When Cain opened his eyes, there was nothing out of the ordinary. No conspicuous lumps under the cover, no extra heat sources or a feminine scent. There was only silence.

Cain shook his head to dispel the notion that something was wrong with that. He was beginning to feel that somehow he was the target of a Pavlov experiment with Jayden's presence.

As he slowly sat up, his stomach rumbled in hunger. He noticed that after returning from the Abyss, he had begun to eat a lot more. However, he dismissed that thought almost as soon as it had arrived. In his eyes, it honestly made sense to him that his hunger would grow as a result of embodying one of the 7 Deadly Sins.

Though he was hungry, he made sure to make his bed before he left his room. In the process, he noticed one pillow that didn't quite fit with the rest of his sheets. Cain let out a sigh as he held a hot pink pillowcase that distinctly clashed with the navy sheets that were on his bed.

"Jayden...." He sighed. Of course she would pull something like this. Ever since they had spent the night together, she had gotten quite clingy. While it was annoying to him, it was also a display of her extreme loyalty towards him and after last night, he was willing to allow that much.

Making a mental note to ask for at least his pillowcase back, Cain left his room to make breakfast for himself.

Cain stood there for a moment, letting the silence of the dorm room press against him like a physical weight. It was not the comfortable kind of silence either. It was the kind that felt too still, like the world had forgotten he existed. The faint hum of the refrigerator was the only sound that broke through, a lonely sort of noise that somehow made everything feel even emptier.

He crossed the small room, opening the fridge to grab the ingredients for breakfast. When the door swung open, however, his eyes fell on the rows of alcohol bottles sitting on the shelves. Anna's alcohol. There was a lot of it left. Cain stared at them for a moment, remembering how the woman had insisted on stocking his fridge with the stuff, treating it as if it was her personal storage. He had seen her own fridge last night too, she truly was an alcoholic. But for some reason, it didn't really bother him.

As soon as he sat at his table, a small chuckle escaped him before he could stop it. A memory had pushed its way into his head like it had been waiting for an invitation. Jayden and Anna, both of them, had once tried cooking breakfast for him. Cain had been there to witness the crime firsthand. He remembered the horrifying smell that had filled the kitchen, the strange bubbling noises coming from the pan. They had looked so proud of themselves too, grinning ear to ear as if they had just created a masterpiece.

He had refused to eat it on principle.

Abel had not been so lucky.

Cain snorted to himself as he recalled the sight of Abel confidently taking a big bite, only for that confidence to be replaced by the kind of regret that could be felt in one's soul. The aftermath had been worse. Abel had spent the rest of the morning running between the bathroom and the nearest trash bin like a man being punished by the gods themselves. At the time, Cain had thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen.

"Served him right," Cain muttered under his breath.

Cain was halfway through his meal when the knock came.

He looked toward the door, curious. He was not expecting anyone. Setting down his fork, he got up and walked over, not even thinking about the fact that he was wearing only his underwear.

When he opened the door, he froze.

Jayden stood there, looking both embarrassed and awkward, her eyes darting anywhere but at him. Next to her was Kiyomi, who raised her eyebrows the moment she took in the sight before her.

Cain suddenly became very aware of the fact that he was nearly naked.

Kiyomi let out a low whistle, her eyes slowly moving from his shoulders to his chest and then lower, a grin forming on her lips. "Well, well," she said, her tone amused. "Jayden did not exaggerate. You really do look like that under all those clothes."

Cain felt heat crawl up the back of his neck but forced himself to remain completely still. For some reason, he had the instinct that if he reacted, if he gave Kiyomi the satisfaction of seeing him flustered, he would somehow lose whatever strange game she was playing.

So he stood there, face impassive, even as Kiyomi crossed her arms and openly examined him like he was some statue on display.

She gave Jayden a teasing nudge with her elbow. "You have good taste," Kiyomi said with a grin.

Cain's eyes narrowed. Something told him this was not going to end well for him.

Kiyomi leaned against the doorframe, completely at ease. "I am just here to return your little wolf to you," she said casually, her grin never fading. "We had a lovely little chat last night. All of us girls together."

A cold sweat began running down Cain's back. He did not like the sound of that at all.

Kiyomi smirked when she saw his expression change ever so slightly. She clearly enjoyed whatever discomfort he was feeling.

Then, just as she began to step away, her eyes flicked downward for the briefest of moments before she looked him straight in the face again. "By the way," she added with the kind of grin that spelled nothing but trouble, "I believe our little Wolfie now~!"

Cain blinked, her words sinking in too slowly for comfort. "Believe her about what?" he demanded immediately, his voice sharper than intended.

Kiyomi only laughed, turning on her heel with the grace of someone who knew exactly how to avoid retaliation.

"Hey," Cain said, his tone rising a little as she started walking away. "What is that supposed to mean?!"

But she was already jogging down the hall, laughing like a fox that had just stolen a chicken from under the farmer's nose.

Cain took one step after her but stopped when he realized chasing her down the hall dressed like this would only make things worse.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, his jaw tightening.

When he opened them again, Kiyomi was long gone, leaving him standing there with Jayden, who looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole. Her face was red enough to rival a tomato, and she refused to meet his eyes.

Cain sighed, running a hand through his hair. He could already feel the headache forming.

"Jayden," he said finally, his voice level but carrying the weight of someone who had just been handed yet another problem to deal with.

She flinched at the sound of his voice but did not say anything.

He stepped aside, motioning for her to come in, though he was still wearing nothing but his underwear. Jayden hesitated, then walked past him silently, her face still bright red.

Cain closed the door behind her, his mind already racing. Whatever that chat between the girls had been about, he had the sinking feeling it was not going to stay secret for long.

And the worst part was that Kiyomi's grin had told him everything he needed to know. Whatever Jayden had said, whatever claims she had made, Kiyomi clearly believed her now.

He had no idea what kind of chaos was about to hit him, but he knew one thing for certain.

It was going to be a very awkward day for him.

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