CHAPTER 141: THIS IS NEW TO ME (THREESOME WITH YUNA AND ELISE)

The classroom had long since emptied, the chatter of the day reduced to a faint echo somewhere down the halls. Outside the tall windows, the light had softened into dusky gold, streaks of orange and violet bleeding across the sky. Shadows stretched lazily across the floorboards, pooling beneath the desks that stood scattered and silent. The world felt quieter at this hour, the kind of quiet that made small movements and words seem sharper, more significant.

Jae sat near the back, one arm draped over the chair beside him as if he owned the silence. Elise Yuna and tirel and they all talked, about nothing in particular.

Yuna was perched on the edge of the desk, her legs swinging idly as she talked about nothing in particular, her voice low and unhurried. Elise sat beside Jae, fingers lightly tracing the grooves cut into the old wooden desk surface, her eyes catching the fading light as she listened and occasionally responded. Tirel sprawled a little further off, looking as though she had no intention of moving anytime soon, one boot propped against a chair rung while she listened to the others talk with a half-amused, half-curious smile.

Jae then noticed it was particularly getting dark and sat up. It’s getting dark.

The girls looked up and saw that they had been so engrossed in the conversation that they didn’t notice time pass.

They all stood up and started getting ready to leave.

"Don’t forget. You two are still expected in my room tonight." Jae said as he gave Elise a hug.

The words landed heavily in the stillness. Elise froze mid-motion, her hand pausing on the desk as color rushed to her cheeks. Yuna blinked, and then she glanced at him with wide eyes, caught between surprise and fluster.

"Jae..." Elise’s voice was barely audible, as though the sound embarrassed her even more than the meaning. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze fixed firmly on the desk surface.

Yuna gave a sharp little laugh that came out thinner than intended. "You can’t just... announce things like that," she muttered, arms crossing tightly over her chest though her blush betrayed her.

Jae leaned back, completely unbothered, the faint curve of a smirk tugging at his lips. "Why should I think twice about the truth?"

Neither girl could answer immediately. Elise ducked her head further, trying to hide the faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, while Yuna shifted surpisingly more shy than one would expect.

Tirel straightened slightly, eyes glinting with mischief.

"Interesting. So they get an invitation, but I don’t? Should I feel insulted, blondie?" Her tone was playful, but her smirk dared him to answer.

Jae met her gaze steadily, his voice as calm as before. "Not tonight. I want to focus on them. I’m not confident handling all three of you at once."

The blunt honesty landed sharper than any tease. Elise’s breath caught audibly, her blush deepening to the tips of her ears. Yuna, caught off guard, stammered as she shifted against the desk, her voice breaking before she gave up and muttered something incoherent.

Tirel laughed, the sound rich and unrestrained in the empty classroom. "So that’s how it is? I expected you to be bolder. But I suppose even you know your limits."

"Limits aren’t permanent," Jae said, his smirk widening just slightly.

Her eyes narrowed in amusement. "Then I’ll be waiting to see when you decide to prove that."

Elise cut into the conversation. "We... should probably head back before it gets too late," she murmured, her tone soft, almost hesitant.

Yuna nodded quickly, grabbing onto the excuse. "Right. It’s getting dark." She moved toward the door, avoiding Jae’s eyes though her blush hadn’t faded.

"Don’t keep me waiting," Jae said, his voice low but unyielding, carrying just enough weight to make them both pause.

Neither dared respond directly, but the nervous glances and hurried steps they shared on their way out said more than words could. Tirel lingered a moment longer, her amused smile lingering as she gave Jae one last look.

"You really are something else," she said, half-laughing, before following after the others.

xxx

Jae’s room in the academy was quiet, lit by a mana lamp that glowed blue against the stone walls. The faint smell of burnt ember from when e had been practicing earlier still clung to the air.

It was late enough that no one should be wandering the halls. And elise and yuna were in his room. This time he had made sure to avoid byun and his door was now locked.

He sprawled against the bedframe, red eyes glinting in the low light. Elise sat on the edge of the bed, hands folded in her lap, her posture too proper for the situation. Yuna, of course, had no such restraint.

She leaned casually against Jae’s desk, blonde hair tumbling over her shoulder, pouting at Elise like she’d already won a game Elise didn’t know she was playing.

"Are you always this stiff?" Yuna asked, voice dripping with mischief as she tilted her head toward Elise.

Elise flushed, tugging at her sleeve. "I-I’m not stiff. I just think... this is... new to me, I don’t know how to act." Her voice softened, eyes darting to Jae as if hoping for his agreement.

But Jae only smirked, running a hand through his hair in that half-amused, half-exasperated way. "its new for all of us, but that doesn’t mean it has to be awkward," he said, voice low.

His calm dominance carried a weight that made Elise bite her lip and Yuna grin wider.

Yuna crossed the room first, perching on the bed beside Jae without asking, close enough that her shoulder brushed against his.

Elise tensed at the proximity, but didn’t move away.

"See?" Yuna murmured, resting her chin on her palm. "He is relaxed. Why shouldn’t you be?"

Jae let the silence hang. He liked watching Elise squirm, liked the way her chest rose and fell quicker when he didn’t save her.

She finally let out a shaky breath and shifted closer, her thigh brushing against Jae’s on the other side. The warmth of two girls against him at once made something coil low in his stomach.