Yuto, grinning like a fool, nudging Himari for a kiss. "Guess we should match the energy, huh?"
Himari shot him a quick glare before giving a small, embarrassed laugh... and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek before hurrying to catch up with Alia.
Minato stood there, hands in his pockets, watching them walk off into the crowd...
Yuto looked at him, still half-shocked. "You really went for it, huh?"
Minato just smirked faintly. "What? I just wanted to make sure they know she’s taken."
Yuto snorted and smacked Minato lightly on the shoulder. "Man, you’ve changed. The old you would’ve turned into a tomato just saying hi to a girl."
Minato shrugged with a small grin. "Guess things are different now."
They began walking toward the courtyard again, where the music was louder. Students talking, laughing, and taking pictures under glowing paper lanterns. The amazing scent of grilled food drifted in the atmosphere, mixed with the soft autumn breeze of the campus.
Yuto grabbed two cups of soda from a nearby table and handed one to Minato. "Anyway, I’m glad you ca. After what happened last weekend at the supermarket, you’ve been ghosting everyone. People thought you were dead or you dropped out or sothing."
"I just needed ti to think," Minato said, glancing toward the crowd, trying to spot if Alia was in that direction.
"Oh? You an you needed ti to play house with your cute girlfriend?" Yuto teased, bumping his elbow against Minato’s side.
"Sothing like that," Minato said dryly, taking a sip from his cup.
anwhile, on the other side of the courtyard, Alia and Himari had stopped near a group of girls chatting by the campus fountain. Himari was proudly introducing her. "Everyone, this is Alia... Minato’s girlfriend. Isn’t she stunning?"
The group turned, and instantly, there were small gasps and murmurs. Alia stood straight, her posture calm and confident, her red eyes glinting a little bit under the flashlights of so taking pictures. (Without her consent.)
One of the girls whispered, "Are those real eyes? She looks like a model."
Alia smiled politely. "Thank you. You all seem... lively."
The girls giggled, already drawn in by her quiet and captivating presence. Himari grinned proudly, enjoying the reactions.
Across the courtyard, Minato’s eyes finally found them; he was still watching her from a distance, arms folded. He noticed how naturally she handled attention... Unbothered, graceful; he could see the royalty in how she carried herself.
"You’re staring hard," Yuto said, smirking.
Minato didn’t deny it. "Yeah."
"Damn, man. You’ve got it bad."
Minato ignored the tease, but his faint smile said enough.
He then turned to Yuto, setting his cup down. "Hey, I’ll be right back. Need to take a leak. Where’s the bathroom?"
Yuto waved him off lazily. "Dude, it’s a party. Just find a quiet spot outside and let it flow. No one’s gonna care."
"Right..." Minato muttered, scratching his head before slipping away from the noise and the flashing lights.
He walked toward the front gates, the chatter and music fading behind him. The air outside was cooler, quieter... only the noise of distant traffic and the faint rustle of trees filled the environnt.
He unzipped his jeans, bringing out his penis and began to relieve himself near a bush by the gate, staring blankly at the ground when...
Sothing moved at the edge of his vision. His eyes quickly darted upwards.
A small figure stood just beyond the university fence, motionless under the university entrance streetlight.
It was a girl... petite, barefoot, dressed in a white robe that flowed from the night breeze. Her long, silver hair glowed brightly under the streetlight.
At first, Minato thought she might have been a student dressed as a cosplayer of her favorite character, but...
=======================
[DING]
[DETECTION ALERT: High-Ranking Species Detected — ELF]
[Threat Level: Unstable. Estimated Class B ]
=========================
His breath caught in his throat. "What... an elf? Here?"
He blinked twice, and for a brief mont, the breeze shifted, parting her hair. That’s when he saw them... sharp, pointed ears catching the light.
The girl slowly turned her head, as if sensing his gaze. Her bright blue eyes t his, glowing like the Caribbean Sea.
Minato’s instincts scread at him.
He zipped up, his heart racing. Without thinking twice, he turned around and ran back inside the university building, his footsteps echoing across the pavent with a sense of urgency.
The party noise grew louder again as he pushed through the crowd, heading straight for the courtyard where Alia was still surrounded by Himari and the other girls.
His pulse was pounding in his ears as he reached her side. Alia turned, imdiately noticing the tension on his face.
"Alia," he called out to her first.
"Minato?" she said, eyes narrowing slightly.
"What’s wrong... Minato?" Himari asked, confused by his sudden panic.
He stopped, catching his breath. "Sorry, ladies, I would like to speak with my girlfriend."
He grabbed Alia by the wrist and started pulling her away from the courtyard, heading into the university corridor and then out into the open compound. His grip was tight, his pace fast.
"Minato, wait... you’re pulling too hard!" Alia said, struggling to keep up. She could feel his hand trembling. "What’s happening? Tell !"
He bit his lip, trying to steady his voice. "The elf, Alia... I saw an elf. She was standing right there, at the gate."
"What..." Alia’s eyes widened as she realized why he was panicking. Her breath caught.
Before she could say more, voices echoed from the street... the one leading to Portal 2. Minato turned quickly toward the sound. His stomach dropped instantly.
He broke into an instant sprint, running through the university gate. When he reached the opposite street, he saw Yuto standing there with a few other male students, taking pictures dangerously close to the portal. The atmosphere around it was more aggressive than usual; of course, they couldn’t sense it.
Then...
=====================
[DING!]
[CALCULATING ANOMALY...PORTAL 2 HAS BEEN COMPROMISED.]
[PORTAL BREAK WILL OCCUR IN THE NEXT 10 SECONDS.]
=====================
Minato froze for a split second, his heart hamring in his chest like a carpenter hitting a nail. His eyes widened in shock before he scread at the top of his lungs...
"YUTO! GET OUT OF THERE!!!"
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