Aeri’s mind went blank upon hearing Hide’s response.
It’s you, Aeri, kept replaying in her head like a broken record until it finally sank in.
“M-me?" she pointed to herself as if he had mistaken her for someone who was a few feet behind her.
Hide nodded, a chuckle leaving his mouth.
"Yes, you," he confirmed, his voice low and intense. "And I know you've been watching me.
She blinked. “Huh?”
He moved closer. “I know. You’ve been. Watching me.” he playfully booped her nose, a smirk tugging at his lip.
Yep. I’m officially in trouble now.
Her face turned red, and she cursed silently. Hide grinned, clearly enjoying the way her cheeks flushed a shade deeper. He leaned closer, closing the distance between them.
"I caught you, sweetheart. Watching from your balcony. Hoping on my live,” he teased.
She was speechless.
“H-how—"
Hide chuckled, clearly amused by her surprise. "Maybe next time, don't use the same username you use for your Instagram and Twitter for your OF account," he tilted his head to the side.
You know what? That one is on me.
“That’s one hell of a bold claim you’re making,” Aeri said. “I mean, there could be plenty of people with the same username as mine—”
“I never forgot your voice, sweetheart,” he cut her off, his eyes never leaving hers. "Since the day we met. When I first moved here. You asked if I needed help with my box. In Japanese." He smiled at the memory. "No one else sounds like you."
She was once again speechless. What could she say to that? He just admitted that he knew that it was her on his livestream and that he knew she was watching him from the balcony, but chose not to confront her about it.
Her shock made her laugh nervously as she stood up. “You’re insane.”
Hide's eyes darkened at her attempt to escape. He gently grabbed her wrist, holding her in place.
"Ah, ah, ah. You’re not running away that easily, sweetheart," he said firmly, standing up as well. "I’m not gonna bite. Unless you ask me to, of course."
Aeri still had her back faced to him. “If you knew it was me, why didn’t you say anything?”
He doesn’t answer right away.
It was almost like he was letting the silence hang in the air as he traced his thumb against her wrist. His grip wasn't tight. It was patient. Like he had already won and was just waiting for her to figure it out.
"Because, sweetheart," he finally spoke, voice low like he's letting her in on a secret, "watching you watch me was the most interesting thing that's happened to me in a very long time."
She looked at him. He took a step closer.
"Because saying something would've ended it. And I wasn't ready for you to stop watching yet," he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her skin. “And you and I both know that you want me just as much as I want you.”
Aeri swallowed. “You don’t know that.”
The smirk that followed held a wicked glint. “Oh, but I do, sweetheart,” he said, his tone now low and husky. “You joined my live. Stayed on my private. Watched me screw another woman against my glass door a second time.”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“If it didn’t mean anything, then you wouldn’t be here,” he cut her off, cocking his head to the side.
She had nothing.
He grinned, satisfied. "That's what I thought."
"I didn't agree with you—"
"You didn't have to." He stepped closer, close enough that she had to tilt her chin up to hold his gaze. "Your face did all the talking, sweetheart."
Her breath hitched.
Hide's free hand came up — not grabbing, not pulling. Just... hovering. His fingers traced the line of her jaw, featherlight.
"You've been thinking about it, haven't you?" he murmured.
"Thinking about what?"
He didn't answer right away. His fingers trailed down to her collarbone, then back up to her chin, tilting her face toward his.
"About what it would be like," he said softly. "If it was you instead of them."
Aeri's heart slammed against her ribs.
"I don't—"
“You weren’t just watching me through the window," he continued, his voice dropping lower, "You weren't just curious, were you?"
She swallowed hard.
"You were imagining it. Imagining yourself in her place." His thumb brushed her lower lip. "Wondering what my hands would feel like on your skin. What my mouth would taste like? What sounds I could pull out of you."
"Hide—"
"Don't lie to me, Aeri." His voice was gentle but firm. "Not now. Not here."
She was shaking. Or maybe that was him. She couldn't tell anymore.
He leaned in closer, his forehead almost touching hers. “That private live. The sounds you were making. The way you were moaning my name.” His voice dropped to a sultry whisper, each word deliberate, devastating. “You were pretending it was real. Pretending it was me.”
"I—" she began, but he leaned in closer, his face mere inches from hers, his breath warm against her skin.
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