"I'm sorry..." Addai shyly said in a croaky and tired voice.

“For what?” Mine asked, giving his friend a glass of water.

Addai’s cheeks started blushing, “For… that embarrassing behavior,” he fiddled with the glass of water before sipping.

Mine sat beside him on the grass and rested a hand on his cheek, looking at his friend with a calm expression, “Embarrassing? It’s completely fine to cry. My sister once told me that crying is just fine and normal. If you feel it coming, just go for it,” he smiled and ruffled Addai’s black hair. "It would be weird if I never saw you crying."

Addai was still looking down, but a faint smile sketched on his face as he nodded. To wave the gloomy cloud away, Mine had an idea: why didn't he lift his friend's spirits with a dance? It would be fun!

Well, Mine had no idea what to do in that spacious house, neither wanted to leave before evening rehearsals – not that he didn’t want to, but Addai refused to let him go home because he knew Mine would be busy overworking himself, so staying would be an opportunity to make Mine slow down – so… it would be a good idea.

“Say, Addai. Do you want to dance with me a little- ah, don’t be a tomato! It’s to lift your spirits up!” Mine laughed as Addai hid his face.

"Didn't we do it yesterday?" Addai grumbled, his face still hidden in his hands.

“I wanna do it again, but properly,” Mine replied with a shameless smile. “Pretty please?”

“…” Addai looked at Mine.

Yeah, he had a weakness for smiles, especially Mine's smile.

Addai sighed and offered a hand when he stood up, which Mine gladly took and cheerfully followed him on the way to the chosen mysterious place.

As they walked, Mine began to ponder that Addai's humble residence was, in fact, a mansion due to how much space there was in that backyard.

Would it be Mine, the poor part of the duo? Thinking about that, Mine fitted the shipp poor X rich/ CEO x poor once he filled all stereotypes... and Addai also filled a couple of-

Stop thinking about Bl shipp dynamics, Mine Karawaga! Mine shook his head, trying to make his thoughts wander away, but… it was too much like his favorite shipp dynamics!!

Since when did these weird-assed thoughts start?! I’m not the- maybe, but still! I’m not a gold digger, but damn... Addai, what are you doin’ working at the university? I mean, look at your stuff, go work as a CEO, and improve my shipp.

Mine, absorbed by the audacity of his mind in thinking such things, barely paid attention to where they were going. He found it a shame because the garden was fabulous, and he wasted the view and the VIP guide. Speaking of his guide... Addai seemed... nervous?

“Here,” Addai voiced, slowing down his steps.

“Wow…” Mine said in awe, his eyes surveying their surroundings eagerly.

They were under a large, leafy maple tree. Its leaves were falling to the ground elegantly as if they danced in the air that permeated their dry surface. On the ground, several reddish leaves from the tree covered the previously green grass, and it was so beautiful that way.

Nearby was a large rock garden, and the sand on the ground was well-swept, with diverse and harmonious designs. On the other side, a tea table next to another pond - considerably bigger than the koi pond near the sanctuary.

Addai... my friend, how do you afford all these things?

“So, which music will it be?” Addai asked, a bit shy.

"Ah," Mine interrupted his pondering about his feeble friend's expenses and grinned. "I'll set it random, so we can have real fun!" he quickly made a mana ball and inserted the cellphone in it, transforming the whole set into a portable (and useful) soundbox.

“Oh, that’s smart,” Addai pondered, poking the ball.

“Now, come here,” Mine chuckled, taking Addai's hands and making him twirl like a ballerina.

The gremlin inside Mine started talking to him, and oh... Mine agreed he could tease his friend a little bit. It wouldn't trigger the beast inside him, right? Just a little bit of teasing...

Mine leaned forward, very close to Addai's, and face said, "No kissy kiss this time, hm?" he (boldly) teased.

“-----!” Addai found no words, so all he could do was turn red.

And their music started!

The random selection hit right into something spicy, and Mine surely knew how to guide his lost friend, whose eyes widened in horror because he had no idea how to take the lead. Mine chuckled and - first things first - placed Addai's hands where they should be. Then, he straightened his friend's posture and patted his hips.

“Release, you’ll use them,” Mine grinned.

“…? Are they locked?” Addai was so confused the song was no longer reaching his ears.

"Yes! This way, you won't hurt yourself and…" Mine made the first step, the step in, and he was very close to Addai, “… don’t miss my guidance.”

“…” Addai nodded, of course.

Ears adjusting to the song, Addai noticed why Mine asked him to release his hips. There were Latin spices, and the beat was very, very catchy.

Mine was a natural at that. His whole body seemed to be adjusted to the song very quickly, and damn… Addai had to focus on the song entirely to not be left behind!

Bold, wild, and harmonic steps around the leaves on the flooring made their dance flow as the song flowed, massaging their muscles and making them loose to savor the beat. The choreography was unique, and Mine made it alongside Addai, who followed wherever his friend told him to.

Mine twirled his fingers in the air, and he materialized a mana chair to place Addai on it as the beat progressed, and poor man, once loosened up, turned as tense as a stick. Of course, that little Chronos chuckled leisurely, enchanting the person on the chair, and... oh… he loved doing that.

For a moment, he felt Star kicking his butt, trying to take the stage’s lead, but Mine wanted to be “Addai safe.” So, when the music was about to end, Mine gently kicked the chair and took Addai’s hand before he fell, yanking him closer.

Their breathing was fast. Those new steps were hasty and demanded a lot from their bodies (and hearts). Mine chuckled at Addai's dazing eyes, and he found a new risky hobby: teasing.

He teases me as he pleases, so why can’t I? He sucked my soul yesterday, so now it’s my turn to tease him.

Shoving intrusive thoughts away, Mine widely grinned, and, when Addai started approaching his face, he poked his friend’s nose.

“No kissy kiss, remember?” Mine chuckled. “What? Aren’t we friends? Friends don’t kiss,” he carelessly said, wandering away from Addai.

That façade was very convincing, right? But inside…

MINE KARAWAGA, THERE ARE LIMITS. L.I.M.I.T.S. You’ll be contradicting your own actions by behaving this way!! Teasing is one thing... but what was THAT?!

Regretting every word he had said, Mine started feeling his body itch from embarrassment. Maybe he was a little too much, and Addai's silence was mortifying!!!

"… you're right," Addai broke the silence, and something in his voice conveyed that he turned the 'forbidden switch' (Mine himself named it). "But…" he took Mine's hand, yanking him closer.

SEE?! Now YOU’RE in trouble! Come back, shy Addai!!! Don't turn this hot switch!

Oh~ the subject they were both avoiding~ showing up that carelessly~ as chaotic as they always were! Let the chaos begin!

"I told you that I'm stubborn," Addai looked at Mine right into his soul, and Mine started screaming inside as his friend approached. "Don't tease me too much," he said, very close to Mine's mouth.

“Noted,” Mine quickly replied, his cheeks all flushed and heart running wild., but the grip wasn't loosened, and Mine started feeling his legs trembling, eager to run anyway!

“You don’t need to make this face,” Addai chuckled leisurely, releasing the grip, and Mine almost fell on the leaves.

“You… you sly fox!” Mine fumed, regaining his posture.

“Cat… fox… dog… I can be whatever you’d like,” Addai smiled, pinching Mine’s cheeks.

A counterattack?! I can’t believe he’s now teasing me!

Mine needed to be bolder, and he knew the perfect song and performance.

He couldn’t lose this teasing contest!

"You act so bold, but…" Mine snapped his fingers, and a wind blew them both, making the leaves on the grass rustle (which meant the spell failed, but Mine quickly covered this fact). "Can you endure this choreography?" he grabbed Addai’s hands and made him sit on the same mana chair.

“Oh… will you make a private show for me?” Addai teased, forgetting all his shyness – of course, he had to win the teasing contest, and that switch was powerful!

Mine huffed and snapped his fingers once again, but nothing happened.

"Argh! This damn spell failed twice!” Mine fumed. "But I'll manage to do it without my costume," he looked at Addai and tied his hair with an elastic from his wrist.

The music was sorted, and Mine knew it by heart.

Of course, he knew it. It was his solo performance song!

He snapped his fingers and made their surroundings surprisingly darker – bless Chronos' spells –, and he let his body glow. The scriptures over his body glowed through the clothing fabrics, so his whole body was visible, even though he was wearing clothing. Hips, arms, legs, and silhouette, everything was visible even though Mine was properly dressed.

The look on Addai's face was priceless, and Mine couldn't help but chuckle with a bit of spice in his sly smile when the music started.

He approached his friend’s face and cupped his cheeks, still following the lyrics and rhythm, and he made his illusions boost the teasing contest.

Their surroundings changed. Mine was on a wooden, fancy stage. Addai was on the first roll of fancy seats. The curtains, red-like cherry wine, were as velvety as his moves.

As the music played, Mine followed the rhythm of the honeyed lyrics, and he made sure to cast illusions on the stage, only to make him even more enchanting in that VIP performance. Fog, lights, perfumes, and co-dancers made of mana boosted the experience.

His hips were as loose as his arms and shoulders, which followed every word the female singer honeyed said. He was made of sugar, that was sure, but oh… Salty, Spicy, and hectic, he wasn't tired of adding more matching ingredients, only to sweeten the person sitting on the mana chair experience.

He approached, then backed away with a silly grin every time Addai smiled and tried to touch him. Oh, he loved the smile on his friend's face and was glad to see him all shiny again.

Unfortunately, the song had finished, and Mine, panting, felt the sweat dripping from his cheeks and chin when his friend's voice filled his ears.

"You were amazing!" Addai cheered, his eyes filled with such fondness that made Mine's heart flutter sincerely.

Addai threw a red rose at him. It was beautiful, and its colors were so stunning… since when was he hiding that beauty? And where?

"A stunning rose to the stunning performer," Addai bowed, his smile wide.

Mine dearly took the flower and gazed at it for a few seconds. He smiled, and, with sweat running down his cheeks and forehead, he smiled at his friend, who cheered at him in return.

That small thing meant the world to him, and that single rose in his hands was more valuable than the several other black roses on the stage. Addai’s voice was dear to him, contrasting to the shouts of people in the public shouting for Star’s name and his beauty. Addai’s gaze was warmer compared to the lust in the people’s eyes-

But he had a show to finish, and, dearly holding that invisible red rose in his heart, he bowed to the crowd when the curtains closed.

"This was Star's performance!! Incredible, isn't it?! Now, we'll move to the next solo performance. Hold tight!" the ceremonial crew announced to the roaring crowd.

Mine walked past backstage with the invisible red rose in his hands and with Addai's smile in his mind. It was enough for him.

And, with that, it was Star’s last show.