Xyrine Jean's POV
Kring! Kring!
With my eyes still closed, I stretched out my arm to turn off the alarm clock—only to feel something unfamiliar beneath my hand.
One, two, three… six—wait, what is this?
My fingers roamed further, tracing firm, muscular arms, a solid, well-toned chest, and perfectly defined six-pack abs. Ergh… am I still dreaming?
Still half-asleep, I hugged my stuffed toy tighter, draping one leg over it. The warmth against my body was oddly comforting. But just as I settled in, the "stuffed toy" hugged me back.
A small smile formed on my lips. Wow, I never realized how hot this stuffed toy is—
Wait.
My brows furrowed as my hands continued exploring its shape.
Why does it feel… taller than me?
And since when do stuffed toys have six-pack abs?
A hard, well-toned chest?
Firm, muscular arms?!
My eyes snapped open in horror, darting to my side.
"WAAAAH!"
"Ugh, what's your problem?! It's too early to be screa—OUCH! HEY! STOP IT! THAT HURTS!"
"Hurts?! Hurts?! You bastard! What the hell are you doing in my bed?!" I shrieked, smacking him repeatedly with a pillow.
"OW! OW! STOP IT!"
I ignored his protests, continuing my relentless attack until he grabbed my wrists and yanked me forward. In an instant, I found myself hovering over him, my palms flat against his bare chest.
"WAAAH!" I snatched the pillow again and started smacking him mercilessly.
"OW! OW! Do you wake up like this every morning?! You're like a wild Amazon warrior! OW!"
"Amazona your face! You jerk! You're not just a devil kisser—you're a damn rapist!" I screamed, raining down more blows.
"What? So what if something happened between us?"
I froze instantly at what I had just heard. "W-What? S-Something actually happened?!"
Before he could respond, I grabbed his arm and threw him off the bed.
"F*ck! That hurts!" he groaned, sprawled on the floor. "After we made love—"
"WAAAAAH! SHUT UP!" I clamped my hands over my ears.
"What? I'll take responsibility, you know. Even if we have two dozen kids, I can support them!" he declared confidently while rubbing his hip.
"W-What? W-What did you just say?" I stammered, unable to process his absurdity.
"What the hell is so funny?!" I glared at him when I heard him laugh.
"I'm just kidding, okay?" He chuckled, this time his grin widened than earlier.
My scowl deepened.
"Why are you suddenly quiet? disappointed?" he teased as he raising a brow.
God, someone hold me back before I actually kill this lunatic.
"You know," he continued while stretching lazily, "it's still early. We could always make it happen. Maybe even aim for twins—so we only need ten more kids."
"SPAAAADE!!!"
"Hey! What's going on?!"
I'm about to kill Spade when Ella suddenly barged into my room, eyes darting between us.
Before I could say anything, Spade smirked. "Your cousin took advantage of me," he said nonchalantly before walking into the bathroom.
What?! This wacko!
"OMG, cuz," Ella gasped, her eyes welling with fake tears. "You were fighting with him last night, and now you **** with him?"
I stared at her blankly. Should I just tie them both together and throw them out?
"Hey, do you have an extra towel?"
Ella and I both turned as Spade emerged from the bathroom. And that's when our jaw nearly hit the floor. Spade was standing there, wearing nothing but boxers.
"Wow. That's big," Ella muttered beside me.
"Right, it's really bi—WHAT?! WHAT'S BIG?!" My eyes widened in horror as I turned to her.
"Char! Hahaha! I was joking!" She burst into laughter. "Anyway, I'll head downstairs. I suddenly have a craving for tender juicy hotdogs. Hahahaha! Babush!"
With that, she ran out of my room still laughing like a lunatic.
Tender juicy hotdog? I scoffed before snapping my attention back to Spade.
"Hey! Put some clothes on!" I shouted, hurling my alarm clock at him. He caught it effortlessly.
"Hey, is this how you show your love?"
"Yeah, because you're a freak! And why the hell did you sleep here? Don't you have a house of your own?!"
Instead of answering, he walked straight to my bed and flopped down on it.
"Hey! Hey!" I called, nudging him. But when he didn't move, I frowned.
"Spade, are you asleep?" I leaned closer but he give me no response.
…Did he really pass out?
Without thinking, I studied his face. It was the first time I truly appreciated his features, despite seeing him every day.
I swallowed hard as I took in his sharp, mixed-ethnicity appearance—a blend of British, Chinese, Spanish blood?
His eyes were slightly slanted yet deep, his nose perfectly pointed, and his eyelashes ridiculously long. His lips were thin yet full, his skin flawless, his cheeks slightly flushed. But what stood out the most was his chiseled jawline, so defined it looked sculpted by the gods—
"Did I just make you fall for me all over again?"
"WAAAAH!" Startled, I tried to pull away, but he caught my wrist and drew me back, trapping me against his chest.
"Devil! Let me go!" I struggled against his grip.
"Stop moving. I feel dizzy," he murmured, his hand resting on the nape of my neck.
"Let me go first!"
"Xyrine…"
"What?!"
"Have you forgiven me?"
"No!"
"Ow!" I held my forehead as he suddenly sat up, causing his head to collide with mine.
He groaned dramatically. "After I stood outside your house for five hours… after getting drenched in the rain… after being doused with a bucket of ice water… after being smacked with an umbrella multiple times… after running around like a fool… and after—"
"—After kissing me last night?"
His gaze flickered away, and I immediately averted mine as well.
Arg! This is so awkward!
"Y-You still haven't forgiven me?" he asked again.
"Of course not. Why? Got a problem with that?"
"Hah? Me? Complain? You're literally my weakness," he muttered before yanking me closer, wrapping his arms around me again. "Even if you make me stand outside your house for days, I won't complain, boss."
Despite the way my heart pounded against my chest, I tilted my head up at him.
"Do you really want me to forgive you?"
As our eyes locked, an unexpected wave of nervousness washed over me. I wanted to look away, but his grip on my waist tightened, leaving me no escape.
"Would I go through all of that if I didn't want you to?" he said in a husky tone.
I bit my lip before letting out a small chuckle. "Alright then… be my slave."
"Okay." Without hesitation, he nuzzled his head against my shoulder. But within seconds, he suddenly lifted his head again.
"F*ck."
"What f*ck?" I frowned.
"Nothing! I mean, let's f*—OW!"
Before he could finish his nonsense, I headbutted him.
"You know, you're so sweet to me," he groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Sometimes I wonder if you actually like me or if you just want my body."
Is he sulking?
I mean, I do like his body. But I like his face more. But now, seeing him practically naked, I think I've changed my mind. LOL.
I moved closer, gently removing his hand from his forehead.
"I like you, okay? I really, really like you. So can you please put on some clothes so we can go downstairs and eat?" I smiled at him.
"O-Okay…" he murmured, momentarily dazed.
I grinned as I watched him.
It's time to get my revenge, Spade Inigo Sy.
"Hey, cuz! Aren't you two going to school?" Ella asked the moment she saw Spade and me in the kitchen.
"No," Spade answered.
"Why?" she asked again.
"Not feeling—"
"We're forming a basketball team."
"Yeah, we're forming a baske—WHAT?! What basketball team are you talking about? Do you wanna get hit?" I snapped at Spade.
"Alright, then let's make a football team instead."
I nodded. "Yeah, we'll make a footba—SPADE!!" I yelled, reaching out to strangle him, but he quickly stepped back.
"Geez! You guys cringing me! Just yesterday, you were screaming at each other on the balcony like fools. I'm out of here!" Ella grumbled bitterly as she slung her bag over her shoulder. I could only laugh at her comment.
"See you later, cuz! Take care, okay? Who knows, you might actually end up making one for real—" she teased with a smirk.
"Idiot! Just go already!" I scolded before she finally left.
Once Ella was gone, only Spade and I remained in the house.
"Hey! Since you're already here, cook something for me," I ordered bossily, watching him rummage through the fridge.
"Uhm… My sincerest apologies, my dear princess, but as much as I'd love to, your fridge is empty," he replied dramatically, making me frown.
I rushed to check, and my jaw nearly dropped when I saw he was right. 'Damn! Why is there only bottled water in here?!' I smacked my forehead as I suddenly remembered—we hadn't gone to the wet market yet.
I was about to groan in frustration when my gaze landed on Spade. "Spade, have you ever been to a wet market?"
"Uhm… wet market? No, but wet—" He paused, smirking.
"Finish that sentence, and you're dead," I warned as I raise my fist.
"Haha, my baby's so hard to joke with," he chuckled before changing the subject. "But what even is a wet market?" he asked seriously.
Hah, what does someone like him know about places like that anyway?
I shook my head. "Get ready," I said.
"I was ready last night. Let's go?" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Instead of answering, I smacked him hard on the head. A smirk curled at the corner of my lips. 'Time for you to pay up,' I thought with a grin.
WET MARKET
"Are you sure about this?"
I turned to Spade and almost burst out laughing when I saw how pale he had become.
"Yes. Haven't you ever been to a place like this before?" I asked, referring to our current location—the wet market.
"I didn't even know a place like this existed. Are you sure this is actually a market?" he asked, covering his nose with his hand.
"This is just how it is here, but everything's cheap and fresh. Like that one! It's still alive!" I pointed excitedly at a pig tied up nearby, while a butcher chopped meat beside it.
"..."
I turned back to him when he didn't respond. His expression was priceless—definitely photo-worthy. Lol.
"I don't think this is a good idea. Can't we just go to the grocery store I know? I can even have it closed just for you if you want..."
I grabbed his arm and grinned. "I'm the boss, right?"
He took a deep breath before sighing. "Ah... I can finally admit that I'm really head over heels for you." He took my hand. "Lead the way, Boss!"
"Good!" I secretly smirked at his words. "Now, where's that store Ella and I went to? I remember it always being crowded."
"That one?"
I immediately turned toward the store he pointed at—and gaped. The front was packed with people. I suddenly recalled my last visit with Ella. We had to fight our way through just to get the last chicken.
"Let's go!" I grabbed his hand.
"Wait, don't tell me we're squeezing through that crowd?"
I glanced at him and almost laughed—his face was twisted in sheer horror, like he was about to have a breakdown.
"Yes! Hurry, or we'll run out!" I said before dragging him toward the stall.
This is gonna be fun. Lol.
SPADE'S POV
"Wait, are you joking?" I asked again.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Judging by her face, no, she was dead serious.
"Oh! Only one pair left! Buy one, take two, everyone!" the vendor suddenly announced.
"Spade, did you hear that? Buy one, take two!" Xyrine exclaimed in excitement.
Buy one, take two? I've never heard of such a thing before.
I swallowed hard at the sight of her expression. "Xyrine, how many chickens do you want? If you want a whole poultry farm, just say the word, and I'll give it to you."
"Spade, go to the other side! Once I grab the chicken, I'll throw it to you. Then, once you pay, run!" she instructed, handing me my wallet.
I scratched my head, staring at her like she had lost her mind. Oh, great. She's not hearing anything anymore.
I watched, stunned, as she pushed through the crowd and wrestled for the last three chickens. Just as she grabbed them, another woman snatched them from her hands.
Her brows furrowed. Then—she kicked the woman's hand. The chickens flew into the air.
All of us turned to stare at the soaring poultry.
And then—SMACK!
The chickens landed squarely on a bald man's head.
"Get the chickens!" someone shouted. The bald guy's eyes widened in shock.
Pfft! This is ridiculously funny! Lol. Is this even normal?
I ran a hand through my hair, laughing to myself, until I heard Xyrine yell.
"SPADE, CATCH!"
I looked at her, then at the airborne chicken coming straight toward me.
I was about to catch it when—"Oops!"
I stared at the poor chicken that had crashed onto the ground, looking completely battered, its bones likely broken beyond repair.
"Hey, Spade! Pick it up!" Xyrine shouted again, her hair now a disheveled mess.
With great hesitation, I picked up the pitiful chicken at my feet.
"SPADE, RUN!" She grabbed my arm.
We bolted, but then—
"HEY! PAY FOR THAT!!!" someone shouted behind us.
Xyrine turned to me. "You didn't pay?!"
"Uhm… not yet?"
"Oww!"
Damn it! This woman really loves hitting people!
"Pay for it now, or we'll get mobbed!"
After hastily paying, we sprinted off again, only stopping when we were out of breath.
"Wow, can you believe it? We got three chickens for just 150?" Xyrine grinned while panting.
I turned to her. "150?"
Her smile slowly faded as realization dawned on her.
"Don't tell me…?"
"Oh, no need to worry." I gave an awkward chuckle. "There's only 20k cash in my wallet."
"SPADEEEEEEEEE!!!"