𝒲𝒾𝓃𝓉ℯ𝓇 𝒲ℴ𝓃𝒹ℯ𝓇𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒹： 𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓌 ℴ𝒻 𝓉𝒽ℯ ℱ𝓇ℴ𝓏ℯ𝓃 ℋℯ𝒶𝓇𝓉

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑒𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ𝑠： 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 54

*
"And here lately, please don't laugh. I use it on behalf of the miserable, lonely, and depressed...Pathetic."

**
Ramshackle Dorm - Lounge

After about forty minutes, Y/n and Vanitas finally returned from Mostro Lounge. Azul had tried every trick to keep her longer, piling plate after plate of extravagant dishes in front of her. Y/n had managed to finish her ghost pepper noodles with satisfaction, though the rest she had to share with Vanitas—mostly because he had put her on a strict time limit, glaring at Azul with every second that ticked by.

Vanitas escorted Y/n back to Ramshackle with visible pride, even if his face was flushed and his breath shallow from the "accidental" overdose of spice Azul had slipped into his meal. Jack and Noé were already waiting for them inside.

YY/n cradled a small tea plate with a cup of cherry blossom tea as she settled on the sofa, Vanitas immediately taking the space beside her. He held a smoothie bowl in one hand, though his free arm clung possessively around her, his head leaning against her cold shoulder despite the way his tongue still burned. Jack sat stiffly across from them in a single chair, while Noé relaxed on the other sofa beside him, watching the scene unfold.

"I swear Azul's trying to kill me," Vanitas grumbled between sharp spoonfuls, stabbing into the bowl as if it were Azul himself. His voice came out hoarse but theatrical, eyes narrowing. "That slimy bastard dumped half the ocean's worth of spice in my food just to watch me suffer. If Y/n hadn't looked so happy with her noodles, I'd have overturned the entire table." He shoved another bite into his mouth, jaw clenching, panting softly from the heat—yet he still pressed closer against Y/n, as though anchoring himself to her would cool the burn.

Jack sighed. "You're acting like he poisoned you. He probably just wanted to keep you distracted while he sweet-talked Y/n."

Noé raised a brow at Vanitas, arms folding across his chest. "Honestly... it worked. You were too busy gasping for air to bite Azul's head off like you wanted."

Vanitas shot him a sharp glare, spoon still clenched in hand. "I wasn't distracted. I saw every pathetic attempt he made at charming her. And I'll make sure he never tries it again." His grip on the spoon tightened so much it looked like it might snap.

Jack cleared his throat, trying to shift the focus. "I think it's safe to say that everybody with an anemone stuck on their head... gambled on Azul's contract and lost. The terms of said contract were apparently to place in the top 50. But with the sheer number of students signin' on most of them never stood a chance of getting in at all. That was Azul's game from the start," he muttered grimly.

"I did find it strange that Grim somehow managed to score over eighty on a test..." Y/n mused, tilting her head as she calmly sipped her tea. "Since he's always getting bad marks."

Noé exhaled heavily. "Talk about a racket. It's nothing more than exploitation dressed up as a fair deal."

"Ugh," Vanitas grumbled, shoving another spoonful into his mouth. "Exploitation is one thing. Using it as an excuse to get close to her is another. That's unforgivable." He leaned against Y/n's shoulder possessively.

Jack ignored him, fists clenching. "I mean, c'mon! If you're gettin' good grades off someone else's work, what does that even prove? You're throwin' away a perfectly good opportunity to show others what you're capable of. Frankly, you're cheating yourself."