They walked hand in hand back to Aura's dormitory. Unable to help herself, Aura asked,
"…How long have you liked me?"
Fenix tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Well, actually… I love you," he corrected.
Aura blushed and looked down.
"I started loving you right after I realized you liked me."
Aura jerked away from him. Fenix stopped walking, turned toward her, and smirked.
"But… I wasn't even sure I liked you until you kissed me…" Aura mumbled.
Fenix took a step forward, forcing her to back into the corner of the hallway.
"That's one of my talents," he said. "I always know what others are feeling—even if they don't. Did you really think I would dare to kiss you if I wasn't aware of how you felt?"
For a brief moment, something in his expression shifted—something almost sad.
Aura couldn't stand it.
She threw aside her embarrassment and hugged him tightly.
Fenix froze for half a second… then wrapped his arms around her just as tightly.
"Hah… you fell for my façade," he murmured. "Now I'm never letting you go."
Aura's heart pounded at the thought. Fenix spun them around, keeping her locked in the embrace.
Right then, Mirror stepped out of Aura's room and approached them.
When he noticed her, he released Aura, because he knew she'd feel embarrassed if her sister saw them.
"I was worried when you didn't come back, so I waited. Wasn't expecting to find you two together at this hour," Mirror said with a smirk.
Aura was still flustered and couldn't respond. Fenix, however, slipped effortlessly back into a calm expression.
"We got tired after helping with festival preparations and sat down for a while," he said. It wasn't a complete lie, but it definitely omitted the reason they were so late.
Mirror sighed, rubbing her temples.
"There are, like, five thousand kids at this school. You wouldn't be tired if you did as little work as possible, like a normal person." She said, directed at her sister. Then she gestured toward the door,
"Come on, Aura. Let's go inside."
Aura stepped forward, and Fenix followed.
Mirror paused, eyeing him,
"…It's a little late for you to be hanging out in her room." She remarked.
"Same to you," Fenix replied.
Mirror gave him a flat look, one hand settling on her hip.
"I'm her sister." She stated, rolling her eyes and sneering at him.
Fenix brushed his hair back, revealing the golden eye he usually kept hidden.
"And, I am her fiancé."
Aura's mouth dropped open, then she bit her lip and turned her back towards her Mirror. Mirror stood frozen in shock for almost a full minute before echoing,
"Fiancé?"
Fenix reached into his pocket and pulled out a platinum ring set with a large red stone. He placed it in Aura's palm. Aura unfurled her fingers and then held the ring up to the light. She couldn't help but wonder when he brought this? Was he planning to propose to her regardless?
"I wanted to give that to you while we were alone," he said casually. "But since that won't happen tonight… I'll give it to you now. Make sure to wear it every day." Fenix then held up his hand to show Aura the matching ring on his finger, "So that we'll match."
Realization sparkled in her eyes, then she smiled softly and nodded. Aura put the ring on and held it up to the light; even in the dim hallway, the stone sparkled brilliantly.
Mirror's jaw dropped as she watched their exchange.
Fenix held Aura's cheeks and placed a kiss on her forehead,
"Now that I've done this, I'll go. See you tomorrow." He released her, then gave a small wave as he stepped backward toward the exit.
Then he turned and walked out.
"When did this happen?!" Mirror demanded, eyes wide.
Aura kept her gaze fixed on the ring, was still thinking about how the ring fit perfectly, and was buzzing from everything that had happened that day. When did he have time to buy this? When did he figure out my size? and similar questions flew through her mind.
"Aura!" Mirror rose her voice to get her sister's attention. Aura sighed then replied in a neutral tone,
"…Just now. You were here—you saw it,"
"I mean, when did you become a couple?" Mirror pressed.
"…Today." Aura concealed her giddy feelings and kept her tone blunt and flat.
Mirror gasped dramatically and shouted,
"But he just called himself your fiancé!"
Aura lowered her hand, her gaze lingering on the ring.
"It all happened today," she repeated, sounding almost bored.
"Was he planning this? Why would he carry a ring if you hadn't even dated before?!" Mirror asked, baffled.
"…Because he's weird," Aura said, a faint smile forming.
Then, softer—
"He's a crazy oddball that I love."
She turned away, unlocking her door, and asked,
"Any more questions?"
Mirror shook her head. "No."
Aura walked into her room, leaving the door open behind her. Mirror followed after her, closing and locking the door behind herself.
Once inside, despite her growing embarrassment, Aura began explaining everything to Mirror, what had happened, how she'd been trying to build resistance to heat… and how it might have been because she wanted to be closer to him. To touch him freely. Once she succeeded, she thought he would just feel more at ease with her, but instead, he kissed her, and they confessed their feelings for one another.
By the time she finished speaking, her face was completely red. Tears had even begun forming from the sheer embarrassment of telling her sister all these things. Instead of waiting for Mirror's response, Aura blurted
"I'm going to take a shower!" and bolted for the bathroom.
She didn't come out for three hours.
By then, Mirror had fallen asleep.
The next morning, Aura awoke to find Fenix and Mirror sitting together in the living area, talking.
Fenix looked up first.
He smiled—and waved.
Aura tensed. Just seeing him sent her emotions into overdrive.
Her eyes dropped to the ring still on her finger, and she began thinking over all the events from yesterday.
The feelings were too intense, so she turned around and walked straight into the bathroom.
"…Fenix saw me dressed like this…"
For the first time, she became painfully aware of her appearance—even though her usual uniform was far worse than her current state of pajamas and messy hair.
Aura looked in the mirror and freshened up. It took her fifteen more minutes to gather herself before coming back out.
"G-good morning," she said shyly, sitting beside Fenix on the couch.
"Indeed," he replied, immediately pulling her closer with a hand on her waist.
"We were playing Aura trivia while you were sleeping," Mirror revealed.
Aura blinked.
"Trivia… about me?"
Fenix laughed softly at her expression.
"Yeah," Mirror confirmed. "I just asked him what your favorite food is."
Fenix answered without hesitation.
"Aura doesn't have a single favorite food. She has many. She likes most things equally, though she prefers sweets slightly. She enjoys anything sweet, really. It would be faster to list what she doesn't like. She probably doesn't even know what food she loves the most."
Aura looked down, unable to deny it, and shocked by how accurate his observations were.
"When she eats something she doesn't like, she still finishes it because she hates wasting food. But she eats more slowly, takes smaller bites, and her nose wrinkles slightly. She also dislikes tough or chewy textures; she prefers softer foods."
Mirror clapped, and Aura watched him in awe that he knew her so well.
"You've been paying attention…"
She glanced at Aura, who avoided her eyes, clasped her hands in her lap, and stared downward. Mirror noticed that her little sister had done her hair, washed her face, and even had on tinted lip gloss. It was clear she wanted to look good... the reason was obvious.
"What's Aura's favorite color?" Mirror asked, turning her attention back to Fenix.
"Silver or gray," He replied. "Whenever she sees it, she stares at it for a second… then looks away. Teal is in second place."
Aura stared at him from the side, stunned.
Aura's face fueled Mirror's desire for mischief, so next she said,
"…What color are the panties she's wearing today?" Of course, she didn't expect him to know the answer to this, but she thought she could fluster them both with one question. Yet, without hesitation, Fenix answered,
"Dark green."
Aura shrieked and jumped to her feet.
"What's wrong?" Mirror asked, barely holding back laughter.
"H-he's… he's right!" Aura stammered out in shock. Mirror's laughter faltered, and she glanced back at Fenix, who was sitting in the same spot, smiling and quietly watching them.
While Aura panicked over how he could possibly know that. Fenix refused to reveal his methods even after the two sisters pestered him with the excuse,
"You'll just get in my way if I tell you," and a shrug.