Chapter 191: Captain’s Benefits

Nash headed to the kitchen.Zayela was at the stove, stirring a pan with quick flips, her back to him.

She wore her usual loose tank top and shorts, hair tied up in a messy knot.

She glanced over her shoulder, smirking.

"Look who finally came back to life. It’s past one, you know."

Nash dropped into a chair, letting out a tired laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks to whom?"

Zayela slid a bowl of hot soup in front of him, steam curling up.

"Eat. You look like you got run over."

She wasn’t necessarily wrong; he did get run over by a whole team of Breakball and some of his teammates.

He picked up the spoon and gave her a slight grin.

"Thanks, Zay. Smells good."

She leaned against the counter, arms crossed, watching him take the first bite.

"You gonna be out late again?"

Nash paused mid-spoonful, looked up.

"Probably. Got some stuff to handle today."

Zayela’s smirk softened a little.

She shifted her weight, eyes flicking away for a second.

"It’s getting kinda lonely around here."

That paused Nash for a second.

This gaze, this reaction... It was true that since he had started with Blacklist, they had spent less time together.

She was still the same Zayela who’d carried him through every bad day, same exotic hairstyle, same lively eyes that softened when she got emotional.

But yeah, lately he’d been so caught up in the games, the system, the girls, that he’d barely noticed how quiet the apartment got when he wasn’t here.

He set the spoon down and leaned back.

"What, starting to get addicted to lil ol’ shrimp?"

Zayela got caught off guard, flinching, then laughed low.

She stepped closer until she stood between his knees.

"Watch it, or I’ll make you sleep on the couch."

Nash stood up slowly, hands sliding to her waist, fingers brushing her hip lightly.

"Sorry for making you worry. I’ve been caught in many things lately. I promise that I’ll come home early more often."

Zayela tilted her head, eyes narrowing playfully.

"Hm... That sounds sincere, but a little too easy. I’ll forgive you... on one condition."

Nash raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

She tapped her lips once, slowly.

"I’ve been waiting for something since yesterday."

Nash looked at her, a smirk growing.

He cupped her face gently, and kissed her.

Soft at first, then deeper, lingering.

Zayela’s breath caught, surprised, then she leaned into it, hands sliding up his chest.

He pulled back just enough to murmur against her lips.

"Wouldn’t forget one of my favorite treasures in life."

Zayela blinked, cheeks heating.

Wow... I wanted feedback... from last night... but Nash.... Aw... poor boy... You are still too pure for this world.

She leaned in again, kissing him harder, letting it stretch a little longer.

Nash smiled against her mouth, then stepped back.

"See you tonight."

He grabbed his bag and walked out.

Zayela stood there, lips tingling, heart racing.

She touched her mouth, a slow smile spreading, then put her hands firmly on her hips.

"That’s it," she whispered to the empty kitchen. "I’m fucking him today."

Nash left the apartment, and bathed in the artificial lights of the Underground.

He walked the familiar path to the old parking garage, the one place he could train without eyes on him.

The court was empty, same cracked concrete, same rusty pillars dripping water into oily puddles.

He dropped his bag, stretched once, and began his daily grind.

He started with the Body Quest, knocking out 400 push-ups, 400 squats, and a solid twelve-minute plank in quick sets with no real breaks, his recovery passives making the whole thing feel effortless.

Basketball drills came next, and for the Seduction tasks, he was already half-done from the morning with Zayela, so he let it on standby for later.

He had already obtained +5 BP and +5 PP, keeping then in stock like food sources.

He closed the panel, wiped his face with the sleeve of his hoodie, and stood.

Just then, his phone pinged in his pocket.

He pulled it out.

Unknown number.

Message:

"Black Rose Brew on 12th. 3 p.m.

—Rei"

Nash stared at the screen for a second, then smirked.

Baby-Boom’s mystery to unfold, Aiko’s friendship to win, Victoria’s secret...

How entertaining his life had become.

He typed back quick.

"See you there."

He pocketed the phone, but then, another ping.

He pulled it out, expecting Rei to be a little too impatient, but it was a simple reminder from Lina in her own way:

[Me. Pregnant. When? ❤️‍????????????]

Nash stopped walking.

He stared at the screen, eyebrows raised, then let out a low whistle.

"Damn."

Nash spent the rest of the afternoon moving through the Underground like a ghost, walking around streets, grabbing a quick bite from a street cart, keeping his head down while people talked about the spectacular match between Blacklist and Baby-Boom.

By 2:45 p.m., he was already on his way to the meet-up spot Rei had texted: a quiet café tucked on the edge of Level 12, half-hidden behind a row of shuttered stalls.

The place had a faded sign that read "Black Rose Brew," the windows dark, the door propped open with a brick.

It looked like the kind of spot people went to disappear.

Rei was already there when he walked in.

She sat at a corner table near the back, legs crossed, one elbow on the tabletop, chin resting on her fist.

She wore a black lace-up corset top that hugged her body, a long dark skirt with slits high enough to show off her boots, and a pair of thin wire-frame glasses perched low on her nose.

She looked like she’d stepped out of a gothic novel, cold, untouchable, and completely uninterested in the world around her.

A half-empty cup of black coffee was in front of her, untouched for a while.

It was surprising to see her like this, definitely not her usual attire.

At least, nothing showed that she was into it.

Nash walked over, hands in his pockets, and gave her a small salute with two fingers.

"Hey."

Rei’s eyes flicked up.

"Yo."

She didn’t smile, didn’t move.

Just watched him sit down across from her.

Nash leaned back, casually.

"You’re early."

"So are you," she said, voice flat.

He shrugged.

"Had time."

She didn’t respond right away. Just kept looking at him like she was trying to decide if he was worth the trouble.

Nash waited, he felt so good today that he could just stay like this till night and call it a fruitful day.

Finally, Rei leaned forward slightly, resting both elbows on the table, fingers laced together.

"I didn’t call you here to play games," she said.

Nash nodded.

"I hope you didn’t."

She exhaled, fingers drumming lightly on the table, the rhythm uneven like she couldn’t quite find the right beat.

Her eyes darted to the side, then back to Nash, and she shifted in her seat, uncrossing her legs only to cross them again.

Nash leaned back, arms loose on the table, waiting.

For a long moment, both stayed there, quiet, waiting for anything. You could hear a fly in this silence, or the snore of someone drunk.

Finally, Nash exhaled.

"Look... I’m not asking you to tell me all your secrets. I’m asking if you actually want me to help you. Because if it’s just to stay here like idiots, then it’s a waste of time for both of us."

Rei’s fingers stilled. She looked down at the table, then up again, jaw tight.

"You really think I’d waste my time if I didn’t want to have your help?"

Nash didn’t answer right away. He just watched her.

She tapped the table once more, softer this time, almost like she was admitting something to herself. Her shoulders dropped a fraction.

"Fine," she said quietly. "I... I don’t know what I want anymore. But I know this: if you don’t join Baby-Boom... we’re finished."