Silverhaven's main road bustled with life that morning, as merchants shouted prices, adventurers gathered in loud, laughing clusters, and the smell of fresh bread and grilled meat floated through the air. Birds chirped overhead while a pair of bards played an off-tune duet near the fountain plaza.
Red's party stood outside the guild building, gear packed, scrolls sealed, and food rations split. Red, as usual, looked cool and unreadable. Selena, on the other hand, looked like a storm cloud ready to thunder, standing too close to Red. Hina smiled politely beside them, while Lio and the rookie duo, Rika and Yuzu, chatted excitedly about what orcs might smell like.
Just as Red gave the signal to move out, a shrill but energetic voice pierced the air.
"REEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!"
Heads turned.
From the city gates came a whirlwind of clanging armor, flapping cloaks, and frantic footsteps. Leading the charge was none other than Sarah, her black hair flowing, eyes sparkling like fireworks.
Behind her followed a pair of her new party members, one a huge man carrying a hammer, the other a short girl with a staff twice her height—both looking exhausted as they struggled to keep up.
"Oh no…" Selena muttered, her expression turning sour. "Not her…"
Red barely blinked. "ohh."
Sarah: REEEEED~!" Sarah screeched again, now at terminal velocity.
Sarah: I MISSED YOUUUUUU!"
"Brace for....impact" Lio started.
Too late.
With the grace of a catapulted watermelon, Sarah launched herself at Red, her arms outstretched, leaping high into the air like a very affectionate missile.
Red sidestepped a fraction of a second before impact.
Sarah crashed into Selena instead.
"OOF—!"
Both girls tumbled to the ground in a tangled heap of limbs and chaos.
"MY NOSE!" Selena yelled, flailing.
"WHY DID YOU DODGE?!" Sarah cried, wrapped around Selena like a starfish on a rock.
"You aimed wrong!" Red said coolly.
Sarah: YOU COULD'VE CAUGHT ME!
Red: Not part of the mission objective.
Selena finally pried Sarah off and stood up, her hair sticking out in odd angles and eyes twitching.
Selena: You again," she growled.
Sarah pouted and wiped dirt from her cheek.
Sarah: I thought you'd be happy to see me!
Selena: I WASN'T EVEN HAPPY TO SEE YOU THE FIRST TIME.
Sarah: Rude!
Selena: You tried to kiss Red in front of me!
Sarah: And?
Selena: AND?!
While the two glared at each other, Hina stepped forward, blinking in confusion.
Hina: Um… Who's this?
"Oh right," Lio said, scratching his head. "She haven't been introduced to us"
Yuzu tilted her head. "Another girl?"
"Red really has a type," Rika whispered.
"I can hear you," Red muttered.
Sarah stood proudly, brushing off her cloak.
Sarah: I'm Sarah from Elmsbrook! Proud swordswoman-in-training and Red's destined future wife!
Selena's mouth dropped. "WHAT?!"
Sarah: That's right! He saved me from slavers! He cut down twenty men like a hero out of legend! Then I swore I'd marry him once I'm strong enough!
Selena's eye twitched. "YOU SWORE TO WHAT NOW?!"
Sarah: I EVEN KISSED HIM!
The party gasped. Rika dropped her bow. Yuzu tripped over a cobblestone. Hina's smile twitched slightly.
"You kissed… Red?" Hina asked slowly.
"Yes!" Sarah declared proudly. "On the lips!"
Red sighed.
Lio turned to Red. "...You didn't dodge that one?"
Red: It was a surprise attack.
Lio: I see…
Selena stomped her foot.
Selena: That's it! I'm not letting you anywhere near him again, kiss bandit!
Sarah narrowed her eyes.
Sarah: Oh? Then try and stop me, jelly bean!
Selena: WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BEAN?!
And just like that, the fight resumed.
The two girls launched into a whirlwind of clumsy brawling, rolling on the ground, yanking each other's cheeks, trading pillow-level slaps, and tumbling into barrels while shouting half-coherent insults.
Selena: You're too clingy!
Sarah: You're too loud!
Selena: You're too... YOU!
Hina stood frozen, blinking in disbelief.
Hina: Um… Is this normal?" she asked.
Rika leaned toward Yuzu. "Do you think we'll have to fight for Red's love too?"
"Nah," Yuzu replied.
Yuzu: I'll just bake cookies until he loves me.
Rika: Good plan.
As the chaos spiraled further, Hina finally stepped forward.
"Excuse me," she said sweetly. "But I'd like to clarify something."
Everyone paused. Even the tangled mess of Selena and Sarah stopped mid-slap.
Hina: I'm Red's fiancée.
A full three seconds of stunned silence followed.
Sarah's eye twitched. "...Eh?"
Rika gasped. "Wait, what?!"
Yuzu screamed. "WHAT?!"
"I-It's just pretend," Hina added quickly. "But it was part of my arranged marriage cancellation and family banquet. Nothing real!"
YOU SLEPT IN THE SAME BED!" Selena shouted.
Hina: I-I had nightmares!
Selena: You spooned him!
Hina: Unintentional spooning!
Sarah stood stiff as a statue, face pale.
Sarah: Pretend… engagement?" she whispered.
"Pretend," Hina nodded.
Sarah started shaking.
Sarah: Red… why didn't you pretend with me toooo?!"
Then she dropped to her knees dramatically, clenching her fists to the sky.
Sarah: WHYYYYY?!
The whole party and half the guild street, stared.
Even a pigeon stopped mid-flight.
Finally, Sarah stood up, sniffled, and dramatically turned away, cloak flaring in the wind.
Sarah: I'll go now, But don't think this is the end!
Red: Uh...
Sarah: No! I understand! I'm just another girl in the harem lineup now!"
"There is no harem," Red said flatly.
Sarah: I'LL BECOME STRONGER THAN EVER AND WIN YOUR HEART FOR REAL!" she cried, shaking a fist toward the sky.
Then she ran dramatically into the distance, cloak fluttering, bumping into a fruit stand, tripping over a barrel, and vanishing around the corner with a faint sobbing wail.
The party stood in stunned silence.
Selena dusted herself off.
Selena: Okay, that was… a lot.
"She really likes you," Hina said gently.
Red rubbed his temples. "Let's just go."
As they started walking again, Lio muttered,
Lio: You know, one day, this is all going to explode."
"It already has," Selena groaned.
And behind them, the city returned to its usual buzz, just with one less drama bomb and a lot more confused bystanders.