melodramatic name, or if he was telling the truth. “Okay, I'll bite. What are those?”
“Isn't their name obvious enough?” He raised his brows and slightly shook his head as if he was disappointed in her.
She rolled her eyes at him. “They eat souls?”
“That's right. They have to prolong their existence or otherwise they would -- poof -- be gone, or so I was told.” Ethan grabbed a sushi roll and shoved it into his mouth.
“And?”
“And?”
“You drop their name like a bomb, kicking me in the gut with how dangerous they are, and then all you say about them is: 'poof they’re gone.' Shouldn't you be a little more dramatic? Or at least give me more information about them?” Kate said. “Or don't you know any more?”
He frowned, thinking. “Well, I could give you a handbook Nanael gave me, there's a lot of information there, but I don't know where I put it.”
“A handbook? You have to be kidding me.” She scrutinised his face, making the mistake of looking directly into his eyes. Her heart did a flip in her chest and resumed at a faster pace. She combed at a few strands of hair that had escaped from her braid as she leaned over the food, pretending to decide what next to eat.
“I'm serious,” Ethan said.
“Is there something about Awakeners?”
“Yeah. And a short summary on Soul Reapers. Some history and whatnot.” Another sushi roll disappeared into Ethan's mouth.
A handbook? She couldn't believe it. He had a handbook, and not only that, he had a handbook and he hadn't given her one. Not that she was interested.
Chapter 7
“Do you want it, the handbook?” Ethan lifted a piece of meat from the bento box with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth.
“No, not really.” Kate leaned against the kitchen counter. It would be nice to learn more about what she was, but since she didn't intend to continue being a Soul Reaper, there was no point. “But if you think I should have it...”
“Playing indifferent, I see.” He chuckled. “I’ll think about it. Now, eat, the food is getting cold.”
“It was cold when you brought it.”
“If you hadn’t been ignoring me as long as you did, it would have still been warm.”
“You’re still insisting on training me?” Kate sighed. “What can I do to make you stop?”
“Why can’t you indulge me?” Ethan leaned closer to her, a cute pout on his lips. “Just for a little while, please.”
Kate stared at his 'kicked puppy' expression. Was that supposed to charm her? Yes, apparently. And it was working. She could feel her resolve melting. “For a little while?”
“Just until I teach you a few basics of self-defence.” He rubbed his neck. “I planned to teach you tai chi first, and then jujitsu, and later maybe we would continue with judo or aikido.”
“Yeah, right.”
“No, really.”
“Like you know them all.”
“Actually I do. I'm only a 1st Dan in jujitsu, though, and I only just started to look more into its derivatives.” He stood up and started to clear away the boxes.
“Hey, I was eating.” Kate pulled one of the boxes out of his hands.
“I'm going to put it in the fridge, for later.” Ethan wrestled it out of her hands. “Right now, we have to start working before you change your mind.”
She raised her brows, her eyes on the black boxes he was putting in the refrigerator. “Who said I'm willing?”
“Your face did.” He closed the refrigerator. “Come on.” He seized her hands and hauled her up. “Let's get started.”
Despite knowing that she didn't have a chance against him, not against the sad, begging expression he had worn not a moment ago -- expressions like that should be forbidden by law -- she resisted for appearance’s sake.
He used the puppy expression on her again and convinced her to help him push the furniture against the wall. Then he started to teach her tai chi.
“Stretch your right arm forward, bend it and arch it up and to the right,” he instructed
“Isn't their name obvious enough?” He raised his brows and slightly shook his head as if he was disappointed in her.
She rolled her eyes at him. “They eat souls?”
“That's right. They have to prolong their existence or otherwise they would -- poof -- be gone, or so I was told.” Ethan grabbed a sushi roll and shoved it into his mouth.
“And?”
“And?”
“You drop their name like a bomb, kicking me in the gut with how dangerous they are, and then all you say about them is: 'poof they’re gone.' Shouldn't you be a little more dramatic? Or at least give me more information about them?” Kate said. “Or don't you know any more?”
He frowned, thinking. “Well, I could give you a handbook Nanael gave me, there's a lot of information there, but I don't know where I put it.”
“A handbook? You have to be kidding me.” She scrutinised his face, making the mistake of looking directly into his eyes. Her heart did a flip in her chest and resumed at a faster pace. She combed at a few strands of hair that had escaped from her braid as she leaned over the food, pretending to decide what next to eat.
“I'm serious,” Ethan said.
“Is there something about Awakeners?”
“Yeah. And a short summary on Soul Reapers. Some history and whatnot.” Another sushi roll disappeared into Ethan's mouth.
A handbook? She couldn't believe it. He had a handbook, and not only that, he had a handbook and he hadn't given her one. Not that she was interested.
Chapter 7
“Do you want it, the handbook?” Ethan lifted a piece of meat from the bento box with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth.
“No, not really.” Kate leaned against the kitchen counter. It would be nice to learn more about what she was, but since she didn't intend to continue being a Soul Reaper, there was no point. “But if you think I should have it...”
“Playing indifferent, I see.” He chuckled. “I’ll think about it. Now, eat, the food is getting cold.”
“It was cold when you brought it.”
“If you hadn’t been ignoring me as long as you did, it would have still been warm.”
“You’re still insisting on training me?” Kate sighed. “What can I do to make you stop?”
“Why can’t you indulge me?” Ethan leaned closer to her, a cute pout on his lips. “Just for a little while, please.”
Kate stared at his 'kicked puppy' expression. Was that supposed to charm her? Yes, apparently. And it was working. She could feel her resolve melting. “For a little while?”
“Just until I teach you a few basics of self-defence.” He rubbed his neck. “I planned to teach you tai chi first, and then jujitsu, and later maybe we would continue with judo or aikido.”
“Yeah, right.”
“No, really.”
“Like you know them all.”
“Actually I do. I'm only a 1st Dan in jujitsu, though, and I only just started to look more into its derivatives.” He stood up and started to clear away the boxes.
“Hey, I was eating.” Kate pulled one of the boxes out of his hands.
“I'm going to put it in the fridge, for later.” Ethan wrestled it out of her hands. “Right now, we have to start working before you change your mind.”
She raised her brows, her eyes on the black boxes he was putting in the refrigerator. “Who said I'm willing?”
“Your face did.” He closed the refrigerator. “Come on.” He seized her hands and hauled her up. “Let's get started.”
Despite knowing that she didn't have a chance against him, not against the sad, begging expression he had worn not a moment ago -- expressions like that should be forbidden by law -- she resisted for appearance’s sake.
He used the puppy expression on her again and convinced her to help him push the furniture against the wall. Then he started to teach her tai chi.
“Stretch your right arm forward, bend it and arch it up and to the right,” he instructed
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