Stupid Cupid

04: The Escape

- Bright's POV -

I sit here on the bench, watching Win pace back and forth, biting his nails. Seriously, this cupid. Just how many human habits has he picked up?

"AAARGH!!!"

I am startled by the sudden groan from Win as he squats down, gripping his hair with both hands.

He suddenly looks up and glares at me, and I won't lie—it scares me.

So this is what an angry cupid looks like?

"You!" He stands up and marches over to me.

I squint.

One thing you should know about us beings of Inania is that when we are overwhelmed, we glow. Like, blindingly glow.

But since we Azralis always live in isolation, we rarely exhibit emotions. Hence, no one really sees us like that.

Right now, as Win stands before me, I have to look away because he is radiating light and heat so intensely that, for the first time, I actually feel warmth.

But also, because of the way he looks at me—with his piercing gaze and smoking nostrils—he makes me feel self-conscious... and guilty.

Which still bothers me because why on earth would I feel guilty?!

"Bright!" he shouts in my face. When I ignore him, he shouts again, louder this time. "BRIGHT!"

Thankfully, the park is deserted except for us, probably because of the heavy rain.

I sigh and respond in a defeated tone, "What?"

He glowers at me. "Why can't you look at me, huh? Starting to realize this is all your fault, right?" he snaps, putting both hands on his hips.

What?! He's blaming me?!

I force myself to look at him as I stand up. "Why me?! How is this my fault?"

He looks taken aback for a few seconds by my sudden action but soon recovers his composure."Well, if you didn't startle me, then I would have shot the arrow straight to Neen!" He snaps back at me.

"I just said bull's eye like you always do! Plus I said that after you counted down to one! How did that startle you?!"

"Well, I didn't know you were already here!"

"It's not like you need a grand announcement from me! I told you I would be back!"

"What you said was you would be back before I shoot my first arrow! I was waiting for you to come back but you were nowhere to be found! And then you're just going to jump me right out of nowhere?"

"So what exactly are you mad at me about? The fact that I was not here or the fact that I was here?"

I don't know why, but that somehow shuts him up. He blinks at me a few times before letting out a huff and strutting to the bench to sit down, folding his arms across his chest. He's looking anywhere but at me, and I roll my eyes before sitting beside him.

His brightness gradually dims and returns to normal.

There. I believe he's calming down.

"This is still your fault."

Really? This guy?

If he weren't looking so cute right now, I'd smack him in the head!

Wait, what???