?***


    In a thirty square metres apartment.


    A handsome white-haired man stood hugging a gorgeous ck-haired woman, who was sobbing uncontrobly while hugging the white-haired man.


    ''I, I, I w-was so sca-scared! I n-ne-never thought, I w-would ever ha-have to go through an experience like that.'' Katline thought. She wanted to voice her words, but she couldn''t; she felt a lump stuck in her throat, which was stopping her from speaking as she sobbed uncontrobly.


    "Hic, ukkh, haa...aaaa.." Katline clenched Eshwar''s clothes and continued to sob.


    PAT-PAT (3x)


    "Shuuuuussshhh.... it''s alright now." Eshwar''s gentle voice trickled in Katline''s ears as she felt gentle pats on her back, which seemingly soothed her.


    "Hic, haa...waaa..." Katline''s cries softened at Eshwar''s gentle care.


    "Have you eaten yet?" Eshwar''s soothing voice sounded in her ears, and she shook her head, denying subconsciously.


    "Hic, hic..." Katline wanted to stop crying, but since her fear still remained, she continued to hup.


    "I have cooked some food, want me to feed you? You have to eat to get stronger, after all." Eshwar spoke like he was speaking to a kid, hugging.


    "Hic....I''m, hic...not a k-kid." Katline smiled slightly and spoke with a small pout. She felt Eshwar release his embrace around her, but she didn''t budge. She was feeling veryfortable in his arms and didn''t want to let go of it.


    "Hahaha." Eshwar''s chuckle trickled into her ears, and she blushed slightly but still continued to hug him tightly.


    "!!" Katline''s eyes shot wide open in shock when Eshwar gently picked her up like a princess and Vinny''s face instantly assaulted her mind. Her fear returned along with the vivid memories of what had happened previously, and she involuntarily started to tremble in Eshwar''s arms.


    "!" Katline was surprised again when she saw ''Vinny'' lean closer to her ear, but from her fear she didn''t have any strength to push him off.


    "It''s alright. It''s okay, he has already left." Katline heard a gentle, soothing voice and noticed white hair trickle on her face. She remembered that ''that demon'' had already left her home and that she was in Eshwar''s arms now.


    "M...mhm." Katline nodded her head slightly as her head started to get clearer again, and again, she felt a sense offort and security wash over her while in Eshwar''s embrace. She stealthily moved her hand closer to Eshwar''s clothes and held it tightly as if she feared him releasing her from his embrace.


    "Hahaha." Katline heard Eshwar''s chuckle again; this time she raised her head and peeked at his handsome face, noticing him smiling bitterly with a worried look on his face.


    BA-THUMP


    ''!'' Katline was surprised by herself when she felt her heart skip a beat.


    ''No, no, he....is my professor, so of course he would be worried about his student....right.....'' She shook her head vigorously and thought, only to feel disappointed by it.


    ''...but still.... he is only 19 years old.'' She thought and blushed without even knowing why she suddenly felt embarrassed, and then Vinny''s face shed in her mind again, which sent shivers down her spine.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "...." Katline shuddered in Eshwar''s arms and felt his grip around her tighten slightly. She raised her head and noticed that he wasn''t even looking at her as if he wanted to hide his worried face, which Katline could slightly see and ''feel.''


    SHUFFLE


    "....?" Eshwar ced Katline on the couch and got up, but halted as soon as he saw Katline clenching his clothes. He then gazed at her with a perplexed look on his worried face.


    "...I, I a-am a bit s-scared." Katline said that though it was true that she was scared to be alone, she herself felt her words were an excuse.


    "Ah, I''m sorry.... I wasn''t considerate enough." Eshwar lowered his head in shame and apologized; Katline became flustered and wanted to apologise for talking nonsense, but before she could speak, Eshwar spoke up instead.


    "I thought you would feel better if a man is not around, especially like now." Eshwar mumbled, and Katline felt his words were reasonable, but she didn''t feel ufortable being around him.


    "N-no, no, no, I am not ufortable around you, Eshwar." Katline instantly denied his words, a bit too fast for her own liking.


    ''Though I still don''t know if I''ll feel the same in front of other ''men.'''' She added inwardly, and Vinny''s face shed in her mind again, and she shuddered, but not so strongly as thest time.


    "Thankfully." Eshwar mumbled in low buzz like voice and sighed in relief, unaware that Katline could hear him.


    "Then... please eat some food, I don''t want to brag but I''m an extremely good in cooking." He said with small smile while pointing at the te withrge quantity of food.


    ''There is so much.'' Katline thought and smiled a bit before sniffing the food''s aroma, which made her drool inwardly.


    "...Um." Eshwar looked down at Katline''s hand which was clenching his clothes and looked bewildered.


    *


    A few minutester.


    Katline pretended to be spoiled, saying she didn''t want to be alone and refusing to let go of his clothes. Eshwar jokingly said that if she let go, he would feed her, and Katline instantly agreed, but still stubbornly clung on to his clothes, and then somehow things came to this.


    Now, Katline was sitting on Eshwar''sp while wearing a new top, as Eshwar fed her the food he cooked from behind. Though it was supposed to be ufortable, Katline feltfortable in it, especially in Eshwar''s presence.


    And while being fed, Katline heard a slight meowing and saw a ck cat walk out of the kitchen before it carefully jumped and slumped on Eshwar''s head. It looked sofortable that it slightly made Katline envious; she then ignored that feeling and gently stroked its head.


    Then, afterpleting the food, Eshwar pointed out the scratches she had done to herself unknowingly and asked her if she had any bandages. Though perplexed as to why ''bandages,'' she still brought him to the ce where the bandages were kept, and Katline was slightly surprised by Eshwar''s answer when she asked him.


    "....why bandages though? I have recovery potions.'' Katline said.


    "Yes, you can simply use a healing potion, but you will only recover physically, not mentally. I want you to get over it, so by the time these marks heal by themselves, I want you to get stronger than you are now."