off limits ✧ zb1 applyfic

✧ forty six

For having passed her exams, Lilah had received much praise from her family. Her parents had even bought her a beautiful bouquet of tulips, and Matthew had gifted her a high-end set of skincare products. Really, she was spoiled. It was obvious, through how they cared for her and her accomplishments, that her family loved her more than anything in the world.

What exactly had motivated Gyuvin to invite her out to celebrate though, she wasn’t quite sure. He'd simply texted her this morning, telling her of a street fair in town, asking her to come with him so he could treat her for her recent success. Lilah had almost refused, she really did. But... A street fair sounded rather fun, and it was sweet that Gyuvin was thinking of her. So here she was now, trying not to lose him through the dense crowd of visitors. There were so many people here, too many people, but at least, Gyuvin seemed happy.

"Okay," he started cheerfully, clapping his hands together, "if you see anything you want to eat, it's my treat!"

Lilah pursed her lips. "You really don't have to..."

"Hey, none of that. You deserve it because you worked so hard, alright?"

Her cheeks warm, she nodded. She'd learned that when Gyuvin was in the mood to be generous, there was no fighting it anyway. Still, it bothered her that he was always doing so much for her, while she'd never even repaid half his kindness. But maybe that was how to make him happy: going along with his whims, and letting herself be pampered. A sigh on her lips, she looked around the street fair, inspecting every food stall to find the one that would speak to her heart.

A certain word on a bright pink sign immediately caught her eyes.

"Oh my god," she said, standing up on her tiptoes to catch a better look at the stall, "Japanese crepes!"

Gyuvin followed her gaze, one eyebrow raised. "What's that?"

"They're regular crepes, but rolled into a cone and filled with a bunch of delicious stuff. Like chocolate, or ice cream, or even candy," she added, her stomach already grumbling.

If one thing hadn’t changed from her childhood, it was Lilah's sweet tooth. She could hardly resist such a tasty treat. They tended to be a little expensive, but if Gyuvin was paying...

"Alright then, I'll buy you one. What do you want in it?"

Lilah had to think for a second, but she always came back to the classics. "Hmm, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and strawberries, please! Are you going to try one too?" she asked, curious.

"Sure. I might get a mint chocolate ice cream one."

"Huh?!" Lilah's jaw dropped, as the words repeated in her head. "You eat herb ice cream?"

At that, Gyuvin chuckled and shook his head. "I sure do. What's it to you?"

He playfully stuck out his tongue, before walking off towards the stall. Lilah stayed back as she watched him talk to the vendor. Well, that certainly was a fatal flaw. Mint chocolate ice cream was the spawn of the devil, and Lilah had made it her mission to see it eradicated from the face of the Earth. When Matthew had admitted he was neutral about it, she'd pestered him until he agreed to change his stance. Gyuvin was now an enemy in her books.

Well, not really, because as soon as he came back with her tasty crepe in his hand, Lilah had forgotten all about their disagreement. She snatched it from him, and immediately took a bite, not even waiting for him to start eating. The airiness of the cream, the slight warmth of the chocolate, the tart afternote of the strawberries — everything was melting in her mouth, like the most delicious orchestra of sweets.

"Gosh, it's so good," Lilah gushed, her mouth still full. After chewing her bite, she turned to Gyuvin. "How's your herb crepe?"

"Pfft," he laughed. "Leave my herb crepe alone, okay? And it's really good. I think this is a new favorite, right there. I can't believe I've gone all my life without knowing those existed!"