CHAPTER 211: FEELINGS

"Just let me stay like this for a moment." Quizen mumbled, burying his face further into Coco’s shoulder.

Coco felt a shiver run down her spine, his hot breath making goosebumps rise in her arms as she nodded her head slowly, choosing to be understanding of the mediator’s confusing situation.

What’s wrong with this guy? Coco thought, turning her attention away from Quizen to the pink haired mediator.

"I’m sorry, Joachim, but.." Coco said with an apologetic look on her face, "Can you send someone to my house? I would love to go, but this one seems like he won’t be moving anytime soon."

As if to prove her words true, Quizen hugged Coco, his face hidden as he buried it into the curve of her neck, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

He held onto her, his body pressed against her, his grip tight, but not bruising.

The mediator stayed hidden, his face remaining out of sight as he clung to her, his body tense and his breathing slightly ragged, as if he was catching his breath like he had done a quick jog.

Coco froze, her eyes wide and her body still as Quizen unceremoniously hugged her, his sudden action catching her off guard.

"See..? I don’t think he will let go." Coco laughed nervously, a sweat dropping on her cheek as she held out her hand and grabbed Quizen’s shoulder, pushing him away slightly, but to no avail, the mediator stayed seated and close to her.

She could feel the heat of his breath on her skin, the warmth of his body seeping through their clothes as he held her tight.

"He’s quite a clingy husband, isn’t he?" Joachim teased, his lips curling up into a smug smirk.

"Haha.." Coco laughed awkwardly as she looked away, "He’s usually not like this, I swear. We don’t even do things like this in public because we’re always both occupied.. So, I don’t know what got into him."

"Maybe he just missed you?" Joachim tilted his head, assuming that his favored worker had missed his dearest wife.

"That can’t be." Coco shook her head with a firm tone in her voice, denying Joachim’s assumptions with a stern look on her face— so serious that it took the pink haired mediator aback.

".. Okay, okay, okay." Joachim forced a smile and chuckled, "I’ll send Ruby to your house, would that be okay?"

Coco smiled softly and nodded her head. "I don’t mind. You can tell her that I will pay her handsomely if she fetches my husbands. All three of them."

"You don’t have to do that." Joachim tutted out as he grabbed the case and the logbook, "I can add an extra amount to her paycheck today. You can just think of it as my celebratory gift or something."

"No, thank you. I appreciate the thought, but I can’t do that." Coco refused as politely as she could while still trying to yank the blue haired mediator off her gently.

"Hmp, you’re the first person I have come across who doesn’t want anything as a congratulatory gift." Joachim puffed his cheeks out and turned away from her, "I just wanted to do something for you, you know?"

"You don’t have to congratulate me for paying off the debt that I made, silly." Coco laughed quietly and stopped pushing Quizen away, silently admitting to her fate.

"It’s a debt that I made. I don’t have to accept anything for paying off what I needed to pay off in the first place. It’s my responsibility." Coco stated, her voice dripping with sincerity as she smiled.

Joachim let out a defeated sigh. "You’re so strict with things like this.. But okay, whatever you say."

Coco could only shoot him a smile as she raised a hand to Quizen’s head, patting his hair gently in hope of comforting him and making him feel better faster.

Joachim saw this and smiled, loving the fact that Coco’s affectionate action seemed to be her second nature.

"Good luck with your husband, Coco." Joachim hummed out as he waved at her, his hold on the wooden case tight and secured.

Coco watched him disappear behind the kitchen’s door, shaking her head and sighing weakly.

"You’re still not fine, Quizen?" Coco asked, turning her attention to the mediator who tightened his arms around her, his forehead pressed against her collarbone, his eyes closed.

Quizen, on the other hand, hid his face because he found Coco strangely attractive— something he shouldn’t feel.

While she was talking to Joachim, she was too focused on her conversation with him that she failed to notice that Quizen discreetly breathed in her scent as his heart thundered in his chest, his mind clouded with emotions.

The feeling of her body against his own, the warmth of her skin, the comfort of her presence— all combined and it overwhelms him.

He felt a deep sense of joy when she let him hug her, the comfort of her presence and the smell of her hair bringing him a sense of relief, but at the same time, he was still painfully aware of the way he embarrassed himself, his cheeks reddening further.

Why am I feeling like this? Quizen asked himself as he groaned, his heart pounding in his chest.

Why did I wrap my arms around her as soon as I felt overwhelmed? Quizen wondered, but that was all he could think of as he drowned in the sense of comfort in Coco’s embrace, the jasmine scent filling his nose and calming his nerves.

His body relaxed into her, the tension draining from his body as he held her close.

However, there was also a sense of guilt on his chest, his actions betraying the fact that he knew he should not be hugging her like this when he said a lot of things about hating Coco’s guts.

I don’t know anymore.. Quizen thought, frowning deeply as he gripped the back of Coco’s shirt.

Just what is this feeling?