Heroine's Dead Eyes
1. The reason Lapis Julie could show up at the restaurant where Paster and Ska Rate were having dinner was ironically thanks to the SNS that had deceived her. Ska Rate was the world's No. 2 ranked awakener and the real power behind the Rate family—a massive celebrity. So, seeing her grinning happily with a handsome guy on her arm was more than enough to draw everyone's eyes. While Ia Ris and Silk Blond were combing through the outlets with fire in their eyes, Lapis Julie—who'd realized she'd been tricked—searched SNS for mentions of Ska Rate. That's when she spotted a post about Ska Rate enjoying an early dinner at the upscale restaurant Murphy's Law. She crossed the sky in an instant and arrived right then.
As soon as Lapis Julie reached the restaurant entrance, she luckily spotted Paster coming out of the bathroom. The moment she called out to him, a wave of relief washed over her—she could finally vent all the agony of the day. "Congratulations on your engagement. Have a wonderful love life."
But at the calm, casual congratulations flowing from Paster's lips, she instinctively knew something was terribly wrong.
"Ah, you're already here. Keeping a lady waiting—terrible manners for a gentleman. My apologies, Miss Lapis Julie."
When an unfamiliar voice came from behind him, her instincts proved correct, plunging her into despair.
"......"
Despair so deep she couldn't even speak.
2. What the hell? Why are her eyes suddenly dead?
Lapis Julie's eyes weren't just coldly dim—they were utterly lifeless, pitch-black voids without a single speck of light. The kind of eyes you make when everything you've tried fails spectacularly, every attempt to fix it only makes it worse, and then—to top it all off—the one misfortune you prayed wouldn't happen explodes in your face.
In short, eyes that had given up completely.
Not the eyes you'd expect from someone who'd just gotten engaged to the capable, handsome, well-connected guy she wanted. Engagements are supposed to be happy. You're promising to spend your life with someone you chose. Unless it's some forced marriage against your will for family politics—which it wasn't for someone like her from the mighty Julie family. Sure, a prestigious house like theirs might push a marriage to another elite family to boost power, but Lapis Julie could just ignore it. She was the 2nd team leader of Liar's Trap and an S-rank awakener who did whatever the hell she wanted.
Prestigious families are built on S-rank awakeners. If one belongs to the house, the rest bend over backward not to piss them off, wielding power indirectly through them. Of course, mega-families like Rate, Julie, or Blond—with their sky-high influence—have tons of strong awakeners even without S-ranks, so they're a bit less beholden. But forcing an S-rank to do something they hate? Utter bullshit.
No matter how proud Lapis Julie was of her family or how she preached against tarnishing the name, if she truly hated it, she'd tell the family commands to fuck off. In this era, S-rank awakeners were invincible gods.
So her dead eyes weren't from hating the engagement. Ul Blond was drop-dead gorgeous, after all. Nobody hates pretty people.
Then why? As Paster pondered, his eyes met Ul Blond's, who stood behind her. Those slightly murkier amber eyes than Silk Blond's. Ah, was that it?
Paster and Lapis Julie had kissed and she'd given him a blowjob just yesterday. If her beloved fiancé found out, the engagement would shatter, and headlines would scream: 'Lapis Julie Caught in Affair with F-rank Awakener Day Before Ul Blond Engagement.' No doubt about it.
Terrified of that, she'd despaired the moment they locked eyes. Did she think Paster would blab? A bit disappointing. Sure, they hadn't known each other that long. They'd only worked together a year. Long enough to be something, but short for full trust. She didn't trust him not to spill, hence the anxiety and despair.
To her, Paster was no longer a crush. With her engagement, he was just a one-night lapse—a shameful secret. Powerful people bury scandals like that, but Paster's ability let him dodge any tricks. To her, he was a ticking bomb.
Made sense why she despaired. But Paster wasn't the type to exploit weaknesses—especially not with an S-rank. Bad for business.
So, reassure her. Promise to keep yesterday zipped. But with her fiancé right there, he couldn't just yell, "Hey Lapis Julie! I'll take your lips and dick-sucking to the grave, so chill! Trust me, bitch!"
How to convey it subtly...
As he mulled, Ul Blond—who'd been eyeing him weirdly—finally spoke.
"Excuse me... haven't we met somewhere before?"
"Pardon? Me?"
Caught off-guard by the sudden question, Paster blinked. Ul Blond frowned like someone who'd forgotten a search term mid-type, brow furrowed.
He recognized Paster? How? Paster knew Ul Blond from TV—he was a celeb with a fanclub of hundreds of thousands. Normal for an awakener like Paster. But Ul Blond knowing a dust-speck F-rank like him? Weird. He was borderline A-rank, practically S.
"Yes, you. Your face rings a bell... and I'd never forget a face like yours... Hmm... May I have your name?"
Asking like it'd jog his memory, Paster replied calmly—curious too.
"Paster."
"Paster? Paster... familiar name too. Your family name...?"
"No family name. Not from a prestigious house."
Ul Blond sank into deep thought, that frustrating almost-there sensation gnawing at him.
It broke when a familiar voice came from behind Paster.
"What the hell's taking so long? What're you idiots doing here?"
Ska's slightly annoyed voice. Seeing her face, Ul Blond clapped like it'd clicked.
"Ah! Paster! I remember now! Seeing you with Miss Ska Rate jogged it! You're that Paster, right?"
Sudden casual speech made Paster's brow twitch. But Ul Blond ignored it, beaming with broad delight at remembering.
What Paster? How did he know? Laughing like it was his private joke pissed Paster off. But yelling would make him like Ska; as the rational one, he asked gentlemanly.
"How do you know me?"
"You went to the Academy. Back then, any student who didn't know Paster was a spy, right?"
Now fully casual, Ul Blond pointed accusingly. Manners be damned—Academy hit harder.
Academy... Of course. Unlike bastard Silk, firstborn heir Ul Blond would've attended. Paster's Academy days were black history—pure pain, zero gains. The 'Paster' Ul knew was that worthless version.
Suddenly, he wanted out. Chatting with someone who knew pathetic past-him gave him chills.
"Still hanging around Miss Ska Rate, huh? Wow..."
The trailing Wow... dripped disdain. No respect left—just faint familiarity and massive superiority. What an insufferable prick.
Rabbit Hole spark to the balls'd shut him up.
Dragging Lapis away had boosted his favor, but this nosedive nuked it.
Lapis—who spewed venom instead of words—never mentioned Academy either. She'd seen his suffering firsthand. In that, she beat Ul. Relatively. Both left bad tastes.
Might miss Lapis a bit...
Then Ul smirked mockingly, eyes gleaming with malice. Unsettling as hell.
"Right, they called you this back then. Ska Rate's..."
Fuck. The one phrase he dreaded most. Hearing it would ruin his good day and haunt his sleep for days. Fuck it, spark his balls. Even borderline A-rank'd feel that. Fuck the aftermath—for good nights' sake, right hand sparking...
Dead-eyed Lapis's lips moved.
"S-Stop... now..."
"Hey, who the fuck are you? Wanna die?"
But her strained words got cut by Ska's rage.
"Y-Yes?"
Ul Blond stammered, shocked at Ska's sudden fury after her silence.
"Don't 'yes' me. Who the fuck are you to yap? Deaf? Want me to melt your ears?"
Ska strode up, grabbing his collar one-handed. Towering 30cm over her, Ul dangled feet-off-ground. Borderline A-rank or not, A is A. No match for world No. 2 S-rank Ska.
She cocked her free fist, elbow back—ready to punch through his chest.
"Guh...?!"
"Daring to interrupt my date? Who the fuck do you think you—!"
Ska's actions screamed protectiveness. She was doing this for Paster. Honestly? Cringe as hell.
He grabbed her elbow. "Ska. Enough."
"Paster! This fucker's talking shit about you—!"
"I said stop."
"Eut..."
Ska turned, meeting his eyes—rage forgotten, face terrified. Like when she thought he'd dump her days ago. Whatever face Paster wore, it scared her shitless. Probably pissed-off rotten.
"O-Okay..."
She dropped Ul, who collapsed coughing. Ignoring him, she clung to Paster's collar desperately. Never letting go.
Paster glanced indifferently at her tiny hand, then down at seated Ul emotionlessly.
"Mr. Ul Blond, we'll be going. Enjoy your meal. Congrats on the engagement."
"C-Cough... hack..."
No way a borderline A-rank choked that bad from a collar grab. Ska must've done extra on the sly. Even for him, it felt fake.
Ignoring disbelieving Ul alternating glances, Paster bid blank-faced Lapis goodbye.
"Sorry for interrupting your intimate time. See you at guild Monday."
"......"
"Later."
He wanted out ASAP. Grabbing Ska's wrist roughly, he triggered Rabbit Hole.
Crackle.