Houshao'nao's head went blank, his throat working painfully as he blinked, trying to signal Anna to get up. But her eyes were swimming with tears, blind to his silent plea.
*"I'm done for. No amount of apologies will fix this,"* he groaned inwardly.
"I hate you! You stole my first kiss, waaaah!" Anna sobbed, snapping out of her daze to bury her face in her hands.
Houshao'nao stood frozen, replaying the collision. To him, it was a clumsy bump, not a kiss—but Anna's grief told him he'd stumbled into a storm.
He sighed, bracing for punishment. "I'm sorry, Miss Anna. If you want revenge, burn me. I won't run."
Anna's sobs ebbed. Through her fingers, she peeked at his resigned stance, a flicker of relief softening her heart. *It wasn't entirely his fault… but my precious first kiss is gone!*
"Ugh, I *will* burn you—" she snarled, conjuring fireballs, but hesitated, lips trembling. "Wait—did you… feel anything?"
"Feel? My body aches," he lied.
"Not *that*! I mean… did you feel excited? Moved?" Anna snapped, frustrated by his denseness.
He risked a glance. "I was scared."
"YOU—!" She ground her teeth. "When you kissed me—just now—what did you feel?"
Hope flared. "Nothing! I swear, no feelings at all—"
"Nothing? Really?" She searched his face, a new thought forming. *Is he saying I'm unattractive? But I felt… nothing too. Odd. Still, he's mocking me!* "You ungrateful pig! I won't let you get away with this."
Her eyes turned wild. "Close your eyes. Don't move—no matter what."
"Y-yes, Miss. I swear."
Anna stared at his lips, dispelling the fireballs. Her chest heaved, hands trembling as she closed her eyes, leaning in.
Warm, soft lips pressed against his—tentative, damp. Houshao'nao stiffened, but the scent of her, the heat of her mouth, unraveled his resolve. *This isn't punishment…* He forgot his vows, leaning into the kiss, savoring the unexpected tenderness.
Anna peeked, saw his still-closed eyes, and relaxed, her lips moving experimentally. The warmth between them grew, her courage faltering as a flush crept up her neck. *Why does this feel… nice?*
But when Houshao'nao shifted, pressing closer, she panicked, breaking away with a gasp.
"PERVERT!" she screamed, shoving him, her face scarlet. "You touched me! I'll kill you!"
His hand lingered where it had brushed her breast, eyes wide as she conjured a massive fireball. He bolted, her screams chasing him: *"Steal my kiss and my dignity? You'll pay!"*
The chase stretched across the fields—Anna cursing, fireballs hissing past; Houshao'nao zigzagging, pleading. *"You told me to stay still!"* *"Lies! You took advantage!"*
Then, a scream. Anna stumbled, ankle twisting, collapsing in the dirt.
Houshao'nao paused, torn. *Run and be a coward, or face her wrath?* Her sobs decided him. He crept back, heart pounding.
"Y-you left me!" she wailed, tear-streaked but triumphant. "My ankle's sprained. Carry me home."
"Carry you? But—"
"Now! Or I'll tell Father everything—how you molested me!"
Swallowing, he approached warily. She smirked, using his shoulder to stand, then whacked his head with a stone *thwack*.
"Ow!"
"That's for the kiss." She hopped onto his back, stone still in hand. "Don't think this is over. I'm keeping a list of your crimes. Next time—"
"I understand, Miss," he groaned, ignoring the throbbing in his skull. *Next time? There's a next time?*
As they trudged toward town, Anna's grip loosened, her anger fading into exhaustion. The sun dipped low, casting long shadows over the fool and the witch, their fates now inextricably tangled—bound by fire, folly, and a kiss that had rewritten the rules of their fragile truce.
Somewhere, a donkey brayed—a cynical laugh at the absurdity of it all. For Houshao'nao, the journey ahead promised more chaos, more curses, and maybe, just maybe, a glimmer of something he'd thought lost forever: hope, wrapped in the scorching heat of a girl who burned as bright as her magic.