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FOR THE NEXT WEEK or so, Juliet continuously pestered the dark-haired fae; holding his hand while walking him to classes, surprising him while he's on his usual late night strolls around the Ramshackle Dorm area, and randomly gifting him flowers because she claimed that he should add some color to his mundane wardrobe.

"GOOD MORNING MALLEUS!", Juliet brightly greeted.

"Ah, here comes my walking headache", Sebek Zigvolt — a literal simp for Malleus — scoffed.

"Hey! Good morning, Romeo and Grim!", Lilia Vanrouge — the Vice House-warden of Diasomnia — cheerfully responded.

     Despite looking as young as ever, Lilia was as old as hell, for he once raised Malleus and Silver (another member of the Diasomnia Dorm).

     "Morning! I'm just here to pick up Malleus like usual", Juliet smiled, as Silver just quietly ate his breakfast.

     "Tch! How many times must I say this? As a feeble human, you should refer to Young Master as Great Malleus Draconia-sama!", Sebek reprimanded.

     "Someone's dedicated", Grim commented.

     "Bro, do you even hear yourself?? If one didn't know, they'd think you're gay for Malleus", Juliet snorted.

     The green-haired half-human clenched his fists as he attempted to maintain his composure in front of his master.

     "As if you don't act the same way!", he barked back, causing the cat to flinch from the sudden loudness.

     "I am gay for Malleus", the eighteen year-old girl giggled, wrapping her arms around the dark-haired fae's shoulders from behind.

     Malleus, who was just peacefully sitting at the dining table, had suddenly stiffened under the girl's affectionate touch.

     "Y-YOU!!"

     "Oh stop it, Sebek! You look like you're one blow away from overblotting", Lilia joked.

     "Myahaha!! Good one!", Grim crackled, "His face's almost as red as a tomato!"

     "Ehh? You know, my favorite food is tomato juice", Lilia added on.

     "Anyways, are you ready to go, Malleus? Ah, actually, how about I give you a nickname instead?", Juliet suggested, causing Sebek to glare at the masked girl.

     "A nickname? What do you suggest, Child of Man?"

     "Mm...how about Mal?? Orrrr Tsunotarou?", Juliet laughed.

Malleus let out a low chuckle, as everyone at the table snapped their heads towards their dorm leader.

"He laughed...", one gasped.

"The Malleus Draconia actually laughed!", another chimed in.

     "Why's everyone so surprised?", Grim questioned, shaking his head, as he did not get it. After all, the fae also felt emotions.

"Whatever you desire, Child of Man", Malleus answered, for this was the first time someone has given him a nickname.

"Tsunotarou it is then!! Also, you should call me something else as well. Child of Man is such a mouthful", Juliet stated.

"Young Master can call you whatever he wishes! You should be honored to even be acknowledged by him!", Sebek scoffed.

"No need to be so hostile towards him, Sebek", Lilia grinned.

"Yes, Master Lilia", the green-haired student politely replied.

     "Then what shall I refer to you as?", Malleus questioned, gently brushing Juliet's arms away, so that he could stand up and hold her hand instead.

     "Mm...anything! Anything would be better than Child of Man!", she huffed.

     "Child of Woman?", Malleus joked, to which even Lilia was awed at the fact that the fae had just made a quip.

     "Keep this up and I'm leaving you behind", the blonde girl pouted, about to walk away with Grim, as Sebek's mouth had gaped open.

     "The audacity of you! Who dares to walk away from Young Master?!"

     Malleus lifted his hand as a sign for Sebek to relax, whilst he had caught up with Juliet, who was actually waiting outside the cafeteria doors.

     "I see you haven't left me behind yet", Malleus slightly smiled.

     "Hmph! It's just because—"

     "He likes you~", Grim snickered, flying around the duo, as Juliet's face heated up from embarrassment.

     "I—"

     "You like me?", Malleus questioned with a raised brow.

     "W-Well, yeah! Isn't it obvious?? Who wouldn't?"

     'Not many do'.

     Malleus's petite smile resurfaced, as he placed a hand on top of Juliet's head, gently ruffling her hair.

     "Let's get to class before it starts then, Beastie".

     Seeing the corner of Juliet's lips curl up, Malleus was content with the nickname he had given.

     "Yes, let's go to class, Tsunotarou!"

♛

"Jamil, where are you going today??", Kalim Al-Asim, the House-warden of Scarabia, questioned.

     "Ah, I...I'm just going to consult Professor Crewel about my test grade, and hopefully get some extra points", Jamil lied.

     "Oh, okay!! See you later then!", Kalim smiled, as he skipped off to who knows where.

     Jamil nodded, as he swiftly made a detour towards the Ramshackle Dorm, where he awaited for Juliet in the lobby.

It wasn't that he was gatekeeping Juliet from Kali—okay maybe he was. But he's justified, because all his life, Kalim's always gotten what he wanted, served on a silver platter, and fed by a golden spoon.

Everything Jamil possessed, was lesser than Kalim's. For once, Jamil just wished to keep Juliet as a secret friend; his friend.

     "JAMIL, YOU'RE HERE!!", the eighteen year-old exclaimed, hurriedly snatching the boy's hands and dragging him towards her and Grim's shared room.

     There wasn't much since Crowley only provided Juliet the basic necessities, but it also worked out as a part of her disguise.

     "Your room's surprisingly neat", Jamil commented, causing the blonde girl to scoff.

     "What's that supposed to mean?", she frowned, forcing the Vice House-warden of Scarabia to stand in front of her desk that had a petite square mirror propped up on it.

     "Nothing~ Just...didn't expect this, that's all", Jamil teased with a shrug.

     "Anyways, where's your pet cat? Usually he's loudly boasting about how great he is".

     "Oh, I told Grim that he should go out and make some new friends, just like me! And then, we'll meet back up and introduce our friends, and we can all become a big group!!", Juliet excitedly explained, taking a seat in front of her desk so that Jamil could do her hair.

     "You left the cat alone...to make friends?", Jamil questioned with slight disbelief, grabbing the brush and untangling the knots in the girl's hair.

     Since their first meeting in the kitchen that night, the two had been hanging out there, until a chef had noticed that the food proportions for the next day were lesser than usual.

     Hence, one could only predict that he had tattled on the two to Crowley, who just dismissed Juliet's thievery.

     Though the two did not stop hanging out, for Juliet would miraculously find Jamil in the hallways and ask to chitchat later.

     "Yeah! I'm sure Grim will find someone who can appreciate his talents, since apparently I can't", Juliet laughed, as the Scarabia boy untied the girl's wavy hair, letting the locks just waterfall onto her shoulders.

     "Say, Romeo, I've been wondering..."

     "Mhm?"

     "Why do you wear a mask? And one like Mr. Crowley's?"

     "Because I'm ugly", Juliet instantly responded.

     Jamil raised a brow in suspicion, as he wasn't sure whether he should laugh in this situation or not.

     "Compared to you guys", the girl added on, noticing Jamil's change of expression from the reflection of her tiny ass mirror.

     "But you didn't even see us prior to your orientation".

     "I did! Through the screen".

     "Screen?", Jamil repeated, "Also, what hairstyle would you like today?"

     Surprisingly, the Scarabia boy was talented in doing hair as well, for he himself has long hair to take care of, but also a younger sister that he used to practice on.

     "Yeah! You know, I'm from another world, dimension, or whatever you want to call it. And in my world, we have phones like you guys as well. And technically, this world is just a game on my phone", Juliet explained, whilst Jamil wondered if the girl was sane or not.

     "Ah, and I'd like your hairstyle please!! I love all the braids and ornaments. But obviously we don't have to add the latter, since I don't have any of that stuff, so—"

     "Are we just going to ignore that you're from another world? And you're not worried in the slightest??"

"Well...there's not much that I can do, can I?", Juliet awkwardly chuckled, as her head unconsciously dipped in defeat.

"All I can do is rely on Mr. Crowley and hope that he finds a way to send me back", the girl mumbled, staring down at her non-manicured hands with a minute sullen expression.

"And if he doesn't, then...I'll just have to find a way to adapt here. Which reminds me, I should invest in finding a house and maybe getting a job before the four years end", Juliet stated.

Jamil started braiding from the left side of Juliet's head, as he noticed that the usual bright and happy girl was a little downcast.

"If...if things don't work out, maybe you can rely on the friends that you make here", the seventeen year-old boy suggested.

"Mm...I suppose...", Juliet casually responded.

"I mean, is that not why you're trying to make as many friends as you can right now? So that you can make connections for later on?"

"Do I seem like that type of person to you, Jamil?", the older student asked, "Like please, my brain's constantly recalibrating".

The dark-skinned boy let out a dry chuckle, as he momentarily rested his hand on Juliet's shoulder.

Turning to face towards the right and gently holding Jamil's hand, Juliet tilted her head to meet the Scarabia boy's doubting gaze.

"Well, at least I hope you don't think of me like that. I'd hate for you to believe that I'm only friends with you because of anything other than just my pure intentions of wanting to hangout with you", Juliet genuinely confessed.

Jamil's fingers twitched, as he vaguely made out the glimmering golden eyes through Juliet's mask once again.

"But aren't we just technically some characters in a game for you?"

"It is true that you're all characters in a game, but since I'm in the game, I guess I'm a character with you all as well", the girl smiled, causing Jamil to unintentionally hold his breath.

'If we're in this so-called game, then he must know how to—'

"Oh, and nobody else but Mr. Crowley knows about this. And to be honest, not even he knows the full story. You're the first one I told".

"Aren't you close with Draconia though? Why would you entrust such important information with me?", Jamil asked, glancing down at his hand that was still loosely encased by Juliet's.

'Warm', he thought, as he impulsively flipped his hand to stealthily graze his thumb against the girl's knuckles.

"I trust you!", Juliet simply answered.

"Trust..."

"Yeah! Because I know that you'll never betray me, Jamil. You're not that type of person", the girl declared, giving the boy's hand a light squeeze, as she received a hesitant one in return.

"Right..."

"So, are you going to finish doing my hair before dinner? Or will we be hogging my room the entire evening? Not that I mind either...", the eighteen year-old said, muttering the last part.

"Yes! I'm almost done", Jamil replied, finishing up Juliet's hairstyle, as she proudly praised him once he was finished.

"How does it look?!", she asked.

Jamil raised his hand and caressed the side of Juliet's braids with his knuckles, wondering why he felt a tinge of guilt.

"Perfect", he muttered with a polite smile.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: KALIM & JAMIL <333

MALLEUS CAN CALL ME UGLY AND I'D THANK HIM FOR HIS HONESTY‼️🥴

Hope you all enjoyed the long chapter,, please make sure to vote & comment — thanks loves!!