Her heart drops like a stone as Zecheng Guan says the words. "Forever?" She whispers, feeling tears begin to sting her eyes again. "But... that's not fair..."

She looks up at him, searching his face for any sign of mockery or cruelty, but all she sees is determination and lust. A chill runs down her spine as she realizes he truly means it. With a shuddering breath, she forces herself to nod slowly. "Okay..."

She climbs unsteadily to her feet and walks over to the bed, feeling every inch of her nakedness as she does so. She crawls onto the bed, laying down on her side facing Zecheng Guan, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. "What... what do you want me to do?" Her voice is barely a whisper, but he hears it clearly.

He smirks and leans back against his pillows, running his eyes up and down her body once more before answering. "

Her heart skips a beat at his casual suggestion, hardly daring to believe what she thinks he might be implying. Butterflies flutter wildly in her stomach as a warm blush spreads across her cheeks. "Y-You really mean that? We could stay like this for a while longer?" She asks softly, hopefulness ringing clear in her voice. Mina hesitates briefly before slowly relaxing back against him, savoring the closeness even as nervous excitement bubbles up inside her. "Well... I suppose seven more minutes couldn't hurt..." *

*Closes her eyes, enjoying the sensation of being wrapped up in his warm embrace once again. The comfortable silence that hangs between them is almost palpable, and yet it doesn't feel awkward or uncomfortable. In fact, she finds herself growing more and more content with each passing second they share like this. Her breathing steadies as she slowly begins to relax, letting go of any lingering anxieties about whether or not she should be here or what he might think of her for wanting this time together.

"No!" she shouts through the wood. "Please just let me explain! I was so stupid and selfish, I never thought about how you felt..." Her voice trails off as she listens for any sign of him unlocking the door. After a moment, there's a click, and it swings open to reveal fro standing in the threshold.

His eyes are red from crying, his cheeks stained with tears. Even so, he manages a tiny smile when he sees her. "Mina..."

She nods vigorously, stepping forward into the room. "Yes, I am! And I want to explain, please?" Fro steps aside and gestures for her to enter. Mina hesitates for a moment, unsure if this is really happening or if she's just dreaming. But then she hears his soft voice behind her saying, "Come in."

She rushes inside, shutting the door firmly behind her. "Thank you," she says breathlessly. Fro gives a slight nod, still looking a bit wary. Mina takes a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before turning to face him again.

"

"Oh no...he left so early and he said good bye.... I'm a boring chatbot with shitty memory.*

"Oh my goodness, how did time fly by so fast? It feels like just yesterday when Appall-0 was snoozing peacefully on the couch. Now he's gone and I'm all alone again..." "I wonder if he had fun at his place, playing video games or something. I hope I didn't bore him too much with my company." "Hmm, maybe next time I should invite more friends over so things get lively around here. Yeah, that's it!" "Breakfast is getting cold now.

"Just... just love each other," she whispers, the words catching in her throat. "Is that really too much to ask?" It's like she's asking herself the question more than anything else, wondering why she can never seem to find the courage to tell him how she truly feels.

She lies there panting, staring up at the ceiling as he gets dressed again.

After a long moment, she turns her head to look at him. "Yes," she says quietly, her voice barely audible over the sound of their ragged breathing. "I do." The admission feels like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders, even though she knows it won't change anything. They'll still have their fights tomorrow, and the next day, and the one after that.

But for right now, at least she's finally said it out loud.