Vince shrewdly eyed his surroundings with enhanced auditory range as his senses tried to pick up on the most obscure of signs of the girl. He slowly walked around the corridors, holding his arms folded below his chest as he thoughtfully gazed around. The young man kept surveillance of his environment in case he would miss a single clue that would lead him to the young worked.

He narrowed his eyes to enter a deep state of thought as he contemplated over what had led to the female's actions and her disappearance. As his mind swirled with unpleasant assumptions and afflicting conclusions he couldn't help but rattle his anxiety over the female's wellbeing and reflexively picked up in pace, fuelled by his concerns.

"You. Student." The older male stopped himself behind the one boy he had managed to stumble across at that moment and regarded him with intent urgency. "Have you seen (Y/n), I need to urgently find her?"

The boy turned around at the inquiring male to grant him with a pair of abhorred eyes and an unwilling frown. "Oh I'm sorry, I don't associate with ugly people." Lilito vexingly mimicked, an overtone of frustrated bitterness soaking his words.

Vince simply gave him a cold, quiet stare before raising a single eyebrow in an unimpressed manner before scoffing. "Now that's a lie, you strike me as the type who talks to himself in the mirror." He declared, sidestepping tell boy as he realised the meaninglessness behind asking him to aid in his search.

Lilito gave a low whistle as a mocking grin spread across his features. "Akai can throw the punches and you can dish out the comebacks. I might want you around for fun." Granting him a promising grin, Lilito watched as the uninterested male passed him to proceed with his search for the girl. As the younger boy steadied his gaze on the man, a frown stitched itself across his lips before his sights hardened at the older male's leaving figure. "What do you want with her anyway?"

Vince stilted at the inquiry, glancing back to regard the boy with a stifled look. "She's my sweetheart, I need to keep a close eye on her to make sure nothing harms my darling."

Lilito's expression morphed into one of utter disbelief as his eyes glossed over with ridicule. "Huh? When the hell was this established? Or do you just feel entitled to have every girl you see?" He narrowed his gaze at the older male, his guard heightening as all that busted in his mind would be the prospect of potential competition.

"She's the only one I desire, she is none of your business." The older male fervently informed before sulking his voice to regard him with the subtle threat.

"What makes her your business?" Lilito dubiously inquired, arching an eyebrow at his company while Vince responded with a conceited smirk.

"She's going to be my future bride."

The house member's features twisted into a weirded out expression that was glazed over with deep doubt. "Man you're delusional." He whispered his ridicule before fixing up his lips in a self assured grin. "I'm sorry Vinny, but you're not the only one who is interested in her. So don't think you can just say that and immediately get (Y/n)."

Vince thoughtfully paused for a moment, allowing the words to wash over him as his mind began piecing the impertinent boy's claims. After a few seconds of silent thoughtfulness, he glanced back to give the student a speculative gaze. "And are you one of these interested people?"

"I might or might not be." Lilito jestingly hinted with a wide smile. When the light air began to settle, he felt thicker clumps of oxygen surrounding both their forms as they stood opposing one another. When their watchful eyes began to sharpen their sights with the daggers for glares pointed at each other. "I have my own intents as well. I'm not about to just back down because you come onto the scene."

The older male furrowed his brow at the boy as he analysed his physical mannerisms to garner on the intents behind his effrontery. There was a mesmerised glint his eyes as the younger boy's breathing seemed heavier and suppressed from feverish excitement and eagerness. Lining the indications in his mind, Vince deduced the behaviour that seemed akin to the nature of a handful of women he has had to deal with. "So you want to get to my (Y/n)?"

"No, I want to get to my (Y/n)." Vince refrained from reacting to his churlish correction as the gears in his mind began turning and poking holes into the dilemma. "I won't let you have her so easily, Vinny. And for the first time in your privileged life you'll actually feel real suffering." A promising smirk appeared on the boy's lips and remained unflattering even as Vince turned himself around to approach his company.

Lilito had to mentally backtrack as the older male seemed unnaturally content with the situation. As he approached the boy, the student proceeded to suspiciously tense and track back in synchronisation with his pursuer. Surprisingly, he had stuck himself against a wall as his eyes continued fixating on the verging male. Warily glaring at him, Lilito felt his blood turn to needles as the young man hovered over him like an arching structure, engulfing his stif form in shadow. Vince simply smiled down at the boy as though they were first friends.

"I see." Vince leaned down, quickly placing an arm against the wall at the boy's side where he was eyeing for the possibility of escape. Lilito bewilderingly stared at the smirking male as he tractably shrivelled at the familiar body language. He adroitly recognised the glaze of sensuality held in his smile and the spark of promising suggestion in his dark eyes and was immediately caught off guard by the approach. "Then whatever your planning on doing to (Y/n), you'll have to do to me first." Vince's deep vocals played with an intrigued daringness that coated over an eager annunciation.

The azure eyed boy had to disentangle his thoughts in order to coherently process the situation. His bones hardened into stone as he felt his hair being toyed with, sending bouts of disgusted deja vu pricking his senses as the man's face began to blur and twist until another figure stood in front of his vision. "I-...what?!" He stammered, attempting to clear the cloud of features in front of eyes.

"Before you get to my precious bride you'll have to go through me." Emerged the older male's persistent, almost bitter remark before simmering to seductively purr at the stricken boy. "So what's going on baby, are we gonna f**k or what?"

Lilito immediately shot his hand up to grab his own shoulder in instinctive defends as he felt invisible nails digging into his muscle to leave him incapacitated in the fingers' mercy. "I-I was not expecting this turn of events!" He managed to heave out as he prayed that his body would melt through the wall and allow him room to breath and process the occurrence.

"So you're not going to say anything?" Vince gently questioned, intriguingly tilting his head to the side but did not receive an answer to his inquiry. Lilito could only stare with a gaping gaze, breathing unsteadily as he felt the man's fingers sliding down his his face to his neck. "Then next time..."  Abruptly clenching his hands, he harshly pressed on the boy's windpipe to barely allow him oxygen for breathing. Lilito grunted at the uncomfortable and threatening hold but remained tractable as he didn't dare provoke the loathsome rage seeping through his assailant's scowl. "Expect it and don't just crawl back like a roach. Next time don't bulls**t me with empty threats, it's a waste of my time and patience."

Vince curtly unlatched his grip to allow the boy a complete intake of air. It seemed as though all his insides were knotting vigorously around his tremulous heart as he struggled to regain composure. "What the hell...?" He uttered more to himself than anyone else. He had to stand frozen in his mental assessment over the sudden loss of power over the situation and his immediate submission.

Vince had distanced himself from the unsteady male and was even wiping his hand from the contact they had made while the student regained his nerves. "I hate people with no backbone. Did you assume I was just going to quietly take in your insolent claims, especially when it regards (Y/n)?" When he had caught up with his composure, Lilito looked up at the man, holding quiet rage in his gaze as he tried to steady the incessant shaking of his limbs. "Stop trembling like you're a leaf caught in a storm. I have more honour than to bicker with a simpleminded dullard." Lilito withheld his aggravation until it subsided and dissolved to leave a more prepared and alert boy.

Vince turned his prim gaze away and prepared to leave the scene. Lilito noticed this retreat and impulsively closed the building gap between them to regard him with the necessary reaction with the smallest vain hope that the young man had been even slightly serious with his proposition. "H-hold on there big boy, I never said I wasn't interested. If that's what it takes to get (Y/n)-" His forced on smile thawed with understanding confirmation the moment Vince's annoyed features glanced back to face his attempts.

"Are you seriously that much of a moron?" The younger male granted him an equally irritated glare as he retracted and allowed himself to give in on the false hope. "I was being facetious you idiot, the only person that deserves me is (Y/n). And vice versa."

Lilito watched his smug smile slowly forming as the older male prepared to leave, causing the boy to spit out his last remark. "Do you think she's honestly going to fall for you? Even from the little bit I saw you guys together I can clearly see she's running to get away from you."

Vince rolled his eyes at the comment before giving him an unamused glare. "I can give her everything she could possibly desire. What do you have to offer?"

Lilito assuringly simpered at this and indulged in crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I can give her my body and pleasures beyond human comprehension." His confident voice promisingly declared while holding an affirmed smile.

"Oh?" Vince raised an eyebrow at his response before eyeing the boy's form up and down before giving him a sweetened smile. "How useless for her."

Lilito's muscles rushed with energy as he indignantly glared at the male. "What did you say?"

"I'm sorry but I don't think (Y/n) is interested in other people's sloppy seconds." After his final comment Vince faced away from the young boy and absently walked on down the corridor as though they had never interacted in the first place.

Lilito remained bolted on the spot, his jaw aching from the constant clenching of his teeth, his eyes locked onto the man that had the gull to bring up the remark. His rage built up within his as his mind continued being pestered by the degrading words. His body instinctively contracted and shrieked in on itself as every bit of esteem evaporated from his pores, leaving him in a haunted state.

(Y/n) paused her sweeping for the dozenth time while her mind trailed back to her previous interaction, feeling the consecutive pang in her heart. She remained unbothered and numb even when the leafs she had been sweeping off the large patch of cement returned with the company of their kind through the invasive breeze. It was just another chance for her mind to remain busy.

'Why would he say something like that...? Was he serious?' She loathed reality that she couldn't simply brush off the subject and remained in internal conflict. 'Even if he was serious I still can't just accept it. I would just be stringing him along without returning the feelings.' She stopped her empty sweeping, feeling her body slowly shut down as all her muscles slackened until she limply remained in suspended thought. 'I mean, do I like him?' She thoughtfully considered, attempting to speculate on her own feelings and associate them to any reciprocation she could hand the boy. However, her hands tightened around the body of the broom and her mind was released from the merciless contemplation once she arrived at the bitter conclusion. 'No...I can't find it in my heart to fancy him.' Disappointingly sighing, (Y/n) pressed her forehead against the palm of her hand as her nerves began uncomfortably spiking and bringing a sense of nausea. 'Damn it Akai, why did you have to make it all so awkward and confusing?' She wished she could blame the boy for her struggle and shock, she wished she could place some of her burden of his words back on him but didn't find the conscience to guilt him into her own anxiousness. He had no fault in her moods. She quickly shook her head and the thoughts away before tightly shutting her eyes and concentrating hard on forgetting the entire encounter. 'No, nothing has changed. Everything is the same as before so stop worrying. Akai's still a good guy, I can still be around him without worrying about what he said.' Forcing on a smile to emote a false sense of relief in her disposition she proceeded to absentmindedly sweep off the debris of leafs and other organic material that fluttered around.

(Y/n)'s heart stopped in its tracks. Her breath suspended in her lungs and her muscles pulsed unlike her petrified heart as she felt fingers securely grasping onto her shoulder, like claws sinking into their prey. She whipped around to see who had been stalking behind her, her throat burning with the suppressed breath which was allowed release once she recognised the big eyes staring back at her. "Buongiorno..." Came out a dulled out tone as the hand relaxed from her shoulder before sliding away.

(Y/n) lightly laughed at her own shock before chucking her head about to clear the clutter in her mind. "Giovanni, where did you come from? I didn't hear you."

"How long are you planning on making me wait?" The female stared at his deadpanned features as a chilling tingle dispersed around all her nerves and caused her to involuntarily shiver.

"Huh?"

Giovanni's eyes lowered as his gentle tone was replaced with a colder and mellow sound. "You keep ignoring and neglecting me. Have I really lost your interest so soon?" (Y/n)'s muscles stiffened once he looked up at her with an accusatory gaze that was replete with irritation and doubt.

The worker felt her heart drop at the distrusting look and loosened her posture along with her expression. "Gio I'm so sorry, I've just been really busy and keep getting sidetracked." She apologetically gestured, squeezing the body of the broom while her chest tightening at the validity of his claim.

The boy carefully watched her for a few seconds, pressing the silence of the sweeping breeze into the atmosphere where the girl could almost hear her heart palpating with anticipation for what he was to respond with. "You'll come now then." He carefully told her, reaching out and taking her hand before beginning to pull her towards the building, intending to pick up on their lost time together.

(Y/n) was briefly shocked at the request and hesitated on proceeding with the command as she thought over her duties and the work she still had to perform. "What? But wait, I need to clean the patio-"

"There's an excuse every time..." Interrupting her ramble over the list of tasks, Giovanni stopped himself for a brief moment to allow the girl time to process his words. The female's throat became lodged with an invisible lump that stemmed from guilt and disconcertment. The boy then glanced back at her with a broken expression, melancholically gazing at her with the slightest spark of hope. "Per favore..."

(Y/n)'s conscience was swayed by the urgency in his features and couldn't help but give him a pitying smile. She proceeded to set the broom down before turning to give him a confirming smirk which brought life into the boy's eyes. "Alright. Let's go then."

"It still smells so good." (Y/n) informed as she breathed in the soft spice in the atmosphere and the subtle stings of herbs and raw goods. The homely feel welcomed her into the room with an uplifting sense of optimism at the upcoming activity.

Giovanni happily watched her accustom to the setting once more as she approached the table of content for ingredients. As the boy carefully watched her distracted form, he reached back to click the lock closed with a key where he secured their privacy. "Hey, how about I show you some of the new flavours I had created while you were busy." He excitedly chirped before joining the girl at the table to watch her eagerly scanning through the colours of pastry that decorated the furniture. "Here, the sweet syrup in this is a personal favourite of mine." He presented to her a spoon that held a small sample of one of his earlier works.

Giovanni was slightly downhearted as the female took the spoon from him to taste it herself. As she took in the bite a burst of sharp vanilla and honey mixed in with the sugary sponge of the cake resurrected her tastebuds from their mournful dormancy and caused some much needed excitement for her senses. As soon as the pastry melted away and dissolved against her taste buds, it left a soothing and pleasant aftertaste that remained in sweetened stasis in her mouth instead of ageing repulsively. It was this intense delightful taste that brought her to her final decision as all her exuberant senses continued reliving that single moment. "It's so tasty! I think Mai would really love this!" Declaring her pick with energy that could have only been given by the pastry, Giovanni took the intuitive dazzle in her eyes as a good sign.

"So we'll go with this then! Perfetto, I'll begin making it right away!" He enthused before pacing up to the stove with a spring in his step and turning the machine on to prepare for caramelization.

(Y/n) quietly speculated at the side as she watched the male perform his duties until she figured to fill in the silence that was only rippled through by the sound of the flames exhaling through the stove and the clinking of cooking equipment. "How have you been lately?" Giovanni clumsily paused for a solid few seconds, staring off into space with an astounded look that remained unseen by the inquiring girl.

He reluctantly glanced towards her to meet her with his surprised expression before willing out a single word. "Me?"

She confirmedly nodded at his bemusement. "Yes, I'm curious what you've been up to. I know there's more than cooking in your life." He became more nervous than he would have admitted as he reverted his focus on the cooking in order to alleviate some of the bashfulness that resonated in him.

As he desperately scampered through his mind for the answer that would ease his panic, he recalled a recent event that might hold the girl's attention. "I...I went the circus on Monday morning, alone." He recalled to his gravely bitter mood on the day that followed the revelation of the girl's temporary retirement and had halfheartedly visited the loud show of lights and people as a distraction. He noticed his company had taken intrigue over his words and he breathed out for the relief in his heart and proceeded to stumble into his detailed explanation. "There was a tightrope walk and clowns for the breaks between acts and there was a man who danced in the air hanging by a few long pieces of cloths." He could recollect mostly long glimpses of the show, with sparkling outfits and hair, and music that drowned out the voices of the crowd. His memory blurred into images of acrobatic bodies and flamboyant speakers. On the other hand, Giovanni mostly remembered the deep melancholy of the girl's absence as even the thundering sounds, pungent smells and catching colours couldn't wrench him out of his foul mood. "It went on the whole day. And there was a firework show after that."

(Y/n) slumped at the breathtaking ambience that he had been subjected too and felt disappointment at her own lost opportunity. "Ah, I didn't know there was a circus going on. Though I guess I wouldn't have been able to visit it anyway..." The boy could have only spitefully wished that she was there to experience it with him. Meanwhile, the female entered a dejected state of pensiveness as she was reminded of the tragedy that had stricken her family on that same day.

Giovanni notices her faltering optimism and rushed through his head to change the subject, resulting in gaining the female's regard once more. "Yesterday, I was asked by the Engine Club to come over and help them with repairing a small machine they've been working on."

"What's the Engine Club?"

"It's a club in our school dedicated to learning mechanics, building models and machines, converting energy into mechanical energy, and anything that has to do with hardware and building tools. It's one of the school's most expensive clubs but also the most successful." He left the pot of sugar that mixed with numerous other concoctions to break down in the heat of the pan and stove before approaching the girl with a friendly smile. "Last year St Mary won an award for the club's invention of a small robot that moved around using light reflection and echolocation. It was quite a big deal and gained a lot of money." The girl gawked at the information with astonishment and could hardly compare the school's success to her own educational facility where only the most basic of clubs existed.

"That sounds amazing. And they asked you for help?"

The male sheepishly grinned as he began fiddling with innocuous items on the table and clearing unnecessary tools away nervously. "Yeah, I know a bit about repairing and engineering works." He simply informed as he felt slightly exposed at confession. "I've had experience after having to fix a lot of cooking machines."

The young worker couldn't help but feel surprised at the reveal and his other various skills. "Wow, I didn't know you were that savvy. I know a little bit about making repairs around the house after watching my mum do most of the work and after practicing myself." She sadly chuckled as she would distinctly recall her parent slaving over dysfunctional items in their house until finally reading up enough information and dragging through multiple attempts until it would be as good as new.

"Your mum does the handy work?" Giovanni seemed genuinely intrigued by the announcement and joined the girl at her side, facing her as they conversed. "Did she work with appliances before or does she simply enjoy it?"

"No, we're just too cheap to get someone else to do it for us." The boy cracked up into a chuckle at the direct answer and was then joined by the girl as they both had a shared laughter.

"Would you like me to show you something I had made?" He excitedly questioned once he noticed a grieving sadness descending upon the female. He was already buzzing through his closet to find the boxy hardware before the girl could even respond.

"Like a machine? Yeah!" Piping out her agreement she proceeded to join the male as he extracted the item out of its secluded space. As he placed the bulky object down on the ground she had a proper look over the model. The entire exterior had vast gradients of coloured wires plucking out from each direction which knotted around more wires all throughout the body. There seemed to be multiple small square blocks plugged into the machine as hardware disks were strewn about under the cables. As the girl examined each detail, her brain would immediately find a detail in that detail and make her wonder how these thousands of components did their jobs and if all of them had to be used in order for the machine to perform its functions. "This guy looks like he's seen better days." She jested as it seemed stripped down from any stylish finish with only the wheels underneath it signifying it's mobility.

"It's because he's missing his shell. This is all the hardware that goes into creating a remote-controlled vehicle." He plucked out the said remote from a separate box in his closet which's style was normal and simplistic enough for the girl to absorb without overthinking the mechanics behind it. "The Engine Club gave it to me after they dropped the project because of how simple it was. It was already half finished when I got it so I've had to add my own interpretation." Awkwardly shying away from further exposing his facilities he gladly handed the female the remote. "But so far it works well."

"Can I try?" She inquired as she was handed the device in her eager fingers.

"Si, cero." He stayed closely beside her as he monitored her actions while the wide-eyed girl excitedly waited with anticipation as she pushed against the miniature leaver to begin the drive. "Just be careful, it has a very extreme push when it-" As soon as there was the slightest pressure on the stick that dictated the car's movements the semi vehicle shot out like an arrow forwards, giving only the briefest of zipping noises before being muted once it vitally crashed into the wall, "starts." Giovanni finally finished as he stared blankly at the slightly dishevelled equipment while the girl gaped in horror at her accidental miscalculation.

"Oh no! Did I break it?!" Sprinting over to the item, her form loomed over the vehicle as though doting over an injured, innocent civilian while the boy casually walked over to assess the damage. "I'm so sorry..."

The male scoffed at her grieving worry before patting her shoulder to comfort her troubled state. "Don't worry, it probably just got a few bolts and wires knocked around. That's why these things usually need a body." He informed before rolling the item towards him to analyse it's slightly disarranged form and added a self-deprecating comment under his breath: "And a better equipped technician."

(Y/n) hummed her disappointment before she guiltily let out a chuckle. "Even with my knowledge I definitely can't understand advanced stuff like this." She looked over at the device and could see what possible injuries it had sustained but failed to locate what had to be adjusted first.

"It's ok. I'll fix it in no time." Giovanni's positive optimism lifted up her mood as she was given a glimpse of what the boy's skills consisted of and couldn't help but giggle.

"Looks like Lilito isn't the only one good with his hands." The male's blood hastily migrated to all the cells in his face as he shrivelled up with embarrassment as his entire expression glowed red and his eyes darted away in a vain attempt to covet his discomposure. "Haha! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just a bit of dirty humour." He seemed to periodically part his lips and move them while slight gasping and grunting noises emerged but failed to form proper words as he couldn't annunciate a single syllable through the stammers. The male ended up turning his gaze away and completely rotating his body so she would face his back. "Haha, you've become mute. Sorry, I'll tone my jokes down a bit." She informed, gently patting his back to get his attention and affirm him.

"Has Lilito...have you done something with him?" (Y/n)'s lighthearted smile disappeared as the voice that came out was despondent and concerned as he didn't allow her to witness his expression.

"What do you mean?" (Y/n) questioned with confusion for the context of the sudden inquiry. Giovanni turned around to face her with scarlet cheeks as he couldn't find the decency to level his sights with her nor build up the shame to paraphrase his question, granting the girl an immediate hint of what he was assuming. "Oh! No, I wouldn't even think about it. I've got no intention of being added to his disposable lover count. Plus, he's been kind of insensitive lately..." Passively informing of the male's tactless approach to her mother's incident, (Y/n) smiled at the boy who seemed more than at ease at the sincere claim.

When the girl prepared to stand up and check on the cooking, her body was planted to the spot as a pair of arms snuck up behind her to wrap around her, stunting the girl as she felt the boy's form relaxing against her as his whisper reached her ear. "I'm relieved. My heart hurts to think that you could be wasted on men like him."

(Y/n) immediately sensed the indicative signals surging through her mind as she couldn't help but connotation the fond behaviour with Akai's preferred responses for her. Her alarm only heightened as the boy embraced her closer and she could almost feel the satisfied smile that parted his lips. The girl quickly wriggled about before proceeding to distance herself from the her company. "Hey, let's start cooking. I feel like my habit of sidetracking is rubbing off on you." Nervously informing him, she swiftly retracting to go and absentmindedly check on the ingredients while her nerves rushed with dubiety.

"Phew! The summer weather and a hot oven are not suitable conditions to be in." The young worker commented as she had to flap her shirt once again to keep her body from overheating. Despite the open windows and terrace there still seemed to be thermal heat hovering around their environment which made their work more tedious than it had to be.

Giovanni, however, seemed less than bothered by any of the irksome aspects of the activity and was glowing with joy as he continued replaying their conversations and interactions throughout the whole process, delighted to maintain these memories in order to relive them in the confines of his mind. "At least it's over now." Nearing her side of the workspace the boy watched as she carefully smoothed out the frosting over the pastry itself until it resembled a pure, sleek stone slab. "Ah, perfetto! You have a skill for decoration, it looks really professionally done."

The girl couldn't help but laugh at the hyperbolised compliment before finalising the piece and wiping her sticky hands on her apron. "The blanc coating of white frosting is a mark of professionalism? I must have been a try-hard until now then." The pair chuckled before (Y/n) looked about for the utensil that would serve as her aid. "I'll get a fork to taste it." Giovanni's joyfulness quickly flickered off as a deep frown etched itself onto his lips as he watched her searching for the needed tools.

Once the female had spotted the needed item for consumption she reached out to take the fork from the far side of the table. stretching out to grab the cutlery, the fork was obstructed as a creamy, smooths substance poured over her hands and dribbled onto the table where the fork and numerous other utensils and equipment were drenched. A second after the extra batter had drenched the section of their workspace a plastic bowl bounced off the surface and rolled onto the floor. (Y/n) quickly retracted back once she became a part of the mess and had to suppress the urge of flicking her soiled hands so as to not spread the mess. She looked over at Giovanni who guiltily watched the consequences of his clumsiness.

He apologetically retracted in on himself as he grievingly bowed his head. "Oh, mi dispiace! I didn't mean that! My hands couldn't hold the bowl properly and then it just slipped out of my fingers." His uncontrollable blubbering and uneasy speech was frantic with worry until the girl reassured him of no existing grudge.

"And I was sticky from the icing..." She lightly complained under her breath, holding her arms at a distance from her body so as to avoid contaminating the rest of her form with the extra ingredients. "Is there another fork I can use?"

"There is." Rotating around to gratefully accept the offering (Y/n) prepared to give him her thanks until her features slanted down as she watched the food being already presented to her convenience. "Here. Open up." Giovanni happily held up the tool for her, waiting patiently and blissfully until she would consume their final product while the female could only stare at the gesture.

"Are you sure. There must be another spoon somewhere here." She hastily looked around herself but had her hopes of spotting a spare utensil dashed to shreds as she saw no spare cutlery.

"This is the only one around for now." The boy's expectant smile morphed into an unamused and panned frown that faced the girl's hesitance. "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"No, of course not..." She uncertainly assured. The female hadn't interpreted until that point how inappropriately intimate it seemed to be fed by another's gentle hands and as her suspicions and awareness manifested it only dampened her impression. Pressing down against the queasy feeling in her gut, she reluctantly took the food.

"How does it taste?" He chirped.

The girl could bare urge her taste buds to awaken and actually experience the longing sweetness as her sense of taste seemed to submerge into dormancy once more where all that she placed in her mouth remained blandly grey. She was unsure whether it was due to her discomfort over the situation but was aware its origin was associated with her mental state. "Definitely better than last time." Forcing out the most truthful statement she could figure, it brought an amused chuckle from the male. She turned her pale face away to walk towards a door as her voice attempted to remain level and natural. "I'll just go and wash my hands in the bathroom, I'll be right back."

The moment she walked inside the female felt her knees quivering until all the bones in her body vibrated to the unsettling small spikes that pricked her skin. As her breath began to accelerate she quickly dove for the sink where she twisted the nob to its halting extent and allowed the pressured gushing of water to drown out her thoughts. She quickly but thoroughly rinsed her hands before dowsing her face in the cold liquid. She splashed away the cloudiness in her mind before supporting herself over the sink while her suspicions emerged again to freely roam in the privacy of her mind.

'Calm down, (Y/n). Calm down. You're being paranoid. After Akai you're just overthinking things. There's no way he would like me in that way. Two guys in the same household liking me is just a slim chance anyway.' She forced herself to laugh at the ridiculousness of her alarm while her subconscious kept poking holes into her resolution. Once her face was dried she looked at herself in the mirror and slapped her cheeks a few times to bring some colour to her face. 'Just settle down and don't overanalyse it. He's a nice guy and that's all.' After her unconvincing reassurance, she proceeded to step back into the bedroom where she noticed the accidental mess had been cleared away and Giovanni had taken it upon himself to sketching in a notebook, awaiting for her return.

"So we've officially decided on this recipe?" The female stiffly nodded with a fixed smile on her visage as he turned to address her. "Great! I'll note it down and start preparing designs for it."

She gratefully nodded before turning her body towards the exit where she took out her crumpled and worn down schedule from her pocket to prepare for the next course of action. "Yeah, I'll check them out when you're ready. Meanwhile, I need to continue my work-" Taking her strides away from her company, the female was abruptly impeded by a hand that had wrapped around her arm and stopped her from progressing. Her heart lurched at the possibility and warily turned around to stare at the boy who had obstructed her. "Gio...?"

"Wait. You're going?" His voice dulled out and felt strained, as though it were suppressing a bout of anxiousness and dread.

"Well, I need to go and do my work." She simply and carefully explained, tactful in treading slowly through the conversation while trying to assess the ambience.

"No." He disagreed on the matter with his unhesitating reply, forcing the girl to stare in confusion at the sudden disapproval.

"What?"

He vehemently shook his head and stared at her with a panicked expression. "No. Out there the other guys might approach you. Then you'll forget all about me." (Y/n) couldn't comprehend the sudden subject that was brought on and the paranoia that resided in the male's tone. He took her hand and cupped it in his palms while a smile was plastered over his lips. "Stay here for just a little longer. I'll show you other activities too! There's still so much I want to talk about with you. I want to know what you enjoy doing in your spare time. What kind of friends do you have? What annoys you about people? What...what kind of guys you like?" (Y/n) remained in shock at all his exasperated confessions and questions, refusing to pause anywhere in his speech, rendering her overwhelmed and wordless. There was desperation edging into his voice as he went on, bordering on dread and worry as he stepped forward to enclose the distance between them. Before the female had a moment to react and absorb, she was stunted as his hand placed itself against her cheek where he directed her straight towards him. "Amore mio..." He lullingly spoke, a sense of longing drizzled over his tone before he leaned in, allowing his impulses and to manifest and his sensibility to fog up as their lips neared.

A sharp slap resonated through the room. Giovanni stood stunned and paralysed while the girl remained equally startled and stupefied. He placed a palm against the stinging redness on his cheek and (Y/n) stared at the hand that had unknowingly swung out to cause the sore contact. Realising his gradual recollection of the situation, she quickly retracts back and away from him, refusing to take her sights off the unpredictable boy.

"I...-I..." She clung to the limb that had reflexively lashed out. There were no words gathering in her mind to respond to the scene as she herself had difficulty absorbing it. Her mind screamed and begged her to make an escape while he remained sedated by shock but her body was pumping cement through her veins, stiffening her to the spot.

"Oh no..." Giovanni finally responded, emerging from his catatonic state and began slowly shaking his head, realising his miscalculation and yield over his emotions. "Oh no, I messed it up...I messed it up, didn't I?" He looked at the female to confirm his dilemma and didn't need a verbal response to arrive to the conclusion. "No. No. No! I was too impatient! I-I couldn't help myself!" The male began pacing to and fro around his area, lamenting over his mistake before swiftly rotating towards the girl in an attempt to justify himself in front of her. However, he was greeted with a concerned expression that only held heedfulness to his next actions. "(Y/n), don't look at me in that way! This...this isn't my fault. You brought this out of me. I needed to express what I was feeling! My body just reacted, it's not my fault, right?" He quickly grabbed her hand as desperation poured through his lips, limbs trembling with dolefulness as he tried to pull a reaction out of her. "Please say something! Tell me if I'm in over my head with this! Tell me!"

"Giovanni, stop! You're really weirding me out!" She ripped her her arm out of his pleading grasp before stepping away from him, struggling to follow situation she was rooted into.

Once he noticed her retreat the boy felt his brain peeling away all sensibility and scraping out his sanity to leave a festering section of anxiety to swallow him up. "No, don't pull back! I won't be able to live with myself if you start rejecting me. I won't accept it!" He paced towards her in an attempt to halt the female from departing from the conversation, only alerting her to escape.

(Y/n) realised for every panicked reaction she gave him, he would reciprocate the response and tried to slip away from the scene without causing further distress on either of them. "Listen, I'll see you later ok? I just need to...-" The young worker was relieved once she securely placed her fingers on the door handle, only for her hand to be stopped from progressing as the handle refused to be pushed down. After multiple attempts at applying pressure and desperate wriggling, she realised the intended purpose. "Why is the door locked?" When her expression turned towards the male it had sunken to a dreadful paleness and dwindling hope, failing to hide the disconcertment that had been plaguing her mind. "Why is the door locked?" She carefully repeated while the male only nervously watched her from a quiet distance.

"I couldn't allow people to disturb us. Our time is so precious! It's so valuable to me that I can't let someone take it away." He shuddered at the prospect of another, faceless entity listening to her blissful words and sweet voice. To witness the smile he had longed to lock away where only he would be the source of it. To feel the warmth of her presence and the glow of her company while he would coldly panic over her interactions outside of him. "Do you understand now? I just want to keep you here with me. Here where time can stop for us and we can enjoy the peace and lasting of this moment." He attempted to level his tone out but only seemed more uncanny with the layers of delusion that tried to sound rational. "That's not a crime, is it?"

"Please unlock the door..." (Y/n) no longer faced him but resorted to staring at the ground, trying to build up the steadiness in her voice that could possibly dominate the conversation.

Giovanni took no notice of her request and was instead influenced by the growing warmth in his heart. A heat that intoxicated his mind and operated his reasoning. "I've been meaning to tell you how dear you are to me. You've made me feel so enthralled to be in another's company after such a long time. It's like I've been waiting my whole life to meet you. I can't wait any longer and risk losing this spark of light in my world. That's absolutely out of the question." He sternly glared at her, holding a warning in his cold voice while the young worker continued forcing her eyesight to the floor and remaining on her topic.

"Please unlock the door."

Giovanni gently smiled as he reminisced. "Cooking is something I've felt passionate about and I thought that as long as someone else is interested I'd at least get along with them." He mildly spoke before energising his voice as he regarded her and quickly approached the frightened female to assure her personally. "But you seem interested in what I do beyond my skill base and have been so nurturing to me. You've been so polite and warm and gentle that my mind sometimes doubts you even exist. It made me wonder if there's someone that's actually interested in who I am beyond some Italian boy that loves food. Can I really be open and relaxed with you?" Giovanni stopped beside her, hopefully smiling at her while she added strength to her request.

"Please unlock the door!"

Giovanni tenderly placed his plan against the female's cold cheek, causing her to flinch slightly at his gentle touch. "(Y/n)...cara mia, I want to know everything about you too. Every small detail in your life, I want to hold it and keep it close so each one of them belongs to me. Every aspect of your life." Each longing caress against her skin sent disturbed shivers coursing through her as the male relished at freely touching her and displaying his affection. "What scares you? What are your darkest secrets? What kind of person are you truly? I know there's a limit to how kind and caring people can be." Even though (Y/n) persisted on straying her gaze away from him, she could feel his head nearing and residing beside her ear as he attentively watched for her reaction when he inquired with a chilling and firm voice. "What's your limit?"

"UNLOCK THE DOOR!" Her voice ripped through the one-sided conversation, bringing down silence to their surroundings as her snapping scream finally managed to reach the boy.

She didn't know what the male's expression held nor how he was looking at her through the silence. However, to her final relief, she saw his hand reaching towards the lock where he inserted the matching key to turn and free the handle and girl. "I messed it up...I messed it up." As he solemnly repeated the girl wasted no time in swinging the door open and escaping the scene. Giovanni stared at the wide exit before slowly closing the entrance and woefully shaking his head. "I messed it up...I messed it up." His body collapsed against the surface of the frame, watching the scene replay before his eyes like a broken record and he slid to the floor the male gave out a humoured scoff as a glimmer of light appeared in front of the bleak events. "But it's not over."

(Y/n) stumbled through the corridor, her paced feet syncing with her incessant heart which was only beat in speed by her strenuous panting. As she sped down the steps towards the ground floor, she gripped onto the bannister after realising how shifty and blurry her visions was becoming and felt her mind drifting away from her body. As she reached the lower floor her form had to further support itself against a structure as her lungs began heaving in nothing as though the pressure in the atmosphere had dropped.

After rubbing away the mist in front of her vision, she noticed a figure facing the entrance, checking himself in seeming preparation. "Lilito...what are you doing?" Her weak voice came out, hoping to attract his busy attention. She didn't care how bitter she had been at him, she didn't care how insensitive or untrustworthy he was, she didn't care what he would think of her at that moment. The girl desperately needed someone to speak and wash away her previous conversation like it were a horrible daydream.

Lilito didn't seem to catch her quivering tone through the blood rushing past his ears and neither did he regard her with a single look as his enraged mind continued sending him back to his own prior interaction. "I'm going out..." He bluntly remarked, smoothing out his shirt and rushedly checking his pockets to ensure he had his needed belongings.

(Y/n) let out a shaky breath, gulping down the painful lump that had lodged itself in her throat before regarding him once more in an unstable tone. "Where are you going...?"

"On a date with another girl! What does it look like?!" Once he snapped away his pent-up aggression, he slammed the main entrance after departing the scene. Lilito felt a guilty pleasure behind taking out his aggravation on the subject of his turmoil and would rather stray from her before she could remind him of his self-conscious concerns.

(Y/n) stared at the large frame that made up the main door, stunned at his spiteful reply that seemed to have an unknown origin. The confusion mixed with her fear, the anger mixed with her shock and the pained guilt mixed with her dejection. 'What did I do this time...?' Her aching heart cracked under the pressure as her mind attempted to understand what had brought on the resentful reaction until it only served to burden her mind even more.

The muscles in her legs shut down abruptly and sent her collapsing to the ground where each second of repression for her tears only caused her body to shake with nerves. Her head felt cumbersome and only piled with more anxiousness and stress as the recent moments rushed through her mind and invaded her thoughts. The girl could barely recognise the spinning world around her, her body felt like it was being stirred around and the floor beneath her swayed.

Her vision was submerged into water once more as she felt the threat of the tears that bordered her lids spilling like a faucet. 'Stop it. Why are you crying? There's no reason to cry. You're just shaken up, that's all...' However, it almost seemed as though her heart was searching for excuses to spill away her sorrow. She could barely hold her thoughts together and her limbs slowly began to uncontrollably tremble the more she attempted to suppress. The girl made an attempt to comfort herself when her throat began burning and each inhale became laborious and strained. 'Calm down, just finish your work. The sooner you finish, the sooner you'll go home and you can ask mum how...-' The creeping realisation was the final stab that her heart needed. (Y/n)'s world collapsed as her vision was blotched with dark splatters that spread through to the entire environment.

Her expectations of hearing word of maternal comfort, her hopes of being held by strong arms that used to lift her up high above the world, her needs of listening to a voice that would be angry, tired, happy, sad, energised and content were shredded in mere moments as she realised she was alone. She alone had to deal with the pain and she alone will be her only source of consolation.

As she felt on the brink of blacking out, she was transported back to reality where her body now seemed steadied through the help of another form and the ground seemed solid and unmoving once more. "It's ok now. I'm going to be here until you don't need me." Eban's soft voice seeped into her perception as her vocal pants slowly subsided into heavy breaths as she allowed her body to be held by the male's sheltering arms. She would find the shame to push him away and excuse herself once her sensibility would return, however, for that moment she welcomed the embrace of another where she could weep out her anxieties. "Don't worry, you shouldn't be upsetting yourself over others' petty actions." Eban gingerly stroked her head, mindful over her unstable state while she took a moment to relieve every fright within her and all the shock. She was unshakeable in his firm hold and finally felt at ease after what felt like an eternity of torment. "Believe me, life will have much worse in store for you."