"Who knows, maybe in another two years, you'll all be married with babies of your own."
"P–pff! I–Idiot Laki, what are you even talking about—b-babies and stuff are way too early!"
Erza jolted up from the floor like she'd been shocked, loudly protesting with a burning face.
Curled up next to Lisanna, Mira's usual expression also showed a rare hint of shyness as she nodded in agreement:
"Y-Yeah… we're still just kids. Talking about babies now is a bit too soon."
Cana sat up too, grinning like a fox. She jabbed a finger into Laki's soft belly and teased:
"I think you're the one starving for a man, Laki. Bet you dream every night about finding some handsome guy and having his babies, huh?"
Smack!
"No I don't! I–I was just sighing randomly, okay?"
Laki slapped her hand away, cheeks flaming as she muttered a weak denial.
"Eeh? You sound totally guilty. Did Cana hit the bull's-eye?"
Levy chuckled wickedly, rubbing her head against Laki's thigh like a spoiled cat as she egged her on.
Lisanna also perked up, gossip sensors fully activated.
"Who is it, who is it? Laki, give us a hint so we can guess!"
"There isn't anyone! Cana, stop talking nonsense!"
Red-faced, Laki huffed and tried to shove Levy's head off her leg.
But the usually quiet Levy was acting like a total little rascal right now.
She hugged Laki's leg tighter, refusing to budge, and whined:
"Tell uuuss~ Just a tiny hint, okay? Pretty please~"
Under the relentless teasing, the blush on Laki's face quickly spread all the way to her ears.
Kabe laced his hands behind his head, crossed one leg over the other, and said in the most narcissistic tone imaginable:
"Who else could it be? In this guild, who's more handsome, more capable, and more perfect than yours truly?"
As he spoke, he tilted his head toward Laki and gave her a deliberate wink.
"Don't hold it in. Just admit it. If you confess to me on the spot, I promise I won't turn you down."
Laki's heart skipped a beat. Her first instinct was to blurt out a denial—
But the look in Kabe's eyes was deadly serious.
There wasn't a trace of teasing in them.
Her lips parted…
The words "I don't like you" and "I like you" tangled together at the back of her throat—
and in the end, she swallowed both of them.
The girls, who had originally just been joking around, gradually quieted down when they saw her reaction.
Juvia's gaze flicked between Laki and Kabe, back and forth.
Then her blue eyes suddenly widened.
"E–Eh? N-no way—Laki, d-don't tell me you really like Kabe!!!"
She practically shouted it, sounding utterly shocked.
At the same time, it felt like a sword had stabbed straight into her own chest; she nearly coughed up blood from the blow.
She herself had started to develop a little feeling for Kabe.
But considering he already had two official girlfriends, she'd decided to shelve her crush for now and wait for a better opportunity.
Who could've expected that before she even had the chance to challenge those two mountains,
a new mid-boss named Laki would appear right in front of her?
Not the most confident girl to begin with, Juvia suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure.
Uuu… It's so hard being Juvia… Why are there so many rivals on the road to love?!
With her words so bluntly exposing Laki's feelings, Erza and Mira, who had been leading the teasing earlier, also froze on the spot.
So it turns out…
Laki, of all people, has her eye on my Kabe too?!
The two of them puffed up on the spot, expressions shifting wildly as they slowly looked Laki up and down—
as if seriously evaluating exactly how to physically remove this threat from existence.
Laki herself was so mortified she almost buried her head in her chest.
The reason she'd fallen for Kabe was simple.
Over these four years, while he taught her how to develop her Wood-Make magic bit by bit,
her affection had grown quietly, like a vine climbing up a tree.
Originally, after Kabe had made his relationship with Erza and Mira official, she'd honestly intended to just bury this one-sided crush deep in her heart.
But who knew that with just one line that sounded like a half-joke,
he'd so easily shaken that resolve.
Now, under Cana, Levy, and Lisanna's stunned stares,
and Juvia, Mira, and Erza's complicated looks…
Laki truly had no idea what she was supposed to do.
Admit it?
Then what would Mira and Erza think of her? She was Mira's teammate and Erza's friend.
Deny it?
Was she really willing to let this feeling die in silence, without even saying a single word for herself?
Erza and Mira loved Kabe—
but her feelings weren't fake either!
In that instant, something inside Laki seemed to click into place.
She slowly lifted her head and looked at Kabe, who had already sat up.
Ignoring all the strange gazes around them, she gathered her courage and said loudly:
"You're right. I've already been caught in the huge web you wove…
So please—
help me break free of these bonds, and let me escape from this net!"
Kabe: "…The hell is that supposed to mean?"