#absolute-exclusivity

‘I – I’m sorry, I – !’

‘For god’s sake, Len, stop that – you’re gonna scare the poor girl shitless,’ someone else cuts in. It’s a lady this time, summer dress fluttering against her thighs as she elbows him in the ribs. ‘My apologies, sweetie – are you hurt?’

The lady’s eyes are kind as she extends a hand; Luka accepts it, stumbling to her feet.

‘Aw, c’mon, Rin, you know I wouldn’t have done anything,’ Len whines. The intimidating air around him has vanished in the kind lady’s presence; now he just looks like a sulking child. ‘Besides – I caught it stealing our food!’

‘Food she may very well need, considering the recent inflation,’ Rin snaps, quelling any further protests from him with a single glare. She turns back to Luka, pressing a small bag of rice into her hands.

‘Here, take this. Don’t let us catch you stealing again, hm?’

Luka bows her head over and over – I’m still alive I didn’t die thank god this is over thank you thank you thank you – and beats a hasty retreat out of the house.

She can still hear the faint sounds of their bickering as she leaves.

.

(‘Really, Len? “It”? Did you really have to go that far?’

‘Well, she’d never take the food if it came from me, so I just played it up a bit. I am still the bad guy to your good, after all.’

‘You – you’re ridiculous. Unbelievable. Insufferable.’

‘Mm-hm. Love you too, doll-face.’)