The Thief's First Kiss

Chaos Era, Year 1818.

"Xia Lun, listen to this—I think Moke has a thing going on with that little bunny from Savage Fang."

Liyana leaned in close to Xia Lun’s ear, whispering conspiratorially.

Aina frowned slightly. Xia Lun was technically her boyfriend now—couldn’t Liyana at least pretend to keep her distance?

"Oh?" Xia Lun raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Haven’t you noticed? Every time we return from an expedition, Moke is always the first to vanish the moment we disband in the city." Liyana glanced toward the back of the carriage, where Moke sat quietly maintaining his gear.

"Those beastfolk have been lingering in Bainen City lately, just like us, trying to squeeze more out of the Blazing Forest… Moke always rushes off to meet that little bunny…" Liyana explained.

Bainen City was the closest major settlement to the Blazing Forest Labyrinth, bustling with adventurers drawn by the dungeon’s allure.

Xia Lun: "How do you know all this?"

"I followed him. Secretly." Liyana didn’t look the least bit guilty—if anything, she seemed proud. "Don’t worry, Moke didn’t notice."

"That’s Moke’s private business. Don’t go meddling." Xia Lun shot her a warning look. Having grown up with her, he knew all too well how much trouble she could stir up.

"Meddling? I’m seriously trying to help them get together!" Liyana huffed, indignant. "After traveling with Moke for so long, I know he’s a good guy. As his teammate, I’m genuinely concerned about his future… given how delicate and pretty he looks, it’s rare for a girl—who isn’t a man—to show interest in him. I’m sure I can be useful!"

"Honestly, the best help you can give Moke is doing nothing at all," Xia Lun retorted.

"What are you two talking about? I thought I heard my name." Moke, noticing the commotion, glanced up from his work. "Liyana, are you tattling to Captain Xia Lun? Relax, that trap you stepped on in the labyrinth earlier? Definitely… my fault for not spotting it. Definitely… not left there on purpose to scare you."

Liyana: "…"

She remembered now—back in the labyrinth, she’d nearly fallen into a pit lined with spikes, ready to turn her into an elven kebab… until Moke yanked her to safety.

At the time, she’d been so grateful.

But the way Moke was smirking now? It was obvious he’d planned the whole thing.

"Moke." Xia Lun’s tone carried a hint of reprimand. "Don’t pull stunts like that again."

"Ah, sorry, Captain. I was just teasing Liyana. I had a vague feeling something was off, but I didn’t actually spot the trap." Moke scratched his head. "Still, even if I hadn’t acted, you or Aina would’ve saved her, right?"

Xia Lun shook his head. "You reacted faster than us. In a real crisis, our lives might depend on you."

Moke nodded solemnly.

Upon returning to Bainen City, just as before, Moke vanished without a trace the moment the party disbanded.

"I’ll head out too." Musen left shortly after, making his way toward a nearby chapel.

At the Adventurers’ Guild, Xia Lun sat on a bench, waiting to finalize the completion of their latest quest.

He stole a glance at Aina beside him, then, steeling himself, reached for her hand.

Smack!

Aina slapped his hand away, leaving a faint red mark.

"Too many people here," she muttered coldly from beneath her hood, shooting him a glare.

"Sorry." Xia Lun rubbed the stinging spot.

A moment later, Aina added quietly, "We’ll talk later."

Xia Lun smiled sheepishly.

"Wings of Dawn! Is Captain Xia Lun of Wings of Dawn present?" The guild clerk’s crisp voice rang out from the counter.

Xia Lun hurried over.

Seizing the opportunity, Liyana slid into Xia Lun’s vacant seat beside Aina.

"What is it?"

Though her reply was still curt, Aina’s tone had softened considerably since their first meeting.

"Aina… since Moke’s got a shot at romance, don’t you think we should help him out?"

Having failed to recruit Xia Lun, Liyana now turned her persuasive efforts toward Aina. "This might be his only chance! We’ve got to make sure he doesn’t mess it up—"

"Pointless." Aina’s response was flat.

Meddling in someone else’s love life? That was just tasteless.

She wasn’t sure why the thought crossed her mind so sharply.

……

"Your elven friend isn’t tailing you this time, is she?"

Shila peeked over Moke’s shoulder.

"Relax… she’s not here." Moke grinned.

He was a rogue; Shila was a beastfolk scout. How that clueless elf thought she could sneak after them unnoticed was beyond him.

Thanks to Liyana’s spying, their dates had been awkwardly restrained, with little progress.

"Then… Moke, this time we’re finally going to…" Shila’s gaze grew hazy.

"Y-yeah." Moke swallowed nervously.

Adventurers were a free-spirited lot—when death lurked around every corner, formalities often fell by the wayside.

The raunchy jokes tossed around taverns? They weren’t always just talk.

The little bunny closed her eyes. Moke leaned in slowly, close enough to see the fine down on her cheeks—

Being a beastfolk, Shila’s facial fur was slightly more noticeable than a human’s, though only up close. It didn’t detract from her charm.

"W-wait!" Shila’s eyes flew open, startling Moke.

"What’s wrong?"

"I… my breath might be bad. Let me chew something first." Shila produced a handful of mint leaves from nowhere, stuffing them into her mouth. Her cheeks puffed as she chewed.

Moke couldn’t help laughing. "Wait, is this your first kiss?"

"So what if it is!" Shila’s eyes flashed, her face reddening. "What about you?"

"I… I’ve never done it either." Moke turned away, embarrassed.

"And you had the nerve to tease me!" Shila snorted, though Moke could tell she was pleased.

She spat out the mint remnants. "Okay, now we can."

Moke eyed the discarded leaves. "Are those things any good?"

"Not bad, I guess." Shila stuck out her tongue playfully, her adorable expression making Moke cup her face without thinking.

Shila shut her eyes again. This time, Moke didn’t hesitate—he pressed his lips to hers.

Huh. First kisses… tasted surprisingly spicy.