It was the end of the work day, Lukas and Lily were once again at the entrance of the building. The two of them idling around before it was time for Lukas to leave.

"Are you sure that you don't want to join me for drinks?" Lukas asked.

"I would love to, but I… I really need to go." Lily waved her hand apologetically. "I hope you have a good evening though, Lukas. Please take care on your way back home! Or if you're going to the bar…"

"I'm going home, you don't have to worry." Lukas winked. "I wanted to spend more time with you outside of work, but it's much better to save some credits."

"Right." Lily nodded and sheepishly smiled. "Take care again–and um, see you again!"

"Sure thing." Lukas watched Lily disappear back into the building and his brows furrowed together. She always rejected his offer to hang out with him after work despite the two of them getting along well.

"Does she need to do extra work?" Lukas wondered as he headed back to his apartment, taking the shortest route possible to head back.

On his way back, he didn't pay much heed to his surroundings–he'd already seen it all– only taking note of other Vampires also headed in their different destinations.

It was a strangely so human thing to see Vampires–creatures known as mysterious, seductive and powerful creatures to be doing something as mundane as walking and chatting with their companions but that was what Lux City afforded them, a chance for normality.

But also a chance for cruelty to creep in.

"Blend in, blend in." Lukas muttered underneath his breath as he passed by a dark alley, noticing a group bullying a lone Vampire–which he could have sworn was the same folks he encountered in VitaBlood–and then finally reaching the familiar building.

Lukas sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "That was none of my business anyway."

He didn't feel the need to play as some kind of hero. Instead, Lukas took his steps up and finally reached his hallway–but then bumped into someone.

"Ow."

"Hey–" Lukas frowned but then paused at the sight of the petite figure.

Her red hair barely escaped the edge of her hoodie, accompanied with the sight of her scarlet eyes and luscious pink lips, she was a real stunner.

There was such a mesmerizing appearance to the way she appeared in front of him that Lukas lost the retort in his lips. "Huh."

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"Ah, apologies." Chaerin meekly looked up at him. "You must be one of the tenants–I'll leave you to it."

She then started to make her way out slowly, and soon came to a halt when she heard Lukas speak again.

"Not a tenant–then you must be our landlord?" Lukas spun around and asked curiously. For some reason, she seemed extremely familiar as if he had already seen her around but this was their first time meeting so it didn't make any sense.

"Oh yes. That's me." Chaerin nodded slowly.

"I see…" Lukas couldn't help but notice the way her pair of legs were practically exposed. The landlord was only wearing an oversized hoodie, but it seemed to fit her well–he couldn't help but stare.

"Um, my eyes are up here."

"Oops, sorry about that." Lukas laughed and met her gaze. It was his first time meeting an incredibly shy woman–even shyer than Lily for some reason.

It was an odd thing.

Then again, he hadn't exactly read all about the side characters and couldn't toggle the main menu to check on the character profiles anymore.

He had already tried his luck from over a week ago, but besides the notifications, anything else related to all of this being a game became non-existent.

"If you're really sorry–you could treat me to a meal." Chaerin said.

"A meal?" Lukas blinked. He thought the woman was shy–but she was much more forward than he thought. Not that he didn't mind it, his lips curled into a grin. "Sure, why not–but could I at least get a name? We're here planning meals but we don't even know each other's names."

"You're Lukas." Chaerin said, then bit her lip. "I know it from the tenant list."

"Right…" Lukas slowly nodded. "And you must be?"

"Chaerin."

[ You Have Formed A Bond With Chaerin Atticus ]

You are now aware of Chaerin's presence.

"Oh." Lukas finally remembered. He looked at Chaerin up and down again and covered up his shock with a large grin–this was supposed to be the 'fun' and 'obsessed' girl, but here she was being all meek and shy.

A tingle went down Lukas' spine.

How long has this woman been spying on him? Enough that Chaerin realized that he spent most of his time around Lily? Did she think that he'd like her more and be at ease if she acted like Lily?

It almost put his guard down–but luckily, she didn't lie about her name.

… this should have been enough reason for him to start running in the opposite direction or maybe try to get a lawsuit, however, Lukas couldn't help but just keep grinning. It was a lot more exciting to go around and act like he didn't know a thing, right?

Unintentionally, Chaerin started her game and she didn't even realize it.

Now whether or not who'd end up as the victor was another thing entirely though. Lukas didn't feel the need to expose her right away. He tucked his hands in his pocket and nodded.

"Sure thing, a meal sounds good to me. What do you want?"

"Well…" Chaerin glanced back over her shoulder and gestured slowly towards a door. "I don't have time to get ready and dressed up, but if you could cook me some ramen then we could call it even."

"I see, I see." Lukas chuckled. She was easy to read in this sense–and he didn't mind it all. A woman who knew what she wanted, that was something that he wouldn't turn down on.

"Does that sound fine to you?"

"Absolutely." Lukas nodded. "After you."

"Okay." Chaerin's heart pounded wildly in her chest as she reached out to her door and pulled it open. She was upset that he had been flirting too much around Lily, but now she was finally going to have him all to herself tonight.

She'd make him realize that she was the one–

"What the fuck, Chaerin."

Lukas raised a brow and took a peek inside. Chelsea, the same girl he encountered in the bar, was in the process of putting on her stockings–which was a kink in of itself–but it ended too quickly.

Chelsea quickly met the gaze of Lukas and understood the situation immediately.

"Both of you, out." Chelsea pointed her finger outside. "I'm not having a man stay inside of our apartment sis."

"You're being too strict!"