There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)

Betraying people’s hope to see more of their interaction, and taking a peek at the guide’s face, Bassena took Zein back to his dressing room for a quick lunch.

Thanks to that, Zein didn’t have to endure even more people staring at him. He got used to it already after spending a few months in Althrea, but that didn’t mean he liked it. Especially because he knew, based on people’s whispers, that they wanted to see his face, and it made him uncomfortable.

While he didn’t mind doing it to humor Bassena, Zein didn’t think he would want to go to a production studio anymore. Perhaps because they worked in media-related content, their stares were more inquisitive, and their curiosity was greater than average civilians.

They even paid attention to him more than to Bassena or Senia. Lex kindly told them how much the Princess glared in their direction during the break time when they were still at the set.

"So why exactly is she here?" Zein became even more confused then. He looked at the other three and recalled something from before. "Did you say it might be a distraction?"

Bassena, who was in the middle of peeling an orange, lifted his face and hummed at the ceiling. "Well...more like reverse psychology?"

"Don’t know what that means," Zein responded in a flat tone, and Bassena chuckled apologetically, putting the peeled orange in the guide’s hand.

"Let’s see...with all that news about Celestia wanting you, when they appeared here suddenly, it’s normal to think that they would try to poach you while at it, right?"

Zein put the orange in his mouth and shuddered at the slight sourness. "...so?"

"But if someone successfully approached you today, with Celestia’s good reputation, people might also think it’s too obvious. ’There’s no way Celestia would do that while all the attention is on them’ or something like that..."

"Hmm..." Zein tilted his head slightly, savoring the sweet and sour sensation in his mouth as well as Bassena’s conjecture. "So...even if something happens, people would think it’s someone else other than Celestia?"