it was the second time that shinra got knocked out today, but now, it's because of a neck chop with a hand. who thought that a human being can initiate a knowingly-feeble attack and knock one's opponent unconscious? even he was shocked. he thought that it was a bottle of wine or even a baseball bat that hit him due to how heavy the blow was, but it was just a chop.

"man. that hurts worse than arthur's excalibur." he spoke as he sat down from his lying position, running his fingers through his spiky, black locks and when he opened his eyes, he found himself inside a dimly lit room. he was tucked on a soft and cozy bed as the thick, black and white blanket kept him from the cold air that lingered all around the enclosed area.

shinra sighed. this isn't the headquarters. he thought and attempted to stand up, but when he heard the door click open, he hurriedly slipped himself under the thick sheets, not wanting to interact with who the hell opened the damn door.

unfortunately for him, the person who entered the room saw through shinra's pretty little actions and heaved out a deep sigh. "stop hiding under the blanket. i'm not gonna eat you alive or something." a feminine voice said, which the crimson-eyed male figured out was the person he was hiding from.

and so, he did what he was told, like how a shy puppy shows itself to its owner. it was her, the first person she saw as soon as he woke up on what seemed to be an another dimension.

"i think my way to knock you out back then was a bit forceful. are you feeling okay? is your neck broken?" she continuously asked nonchalantly, yet nothing came out of shinra's mouth, unable to compose a single word because of how shocked he was. was he really talking to the same person as before? the person who nearly killed him with just a chop?

noticing his current state, the (h/c)nette rolled her eyes and approached the male, which made shinra gulp his saliva back down his throat. he was unsure of what she might use to attack him this time, and yet he remained calm. however, instead of receiving a big blow on the cheek, he felt a stinging pain on his forehead instead, so painful that it made him go nuts and roll his own physique all over the neatly done bed while wincing in pain.

"you're not from around here, are you? i haven't seen you around the neighborhood and i've been living in this apartment for 3 years already." she remarked, sitting on the bed shinra was lying on.

however, shinra didn't budge. he just kept staring at her astonishing (e/c) hues while the blanket he had over him was only revealing his red, crimson eyes, but after recollecting his thoughts, he mentally sighed and replied. "yeah, i'm not."

"then leave."

shinra's eyes widened in surprise, completely taken aback with the words she used. shinra then jolted up, properly sitting on the bed before giving her eyes an intense stare, which she returned, of course, like as if they were talking to each other with the use of their orbs.

shinra was ready to leave her residence when he saw how she glared daggers at him, but when he tried to get up, the (h/c)nette gently pulled him back down and giggled. "i was joking."

"was that joke even funny to you?" he asked, annoyed by her actions.

with another chuckle, she responded. "well, yes. judging by the way you look, you're gullible, so i can't help but mess with you for a little bit."

shinra rolled his eyes and looked away. he had never felt such a feeling towards females. he would usually would get irritated of how arthur always competed with him over pathetic reasons or something, but being annoyed by a lady's actions and words was something new for him, but despite of that fact, he introduced himself to her. besides, she took him in nevertheless. "thanks a lot. i'm shinra kusakabe. pleased to meet you, um..."

"it's (y/n). (l/n) (y/n). i can be your hero, baby, so let me help you with your troubles, alright?" she asked with a sweet tone as she gave his head a pat.

due to the endearment she used and the move she pulled, his heart surprisingly skipped a beat as a furious blush crept up his face.

"that's a song lyric."
"so, you're not my hero?"
"i am, but minus the baby part."
"deal."