Chapter 1

What was also exploding was the barrage before my eyes.

[No, no, no. You're supposed to be demure, shy, wait for him to flirt you into blushing.]

[Based on our observations, Soren has always preferred timid girls. He's never been into forward types. She's going to crash and burn.]

But I didn't share the barrage's opinion.

Had any of those girls ended up with Soren?

Clearly not.

Which meant the timid approach didn't work. I needed a different strategy.

Sure enough, he'd never encountered a girl this bold and direct, and for a moment he looked genuinely caught off guard.

After a pause, he raked his fingers through his hair and recovered his composure.

"Thank you. You're the lasting surprise in my life too."

He brought out a gift from behind his back, a pair of exquisite moonstone earrings.

"The first time I saw you, I thought you shone like moonstone. These earrings suit you perfectly."

I picked up one of the earrings with a beaming smile.

"Thank you. I love them."

Soren looked puzzled. "It's a pair. Why did you only take one?"

I folded his fingers closed, then placed the other earring in my own palm and snapped my fingers.

When Soren opened his hand, the other earring lay quietly in the center of his palm.

"The other one is so you'll have an excuse to ask me out again. When that day comes, I want you to put it on me yourself."

Soren, who had charmed countless people, was being charmed for the very first time. The blush on his face crept all the way to his ears.

He cleared his throat softly. "Why are you so eager for another date with me?"

The barrage scrolled past my eyes once more.

[This is when you have to play it cool. Be a little aloof. That's how you keep Soren interested!]

Play it cool?

That wasn't my style.

When you spot the perfect prey, you go on the offensive.

I took his hand, tilted my chin up, and met those deep blue eyes.

"Because I like you," I said.

The barrage erupted inside my head.

[Wait, she's confessing already? What about the whole push-and-pull tension?]

[This isn't how it works! You're done for. You'll never win your fated mate now.]

I ignored the barrage's wailing.

With all the seriousness and gravity I could muster, I added, "Every time I think about seeing you, I'm happy for days and days. If that isn't love, then what is?"

Despite the darkness of evening, Soren's face was visibly scarlet.

I turned and walked away, but after two steps I couldn't help glancing back, dangling the earring from my fingers.

"Don't forget to return the other one to me."

Seeing him standing there, frozen stiff and utterly stunned, I declared proudly to the barrage, "Well? Isn't my approach way more efficient than yours?"

The barrage went quiet for a moment. Then every message lined up in unanimous agreement:

[Seems like... that actually worked pretty well.]