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You sat in Sunday's office, the silence only broken by the sound of paperwork, your fingers itched. Bored, you rummaged through your bag and pulled out a small pack of cakes you had brought along. Unwrapping the package, you eagerly took a bite, savoring the sweetness of the pastry. You barely noticed Sunday's gaze flicker over to you, his sharp senses catching the scent of the cake.

"Don't spoil the carpet," he muttered, his golden eyes narrowing slightly, though his tone wasn't harsh. He sniffed the air, and his gaze shifted curiously towards the strawberry cake you had taken out.

"Is that strawberry cake?" he asked, his voice betraying a hint of interest.

You grinned, looking down at your treat. "Yeah, it's my favorite." You paused for a moment and then looked at him mischievously. "Though, I only have one..."

Sunday's eyes lingered on the cake, but he remained composed, his face giving away nothing. It was clear, however, that he was too shy to ask for a taste. You decided to have a little fun with him. Keeping the strawberry cake on the table, you watched his eyes follow it, betraying his calm demeanor.

Finally, you gave in and slid the cake over to him with a smile. "Here, you can have it."

He blinked, hesitating for a moment before shaking his head. "It's improper to eat when one's working," he said, his voice steady despite the slight embarrassment you could sense in him.

You grinned wider. "Oh, come on," you teased, picking up the cake and moving closer. "Just one bite." Without waiting for him to respond, you playfully fed him the cake, watching in amusement as he reluctantly took a bite.

For a brief moment, Sunday looked like a child, his cheeks puffed up with the sweet treat. His normally composed expression faltered, and he stared at you in surprise before quickly regaining his composure. He swallowed, sitting up straight as though nothing had happened.

You, on the other hand, burst out laughing at the sight. "You look like a kid!" you teased, wiping a tear from your eye.

He sighed, clearly flustered by your teasing but trying to keep his dignity intact. "Do you always behave this way?" he asked, sounding almost resigned.

You shrugged, still grinning. "What can I say? I'm full of surprises. But now I want more strawberry cake."

Sunday gave you a long-suffering look but eventually sighed. He motioned for you to follow him. "Come on. I'll make some fresh ones," he said, walking towards a nearby kitchen.

You followed eagerly, watching in awe as Sunday expertly baked a fresh batch of strawberry cakes. The smell filled the kitchen, and your mouth watered as you watched him work with practiced ease. He handed you a plate of freshly baked cakes, and you immediately took a bite.

"Delicious!" you exclaimed, your eyes lighting up with pure joy. You practically purred with satisfaction, eating the cakes with a contented expression that made you look like a well-fed, obedient cat.

Sunday, watching you with a mix of amusement and slight flustered surprise, couldn't help but smile. "You really are something," he muttered, more to himself than to you, but there was an unmistakable softness in his tone.

You looked up at him, licking a bit of cream off your finger. "Huh? What was that?" you asked, not really paying attention, too focused on devouring your treat.

He quickly composed himself, his face returning to its usual calm demeanor. "Nothing. Just... eat slowly. You're going to choke if you keep inhaling it like that."

You nodded obediently, too engrossed in the delicious cake to argue. Sunday watched you, his cheeks tinged pink as he wondered how someone could be so infuriatingly cute.

Or why you were so obedient.

Fuck you sus-minds.

Sunday watched you with an indifferent expression as you giggled, your behavior lighthearted and carefree. His gaze softened slightly as he noticed the spot of cream on your cheek, and with an almost natural gesture, he wiped it away gently, surprising you. You flustered under his touch, your giggle coming out awkwardly as you quickly reverted to your tsundere defense, crossing your arms and pouting slightly, even though your heart raced.

Your wings, glowing with an ethereal light and flickering with energy, caught his attention. The chitinous, starry structures floated gracefully around you, their light shifting from soft pink to darker hues, creating a mesmerizing field of stars around your figure. He glanced at them with an almost pitying look.

"How sad," he said quietly, his voice cold yet thoughtful. "You keep fake wings just to convince yourself you're a bird."

You blinked, slightly offended, and quickly retorted. "They're real!" you declared, determined to prove it. With a soft flicker of energy, you sat on one of the wings, effortlessly lifting yourself into the air. You flew around him in circles, the starry light trailing behind you like the night sky in motion.

Sunday's deadpan expression remained unmoved, his eyes following your movements but betraying no real emotion. "Birds shouldn't fly too high," he muttered, his voice distant. "They'll fall down eventually."

You tilted your head, considering his words. "That's just how life is," you replied simply, floating down to hover just in front of him. "We rise, we fall. But what matters is that we keep flying."

He didn't respond. His gaze seemed detached, as though his mind was far away. You noticed the flicker of something in his eyes, a memory surfacing, but he remained silent. You floated down and extended your hand toward him, your energy shimmering softly around you.

"Come on," you said, a playful grin on your face. "Fly with me. Enjoy the night for once."

Sunday hesitated, the memory of a voice echoing in his mind, telling him that a cage was safer than the open sky. He almost withdrew, but your energy—your stubborn persistence—pulled him in. He glanced at your hand, then back at you, and before he could fully process his actions, you had already grabbed his hand.

Without waiting for further permission, you pulled him up onto your wings. His body stiffened, caught off guard by the sudden movement, but your grip was firm as you lifted off the ground, carrying him with you into the night sky. The stars seemed to shimmer brighter, reflecting off your wings as you flew higher and higher.

Sunday, at first, looked tense, his usual composed demeanor shaken as he glanced down at the ground far below. But you were smiling, looking so carefree and full of life. Slowly, his grip on you tightened, not out of fear but because he realized, for the first time in a long while, that maybe there was something freeing in this.

As the night surrounded the two of you, you turned to him with a soft smile. "See? It's not so bad. Just enjoy it."

He stared at you for a moment.

I'll show you a whole new world!

You flew through the starry sky with Sunday, you noticed a soft, almost imperceptible shift in his expression. His normally cold demeanor had warmed, even if only slightly, as he held you close, his grip firm but gentle. You couldn't help but smile, basking in the rare moment of connection between the two of you.

But then, a raven appeared, cutting through the night with its sharp, ominous cry. Sunday's eyes immediately snapped toward the bird, his entire body tensing as he slowly pulled away from you. The warmth that had briefly enveloped him faded, replaced by his usual cool detachment.

"I have important work to do," he said, his voice firm and distant once more. "I'm not free like you. You should leave now."

His words stung a bit, but you nodded, understanding that he was returning to his usual self. You hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of the night hanging in the air. Despite his cold demeanor, you stepped forward and wrapped your arms around him in a sudden hug, burying your face into his chest.

"Thanks for tonight," you murmured. "You're way better than that IPC guy, anyway."

Sunday's body stiffened at your touch, and for a moment, you thought he might push you away. But then, his hand hesitantly rested on your back, as though acknowledging the hug but unwilling to embrace it fully.

"The IPC is not to be trusted," he said quietly, almost as if talking to himself. You nodded and stepped back, offering him a small smile before leaving his office. As you walked away, you heard him whisper under his breath, "So he was right... that guy must have something up his sleeve."

You skipped down the hallway, feeling lighter despite Sunday's cold parting words. But as you rounded a corner, Aventurine appeared out of nowhere, grabbing your arm and pulling you aside. His eyes flickered briefly toward the raven that had followed you, his expression unreadable.

"So, what did you learn from Sunday?" Aventurine asked, his voice smooth but sharp, like a blade hidden beneath velvet.

Before you could answer, Ratio stepped into view, arms crossed and a smirk already tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Let me guess," Ratio said, already laughing to himself. "You trusted this idiot to get something done? Let's hear what kind of mess she made."

You pouted, explaining what had happened in Sunday's office, how you saw Miss Robin acting suspiciously and how Sunday had been alerted by something—likely the raven. You also mentioned how you saw Sunday working on something mysterious. Aventurine smirked at your explanation, while Ratio was already facepalming halfway through your story.

"He was trying to fix something?" Aventurine echoed, his smirk widening. "How interesting..."

But it was Ratio's turn to facepalm now, shaking his head as if the weight of your naivety had finally gotten to him. "I swear, this is why you don't send amateurs to do a professional's job," Ratio muttered, still smirking despite himself.

You puffed your cheeks in frustration. "I'm not an amateur!"

"Clearly," Ratio shot back, sarcasm dripping from his words.

As you continued explaining what you saw, Aventurine's smile grew sharper, almost predatory. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyes gleaming with interest. "Seems like Sunday's hiding something after all. Guess Ratio was wrong this time."

Ratio's head snapped up, his smirk fading into an expression of annoyance. "Don't get cocky, Aventurine."

But Aventurine just shrugged, still smiling. "Oh, I'm not getting cocky. Just enjoying being right for once."

You watched the two of them bicker, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction. Even if you hadn't done everything perfectly, you had still uncovered something. 

Aventurine leaned in closer to you, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Keep your eyes open. We're not done with Sunday yet. I've got a feeling things are about to get... interesting."

Aventurine narrowed his eyes, that sly smirk still playing on his lips. "So, Sunday's suspecting me, huh? Can't say I'm surprised. After all, the IPC isn't exactly known for its integrity—myself included." He chuckled darkly, his eyes glinting with something dangerous. "You're a sharp one for picking up on that."

You crossed your arms and raised an eyebrow. "So, what now? You're just going to call me a pawn and tell me to get out after I did all this work for you? I thought you said I was useful."

Aventurine turned his gaze toward you, smirking again. "I did say that, didn't I? But let's not get ahead of ourselves, little pawn. I don't have time for 'shitty dates,'" he mocked, clearly amused by your persistence. "I've got bigger things on my plate than playing around with you."

You felt a surge of frustration and stepped forward, ready to argue. "You made me look like an idiot! You still owe me a date for all that trouble, and you're not getting out of it that easily!"

Before he could respond, the ground trembled, and out of nowhere, several monstrous shapes materialized in front of you—horrifying creatures, like something out of a broken TV screen, glitching and writhing with distorted faces and bodies.

Aventurine's playful expression shifted into something more serious. "Ratio, get ready!" he barked, only to glance over and see Ratio already speed walking in the opposite direction.

"Are you kidding me?!" you exclaimed, watching Ratio bolt away. But there was no time to dwell on his cowardice. The monsters started closing in, and without thinking, you stepped in front of Aventurine, planting yourself firmly between him and the distorted creatures.

"If I protect you," you called over your shoulder, "will you finally include me?"

Aventurine didn't respond, his eyes locked on the approaching threat. His silence made you more determined, and you raised your hand, summoning all the power you had inside you. The creatures lunged, their glitching forms reaching out to attack, but before they could touch you or Aventurine, you yelled one simple word.

"Fire!"

An explosion of blazing energy erupted from your hand, engulfing the monsters in a brilliant, fiery inferno. The distorted creatures screeched and twisted in agony before disintegrating into ash, leaving nothing but silence in their wake.

You turned to face Aventurine, your chest heaving from the exertion. "See? I'm not just a pawn. I can protect you."

Aventurine's expression softened, though the smirk never quite left his lips. "Impressive," he admitted, his voice low and smooth. "But don't think this means you're off the hook for the whole 'pawn' thing."

You pouted, half expecting him to brush you off again, but instead, Aventurine stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "You did good. Maybe you're more useful than I gave you credit for."

You blinked in surprise, not sure if that was a compliment or a backhanded remark, but before you could say anything, Aventurine chuckled. "Alright, fine. You've earned yourself a date."

Your eyes widened, a spark of excitement rushing through you. "Really?!"

He smirked again, turning away as if he wasn't fazed by what he'd just agreed to. "Yeah, but don't get used to it. You're still just a pawn in the game. But hey, even pawns get promoted if they play their cards right."

You smiled, feeling a small sense of triumph despite his words. You had finally gotten your way, and even if Aventurine was still playing his games, you knew you were closer to becoming more than just a piece on his board.

As he started to walk away, you called after him, "Hey, Aventurine?"

He paused, glancing back at you with a raised eyebrow.

"Thanks for letting me play," you said, a grin tugging at your lips.

Aventurine chuckled again, shaking his head as he continued walking ahead, leaving you to follow. "Don't make me regret it, pawn."

Kaslana out!