Chapter 142| West Gate

Chapter 142: Chapter 142| West Gate

6:58 PM.

Zane grabbed an old rentable scooter parked in front of the boys’ dorm and rode it across the west side of the campus. Even then it took until 6:58 to get there. Aldren Academy was run by the NSA, and finding a place he’d never been to was never going to be doable in ten minutes.

Past the old maintenance road and a row of dim lanterns, the west gate turned out to be real. A restaurant sat tucked between two storage buildings, glass front, warm yellow light, a hand-painted sign that read Lantern & Ember.

He parked the scooter against the wall and stared at the place.

’How have I never seen this?’ he thought.

『 System Note: The host does not walk west. 』

’Noted.’

He pushed the door open. A bell chimed. The place was small and half full, and the smell of grilled meat hit him before the host did.

"Zane! Over here!"

Nil was waving from a corner booth like she owned the building. Maren sat across from her, hands folded on the table, looking like she’d rather be anywhere else.

Zane crossed the room and stopped three steps from the booth.

They were wearing the same top.

Not identical, but the same cut. Fitted, cropped just above the waist, with a wide scooped neckline that sat low on the collarbone and a knotted hem that rode up whenever either of them moved. Nil’s was lavender. Maren’s was pale blue. When Nil leaned forward to wave, the neckline slid with her, and her cleavage showed, a good portion of her breasts on display. When Maren sat straighter, hers held, but only just. The scooped edge dipped enough to show a hint of cleavage whenever she shifted.

Zane looked from one to the other.

’This is a coordinated attack,’ he thought.

『 System Note: The host is staring. The host is also doing the math. 』

’I’m not doing math.’

『 The system will log that as a lie. 』

"You two are wearing the same top," he said. "Different colours."

"Thank you," Nil and Maren said at the same time.

They stopped. Looked at each other. Maren looked away first.

"I showed her how to dress," Nil said, sliding over to make room. "She told me she needed to look nice for you."

Maren’s face went red. All of it, ears first.

"That’s a lie, Nil."

"Is it?"

"It’s a complete lie."

"Then why did you change three times?"

"I didn’t..." Maren stopped. Took a breath. "Sit down, Zane."

He sat. Nil laughed, bright and unrepentant.

"At least I got you complimented," she said to Maren. "Look at his face."

Zane picked up the menu and held it in front of his face. It was the safest option.

_ _

The food came in waves.

Nil had ordered for all three of them, which was how Zane ended up with a platter of grilled skewers, a bowl of buttered rice, steamed dumplings stuffed with something spicy, and a plate of crispy fried squid that looked far too large for three people.

"How much is this?" he asked.

"A lot," Nil said happily.

Maren’s mouth twitched. She was losing the fight to stay annoyed.

They ate. Nil told a story about a second-year drill where she’d moved a rail target into a classmate’s lap. Maren corrected two of the details. Zane laughed in the right places and kept his eyes on his plate more than once.

The strange thing was how normal it felt. Maren relaxed by degrees, the stiff posture loosening, the flat expression giving way to the small contained smile. Under the table, her knee bumped his twice. Neither of them mentioned it.

『 Nil Valkyrie — Familiarity +6% 』

『 Current: 21% — Stranger tier 』

『 System Note: Social settings accelerate familiarity. The system recommends more dinners. 』

’You just want data,’ Zane thought.

『 Correct. 』

_ _

By 8:30PM the plates were mostly empty, and a waiter set down three small glasses and a bottle.

Zane looked at the bottle. Then at Nil.

"I didn’t order that," he said.

"I did." She poured with a grin. "We’re celebrating your B-rank and me winning the contest, technically."

"It wasn’t a contest," Maren said.

"It was a contest." Nil lifted her glass. "To Zane’s wallet."

Maren sighed and clinked. Zane did too. The drink was sweet, warm, and went down easier than it should have.

Nil finished hers and poured another.

Then another.

By the fourth, her voice had gone soft around the edges and her posture had melted into the booth cushion. The lavender top had slipped down one shoulder, the neckline gaping wider with every shift, and she hadn’t noticed or didn’t care.

"By the way," Nil said, propping her chin on one hand. "How did you two do things in bed?"

Zane choked on his drink.

Maren froze, her glass halfway to her mouth.

"Nil."

"What? I’m curious. You came home last Thursday smelling like a guest room and you wouldn’t talk about it. And you." She pointed at Zane with a chopstick. "You look like someone who knows what he’s doing."

"I’m not answering that," Zane said.

"Boooring."

"Nil," Maren said again, a note lower. "Stop."

Nil blinked at her, slow and unbothered. Then she leaned toward Zane, so close he could smell the drink on her breath.

"Fine. Then tell me this." She tilted her head, loose collar sliding. "Is she as shy in person as she is in the dark?"

Zane looked at Maren.

Maren’s face had reached a shade of red that probably needed medical attention.

He looked at the ceiling.

『 System Note: Nil Valkyrie is drunk. Or pretending. The system cannot tell which. 』

’I don’t know either,’ Zane replied mentally.

『 The system is simply stating the obvious. 』

Maren set her glass down with a precise click.

"Nil." Her voice came out steady and very flat. "You are drunk."

"A little."

"You are very drunk."

"I’m having fun."

"You’re having fun at my expense." Maren stood up. "Zane, help me get her up."

"I can walk."

"You can’t."

"I can crawl."

"That’s not walking."

Zane stood, caught Nil by the elbow, and hauled her upright. She leaned on him like he was a lamp post. The scent of her shampoo, mixed with sweet alcohol, hit him harder than he’d have liked.

Then her top slid, and his eyes dropped before he could stop them. The gap in her neckline gave him a clear view of the edge of her bra, and the outline of her nipples pressing against the thin lace. He looked away. His body had already responded. In under a second, he was hard.

He shifted his bag in front of him and prayed nobody had noticed.

『 System Note: Wow. That’s some development. 』

’Not now,’ he thought.

『 The system is simply logging the speed. 』

"Zaneee," she said into his shoulder. "You’re warm."

"You’re drunk," Zane said.

"That’s what she said," Nil replied with a giggle.

Maren pinched the bridge of her nose.

_ _

The bill came to a number that made Zane’s stomach drop.

He tapped his communicator against the reader. The screen blinked, processed, and flashed approved.

’I still don’t know how much I have,’ he thought.

『 System Note: The host has just learned that his balance covers dinner. The host should be grateful. 』

’I’m grateful. Nervously grateful.’