𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐏 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐒.ᵇˡˡᵏ ˣ ᶠᵉᵐ ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ

23. Gift wrapper skin

"You and y/n are matching with costumes already, so can I have the matching ring so I can match with her as well?"

Kaiser, with all the tactfulness of a bull in a china shop, had requested the precious jeweled ring Ness adorned upon his finger, so as to pair with y/n for their Halloween attire. The mere mention of his demand, in the presence of Ness and y/n alike, was enough to ignite a fire within the latter's eyes, as if he were looking upon a frolicking field that was suddenly engulfed by an intense flame, and Ness looked down, away from Kaiser's gaze, as if he were a deer caught in the headlights, avoiding the man's unrelenting stare as a means to avoid the pain and embarrassment he felt at such a forward request.

Ness let out a despondent sigh, a sound that resonated with the pain of his impending loss of the jeweled ring he wore upon his finger. He knew that he could never deny Kaiser, for he was always his steadfast and loyal supporter. Gathering his courage, Ness raised his eyes, only to be met with the disdainful stare of Kaiser, who had the gall to request the ring in the presence of y/n and Ness. The young man's heart skipped a beat as he shifted his nervous gaze to y/n, who was currently glaring daggers at Kaiser with intensity that could pierce through even the most robust of shields.

"Woah woah woah there guys! The tension here is too strong that I feel like you guys are about to fight!"  Bachira suddenly spoke, approaching the three, Kaiser, ness, and y/n out of nowhere.

A sudden burst of words from Bachira's lips disrupted the tense and awkward silence. He presented the group with a surprise, or at least, an idea that no one else had thought of. Bachira brandished an empty plastic bottle, which contained only a fraction of the water that it was intended to, and then threw it at Ness. The young man's reflexes kicked in, and he was able to gracefully catch the object that had been lobbed toward him. Bachira's proposition was clear: if the water bottle landed on its designated position, Ness would claim ownership of the ring in question. On the contrary, if Ness missed his mark, then the ring would belong to Kaiser.

Bachira's best friend, Isagi, smirked mischievously, secretly hoping that Ness would succeed in his attempts. Isagi had always harbored feelings of dislike for Kaiser, and this was the perfect opportunity to see his nemesis be brought down a few pegs.

A smug smile played upon Kaiser's lips as he agreed to Bachira's proposal, believing firmly that luck would be in his favor once again. The group's attention shifted immediately to Ness, who was now the center of attention as he prepared to execute his plan. As Ness lifted the plastic bottle, he noticed y/n's gentle and encouraging expression, which immediately caused him to blush. Ness quickly lowered his gaze, feeling as if the world had fallen upon his shoulders.

With a final, deep breath to steel his resolve, Ness launched the water bottle, aiming for the perfect landing spot. Everyone huddled around impatiently, their minds consumed by anticipation, as Ness' trajectory neared its target.

In a moment of intense anticipation, all attention was focused on Ness. His gaze was fixed, and his eyes were narrowed in focus, as he raised the plastic bottle into the air and carefully aimed it at the designated landing spot. Everyone's breaths were held, waiting for what would happen next. Ness gathered all his nerve and threw the bottle as hard as he could, his eyes glued to its trajectory. Time seemed to stand still as the bottle neared its target, but then, with a loud thud, it fell to the ground, missing its landing by a hair's breadth. The tension that had been building up vanished in an instant as everyone's hopes were dashed.

In the blink of an eye, Kaiser was upon Ness, snatching the ring off his finger before the young man even had a chance to react. Y/n's eyes darkened, and her glare was intense as she watched Kaiser's daring move. Ness, unable to comprehend what had just happened, could only stand there in shock and disbelief, his heart heavy with regret.