Before Her Very Eyes

Chapter 36

Arin did not notice that Hoshi had opened the door, and the witch had scrambled out of sight. She was too consumed with the flutter in her stomach and the feeling of being kissed by someone she loved. It was truly the most magical thing she had ever experienced.

"We're ending the session here," Hoshi said after clearing his throat. "Sorry if I umm... interrupted anything." He looked between Jun and Arin.

"I... uh... I have to go to the bathroom," Jun announced and walked away, leaving Arin in the glass room with Hoshi. Arin's eyes followed him longingly. She didn't want him to go.

Hoshi smiled at her. "That was great! We got a lot of magic from this session. Your curse is super powerful. More powerful than anything else we've ever had!"

After the heart-fluttering experience that preceded this, Arin did not care very much about what Hoshi was saying. She just wanted to see Jun.

"The love potion should fade away in a few hours," Hoshi said. "Meanwhile, we'll take you to a room where you can rest. You've had a long day."

Arin didn't want to "rest." She wanted to see Jun. She wanted to complain, but didn't have the voice to do so.

She then became anxious that she freaked Jun out, that she scared him away with her panic attack. She worried that he secretly hated her and found her repulsive.

"Come on, I'll take you there," Hoshi said.

Arin trailed behind Jun as he led her through the open underground space. It was not as busy as it was before, probably because it was late afternoon. She found herself scanning the remaining faces to see if maybe Jun was there, but he wasn't.

Hoshi led her into another corner of hidden corridors that contained many doors. Lewd noises came from behind one of them. Arin was startled, but Hoshi seemed used to it.

"This is the Procreation Unit," Hoshi explained. "So people get it on in these rooms. The walls aren't as sound-proof as we would like, unfortunately! Hope the noises don't bother you too much."

He opened one of the doors and found it locked. Then went on to another, then another, until he found an open door.

"There we go, this one's empty!" he opened the door and let her inside.

It was a small room with a king-sized bed, a little fridge and pantry, and a bathroom. It was all green. Arin also spotted a green ghost-like spirit also appear and disappear.

"The spirit is harmless," Hoshi reassured. "Just don't walk through it. It's a bit uncomfortable when that happens... The key is in the keyhole. There's some snacks in the fridge if you're hungry. If you need anything, I sleep four doors down, so just knock. Also, feel free to settle in. This room can be yours if you want it."

Suddenly a moaning sound came from the room next door.

Hoshi grinned, but Arin just looked uncomfortable. "You'll get used to that!" he said. "There are ear plugs in the drawer if you need them."

She nodded.

"Okay, I'll retreat now. Good night, and see you tomorrow! I have some new experiments I can't wait to try," he said.

He stepped outside and prepared to close the door.

"Oh and Arin," he called out.

Arin lifted her head to acknowledge him.

"Thank you for doing this. You have no idea how much it means to us. And to Jun too."

She smiled weakly at the mention of Jun. He bowed his head and retreated, closing the door behind him.