Chapter 56: my old days

Well, just looking at Priya’s face, Himanshu realized in a split second how stupid his question was.

​A weird, disappointing moment passed in silence.

Priya turned back around and started walking, looking straight ahead again.

When no answer came even after taking two or three steps, Himanshu started cursing himself on the inside.

​Idiot! What was the point of asking this useless question right now? Who knows what she must be thinking about me now.

​But before he could scold himself any further, Priya’s voice broke the silence.

​"I think... maybe the author saved it for the suspense of his next part manga."

​Himanshu’s gaze quickly snapped toward Priya.

A faint, confused voice slipped out of his mouth.

"Next part manga?"

​Priya kept her eyes glued to the road ahead.

"Yeah. This manga of his got really popular, so they’re making a side-story for it. Where they’ll show the old Demon Queen’s battles and this Demon Queen’s childhood."

​Priya paused for a second, then turned her neck to look at Himanshu and said with a light smile,

"If you want to know more, you can go check the author’s ID, maybe you’ll find something there."

​Himanshu gave an awkward and nervous smile for asking that stupid question.

But a very relaxed smile had appeared on Priya’s face. Looking at her, it felt like she had already figured out that Himanshu just asked that question to break the heavy silence.

​"I didn’t think you’d become a fan of this manga too."

​Hearing this, Himanshu’s mind was just throwing curses at that cursed book. A fan? That book has literally ruined my life!

​Before Himanshu could say anything, Priya spoke up again.

"After all, the Demon Queen is just like that, anyone would like her."

​Himanshu’s eyes narrowed for a second. This was the third time... yeah, the third time Priya had praised that demon.

​Himanshu did find some things about the demon okay. Like challenging herself, looking at this world from a different perspective. But calling that demon ’good’ like this was starting to bother Himanshu now.

​After waiting a few seconds, just to end this overthinking, Himanshu finally asked Priya.

"Why do you... like her so much?"

​Priya looked at Himanshu again. With the exact same look she had given him for his stupid question earlier.

​Oh man... she’s looking at me like that again. Did I ask something weird again?

Panicking, Himanshu had to flash that same awkward smile.

​But looking back ahead, Priya answered very calmly.

"Because she’s a character who helps you understand yourself. She spends the whole story just trying to figure herself out... that’s why I liked her so much."

​Hearing this, Himanshu was stunned. He thought Priya would mention her fighting skills, beauty, the rules she made, or her sheer strength. But this was something else entirely. Something Himanshu hadn’t even imagined in his dreams.

​Slowly, the dots started connecting in his brain. He was starting to understand why that demon kept asking him so much about ’love’, ’affection’, and ’care’.

​For a second, Himanshu got lost in the world of those weird questions from the demon. All the words the demon had said started echoing in his mind again.

Just then, Priya’s voice pulled him back to reality.

​"I think... maybe that’s the same reason you liked her too?"

​Himanshu looked into her eyes and without overthinking, just nodded in agreement.

​After this short conversation, who knows why, but he started feeling a weird closeness to that demon. And the fear he had of her inside him was slowly turning into a little bit of respect.

​But... right then, that red map from the last page of the manga flashed before his eyes.

​For a second, his gaze trembled down toward the ground.

Two different thoughts were clashing in his mind, overpowering each other. A second later, this very overthinking forced him to ask Priya another question.

​Anyway, Himanshu was now comfortable enough with Priya’s straightforward nature and his own childish questions that he wasn’t scared of being ignored or made fun of anymore.

​He took a deep breath and asked, "Then why did she... establish her rule over the entire planet?"

​"Because that was the last option."

​The wheels of Himanshu’s cycle stopped dead in their tracks.

Priya had answered in that exact same flat and direct tone again. Without any hesitation.

Like all this was a very normal thing for her.

​For a second, Himanshu felt like Priya, standing right in front of him, was giving off the exact same vibe as that demon. Because their way of thinking felt exactly the same.

​So... did she also like the demon because of this?

​After pausing for a moment, he pushed his cycle forward again. Thinking that everyone has a different perspective, maybe doing that was right in the story. But deep down, his heart wasn’t ready to call it ’right’.

​After walking a few more steps, Himanshu’s eyes landed on the ’Manga Store’ right ahead.

​And in the very next second, every single thought, question, awkwardness, nervousness, and depression in his brain vanished into thin air.

He had spotted that same familiar giant poster.

The very poster that started this whole mess. The one that said in massive letters— ’Today we are alone in the room.’ That manga with the three girls.

​Looking at it, Himanshu remembered his old nights. How he used to find his fantasies in these posters and characters and waste away entire nights in that high. Who knows why, but today that old dirty habit felt way more comforting than these terrifying passing days. At least back then, there was no fear of losing his life.

Rubbing his eyes, he reacted to his stupid situation with a light chuckle.

​He looked at that adult poster again. His mind started recalling the things he had completely forgotten over the past few days.

​And right then... his eyes widened in shock.

He suddenly realized something that lit a bulb in his brain. Without even knowing it, he had achieved something he hadn’t been able to do for the last seven years.

​His masturbation addiction.

For the first time, he had controlled himself for this many days! ’Controlling’ was a far-off thing, the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.

Yeah, his mind did get tempted looking at the demon many times. But before anything could happen, he had to face the demon’s terrifying anger and the fear of death. In the middle of all this, he never even got the time to think about these ’dirty’ things.

​And he understood one more thing. The reason he was feeling so frustrated, irritated, angry, and emotionally unstable these days... a huge reason for that was this too! Withdrawal symptoms.

​Looks like... I need to do it again.

​And right then... Himanshu’s eyes automatically drifted to Priya.

And now, Priya was starting to look a little different to him.

His gaze traveled from Priya’s hair down to her face, and then slowly started going lower. Who knows why, but in a single moment, Priya’s lips started looking way softer and fuller to him.

For a few seconds, his eyes got stuck straight on the chest pressing against her t-shirt.

Himanshu blinked twice. And took a big gulp of saliva down his dry throat.

​He was slowly starting to understand why the guys in school were crazy after Priya and proposing to her left and right.

The truth was, Himanshu used to just stay lost in his own thoughts and those 2D manga characters. His attention did go to real girls sometimes, but he didn’t find them that attractive. Because any girl would first look at him with those ’loser’ eyes.

​But... those loser eyes weren’t applying to Priya anymore. Priya didn’t look at him like that.

​"Himanshu..."

"Himanshu... what happened?" Priya asked, unconsciously pulling her t-shirt collar up a bit.

​Hearing her voice, Himanshu’s body jolted, and he quickly snapped his eyes up. His eyes clashed right with Priya’s. She was looking right at him.

​And instantly, Himanshu’s face turned beet red with shame and panic. He couldn’t hold eye contact with Priya for more than a second.

Averting his eyes here and there, hurriedly pushing his cycle forward, he quickly said.

​"U-uh... we should go!"

​Shit! Did she see where I was looking? What do I say now? What do I say!

His brain was blaring danger sirens.

​And right then... looking around to avoid her gaze, Himanshu’s eyes landed on ’Rahul’ up ahead.

That same quiet guy from class.

He was putting his cycle on its stand right in front of the cafe near the manga store.

​Himanshu barely looked at him for two seconds... but before that, Rahul’s neck had already turned toward Himanshu.

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What did you guys think about this Chapter?

See you in the next Chapter!