CHAPTER 122: SECRET

Gara’s failure only dampened his mood for a moment. Before long, his energy bounced back.

Together with Madha, he headed to the river to collect another water sample and check the condition of the stream.

If the water became contaminated again after purification, then the real problem lay in the source.

The village itself was quiet, but the road to the river was even more desolate. Everyone who once lived nearby had long since abandoned the area. Nobody wanted to stay close to contaminated water.

With a flick of his hand, Gara called the river’s flow to rise. The water curled upward and poured neatly into the leather flask hanging at his waist.

Just as they turned to leave, a rustling sound broke from the thickets.

Gara instinctively moved closer. If it was a villager, he’d greet them. If it was a wild beast, well, better to hunt it down before it harmed anyone.

He and Madha pushed through the bushes, following the noise until the source came into view.

Mohan and Kian.

The two young men stood with their backs to them.

What are they doing here? Aren’t they supposed to fetch the water from the mountain with the other Liners?

Gara was about to call out, until Kian’s voice stopped him. "What do you want to say in a place like this? You even held me back from joining the other Liners to go to the mountain."

A secret. Whatever Mohan wanted to tell Kian, it wasn’t meant for other ears.

And yet instead of retreating, Gara froze. His curiosity wouldn’t let him move. What secret was so important Mohan had dragged Kian out here for it?

Madha, seeing Gara rooted to the spot, stayed silent too. Whatever it was, they would keep it.

But the "secret" that unfolded was something neither of them could have imagined, even in their wildest dreams.

The two tall figures before them—the teammates who always seemed to keep each other at arm’s length—now stood barely five inches apart.

"What I wanted to say," Mohan murmured, closing that last gap, "is that I missed you."

His face leaned in, brushing close before pressing a kiss to the man with emerald eyes.

Gara’s breath hitched. This wasn’t a hidden information. It was a hidden relationship!

While Gara and Madha stood frozen, the pair ahead didn’t stop at a tender kiss. Their lips deepened, hands roaming, tangled in quiet hunger.

Gara swallowed hard. What was going to happen next?

Before he could find out, a hand suddenly covered his eyes. Madha.

Gara moved to lower it, but the harsh sound of Madha’s breathing made him pause.

Oh no. Had my Max Charm skill triggered again?

He tugged Madha’s hand down, not so he could keep watching the scene, but to drag him away.

"Don’t disturb them," Gara muttered, ears burning red.

Madha’s ears matched his, glowing crimson. The hand Gara held burned hot, sparks of tingling warmth darting up his arm. But instead of pulling back, Madha let Gara lead him away.

By the time they reached home, the heat in their faces had mostly cooled, leaving only the faintest blush.

Gara let go of Madha’s hand at last. The moment their eyes met, that blush flared right back up.

Flustered, Gara rushed inside. "I’ll run some experiments with this water."

Madha nodded, trailing behind with slower steps, thoughts swirling.

When would he ever be bold enough—like Mohan—to simply pull the one he wanted into his arms?

...

Lately, Narin had made a habit of greeting Madha every morning when the handsome man finished his night shift. But Madha was as unresponsive as a log, showing no reaction to her beauty.

"Narin, I’ve got some Grinta." Loka came over, offering a slice of red, juicy fruit that looked like a watermelon. "I helped some of the villagers with a few other Liners. They gave us this."

Narin’s nose wrinkled in disgust. She didn’t want food from these villagers. For all she knew, it was contaminated.

"I’m not in the mood to eat," she refused curtly.

Then, a thought crossed her mind. Madha lived with Gara, which meant he ate whatever simple food they had in that shabby place.

If she couldn’t win Madha with beauty, maybe she could win him with food.

"Loka, come with me to town," Narin said, her eyes sparkling.

She looked so dazzling in that moment that Loka nodded immediately.

Not long after, they were on their way, borrowing a horse from Mohan.

Truthfully, Narin hated riding. It always left the inside of her thighs sore, but there was no carriage available at this hour and even if there was, she had no intention of squeezing in with those filthy villagers.

The moment they arrived in Falopo Town, she headed straight for the market.

"Oh no, Loka! I forgot my pouch. Do you have any coins on you?" Narin clutched her head in mock distress.

"Don’t worry, Narin. I brought some." Loka quickly reassured her.

"Thank you! I’ll pay you back as soon as we return." She hooked her arm through his with practiced sweetness, a sly smile flickering across her lips.

Of course, she had no intention of ever returning the money. And Loka—sweet, gullible Loka—wouldn’t dare ask for it back.

Without wasting time, she bought beef, a few vegetables, and a pretty bracelet that caught her eye. Then they hurried back to the village.

By the time they arrived, night had already fallen. Narin quickly tucked the beef deep inside the cold storage, hiding it carefully so no other Liner would see.

The storage itself was a sealed room packed with ice, kept frozen by ice-based Liners like Fian.

At dawn, she wasted no time preparing beef soup with the vegetables. She even added a pinch of salt, though not too much, aware of the sharp eyes of the Liner on cooking duty today.

"If she doesn’t want to share her beef, then she’d better not think she can use our salt freely," one of them muttered.

"Senior or not, that salt was bought with our pooled money," another chimed in.

...