"Okay, hold on. Correct me if I'm wrong. The girl gives the the guy another chance after their huge argument––that she said herself that she will never forgive him for––because he gave her a rose and said that he can't live without her? That's so cheesy."

"(Y/n), it's supposed to be a romantic moment!" Kashi protested. "It was such a good scene!"

"Hm..."

"(Y/n)!"

You laughed, finding his whines amusing. "Sorry, sorry. I'm just messing with you."

The idol crossed his arms and huffed, a cute pout on his lips. "Fine."

Seeing this side of him just makes me want to tease him more.

Bright and early on a Monday morning, you were finally back at school. Since you've made it a routine to take Shin to his daycare, running into Kashi was inevitable. So here you were walking to school with him and teasing him about his tastes in cliche romance shows holding a civil conversation.

You drew closer to the school and began seeing more students. Some would send glances to you and Kashi while others whispered. Made sense, not only do we have the beloved school idol here, but now there's also the girl who is currently a hot topic for saving students in a fire (no pun intended). Sometimes students would personally approach you, asking about your wellbeing or congratulating you for your bravery. A few wanted you to elaborate on your experience, but thankfully Kashi saved you from having to explain yourself.

The school gates came into view and you noticed a certain brunette. It was Kai and your gaze drifted onto what was in his hands. You stared at him in both surprise and disbelief. The gigantic plush that he won for you yesterday, he brought it to school? You knew he would give it back to you, but you assumed he'd do it on a weekend or something.

Your thoughts were cut short when you felt a gentle flick on your forehead.

"Spacing out as usual, do you not sleep or somethin'?"

You made an elaborate gesture to the plush in Kai's hands. "Why."

He gave you a confused look. "Why not?"

Students passed by whispering and glancing at Kai, attention directed to the obnoxious plush in his hands.

He snapped his fingers. "Oh! I get ya. Don't worry, I'll carry this since your arm hasn't healed yet. We'll drop it by your house after school."

He's a little confused, but he's got the spirit. "Thanks for that, you're so generous. Wow. Truly. What will I do without you?"

Kai did not catch onto your sarcasm. A proud smile was on his lips. "Hmph! Well, feel free to become my girlfriend if you've already fallen for me."

You almost choked on nothing. This man is bold. But Kai looked so happy at your sarcastic praise that it made you feel a little guilty. Okay, from now on you'll dial down on the sarcasm when it comes to complimenting him.

Kashi glanced at you. "Girlfriend?"

Holy heck, you forgot that he was next to you.

"He was just joking––"

"I confessed to her." Kai puffed his chest out proudly. "And she didn't reject me."

He looked so proud to tell Kashi that. You could envision triumphal sparkles floating around him.

"Oh, so she accepted?"

"No."

"...?"

Oh my god, even Kashi was speechless. This was pure gold. You looked off to the side and masked your short laughter as a cough.

"Geez, you're showing off the fact that you confessed to her as if she was your girlfriend." A certain sister rolled her eyes. "You're so embarrassing. Why didn't (Y/n) just reject you?"

Kai smirked. "Who would reject me? I'm the best guy you can ask for."

"Keep dreaming."

"Himari, you're here!" You smiled widely. "Morning!"

"Ugh. Why does everyone have so much energy this early?"

Himari and Kashi made eye contact. The idol smiled at her amiably and Himari scoffed at him, which was understandable. He was acting like nothing had happened, as if the whole heated incident on the rooftop never took place. That would get on anyone's nerves. But you also understood Kashi's point of view, he didn't want to cause any trouble. Pretending like everything was fine was a lot easier, he learnt that the hard way during his younger days in his agency.

Himari approached Kashi. "Look, I'm not going to bother you anymore." She pointed to you. "Thank the idiot over there for that."

You were surprised at her attitude. No more yelling, no more confrontation, no more prodding the idol for answers? Maybe your conversation with her yesterday helped? You'd like to think that.

"Doesn't mean that my annoyance has vanished, but I'll keep it to myself for now," she said.

You wondered if you'll ever figure out the full story between her and Kashi. With your scattered knowledge, you could string together a theory. If you really investigated, you might find the answer. But you won't. That was Himari's issue to resolve, you weren't going to intrude unless it was necessary.

You were worried for a second seeing Kashi's lack of reaction. But it didn't take long for you to remember that Kashi masqueraded his true emotions almost 24/7. You supposed you were used to him being genuine around you and expected him to be just as honest with others.

I wonder how he's feeling right now. Relieved? Conflicted?

Kashi smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, and I'm sorry if I did anything to upset you. Hopefully, we can get along better from now on," he said. "I should get going now. I promised Aimi-san that I'll help her organise something with the music club."

Aimi? Oh my, you haven't heard that name in a while.

After Kashi left, Himari also went off to take care of something. You ended up walking into the school building with Kai. As you were about to change your shoes, you were stopped by a group of students.

"I saw the news! Are you okay? It must've been terrifying being trapped in there."

"A fireman saved you, right? Thank god they made it in time."

"I was one of the students you helped! I'm not sure if you remember me, but I am super thankful! Feel free to ask me for any favours if you need! My family is willing to do anything!"

You awkwardly took a step back at the unexpected company. "Ah––uhm, thanks. I don't need you to repay me, just stay safe and that's good enough for me."

You weren't even trying to say those words to seem kind, you genuinely needed them to stay safe. The entire game depended on the safety of those around you.

"Aw, no need to be humble!"

"Oh, right. There's going to be an assembly in the morning, right?"

"Yeah, they're announcing the student council team."

"(L/n)-san will make it for sure!"

You almost forgot. The votes were done through an online poll over the week-long break. You honestly had zero plans of being part of the student council and only did the speech to use the feature. But thinking deeper into it, it might be good for keeping an eye on Shichirou.

The small group of students eventually accumulated into a larger crowd, overwhelming you with praises and questions.

You smiled wearily. Please, I just want to change my shoes.

"Are you guys blind or what? She obviously needs to get through, stop blocking her way."

Hearing Kai's voice was a relief. He pushed through the crowd, stood next to you, and glared at the students. They flinched at under his gaze and looked among each other uneasily. The students bid you goodbye before scurrying off.

Oh right, doesn't Kai have a reputation for being unapproachable and arrogant? With how he acted around you, that information completely went over your head. No wonder they were so quick to leave.

You smiled at Kai. "Thanks, you didn't have to."

"Yeah, yeah. I just can't stand so many people. Anyways, onto something more important. You're going to sit next to me in the assembly, righ?"

"Kai, we're in different grades."

Sometimes you'd forget that he's a year younger than you. The guy was so freaking tall.

Kai let out an annoyed groan. "Ugh. So what?"

"How about we hang out at lunch?"

"Since it's you, I'll consider giving away some of my time." He smiled, obviously excited but won't admit to it. "Be grateful! I'm the best company you can get."

You laughed. "Yup, whatever you say."



===



Sitting down on your seat in the assembly hall, you were met with the grim reminder that you sat next to Hayami last time. You were not looking forward to seeing her face. If you don't mentally prepare yourself now, you might accidentally punch her out of sheer anger. Actually, should you go ahead and do that anyways?

Okay, (Y/n). Calm down. You took in a deep breath and gently exhaled. Lashing out isn't going to do anything.

You nodded to yourself, a little calmer now. Okay, this was progress.

But then you saw Shichirou. You were annoyed again.

"(L/n)-san, it's been a while." He smiled. "I know this is late of me, but I hope you're okay. I was worried about you."

"Yeah, thanks."

Now that I think about it, I wonder how was Shichirou responsible for the fire? Your objective was to prevent deaths caused by the male leads, not by other students. Did he pull some strings which led to Hayami's actions? He did give off the impression as someone who would manipulate those around him to get what he wants.

Then, I guess it's safe to assume indirect deaths from the male leads counts as well.

Shichirou sat down next on the seat beside you. Before you could question, he pointed behind him. You glanced over your shoulder and saw that Hayami was sitting behind you.

The lion, the witch, and the audacity of this bitch.

She changed seats? It looked like she was avoiding you as if you'd hurt her or something! You should be the one with protective equipment considering that she was the one who endangered you.

"How is your injury?" he asked

"Should be about a week and I can lose the cast."

"I hope I don't come off as insensitive, but I really did not expect you to do something like that," he said. "You happened to offer Suzuki-sensei your help and this is what ended up happening. I feel bad."

You had a very uneasy feeling he was also trying to imply something else. "Yeah, if only a certain somebody knew the basics of cooking the fire would have never started."

You were told that the student who caused the fire was never found. In short, Hayami got away completely scot free. You were baffled. Those who witnessed Hayami make the mistake must've gotten silenced somehow.

"You sound like you have someone in mind."

Might as well be honest, you weren't in the mood for his games. "Yeah, I do."

Your tone made it clear that you didn't feel like talking anymore and Shichirou got the hint and the conversation ended there.

The assembly finally started. After the introductory speech was made, the student council members were announced. Unfamiliar names were called out and you didn't pay any mind to them, but then one of them captured your attention.

"Hayami Emi."

You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion. Not Hayami Chisa?

Your confusion only exacerbated when a student who looked identical to Hayami walked on stage.

"She's Chisa's twin sister," Shichirou whispered to you. "She recently got back from an apprenticeship in the medical field."

Hayami has a twin? And how did she get elected when she didn't present a speech? As you silently digested the information, you caught a brief glimpse of Hayami glaring at her sister on stage.

The names of several students were called out until it was eventually time to announce the vice president and president.

"The vice president of the student council is (L/n) (Y/n) and the president is Shichirou Yusei. Can these students please come up to the stage?"

Oh.

Dammit, you were the vice president with this guy?

Shinichirou smiled and politely gestured for you to walk first. You suppressed a dreaded sigh and went along with his antics. Hayami's glare towards you was all too obvious. Was she envious of your position? If so, maybe being vice president with Shichirou was worth it.

Walking up the stage, you passed by Hayami's twin sister and heard her faintly whisper a sentence to you.

"Meet me in front of the nurse's office after this assembly."

What?

You couldn't stop and ask her to elaborate since that'd just look weird on stage, but you gave her a questioning glance.

After the assembly was over, you rushed to the nurse's office. There was a few minutes before class started and you hoped this wasn't some petty prank to get you late to your class on your first day as a vice president. You arrived and Hayami's sister was waiting for you. Seeing her up close, the first word that popped in your mind was exhausted. She had the exact same features as Hayami; short curly orange hair, orange eyes, and an apathetic expression. However, Hayami's sister had dark circles under her eyes and her hair was a little more unruly.

"Don't worry, I'll make this quick so you're not late to class," she said. "The fire. My family wants to compensate you for what happened."

You were taken aback by her words. "Why are you the one telling me this and not your sister?"

"She didn't want to. Anyways, they said if you keep your mouth shut, they'll offer money, a recommendation, promote your family's businesses. Whatever it is."

You wanted to laugh. Seriously? What the hell did they take you for? "No thanks."

"I figured." She shrugged. "I mean, Chiasa pushed you into the fire. I would be stupid to think you'll just accept."

"You knew?"

"She came home sobbing and told us everything. Mum and dad had to work pretty hard to fix her mistakes," she explained. "I'll lie and say that I didn't get the chance to talk to you. Don't worry, they trust my words. Are you planning on any revenge?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Fair enough. In the case that you are, I won't stop you. Chiasa almost killed someone, it's pretty well deserved. If you do something, I'll try to stop my parents from going after you as best as I can." She paused for a moment. "Well, I doubt you'd want help from a person who has the same face as her. That's all I have to say. Goodbye."

She wasn't lying when she said she'd make it quick. You didn't have time to collect your thoughts and hurried to your class and sat down on your seat. Thankfully, the teacher hadn't arrived yet. You pulled up the character information.

[ Character found: Hayami Emi ]

Hayami Chiasa's twin sister. She's well known in the school for being a prodigy in the medical field and was recently offered an apprenticeship to work in a hospital as an assistant. Though she seems tired and unapproachable, she is quite cooperative and understanding. She doesn't think too much of Chiasa and simply follows what her family instructs her to do.

[ Character found: Hayami Chiasa ]

An individual from a very affluent family. Has a large circle of friends and is relatively popular in the school despite her off putting nonchalant attitude. Most likely thanks to her family's influence. Oftentimes she gets what she wants with little effort. Hayami also harbours deep resentment towards her twin sister. As a child, she was a hard worker. However, that changed one day when she realised how naturally talented her twin sister was.

Does she have some sort of inferiority complex? And can I trust her sister?

As you contemplated the manner, you had to stop when the teacher entered the room. Oh well, time to focus on class.



===



The bell rang for the start of lunch. Internally celebrating, you wasted no time packing away your books. You planned to hang out with Kai at lunch and the two of you agreed to crash Himari's classroom.

The door suddenly slammed open and everyone's heads turned around, startled by the abrupt entrance. You sighed wearily at the person. Of course, it was Kai. He really had a knack for drawing attention to him, huh?

"You're not done yet? Why're you so slow?"

No, how are you so fast? The bell just rang!

You quickly grabbed your lunch before following Kai to Himari's classroom and when you made it there, you noticed a few students were crowding the entrance to her class. You looked at Kai and he shrugged his shoulders.

"You're probably the one who started the fire! You're just accusing me so you can pin the blame on someone else!"

You were surprised at the venomous tone and the bold accusation. That was Hayami's voice. Whoever ever accused her of starting the fire was absolutely right. You picked up your pace and politely excused the students by the entrance so that you could see what was going on.

Himari was standing in front of Hayami's desk, arms crossed and glare sharp. Hayami had stood up from her seat, eyebrows crinkled together in frustration but still trying to maintain a calm demeanour. You put two and two together; Himari most likely accused Hayami of being the one who started the fire from a week ago. But why would she do that?

You listened to the whispers from the students witnessing the event unfold. All of them were in favour of Hayami and you quietly clicked your tongue in annoyance at that. Kai stood next to you and was a lot more open about his frustration, he looked like he was going to jump in the scene and knock someone out.

Himari scoffed. "You're getting pretty fucking defensive. Your dumbass poured water on a grease fire. That's what happened."

"If that did happen, then you wouldn't be the only one accusing me. There were other students there, you know." Hayami folded her arms, her confident look made you want to walk in and smack it right off. "Is this another attempt of yours to put others down? Are you trying to expel me like you did to that other student?"

You recalled Himari's character information.

"However, an infamous incident that escalated greatly involved the expulsion of a student. A student attempted to confront Kasumi's arrogant behaviour after being rejected when she was trying to befriend her. The next day, that very student was expelled, never to be heard from again. This was the incident that made Kasumi's reputation for her unpleasant behaviour skyrocket."

Was Hayami referring to that?

"Actually, that was me."

That was Kai's voice. You didn't notice that he had left your side and had stepped in. And, wait. What did he just say?

Himari furrowed her eyebrows. "Stay out of this."

"Don't tell me what to do." Kai turned to Hayami. "I don't know what the hell you heard, but that girl was expelled because she was exposed cheating in her exams. I was the one who brought it up. It was totally unrelated to my sister."

Hayami's composure changed drastically when Kai entered the picture. Hands close to her chest, eyes unable to meet Kai's, and body posture a lot less assertive; you were slowly piecing together what her feelings for Kai might be.

"...Why?" she asked.

"I mean, she was annoying the fuck out of me pestering my sister. I happened to have evidence of her cheating, so why not rat her out?"

At Kai's sudden presence, whispers surfaced from the students again. Hayami was silent for a moment, conflicted at his involvement.

This was an interesting situation. Himari was disliked by many due to her unpleasant behaviour and infamous reputation for bullying others. Kai didn't have any close friends and was deemed as arrogant and unapproachable. No matter how genuine and honest the two were, students might not take their words the right way. If Hayami played her cards right, she could walk out of here scot free with everyone on her side.

"I heard something about a fire?" You stepped into the classroom with a friendly smile. "I witnessed everything firsthand. So if there are any misunderstandings, I don't mind clearing them up."

Hayami not taking responsibility for her actions was pissing you off, how could you not intervene?

The student paled at the sight of you and you almost scoffed. What did she expect? For you to stay silent when you were obviously wronged? For you to take her sister's offer for compensation in exchange for your silence? Seriously? Just how much did she rely on her parents to clean everything up?

"...You're calling her by her first name. Don't tell me you're covering for her because she's your friend," Hayami said.

"Sorry, I'm not talking about my relationship with Himari. I'm here to talk about the fire."

"You're avoiding my question."

You were silent for a moment. Hayami, you're...

Then, you feigned a hurt look. "...I thought you'd be happier to see me."

...Pretty easy to deal with.

"What?"

There was the urge to laugh, but you held back. Did she forget the act she put up in front of the camera already? If she was going to put on such a show, she should know to commit to it.

"I tried to save her, I really did!"

"(L/n)-san pulled me away from the fire and she told me to run. But, I couldn't bring myself to leave her so I waited by the door, but she ended up tripping. I wanted to run back and help her, but she kept yelling at me to get out of there, to not let her efforts go in vain. So, I ran to safety. I didn't think that she would be trapped in the fire. I still feel a lot of guilt. I should've stayed behind even if it meant going against her words. I'm just glad that she was able to make it out."

"(L/n)-san, thank you. And I hope you recover as soon as possible."

Students caught onto what you were saying. This time, whispers didn't surface. People were openly having their conversations. People were wondering why Hayami, who expressed such great concerns and gratitude towards you on camera, was now so hostile.

Her composure was crumbling, her head turned to Shichirou. Oh right, they were in the same class. Shichirou didn't pay her any mind. Instead, he smiled at you. Ugh, on one hand you found it hilarious that he ignored her, but on the other hand you didn't want his attention on you.

"I-I... it was in the heat of the moment. I was wondering why you were siding with Kasumi-san. She bullies people."

Look at her run her mouth. Her entire argument was literally; Himari bad. Was she trying to discredit you because you were friends with Himari? Seriously? Can't she think of something else? It was incredibly petty. You were not obligated to defend yourself or explain your choice of friends, but if you kept dodging it others might get suspicious and create false assumptions.

"I mean... Himari came to see me after I was discharged from the hospital." That wasn't a lie, she came to see you yesterday. "I was appreciative of her concern. Are you saying that I'm wrong to feel that way when you didn't even send a simple text to see how I was doing?"

Students were surprised at your words, but not many seemed to doubt them. You thought that people would be more incredulous, but you supposed this worked in your favour.

"I understand, you must've been too busy to see me." You sighed sadly. "But you also avoided sitting next to me during the assembly this morning."

The conversations amongst the students grew louder.

"Hayami-san sat next to her during the speeches, right? Why did she change seats?"

"She said (L/n)-san saved her, why is she acting so cold?"

"Now that I think about it, didn't Kasumi-kun bring a huge plush to school for (L/n)-san?"

"Kasumi-san has been acting less aggressive lately, too."

"Yeah! When the two girls poured water on her, she didn't lash out like she usually would!"

"...Now that I think about it, we never heard (L/n)-san's side of the story yet."

That last line sparked a realisation within everyone. Favour towards Hayami was quickly falling and students looked at you expectantly, anticipating some sort of revelation from you.

Sorry, but I won't be giving you what you want just yet.

Exposing Hayami here would be too reckless. You had no evidence, only your words. Though some students may believe you, you had a feeling her parents were going to take action and turn it all against you and eventually all your words will be discredited. So for now, you'll just hint at certain things and plant ideas into everyone's heads.

"Hayami-san, is it alright if you reiterate what happened during the fire?" you asked innocently.

"What...what's this all of a sudden?"

"Everyone looks like they want to know my side of the story. But that shouldn't be an issue if you just explain, right? If you didn't lie, then our stories would match up."

"Didn't you listen to the news? I said it there––""

"There's no problem saying it again here, right?"

"But––"

"Hayami-san, are you trying to dodge my question?"

She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Her actions were only arousing more suspicion.

"Is there something you forgot to say in the interview or something? That's okay! You can just clear it up now." Your words were sickly sweet and reassuring.

She didn't respond.

"Hayami-san?"

She was panicking.

"Oh, I do remember one thing, though. It involved you."

Her breath hitched.

"It was when you––"

"Shut up!" she screamed. "Don't you dare try and say I was the reason you were trapped in the fire––you have no proof!"

Ah.

She messed up.

She must have mistaken that you were going to expose her and quickly said something to stop you from talking. Well, that was exactly what you were going for. You chose your words selectively and kept talking, leaving her little room for thought and caused her to say something irrational. Being under pressure doesn't allow for the clearest mind, after all.

You looked at her, confused. "I never said that? Where did you get that idea from?"

The room erupted in a fury of chatter and people casted suspicious glances towards Hayami. She looked horrified.

"N-no. What I meant was––"

"Yes?"

"I––"

"Mhm? Go on."

Hayami's words were caught in her throat. She glanced at Shichirou, expression a lot more urgent and desperate. Shichirou didn't pay her any mind again and started a conversation with a student near him. She cursed under her breath and hesitantly turned to Kai. The male responded with a glare and she flinched. Before you could say anything else, she shoved you aside and ran out of the classroom.

You glanced over your shoulder, a little baffled. That was what she chose to do?

Guess you overestimated her a bit.



===



Man, I'm kind of tired.

You've just gotten out of a meeting and had to present a spontaneous presentation alongside Shichirou welcoming the members of the student council. Surprisingly enough, Shichirou gave you no trouble at all. Working with him––though you hated to admit––was fine. During the presentation if you messed up he'd cover for you. If you had any inquiries, he'd answer them flawlessly. If you appeared lost on something, he would immediately notice and come to help without making a scene or slipping in unnecessary comments. It was nice not getting a headache when interacting with him for once even if he was just pretending to be nice to you.

"Are you thinking about something, (L/n)-san?"

Right. Since you were vice president, you were the last to leave the meeting room with Shichirou. Guess walking to the school gates with him would be a regular occurrence now.

"Just thinking about what happened during lunch." Yeah, there was no way you were admitting that you were thinking about him.

"The conversation you had with Chiasa? When you left, people could not stop talking."

Ah, right. You quickly excused yourself from the classroom after Hayami ran out and dragged Himari and Kai along with you, so you have no idea what the aftermath of the drama was like.

"Himari, how did you get into an argument with Hayami-san in the first place?"

"Isn't it obvious? She was the cause for the fire and she won't admit it! What am I supposed to do?" She scoffed. "You don't have to tell me what happened if you don't want to, but I'm sure as hell not dumb enough to believe the lies the bitch spat during that TV interview."

"What did they say?" you asked.

"You can probably guess. Doubts, assumptions, rumours. The usual," he said. "I was surprised by your intervention––"

"By the way, do you happen to be involved with Hayami-san?" you asked. "In regards to the fire."

Did you just drop a bomb on him out of nowhere? The answer was yes. Why? Because you had no idea how else to bring it up.

Shichirou took a moment to respond. "Why the sudden question?"

"She kept glancing at you when I was trying to talk to her. Like she was expecting you to back her up."

"Don't worry, she's just someone who I got to know a few months ago. It seems like she lacks a bit of agency at times." He stopped in front of a staffroom. "I have a few things to take care of. I gave you my number a while ago, right? You never texted me."

"I had no reason to?"

"Fair enough. Then, can I have your number?" Shichirou laughed softly. "I have a feeling we won't be talking much unless I'm the one starting the conversation."

Reluctantly, you gave him your number. Then, you parted ways with him.

Walking by a room, you idly glanced through the glass on the door and saw someone that hasn't been on your mind for a long time.

Sun-kissed skin, short and wavy light brown hair, a gentle and tranquil expression on his soft features, polished gold eyes focused on the canvas in front of him as he painted in peace. The subtle sunlight that filtered through the classroom only enhanced his warm features, it was a natural and subtle beauty you found extremely captivating.

Satoshi Masaru.

Ever since your first day at school you haven't encountered him at all. And with all the chaos you went through you honestly forgot all about him. Was this the art club? But he was the only one there?

When Satoshi turned around to get more paint, his eyes met yours. Oh shit.

Okay, let's pretend that never happened and keep walking––wait was that a good idea? You haven't heard anything from him, meaning you knew absolutely nothing about the guy. What if he was the cause of the two deaths this chapter?

Since you were lost in thought, you were late in realising that he had opened the door. He looked at you quizzically.

"Do you need something?" he asked.

"Oh! Uhm... I was just surprised to see you, that's why I kinda stopped walking. Sorry if my staring was creepy. Uh, do you remember me...?"

"(L/n)-san, right? How could I forget." He smiled. "Oh, and don't worry about it."

"If it isn't a bother, can I ask what you're doing?"

"Hm? I'm just working on a painting."

"Is this the art club?"

"It is. Though, most of the members prefer to work alone. You usually find them scattered across the school."

Ah, so that explains why he was the only one in the room.

Satoshi appeared thoughtful for a moment. "Hm... if you'd like. You can come in. You're not busy, are you?"

"I just got out of a meeting––wait, come in? Am I just gonna stare at you paint?"

He chuckled softly. "It's not that. I was planning on painting a portrait sometime this week. I supposed I can start early." His lips curled into a warm smile. "Would you like to be my model?"