For some reason, Exusiai felt like her head was unusually heavy.
She let out a long sigh, then turned to Croissant, who looked equally dead inside. "Ah… still no jobs today?"
"No choice." Croissant sounded listless. "Boss said it'll take a bit longer. Until then, we tighten our belts and get through it."
Croissant's voice had no energy at all. Exusiai sprawled on the floor and stared at the ceiling, suddenly convinced the future was nothing but darkness.
Penguin Logistics was being targeted across all of Lungmen right now. No one dared risk the taboo of hiring them.
Which was especially brutal for a certified "monthly-paycheck evaporator" like Exusiai. Not only was she broke—she was also a few thousand Lungmen dollars in debt. Lately, she'd been surviving off Croissant and the others.
Under these circumstances, how was she supposed to ask Chen Mo out?
Go on a date and let the guy pay?
Even Exusiai had enough shame left not to do that.
With a defeated groan, she pulled out her phone and stared at Chen Mo's avatar like it was a life-support machine. She wanted to send a message—just a quick hello—but Sora's earlier advice flashed through her mind.
So she put the phone away again, sulking.
Croissant looked over, utterly unimpressed. "I gotta say—your food is about to run out, and you're still thinking about your 'male god.'"
"I'm not thinking about that," Exusiai said, scratching her butt with complete sincerity. "I'm thinking about taking Chen Mo out to eat desserts on the street and stuff."
Croissant's eyelid twitched.
Exusiai suddenly sat up, scanning the quiet dorm.
"Where are Sora and Texas? Why haven't they come out?"
"Sora's not like us," Croissant yawned, flipping through TV channels with zero enthusiasm. "Someone actually cares about her. She went out with her manager to talk about concerts and all that."
"And Texas?"
Croissant sighed. "Since she came back last night, she's been locked in her room. Hasn't come out once. No idea what happened to her at that bar, but she's been totally spaced out."
Maybe the iron tree finally bloomed.
A lone wolf who'd been single forever, stumbling into the right man in a dim bar—alcohol, hormones, one impulsive step, the kind that changes your life.
Exusiai's lips curled into a wicked grin.
Croissant gave her the look you reserved for people who were about to do something stupid and irreversible.
Exusiai ignored it. She rose onto her toes and tiptoed to Texas's door.
"Texas Texas"
Her voice was deliberately soft. She clearly wasn't trying to wake her up.
When there was still no response, Exusiai held back laughter and carefully pushed the door open.
"Texas…"
Then she froze.
"Whoa. That smell is intense."
The room was dim and minimalistic, as clean as ever—except for the air, which was saturated with something hot and heavy.
Exusiai let the glow of her halo light her way as she looked around. It took a moment to adjust, but then she spotted it—
A trash can overflowing with crumpled tissues.
And the overwhelming scent was coming straight from there.
"…How many times did you—"
"Why did you come into my room without permission, Exusiai?"
A cold voice spoke behind her.
Exusiai jolted like she'd been struck. She whipped around and finally saw Texas standing there with her arms crossed.
Texas wore only a thin tank top, her chest very much doing its own thing. Her tail hung straight down, heavy and still.
Which was a clear sign her mood was not good.
"I've said it countless times," Texas continued, flat and sharp. "You are not allowed to enter my room without asking."
"This is because you haven't come out all day! I was worried!" Exusiai snapped back, hands on hips, shameless as ever.
Then her grin returned—brighter, more poisonous. She leaned in and pointed at the trash can.
"Okay, okay, forget that. Texas, did your heat come early or something? Why are you going at it way more than usual?"
Texas's expression stiffened.
Exusiai's eyes sparkled like she'd just discovered a new hobby. "Or is it…"
She made an obscene little gesture—forming a ring with her fingers and sliding another finger through it repeatedly, with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"…You were with some guy last night?"
Texas went rigid.
She turned her face away, as if she couldn't bear to look at Exusiai's smug, delighted expression.
Exusiai wasn't wrong.
Texas had done something shameful.
But she was a normal woman. Having needs wasn't the problem.
The problem was who was standing in front of her right now—
Exusiai. The friend who'd been chasing Chen Mo openly, loudly, and with zero dignity.
And that was exactly why Texas felt so unspeakably uncomfortable right now, so deeply unable to meet Exusiai's eyes.
It was also why she'd been acting colder than usual—and why she hadn't simply thrown this nosy Sankta out of her room on instinct.
"I didn't actually guess right, did I?" Exusiai looked ready to combust with excitement. "Texas, you—Ms. Ice-Cold—actually like someone?!"
She practically vibrated. If she weren't worried about stepping into something questionable on the floor, she would've grabbed Texas's hands and started shaking them like a celebratory maraca.
"Come on, come on, tell me! Who is it? What kind of man is so powerful he made you—you iron-hearted, steel-straight Texas—catch feelings?!"
Exusiai had been fighting alone for so long. Now she'd found a comrade.
And not just any comrade—Texas, the one person in Penguin Logistics who actually seemed reliable.
How was Exusiai supposed to not explode? She was already imagining Texas teaching her a few tricks.
"…Calm down, Exusiai."
Texas opened her mouth, then stopped.
How could she possibly say it?
That last night, she'd pinned Exusiai's male god against a sofa and stolen a kiss by force—tasted that sweet, maddening warmth—let her hands wander over a trembling tail—
Texas's lips moved again. In the end, she chose the only escape route she had.
"This is my private business."
"Aww, don't be such a buzzkill."
Honestly, that was very Texas. If she suddenly started describing the whole story in detail, that would've been suspicious.
Exusiai slumped, interest draining away. She scratched her head and turned toward the door.
"Fine. At least clean your room up, Texas. If Sora sees this, she'll lecture you to death."
The door shut.
The room—still thick with that scent strong enough to make a man faint—was left with only Texas standing there alone.
After a long silence, Texas took out the scale.
It was already tainted with her own smell.
She lowered her eyes and sighed.
"From now on… I'll practice restraint."
Post-release clarity gave her a sliver of confidence. Maybe if she controlled herself properly, she wouldn't lose control the way she had last night.
She steadied her breathing, shook off the mess in her head, and stepped out.
Croissant looked up with curiosity as Texas opened the door, ready to head to the bathroom.
She needed a shower. The scent clinging to her was far too strong.
She couldn't let anyone see her like this—
A sudden knock came from the dorm's front door.
Texas stopped in place and turned her head.
Who?
Boss and Sora both had their own matters to handle and wouldn't be back this early. Besides, they had keys. They wouldn't knock.
So who was it?
A heavy unease spread through Texas's chest.
Her tail, which had been flicking slightly, froze again.
A bad feeling took root—cold, sharp, and undeniable.
At the same time, Exusiai didn't think that far.
She lit up, sprinted to the front door, and flung it open in one smooth motion.
"Welcome to Penguin Logistics! What can we—Chen Sir?!"
Of course.
Texas's brows tightened. The moment she saw the cold-faced dragon woman at the door, all the dread in her chest hardened into certainty.
Her tail stopped moving entirely.
…So she'd been found after all.
....
My Patreon : patreon/RuneA
If you want to read the novel in advance, you can subscribe for early access. I also have many more novels in my collection that you might be interested in
I upload ten novels a day, with 3 to 4 chapters per title depending on the length. If you're following a particular series, please wait your turn a little
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it