The moment stretched into painful awkwardness. Jhin hadn't expected Megumin to pull a stunt like this.
Megumin hadn't expected a single reflexive movement to land her in such a mortifying situation.
Fortunately, the left hand Jhin had been using to pin her shoulder had shifted to brace against the sofa cushion, while his right hand was pressed against Megumin's right hand — otherwise her leg strength alone wouldn't have been enough to hold his weight back.
It was in this exact moment that Jhin finally resolved a question that had been nagging at him for a while: whether the bandage on Megumin's right leg wrapped all the way around her foot, or stopped at the ankle.
The answer, of course, was the latter.
From his vantage point, one elegantly bare foot arched before him — its rounded toes squeezed together like tiny pearls dipped in pink paint, pressed firmly against his chest. The other foot, slipping against the smooth fabric of her black stockings, was forced to push even harder, the faint warmth of skin bleeding through the dark silk like scattered starlight against a night sky.
Jhin's gaze was impossible to hide from someone lying directly beneath him. The light flush that had already colored Megumin's fair cheeks from exertion deepened steadily into vivid crimson. His eyes felt like they were carrying some kind of fire-element magic — scalding, burning — and she had the absurd sensation that the tops of her feet were about to blister.
She desperately wanted to pull her legs back, but if she did, Jhin would lose his support and crash straight down on her. And if it went badly — if their lips met — then she was definitely going to get pregnant.
Faced with the choice between an accidental pregnancy and letting him stare at her feet, Megumin chose the latter.
So what if he gets a good look. Maybe I can use this as leverage later and squeeze a few more meals out of him.
Jhin only blanked for a moment before snapping back to his senses and moving to get up.
But Megumin, who had just steeled herself to sacrifice her feet to the "demon" in exchange for culinary rewards, was immediately displeased when she saw him trying to leave. Her right hand shot out and yanked his half-raised body back down. "You stared for that long," she said sharply, "and now you're just going to walk away like nothing happened?"
"Look — even if I'm not leaving, you've still got to let me get up at some point." Jhin could read her perfectly: she was trying to use this as a bargaining chip. But staying tangled up like this — what if Kyaru or someone else walked in?
Megumin had no intention of letting him off the hook that easily. This position gave her a distinct negotiating advantage. "No. We're staying exactly like this. You were so smug a minute ago — this is karma. And I'm just saying, if someone comes in and gets the wrong idea, don't blame me."
"Heh heh~" A sly light danced in her crimson eyes. "Scared?"
"Online, that would be pretty scary," Jhin said dryly. "But this is real life. I'll just say — you're out of your league."
"What a weird thing to say. Anyway—" Megumin cleared her throat and reached up to grab Jhin by the collar. "You're going to take me out to cast Explosion magic together once a week."
"That's not my call alone. Kyaru has to agree to use [Mana Touch] first."
"I don't care. Go convince her yourself."
"Not happening."
"Then figure out how to invent an ancient spell like [Mana Touch] yourself, so we don't have to rely on Kyaru."
Jhin rolled his eyes. "You think inventing a spell from scratch is like picking wildflowers off the roadside? Something anyone can just do on a whim?"
"This won't work, that won't work — are you trying to get a free ride off me?!" The more Megumin talked, the more agitated she got, her crimson eyes actually starting to glow. She was one dramatic breath away from shouting "Villain, prepare to die!"
"Be reasonable. It's not like I forced your feet out here to look at — you're the one who propped them against my chest." At this point, Jhin stopped bothering to deny it. "Were you trying to set me up for a shakedown?"
Megumin had argued with him often enough to have a rough grasp of the occasional slang he dropped into conversation. She caught his meaning immediately. "Who's shaking anyone down? I'm a magnanimous person — I won't hold this against you. How about you just cook me a few exclusive dishes instead?"
The gap in difficulty between her original demand and this new one was enormous. Jhin clocked instantly that food had been her real target all along — but he didn't call her out on it. Instead, he agreed. "Deal."
"Then it's settled." Megumin grinned to herself like a little fox who'd just stolen a chicken.
The Great Arch-Mage Megumin — effortlessly defeats Gourmet Edifice's hidden final boss, Jhin!
Watching her beam with that unmistakably smug expression, Jhin laughed inwardly.
You only said 'cook me food' — you never specified what kind. Just wait. I'll make you the spiciest, most bizarre thing I can dream up.
"Now that that's settled, can you finally let me go?"
"Fine, fine. Don't think I actually enjoy being stuck like this." Megumin grumbled and released his collar, then shifted her legs — but she'd been holding that position for too long. They'd gone half-numb, and without warning her feet slipped, both legs splaying out to either side.
With nothing to brace against, Jhin dropped straight down toward her.
Oh no.
With their faces hurtling toward each other like a collision of planets, Jhin whipped his right hand free and shoved her face to one side.
Thud.
Megumin felt the air driven out of her chest. Jhin's presence — that inexplicably calming, comfortable warmth — enveloped her entirely. Something hot and breath-soft landed against her neck, along with a gentle, unmistakable pressure.
He — he — he — he — he... he didn't just kiss my neck, did he?
No. Not "didn't." He absolutely, definitely, without question did.
Megumin had owned a pet once — a little black cat named Dojisuke, whose tongue had that same faintly moist warmth when it licked her fingers. The moment that thought connected, every inch of her skin flushed pink. She looked exactly like a shrimp that had just been dropped into boiling water.
They held that position for two or three seconds. Jhin pushed himself up, breathing slightly uneven. He could rack his brain until it shattered and never have predicted things spiraling into something this intimate with Megumin.
Whatever the case, he was the guy here — he was the one who'd gotten away with something. He murmured a quiet "sorry," then scrambled to his feet and fled the living room before the awkwardness had any chance to compound further.
Megumin lay motionless on the sofa like she'd been switched off — comatose. Over ten minutes passed. Only after she'd confirmed that Jhin had left and had absolutely no intention of doubling back did she finally move the arm she'd been using to cover her face.
Her cheeks were still blazing. The heat radiating off her body was relentless. She hooked a finger into her collar and tugged it out, trying to let some air in. "So hot... that jerk, just running off like that."
She thought back to that warm, lingering sensation. Her fingertips drifted up to touch the spot on her neck where his lips had been. That patch of skin felt like it had a continuous lightning-element spell cast on it — a tingling, electric numbness that just wouldn't fade.
Her temperature seemed to climb again just from touching it. Megumin quickly pulled her hand away and sat up, taking slow, deliberate breaths to settle herself. Then she glanced down at her own legs, still slightly curled together.
"That guy... he really likes looking at girls' feet, doesn't he..."
____
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