Kai's obsessive gaze and decisive actions didn't move Ruby - not even a little. On the contrary, she looked clearly annoyed at being interrupted right when she was in high spirits.
"Hey, Poodle! How many times do I have to tell you before you understand? I can't drink your blood."
Ruby rolled her eyes at Kai, making him too intimidated to step any closer to her.
Could it be that this Vampire girl really saw the curly-haired boy as an actual poodle?
No one would talk to a friend their own age in a tone like they were lecturing a three-year-old child.
"Because of you, I've had to live a very disciplined life. Besides dance practice, I also work out, eat clean, rest properly, and relax with classical music. I guarantee my blood quality is far better than… HIS."
Kai's bloodshot eyes turned toward Ethan. The resentment and jealousy in his gaze made Ethan's skin crawl.
Why was that?
Kai wasn't even a Vampire.
He was clearly just a normal human like Ethan. Yet the "killing intent" - or whatever it was - emanating from him made Ethan hope that Ruby wouldn't provoke him any further.
"Ha ha. You're being overconfident again. What makes you think your blood tastes better than Ethan's?"
As if to tease him, Ruby casually sat on the armrest of the sofa where Ethan was sitting. Not only that, she wrapped her arms around his left arm, stroking and caressing it, making Kai grow even more furious.
Meanwhile, Anya and Yara had somehow found a bag of buttered popcorn. They sat there munching noisily, clearly entertained by the argument between Ruby and Kai.
"You know it best. That scrawny Mountain Monkey… he doesn't have any feelings for you at all. So his blood doesn't carry the flavor of love. Drinking that filthy blood will ruin both your health and your beauty."
"Hmph. You don't understand anything. In truth, I only need to drink the blood of someone who willingly offers it out of love. Whether they love me or someone else doesn't matter. To me, the blood of someone who is ready to sacrifice themselves and can disregard everything for love has the best taste. And this Ethan right here - no matter how much he denies it, no matter how much he insists that he and Autumn are just friends… his actions say it all, don't they, Ethan?"
Exposed by Ruby, Ethan didn't know how to argue back anymore.
Or perhaps… he didn't really want to deny that verb Ruby kept repeating, did he?
Love?
If he didn't deny it, did that mean he was admitting it?
Ugh! This was exhausting!
"Ruby! Think again. I've always… always loved you from the bottom of my heart. My blood carries the rich flavor of love, and it's meant only for you. You should choose someone who truly loves you as your donor, not that Mountain Monkey - someone who only offers his blood to save another girl. And she just happens to be the one you hate the most."
His wide eyes and long lashes shimmered with tears after confessing his sincere feelings to Ruby.
His face was even redder than before. His clenched fists trembled uncontrollably.
Not only that, his entire body - like someone going into battle instead of confessing - was drenched in sweat. Through his white school shirt, Ethan could clearly see his flushed skin, laced with dark purple veins beneath.
Strange…
Could it be…
Ethan suddenly flinched as he felt a sharp sensation along his spine.
It turned out to be Ruby's nails. She was casually rummaging along the gap of the sofa, searching for something.
"Tch! Are you done talking? If you are… here, take this! Go play over there and let us have some peace."
Ruby pulled out something from behind Ethan - it looked like a fuzzy ball. She tossed it toward Kai. But he only stared at the toy rolling at his feet with fury before shouting.
"You… stop that right now. Why do you always treat me like I'm your pet?"
"Do you even have to ask? Isn't it obvious? You're not my type. I only like drinking the blood of guys taller than me. So someone your height - barely anything - can only be my pet. That's already generous of me. I've been hinting at it for so long and you still don't get it. Do I really have to spell it out for you?"
"You…"
Kai trembled with anger at Ruby's blunt rejection.
Then, that Poodle boy collapsed over the piano keys, sobbing while coughing miserably.
Hah! A boy shedding tears over love?
And especially suffering and tormenting himself over a girl like Ruby - who only loves herself - is that really worth it?
Watching Kai's dramatic, almost overly tragic behavior, Ethan felt more amused than sympathetic.
At this point, Ethan could conclude with certainty: Kai could not possibly be that patriarchal, controlling boyfriend Ruby often mentioned. This guy was clearly trapped in a hopeless one-sided love.
But wasn't this suffering something Kai brought upon himself?
As Ethan recalled, Kai had ranked second in the school's academic assessment at the beginning of the year, just behind Camellia. He wasn't just intelligent - he was talented enough to lead the Dancing Stars as their captain.
But could it be that he was overestimating himself a little?
There was a huge mirror at the end of this room - was Kai really unwilling to take even a glance at it?
Sure, Kai had a very handsome face, and he paid far more attention to his hair and outfit than most boys his age like Ethan.
But when it came to height…
…unfortunately, even when standing as straight as possible, Kai only reached about Ruby's shoulder.
Not to mention, his frame was quite slender, making him look even smaller when standing next to her.
Hmph! In short, Kai simply refused to understand his position in Ruby's eyes.
A girl with long legs and beauty dazzling like the Goddess Venus would only be suited for tall, well-built, handsome guys like Royce.
Or…
…for some reason, Ethan suddenly thought of Nathaniel Nguyen from Class 11B. Perhaps it was because he guessed that a bold, unruly girl like Ruby could only be handled by a guy with that kind of streetwise aura like Nathaniel.
Besides, Nathaniel was handsome enough to be ranked number two among Harmony's male students, just behind Royce. And he definitely had the height to match Ruby.
Rumor even had it that he had "voluntarily" left Dancing Stars after growing a full 20 centimeters in just one summer - while the group's leader and choreographer, Kai, only accepted boys under 160cm into the team.
Oh! Could this have something to do with Ruby?
"I… I'm only sixteen. I can still grow taller. And if I reach at least 175cm - your type - will you please give me a chance?"
Kai spoke while coughing violently, looking utterly pitiful. But of course, someone as cold as Ruby didn't bother comforting him at all.
"Keep dreaming! You haven't grown a single centimeter since eighth grade. You're probably past puberty already."
"W-who says that? I'm still growing every day thanks to Height Supplements and Muscle Boosters. It's just that you refuse to notice."
With that, Kai clenched his teeth and tried to stand up straight. But his relentless coughing made it impossible for him to control his body.
And mixed within those coughs…
…was the cracking sound of joints inside a body that was gradually growing taller - the body of a boy whom the girl he loved treated like a pet.