Chapter 42: Isn’t That... A Date??

Words : 1000 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 42: Isn’t That... A Date?? Mr. Halden stared at Lucas, still throwing punches at empty air, his face twisted with effort, sweat pouring down his temples. After a few more seconds of watching the bizarre display, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright," he muttered. Then, louder so the whole room could hear, he spoke, "The match is over. Ethan Nocturne is the winner." The announcement echoed across the training facility. Silence. Then came the sudden wave of voices. "Seriously?" "What? He didn’t do anything!" "Wait, what’s going on?" "He can’t win! That’s not fair!" "Lucas didn’t lose. He didn’t even move." "Why does that matter? We saw it, right?" "That wasn’t a real match." "It doesn’t count!" "That was boring!" Ethan glanced toward the audience. There were dozens of faces. Disappointed. Frustrated. Even angry. Everyone turned to Ethan, who simply shrugged. Mr. Halden continued, "Class is dismissed. Go home and reflect on what you saw. And maybe... study illusion-type abilities a bit more seriously." With that, the match officially ended. The nano-cameras powered down, and the arena’s barriers dropped slowly with a soft hum. Before anyone else could react, two blurs shot from the side. "Ethan!!" Everly and Evelyn were already halfway across the room before the others even stood up. The twin sisters reached Ethan at the same time, their eyes wide and full of emotion. "Are you alright?" Everly asked. "We’re so glad you’re okay," Evelyn added. Ethan chuckled. "Of course. You didn’t doubt me, did you?" "Never," they replied, their smiles warming his heart. Then, as if planned but somehow still completely spontaneous, both girls leaned in at the same time and kissed his cheeks—one on the left, one on the right. The moment froze. Their lips met his skin. Ethan blinked, surprised. His brain blanked for a second. Then came the realization. And the silence. Every student still in the facility stared. Whispers started up again. "They’re kissing him..." "Did the Moonshade twins just kiss a guy?" "Two of them, actually." "What the hell is happening?" "Why does it feel like the world’s ending?" "I’m jealous..." "That should’ve been me..." The twins pulled back slowly. Their faces turned bright red. "W-We didn’t mean to do that!" Evelyn stammered. "Yeah! It just... happened!" Everly added. They looked around at the dozens of wide-eyed students, and their faces flushed even harder. "W-We were just happy! It didn’t mean anything!" "Y-Yeah, definitely!" "R-Right!" Ethan just smiled, shaking his head. He couldn’t believe these girls sometimes. It was only then that they realized that all their classmates were watching them. "Too many people!" Evelyn whispered in panic. "We need to go!" Everly agreed. Then, in a rush of flailing arms and awkward energy, they each grabbed one of Ethan’s arms and pulled him toward the exit. "Run!" Everly hissed. "Don’t look back!" Evelyn added. They bolted. Ethan stumbled a bit, surprised. But he managed to keep up. The three of them burst through the arena doors, laughing, hearts pounding. After a minute or two of running, they slowed down and stopped at the edge of the school courtyard. Evelyn took a breath. "That was intense." "Yeah, it really was," Ethan agreed. "Are you okay, though?" Everly asked. Ethan nodded. "I’m fine. Thanks." "You sure?" "Totally." The twins looked relieved. "Sorry about that..." Evelyn mumbled. "Yeah. I didn’t think we’d actually do it," Everly admitted. Ethan shook his head, smiling. "It’s fine. Kinda cute, honestly." The twins looked at each other, then back at him. "Well," Everly started, "since we already made it weird..." "Let’s make it weirder," Evelyn finished. Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" Everly grinned. "We’re taking you out." "You need a break. And a reward. For winning." "Let us treat you," Evelyn added. "Come to the mall with us. Just the three of us." Ethan blinked. "Isn’t that... a date?" "Yep," Everly replied. "A super date," Evelyn agreed. "So," Everly said, tilting her head. "Do you wanna?" "We’re not giving you a choice," Evelyn chimed in. Ethan considered the offer. On one hand, this would be a nice distraction. And a chance to hang out with the twins. And maybe a way to help them deal with their feelings. Plus, free food. "Sounds fun," he answered, grinning. "Perfect!" "Awesome!" The two girls grabbed his arms again and dragged him toward the parking lot. As they headed back toward the city, a few thoughts crossed his mind. ’Well, that was an interesting fight.’ As they walked further away from the training center, the school building slowly disappeared behind them. The conversation between the three flowed easily, bouncing between jokes, light teasing, and even a few playful nudges. For a moment, everything just felt easy. They eventually reached the parking lot, and Ethan led them toward his sleek, custom-made car. The same one Seraphina’s company had gifted him. The twins oohed and aahed at the sight. "You never told us you had something this cool!" Everly said, eyes sparkling. "Well, it was a birthday gift," Ethan replied casually. "Remind me to ask your sister for gift ideas," Evelyn teased. Ethan just nodded as he took out his holo phone and went to the dedicated app for the car, then with a quick tap, the car started to change. From a sleek sports car to a more comfortable SUV, complete with seats big enough for all of them. They then hopped into the car, and Ethan started the engine. "So, mall it is?" "Yes!" Everly said. "And you’re not allowed to pay for anything," Evelyn added quickly. "Wait, what?" "You heard her. It’s our treat. You won the fight, after all," Everly explained. "You don’t have to do that," Ethan said. "No, we want to," the girls insisted. "But-" "Don’t be difficult. Let us spoil you a bit." Ethan relented, smiling. "Okay, fine. If you say so." "Good. Now, let’s go," Evelyn said. Ethan nodded and drove the car out of the parking lot.

Chapter 42: Isn’t That... A Date??

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