Reyna blew away the smoke emerging from the tip of her gun (her finger), seemingly satisfied with the outcome of her actions, as Connor caressed the red dot imprinted on his forehead.

 

"What if you burned my brows?!" Connor shrieked.

 

"It wasn't that hot..." Reyna rolled her eyes, sliding the gun into her coat. "And you could have someone draw them for you if such an accident were to happen."

 

"There's no way I could do that," he retorted. "I have a reputation to uphold!"

 

That wasn't a bluff on Connor's part. Numerous employees kept a close eye on him. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of rumors would circulate if people saw him like that...

 

"Keep telling yourself that." Reyna's gaze shifted toward me after she finished 'taking care' of her brother. "What about you, Gray? I don't like being the one to bring it up, but you despise rides like these."

 

Yup. Someone finally gets it.

 

"It's his fault," I said, pointing to the root of the issue, "he dragged me here."

 

"Of course, it's his fault," she shook her head, knowing that under normal circumstances, you'd never catch me anywhere near a vehicle as expensive as this one. "Do you mind if I ask for the details?"

 

Not at all. It would be my pleasure to explain everything in detail.

 

"Let me think about how he phrased it," I grabbed my chin, racking through my brain as I ignored the panic on Connor's face. "'Just a friendly rivalry amongst pals,' or something along those lines."

 

"A friendly rivalry, a friendly rivalry, a—" she paused after humming to herself. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but did he, by any chance, propose to have a contest of sorts with you, Gray?"

 

'How on earth did she figure it out?' There was no need for words; Connor's expression said it all.

 

"Uh-huh," I nodded my head, seeing my pal's face darken.

 

"The only thing you might possibly compete in is the practical segment of the exam," she mumbled, searching for an answer. "The training floors aren't viable since they're occupied by hunters contracted with the Guild, and most of the researchers are bound to cause a fuss if you were to use their facilities without a good reason, which means—"

 

While staring at the ceiling, Connor continued to pound his foot against the mat as if to affirm that Reyna was on the right track. There was nothing to see there, believe me.

 

"—you wanted to have your bout with Gray in my lab," she concluded. "Without any prior notice to me."

 

He whistled, trying to maintain a calm demeanor. "Was that really what I wanted to do? Just what kind of brother would I be if I took advantage of my sister that way?"

 

"That's a load of crap, and you know it," I blurted out, startling Connor.

 

"Are you certain about, Gray? Can you tell me, without any doubt, I wanted to do something like that?"

 

That didn't even faze me as I answered, "Certainly."

 

"Without doubt," grumbled Reyna.

 

"You just had to say it out loud at the same time, huh..." he wailed, admitting defeat. His lips then twisted into a smile. "But now's too late, dearest sister. Gray's right here with us, and there's no turning back!"

 

"You could've just told me about your competition..."

 

It would have been natural to seek her permission first. However, I couldn't hold it against Connor. He came up with the idea while we were on our way back from the exams, so he never got the chance to tell her about it.

 

"Would you like to participate as well?" I asked because I didn't want her to feel excluded or anything.

 

"No," she said, turning down my offer. "I'm going to be the judge, though."

 

"I have no problems with that."

 

Connor scowled, unable to shake off the bad feeling he had. "Judge? Isn't 'examiner' the word you're looking for?"

 

Even I had to admit I found there was something off about the way she phrased it.

 

"If I said judge, then it's judge," Reyna clarified her brother's confusion. "That's my lab, so I can't be anything but the judge of your competition."

 

"Are you even aware of the fact that a judge must be impartial toward the competitors?"

 

"Unfortunately for you, Connor, I am going to be the judge, jury, and executioner. Deal with it unless you don't want your competition in the first place."

 

Simply put, her playground, her rules. Connor had no choice but to swallow his pride and accept it.

 

While the siblings were busy bickering, my attention was drawn to the rainfall pelting against the window. "It's pouring outside," I informed them.

 

"I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you," Connor murmured, tapping the armrest with his finger. "Our contest is going to take place inside, anyways. Wait, don't tell me you're going to work in the rain if it doesn't stop."

 

I replied with a shrug of my shoulders. If it rained it rained. Only one of the jobs I had required me to be outside, and that should be for only a short period, allowing me to work the night shift at a grocery afterward. I was quite satisfied with that arrangement.

 

"Stubborn," added Reyna, slowly pressing her head against the window. As she did so, a strand of her hair fell onto her face. She blew it away, annoyed by its length.

 

"Is there something wrong, Gray?" probed Connor, perplexed by my silence. "Do you want to talk about your job—"

 

"Reyna's hair," I replied.

 

"What about it?"

 

I leaned back, taking in both of their figures. Due to her affinity, Reyna's eyes are the same coral as her father's, as opposed to the black ones her brother has. Her hair, however, should have been the same auburn as Connor's. That had been the case since we met, but it didn't appear to be the case anymore...

 

"Now that you've pointed it out... I think I can see it," Connor muttered, narrowing his eyes. "It leans toward red... I'm not sure, though..."

 

"She's your sister..."

 

"Well... Red, auburn, or any other hair color you could think of does not change the facts: She's my sister. I've been seeing her ugly mug ever since I could remember. You, on the other hand, paid so much attention to Reyna that you noticed the difference right away," he said so with a sly grin. "What does that say about you, pal?"

 

I rolled my eyes.

 

"It's cherry-red," Reyna declared, having had enough of it as she brought a strand of her luscious hair up to her eyes. "Some people asked me whether I dyed it or not during the exams. I have to admit those were some awkward moments..."

 

"What? I can't possibly be the only one that hasn't noticed! Gray, please confirm I'm right, as usual."

 

It was quite the task, but I was glad to oblige.

 

"But what if you aren't siblings?" I threw a jab, just to be sure.

 

"Of course we are!" he yelped back, irked I had even asked such a silly question. "Do I have to show you pictures of us when we were kids? A DNA analysis?"

 

"You don't have to go that far when we're not sure what kind of results might come back," whispered Reyna with a gleam in her eyes, finding the opportunity to get even with her brother.

 

Then she pretended to be moved by the prospect by adding, "I suppose we'll never find out the truth... but that's probably for the best. Whatever happens, I'll still regard you as my petty brother. If that helps in any way..."

 

"How come you made me out to be the bastard of this family," he complained. "You're screwing with me, aren't you?"

 

I shrugged my shoulders. "You only realized it now?"

 

Reyna chuckled in her fist, ignoring her brother's middle finger. On several points, I couldn't help but agree with her.

 

Connor was a petty bastard.