Kaoru pursed his lips.
“But three girlfriends. . .” I took a breath and let my eyes linger on the hearts at his neck. “I may be heavily assuming and completely wrong, but there are only two hearts inked into your skin. And those studs through your ears—diamond and ruby—look a lot like offerings chosen by two different women who like to mark what they own and both be included together. Plus, you looked at Kenji when you said three which was odd. Maybe, it’s hard for you to look at the person directly when you lie to them. If that’s true, then you must be a pretty honest person.”
Everyone remained silent which made my nerves even more frazzled.
I hope I don’t sound dumb as fuck.
I sighed. “So here’s my guess: you havetwogirlfriends that know about each other. Not three. Which is still quite impressive, but. . .that statement is the lie.”
Silence hesitated at the door like it wanted to come in and sit with us a while. But maybe I was imagining it, twisting doubt spiraling into insecurity because my pulse couldn’t calm down.
What if I had misread everything?
How bad would it be to get the first guy wrong?
Test over. You’re an idiot. Thanks for wasting our time.
If I were wrong, it wouldn’t just be failure—it might be disappointment in Kenji’s eyes, and that was worse than any punishment. I could live with Kaoru laughing at me, even Reo smirking in his notes, but the thought of Kenji’s cold gaze slicing into me made my stomach knot so tight I thought I might throw up.
And wasn’t that the whole damn ridiculous story of me?
A girl still chasing the one look she never got from her father, still craving the warmth her mother had rationed like it cost too much to give. Neglect had carved a hollow in me, and every man since had either fed it scraps or ignored it completely.
But Kenji?
The Dragon was the only one whose approval and admiration felt like oxygen—and the thought of losing them made my ribs ache like they were collapsing inward.
My chest tightened as the silence continued.
Reo finally broke the quiet. “What was the lie, Kaoru?”
Kaoru’s serious face cracked into something bright and indecent, the charmer peeling itself back on command. “She’s right. Two girlfriends. Not three. That was the lie.”
This great relief poured over me.
Then, Kaoru winked. “But I am looking for a third, if you know a good woman who would love to share a good man.”
Kenji rolled his eyes.
I nervously laughed before I could stop myself.
Holy shit. I got it! Go, Nyomi! Go, Nyomi!
Reo tapped his notebook. “Nyomi: 1 point. Liars: 0. Great start.”
Kaoru stepped back. “It’s not a victory yet, she still has two more.”
Wow. Are you on my side or not?
I filed away that tiny, private victory like a jewel slipped into a hidden sleeve. The first hit. The first high. The game had teeth and I had fingers in its mouth.
Let’s fucking go!
As far as I was concerned, even if I got the others wrong. . .I didn’t look like a complete idiot. I could leave the test with some sense of dignity.
However, I looked to Kenji again, and his expression was cool enough to frost glass. No praise. No warmth. Only that unreadable, imperial patience of the Dragon.
He would not be feeding me on easy wins.
