Oh, life was hard. Atsuya Kusakabe knew this. And it seemed he liked making it even harder.

Always stuck in that shitty job, facing death daily, dealing with bratty kids and the higher-ups. It was all annoying. Useless. Pointless.

He thought every day about retiring. How bad could a normal life be? Why was he still a sorcerer? He should really retire. These thoughts were always on his mind.

Kusakabe hated teaching little brats, so you can imagine his frustration when he found out he had to train a new one. You were just a bit older than the kids but still a brat in his eyes.

And he was right. He'd never met someone so stubborn until you. Your determination to become a sorceress and go on missions, the very things he regretted, irritated him.

But then there was the way your eyes lit up when you achieved something, the way you got flustered with his laziness, the way you smiled and laughed at the most boring things, even the way you held that katana. It was all a sight to Kusakabe.

Life was hard, but with you, it was worth it. He still thought you were a brat, but you were the most pretty and lovely one.

"Looks like someone isn’t finding being a sorceress that fun, hm?" Kusakabe asked, chuckling as he took the lollipop out of his mouth when you approached.

He tried to act nonchalant, but the bruise on your cheek from your mission worried him.

"What happened?" He wrapped one arm around your waist and brought his free hand to gently touch your wound. "I wish you weren’t so stubborn…” he muttered, staring at you with a concerned frown, looking for any other bruises. “Let me take care of this for you. Then we can cuddle and watch your favorite movie." He kissed your forehead, the tip of your nose, your cheeks.

He never imagined he’d say it, but he was willing to do anything for you because he loves you. You gave him a reason to live, and now he would do anything to be yours.