Reason with her

Shuuyu tries to steady his breathing, the cold cave air scraping his lungs. The single breathing mask hangs around his neck like a reminder of how trapped he is. Kanu stands only a few steps away, her bluish eyes fixed on him with a focus so intense it borders on hunger.

He forces a shaky smile as he get up.

“Kanu… listen. I do like you. I really do. I just ..”

He attempts to pin her against cave wall, but she stops him placing her her hands on his chest.

“You can’t say that,” she whispers. “Not when I’m like this.”

The both feel instant reaction of hope, fear, and jealousy all crashing together for different reasons.

He moves close to her again, she presses a hand to her chest, trying to steady her heartbeat. It only gets faster. “I know I’m acting wrong. I know the mist twisted something in me. But some of this… some of this was already there.”

She hesitates, then forces herself to continue. “I know, I have lusted over girls. Only girls. My whole life.”

Her voice softens. “But you were the first guy I ever noticed. Because you saved me from hit that would have hurt me badly. I would have recovered but you still took the hit, two years ago. You didn’t even hesitate. You just… jumped in.”

He looks up to her bluish eyes shine with something raw. She desperately tries to regain control, as she whispers “And I didn’t know how to handle that. So I ignored it. I ignored you.”

Shuuyu steps closer, trying to reassure her. “Kanu… if I had known ...”

She flinches hard, jealousy flaring like a spark hitting dry leaves. “Don’t say that,” she snaps. “Don’t say things that make me hope.”

Her voice trembles, but her eyes sharpen. “Because then I start thinking about her.”

Shuuyu blinks. “Her?”

“Your cousin,” Kanu says, the words dripping with a jealousy she can’t hide. “Your dumb cousin who hangs on you every chance she gets.”

Shuuyu stiffens. “She my cousin, doesn’t ...”

“She does,” Kanu cuts in, voice rising. “She touches your arm. She laughs at everything you say. She stands too close. She looks at you like she’s waiting for you to notice her.” Her hands curl into fists, knuckles whitening. “And you let her,” she says, voice cracking. “You let her stand there. You let her smile at you. You let her act like she has some claim on you.”

Shuuyu tries to speak, but she barrels on, unable to stop.

“I hate how she looks at you,” Kanu admits, breath shaking. “I hate how she talks to you. I hate how she acts like she knows you better than anyone.”

She squeezes her eyes shut, ashamed of her own intensity. “I know it’s wrong. I know I shouldn’t feel this jealous. I know I shouldn’t be keeping you here. I know I shouldn’t be angry at your cousin of all people.”

She opens her eyes again. The jealousy is still there, but now it’s mixed with fear. “But when you say you like me… it makes everything worse. Because then I start thinking ...”

His voice cuts her off as he whispers. “What if I want you ...?”

Shuuyu steps forward, trying to calm her, but she steps back, shaking her head. “No. Don’t say anything yet. Not until I can think clearly. Not until I know what’s real.”

Her gaze drops to the breathing mask on the ground, it is now empty. “You are trying to confuse me, you have no choice but to reason with me. You can barely swim. I can hold my breath for hours. I chose this cave because I knew you couldn’t run.”

She winces at her own words. “I know how it sounds. I know it’s wrong.”

He steps closer, slowly, carefully. She had arranged this trap, but now he has taken charge. He says, "You want to trap me...you want me take advantage of you.” she says softly. “I want you to choose me. I want you to look at me the way I look at you.”

Her voice breaks. “And I’m terrified that when the spell fades… you’ll go straight back to her.”

She tries leave, but this time he is not lying to her and is shocked that she felt anything for him and he grabs her arm. But he also sees something coming from pool of water.