The Thief, The Trickster, and The Stolen Kiss

Kain sat in his assigned palace chamber, arms crossed, legs propped up on the desk, and eyes burning with frustration.

This was day one of his house arrest.

Lysara had banned him from leaving the palace grounds until they "figured out what the bond does." That meant no missions, no artifact hunting, no gold-making schemes—nothing.

Instead, he was stuck under constant watch like some kind of royal pet.

And to make things worse…

Tsuki was having the time of her life.

She was lounging upside down on his bed, tails flicking lazily, smirking as she watched him suffer.

"Awww~ my dear husband, are you pouting?"

Kain whipped toward her. "I AM NOT POUTING!"

Tsuki grinned wider. "Mmm~ you totally are~."

"I SHOULD BE OUT THERE WORKING!" Kain flailed his arms, pointing at the window. "Instead, I'm stuck here like some caged animal, waiting for some mysterious divine side effects to kick in! This is ridiculous!"

Tsuki rolled onto her stomach, resting her chin in her hands. "Ohhh~ but it's so exciting~."

"IT'S NOT EXCITING!"

"Mmm, but it is~." Tsuki giggled, flipping onto her back again. "What if you suddenly develop fox ears? Or start craving mischief? Maybe you'll wake up and—ohhh~ feel the **overwhelming urge to steal a kiss~?"

Kain turned red instantly. "*I AM NOT GOING TO—WHY DO YOU ALWAYS MAKE IT WEIRD?!"

Tsuki cackled, tails swishing. "Because your reactions are adorable~."

Kain groaned loudly into his hands. "This is torture. This is actual torture."

---

Night 1: The First Side Effect Hits

Kain collapsed onto the bed, absolutely drained.

"Alright. Maybe if I sleep, I can just… pretend none of this is happening."

Tsuki perched on the windowsill, grinning. "Ooooh~ sleep? Yes, sleep, dear thief~. Go right ahead~."

Kain squinted at her. "Why do you sound like you know something I don't?"

Tsuki giggled but said nothing.

Kain ignored her, rolling over and burying himself in the blankets. "Stupid fox. Stupid bond. Stupid everything…"

Then, the moment his eyes closed—

He wasn't in his bed anymore.

---

Dreamscape: A World That Shouldn't Exist

Kain stood frozen in a strange, moonlit garden.

Everything around him felt wrong, yet familiar.

The air was thick with something indescribable, carrying a soft, sweet scent that he couldn't place.

Foxfire lanterns floated lazily in the air, casting a warm, golden glow over the endless field of swaying blue flowers.

It was quiet.

Not the eerie kind of silence, but something deeper—something empty.

And then—

He saw her.

Tsuki.

But not the Tsuki he knew.

She wasn't teasing.

She wasn't smirking.

She wasn't grinning like a fox who had just outwitted a hunter.

She was sitting alone beneath a tree, knees drawn to her chest, her long pink hair shimmering under the moonlight, her golden tails resting still behind her.

She looked… peaceful.

And yet—

Something about the way she sat there, the way her eyes were closed but not relaxed, the way her fingers absentmindedly curled into the grass beneath her—

She looked lonely.

Kain's breath hitched.

He didn't know why, but the sight of her like that made his chest feel… tight.

She wasn't playing a role here.

She wasn't the smug, teasing goddess that thrived on his suffering.

She was just… someone sitting alone in a quiet, endless space.

His mouth opened before he even realized it.

"…What the hell is this?"

Tsuki's ears twitched slightly, but she didn't react right away.

Then, slowly, she opened her eyes.

Golden.

But this time, they weren't filled with their usual mischievous glint.

For the first time since meeting her, she looked at him without amusement.

She looked at him like she was actually seeing him.

Something warm.

Something real.

Kain felt a chill run down his spine.

This wasn't a normal dream.

And it definitely wasn't just his imagination.

He took a slow step forward.

Then—

The look in her eyes shifted.

And just like that, the moment was gone.

Tsuki's lips curled into a smirk.

"Oh~? Taking the initiative now, are we~?"

Kain snapped out of it instantly.

His face twitched.

"**WHAT—NO—**I WAS JUST—WHAT IS THIS?!"

Tsuki burst into laughter, rolling back onto the grass, all traces of her earlier stillness gone.

"Ohhh, this is too good~! You should've seen your face~!"

Kain clutched his head, overwhelmed.

"THIS IS A NIGHTMARE! WHY AM I DREAMING ABOUT YOU?!"

Tsuki grinned knowingly.

"Ohh, that's just the bond kicking in~."

Kain froze.

His stomach dropped.

"…Excuse me?"

Tsuki winked.

"Mmm~ our souls are linked now, dear thief~. That means when you sleep… well~"

She gestured vaguely to the glowing surroundings.

"Welcome to our little shared dream space~."

Kain's entire body shut down.

His brain lagged.

"NO. NOPE. NOPE. ABSOLUTELY NOT."

"Ohhh, yes~."

"THIS IS INVASION OF PRIVACY! I WANT A REFUND!"

"Mmm, but you paid nothing for this bond~. No refunds, only endless companionship~."

Kain fell to his knees.

"I AM NEVER GOING TO HAVE A MOMENT OF PEACE AGAIN, AM I?!"

Tsuki blinked.

Then—her expression flickered.

Just for a second.

So fast, Kain almost missed it.

But he didn't.

She hesitated.

For the first time.

Her golden eyes flickered with something unreadable.

Then—

She grinned again.

"Nope~!"

Kain groaned loudly, throwing his head back.

"I HATE EVERYTHING."

Morning: Denial Kicks In

Kain shot up from bed, drenched in sweat, heart pounding like he had just run from a dungeon guardian.

"NO. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!"

His breath was ragged. The dream was too real.

The moonlit garden, the floating lanterns, the way Tsuki had looked at him—

It was still burned into his mind.

He turned frantically, looking around—

And there she was.

Tsuki was already sitting at his bedside, arms crossed, waiting.

She looked far too pleased with herself.

"Good morning, my dear husband~."

Kain jerked back so hard he nearly fell off the bed.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"

Tsuki tilted her head, innocent. "Mmm? It's morning~. I was just waiting for you to wake up~."

Kain grabbed his pillow and hurled it at her.

"GET OUT OF MY DREAMS!"

Tsuki dodged effortlessly, laughing.

"Ohhh, but I live there now~."

Kain froze mid-panic.

"…What."

Tsuki leaned in, grinning.

"Ohhh, did I forget to mention? The bond lets us share dreams~. So every time you sleep…"

She rested her chin in her hands, tails flicking behind her.

"I'll be there too~."

Kain felt his soul leave his body.

His entire existence flashed before his eyes.

He stared at her, horrified, as the realization sank in.

"I AM NEVER GOING TO HAVE A MOMENT OF PEACE AGAIN, AM I?!"

Tsuki giggled, absolutely thriving in his despair.

"Nope~!"

Kain buried his face in his hands.

"I HATE EVERYTHING."

---

The Side Effects Get Worse

Kain thought it couldn't get worse.

He was wrong.

It started small.

A faint tug in his chest whenever Tsuki was too far away.

A weird warmth whenever she was close.

But then—

It got worse.

---

Unwanted Thoughts (The Horror Begins)

At random moments, without warning—

Flash. Tsuki grinning at him during the dream.

Flash. Her hair shimmering in the moonlight.

Flash. Her **golden eyes looking at him—**not playfully, but gently.

Kain shook his head violently, gripping his skull.

"NO. STOP IT. BAD THOUGHTS. AWAY WITH YOU."

---

The 'Noticing' Phase

The worst part?

He started noticing things about Tsuki.

Things he had never paid attention to before.

---

1: Her Hair

"Her hair is actually really nice…"

"It looks soft… Wait, why am I thinking about this?!"

---

2: Her Lips

Kain glanced at Tsuki while she was smirking at him, mid-tease.

His eyes flicked downward.

"Wait, why am I looking at her lips—"

His entire body froze.

His stomach dropped.

Then he internally screamed at himself.

"NOPE, NOPE, NOPE. GET THAT THOUGHT OUT OF HERE. EXORCISM! WHERE'S A PRIEST?!"

---

3: Her Scent (The Final Betrayal)

One day, walking past her, something hit him like a truck.

A soft, faint scent.

Not strong, not perfumed—just… pleasant.

His body stopped moving.

His mind broke.

"WHY DOES SHE SMELL GOOD?!"

Tsuki noticed him freezing and smirked.

"Ohhh~? Something wrong, dear thief~?"

Kain immediately bolted.

"NOPE! NOTHING! EVERYTHING IS FINE! GOODBYE!"

---

The Denial Phase: Kain vs. Reality

By the third day, Kain was in full mental warfare with himself.

He paced his room aggressively, muttering.

"SHE'S A MENACE. A GREMLIN. A FOX SPAWNED FROM CHAOS. I REFUSE TO FALL INTO THIS TRAP!"

"It's just the bond messing with me."

"It's just the bond messing with me."

"IT'S JUST THE BOND MESSING WITH ME."

But the bond didn't feel like it was forcing anything.

That was the problem.

It just… heightened what was already there.

Which meant—

Kain suddenly stopped pacing.

His stomach sank.

His face paled.

"…Oh no."

---

The Absolute Worst Moment

At dinner, Lysara was mid-conversation about his training schedule when Kain's eyes briefly flicked to Tsuki.

It was just a second too long.

And Tsuki noticed.

Her grin widened.

She leaned in slightly.

"Oh~? Looking at me again, dear thief~?"

Kain immediately choked on his drink.

Lysara blinked, then scowled. "What's wrong with you?"

Kain slammed his hands on the table.

"NOTHING. NOTHING AT ALL. EVERYTHING'S FINE."

Tsuki rested her chin on her hand, watching him squirm.

"Mmm~ I wonder what you were thinking about just now~."

Kain stood up abruptly.

"I NEED TO GO DIG A HOLE AND DIE IN IT."

Lysara sighed aggressively. "Can you two just be normal for five minutes?"

Kain stormed out, fully panicked.

---

Kain Accepts the Unacceptable

Later that night, alone in his room, Kain stared at the ceiling.

His face was blank.

His soul was dead inside.

And then, quietly, to himself—

"…I think I like her."

Silence.

Then—

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Tsuki, listening from the rooftop, grinned.

"Took you long enough~."