made significant progress on his romance manga, though Aya still had several pages of notes for him. Kaede, meanwhile, had made it her mission to tease Aya at every opportunity, much to the editor's chagrin.
As the three of them sat around the living room, eating takeout and watching an anime about a ninja who wanted to become the leader of his village, Kaoru suddenly turned to Aya.
"You know, you're kind of like that character," he said, pointing at the screen.
Aya frowned. "The loud, orange one?"
Kaoru shook his head. "No, the cold, serious one who secretly has a soft spot for her teammates."
Aya's cheeks turned pink. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Kaede snickered. "Woww, Big bro. You're so smooth~"
Kaoru tilted his head. "What do you mean? I'm just stating facts."
Aya sighed, but a small smile tugged at her lips. Despite the chaos, she couldn't deny that she was starting to feel at home with Kaoru and his ridiculous antics.
---
End Of Chapter Twelve.