CHAPTER 112: A BREAKTHROUGH TO HER HEART

After hearing this, Mika fell silent. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t know what to say.

For so many years, Yelena had been the epitome of pride to him. She never bowed, never faltered, never let anyone’s words strike her down. She walked through the world like it was hers to command, like no insult or shame could touch her.

And he had admired that, no, more than admired it. He had leaned on it. Her unshakable pride was one of the very reasons he himself could stand tall, no matter what storms battered him.

Because in his eyes, she was untouchable, a goddess among mortals.

So to suddenly hear her reveal that she was vulnerable too, that she carried the same quiet fears as any other woman, that his words could pierce her deeper than any sphere, it shocked him to his core.

For a heartbeat, he couldn’t believe it.

But then...he realized how natural it was.

Of course she would have her own insecurities.

Of course even Yelena, the battle angel who had saved the world, would have shadows she wrestled with alone.

She was still human, no matter how radiant she shone.

And the fact that he had been the one to twist the knife into that vulnerability, without realizing, made guilt crash through him.

He let out a deep sigh, one of regret.

He had thought it was all banter, like always. A game they’d played since he was small. He never meant to wound her.

But now that he knew...now that he had seen the truth...he couldn’t let her carry that kind of pain.

Not from him. Not from anyone.

Because the very idea that she thought she was becoming less beautiful as she aged didn’t just sadden him.

It angered him.

It was a lie. A ridiculous, infuriating lie. Every day, every year, she only grew more beautiful in his eyes. Not less. Not even close. And he wanted her to understand that and make that message go through that stubborn head of herself, that was deluding herself to think that she wasn’t pretty anymore, which was just preposterous to hear

So, while she sulked quietly, lost in her own thoughts, Mika suddenly chuckled.

The sound caught her attention immediately. She blinked, caught off guard, as his gaze turned teasing again.

"For so long. ." He said, his lips tugging into a smirk. "I really thought you were someone untouchable, Yelena. A goddess who stood above the mortals. Someone who would never, ever be shaken by something as petty as an insult."

He tilted his head, his tone sly.

"But at the end of the day, it turns out...you’re just like any woman after all with her own troubles."

Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped before she quickly narrowed her gaze and pinched his cheek hard in indignation.

"So what, Mika? So what, you brat!?...Are you going to make more fun of me now that you know my weakness?" Her tone sharpened, though beneath it was a note of worry. "Go on, then. Tell me. Call me whatever you want. Say I’m old, say I’m ugly, say I’ve lost it. Call me a hag, tell me I’m wrinkled gold, whatever you please!"

She glared, but there was a tremor in her eyes.

"It won’t hurt me at all, so you’re free to say whatever you want."

But they both knew the truth. Yelena especially knew it would hurt.

And if he really did do it, if he mocked her again, after what she had just admitted, she wasn’t sure she could take it. The words would burn themselves into her mind, and she’d never be able to look at herself in the mirror the same way again.

Yet to her surprise, Mika didn’t do it.

Instead, he shook his head, the teasing smile fading into something calmer, gentler.

"No, Yelena." He said softly. "I like to play games, and I like to be sneaky...but that’s too low. Even for me."

She froze at his tone, her fingers loosening on his cheek, while he went on, steady and firm.

"And that’s why I have to stop telling these lies. Because that’s what they were...Lies."

Her breath caught. She stared at him, confused.

"Lies? What are you talking about, Mika?" She asked quietly, searching his expression. "What lie? I don’t remember you lying."

He leaned closer, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her chest tighten.

"I’m talking about what I said about your figure, of course."

The words stunned her, leaving her momentarily speechless, while Mika didn’t waver and continued on to tell the truth.

"When I called you thick, Yelena. When I said you were fat. When I called you a pig. All of it, lies."

His voice dropped lower, but his gaze never left hers.

"I mean, do you know how hard it is to even find something to criticize about you? To find a flaw worth poking at? You’re perfect, Yelena. In every way...That’s the truth."

"But because I wanted to tease you, because I wanted to get under your skin..." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I made up those stupid things. Just to rile you up. Just to get a reaction."

He bit his lips.

"And that was fine, I thought. Until now...Because now I know it hurt you. And if it hurt you, then that means it’s gone too far. So I’m saying it here and now: those lies stop. Right now."

Yelena’s lips parted. She stared at him in disbelief, her heart twisting at the weight in his words. For a moment she wanted to ask if what he was saying was true.

But instead she scoffed, shaking her head quickly to mask the wave of emotion threatening to overwhelm her.

"Oh, please, Mika." She muttered, trying to brush it off. "You’re only saying this to cheer me up. There’s no need. I know myself that I know I’m growing older. Even if I haven’t come to terms with it, I will eventually. So, you don’t have to coddle me with sweet words."

But he shook his head firmly, cutting her off.

"No." He said, hiis tone was calm, but unyielding. "Not at all. I’m not trying to cheer you up at all, Yelena, not am I trying to coddle you. I’m just being honest...For once, I’m coming forward with the truth. Nothing more, nothing less."

His eyes softened as he concluded

"And that very truth truth is...you are beautiful, Yelena. More beautiful now than you’ve ever been."

Her breath stalled in her throat.

For once in her life, Yelena, the woman who could cut down an army without batting an eye, the woman who stood taller than any insult or scorn, was left frozen, caught in a daze. Mika’s words struck her with a weight she hadn’t expected.

’You are beautiful, Yelena. More beautiful now than you’ve ever been.’

Her heart gave a heavy thud, and before she could stop it, a pink tint began to spread across her cheeks. Embarrassment, real, hot embarrassment. She couldn’t remember the last time she had blushed like this.

Because usually, when Mika called her pretty, it was never like this.

He only said such things when he was in trouble, when he needed to smooth things over, or when she forced him into a corner with her relentless teasing.

It was always shallow, always half a joke, a bribe to escape her scolding. Never real. Never like this.

But now...now he had said it with a voice full of conviction. No tricks, no playfulness, no sarcasm. Just pure sincerity.

And it left her completely off balance.

Her fingers fidgeted against her arms where she held herself, and she stammered. "Y-You’re...you’re just saying that, Mika. Don’t think I can’t see through you. You’re only saying it to cheer me up. To make me feel better." She looked at him nervously, trying to convince herself more than him. "You’re not being honest at all."

But Mika didn’t flinch, didn’t look away, didn’t break his calm. He only shook his head once, firmly.

"Not at all, Yelena. Not at all."

Her eyes snapped back to his face, and what she saw there unsettled her even more than the words, his gaze was steady, clear, unshaken. He was telling the truth.

"Every single word I’m saying right now is genuine." He said, his voice low, even. "I know you’re confused, and it makes sense. I’ve never spoken like this before. You’d be a fool not to doubt me."

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry, and gave the slightest nod. ’Yes...exactly. That’s what I was thinking.’

"But there’s a reason I held myself back when I comes to telling what I truly felt." Mika continued, leaning in slightly, holding her eyes so she couldn’t look away. "The reason being, if I told you every day how pretty you were, if I reminded you constantly that you were glowing brighter than anyone else...I know exactly what would happen."

"You’d puff up, you’d tease me endlessly, and your ego, which is already sky-high, would soar past the heavens."

Yelena blinked at him, and despite herself, the corner of her mouth twitched.

Damn brat...he’s right.’

In the past, if he had said something this sincere, she would have milked it for weeks. She would have recorded it, replayed it, shoved it in his face every chance she got.

And Mika saw the flicker of realization in her eyes and pressed on.

"But right now..." He said, his tone softening. "This isn’t the time to tease. This isn’t the time for lies."

"This is the moment to be honest, Yelena. And I know you need the truth more than anything right now. We can go back to fighting, back to joking, back to teasing whenever we want. But right now..."

He let out a breath.

"...Right now, I have to tell you what I really see when I look at you, even if I’m saying it again."

Before she could even argue, he continued, his voice quiet but unwavering.

"And the truth is simple....You are beautiful, it’s as simple as that"

Her body gave a tiny jolt, her chest tightening at the weight in his voice. She had already heard him say it once, but hearing it again like that, so bare, so unadorned, struck her even harder.

And then, with a small smile, Mika leaned back.

"You think that because you’ve gotten older, you’ve lost something. That you’ve stepped past your prime. That’s how every woman feels eventually. Even the most radiant ones."

"No matter how beautiful they are, the fear creeps in as the years pass, the fear that they’re not as lovely as they used to be."

His words were like an arrow piercing straight through her chest. Because it was exactly what she had been thinking. Exactly the insecurity that haunted her whenever she caught her reflection for too long.

"And maybe..." He admitted. "...for some women, that’s true. Some do lose their shine. Some do fade. That’s just life."

Her chest clenched, her heart sinking at his words, her pride wobbling dangerously, until he leaned closer, his eyes lighting up with a fire that made her freeze.

"But you..." He said, his voice rising with certainty. "...you are not one of them, Yelena. That concept doesn’t work on you. It has never worked on you."

Her eyes widened, caught in his.

"Because every year you age, you don’t grow less, Yelena."

"...You grow more...More beautiful...More radiant...More untouchable.

She gasped, her chest tightening, her heart skipping.

"In fact..." He continued with a small, almost playful grin. "If I didn’t see you for just one year...and then saw you again after all that time, I’d probably be so stunned that I’d think you were someone else entirely."

"...Because you’d be so much prettier than before and I wouldn’t even recognise you with how much more pretty you became."

The sheer weight of the compliment hit her like a storm. Her ears flamed red, and her body reacted before her pride could save her, as she shoved him lightly on the chest, stammering in protest.

"M-Mika, what are you even talking about?! This is, this is too much! You’re laying it on so thick! If you’re going to lie, at least make it subtle! It’s so obvious right now!" She huffed, embarrassed, trying to push him away.

But he didn’t let her. His hand slid around her waist, pulling her in firmly against him, stopping her retreat.

"It’s not a lie." He said, voice low but certain. "I told you already. From here on, every word that comes out of my mouth is the truth. Only the truth."

Her eyes widened, her breath catching again. Because when she looked up at him, really looked, she didn’t see the sly, mischievous Mika who always teased and joked. She didn’t see the boy who lied just to rile her up.

She saw sincerity. Raw, undeniable sincerity in his eyes.

And that confused her more than anything else. But at the same time she wanted to know more as she was slowly starting to believe that these "lies" he was telling her right now might not be lies after all and she wanted to know how he truly saw her.

And Mika, realising that he was breaking through to her right now and was making her feel thing that she never normally would with him, decided to go all out to make her look at him in a different way...