Chapter 20 - Arc 1 19 – This Bro Is Talented

Two big adults stared at the targets dumbfounded.

Every single target that Trey and Levi didn’t manage to hit dead-center was stolen later by Noah.

And all his shots took the bullseye.

And if that weren’t enough, the two of them took a considerable amount of points off of each other through PvP, while Noah wasn’t shot a single time.

Of course he wasn’t shot! How could Trey shoot his own employer?! And how would Levi be willing to risk getting negative affection points by shooting him?! In fact, even if they wanted to shoot him, Trey’s shield would have blocked it!

Even Blackie was dumbfounded by the result, “How are you so good at shooting??”

“This bro is talented,” Noah replied coyly.

(／≧ω＼)

“Don’t try to pass off this shit as talent!! What kind of talent would a person need to be able to hit dead-center every time after wielding a gun for 10 minutes?!”

(ꐦ▔皿▔)ノ ︵ ┻━┻

“…Ok, so I might have played a lot of shooters with one of those old-school VR helmets and VR controllers… but I have no recollection of it whatsoever! Thus, you cannot deny that this bro is talented!” ╮(╯▽╰)╭

“Fucking moron! Aris isn’t good at shooting!! Aris never held a gun in his entire life!!”

╰（‵□′）╯

“Oh.”

“What do you mean ‘oh’?!”

щ（ﾟДﾟщ）

“What else do you want me to say? I didn’t inherit this skill from Aris, it’s all this bro’s stunning genius.” ╮(╯∀╰)╭

“You retard! Won’t it be suspicious if a kid from a peace-loving family, who is a fucking Soother to boot, could shoot like a pro?!” (°ㅂ°╬)

“So what if it is?” Noah mentally stuck out his tongue, “What can they do about it?”

And as if responding to Noah’s thoughts, Trey finally couldn’t hold in his wonder any longer:

“Why do you know how to shoot so well?”

Levi didn’t speak, but his facial expression clearly showed ‘Didn’t you have trouble hitting a target at all? How did you suddenly become a pro?’

Noah stuck up his chest in what he thought to be an image of a heroic youth, but in the eyes of his two observers, he turned into a fluffy little kitten pretending to be an imposing lion.

“This bro is a fast learner,” He responded full of smugness.

And another cupid’s arrow was launched fiercely into the two men’s hearts.

How could anyone possibly be so cute?!?

(⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄)❤

And how did their initial attempt at impressing the little guy turn into them being impressed?! This is not how this was supposed to play out!!

Every single time they tried to win some good feelings from the little guy, they ended up digging a pit for themselves to drown in when it filled with liquid essence of cuteness released by their target!

‘This was not how courting is supposed to go!’ Trey buried his unshed tears in his heart, while Levi’s pink ears were about to catch on fire, ‘Oh dear, what to do… my little brother-in-law is just too cute… I can’t even… ah…’ (／≧ω＼) ♡

In the end, what came out of their two mouths was a united front: “Again!”

The second round didn’t proceed as well for Noah as the first.

The two men had reached an unspoken, unanimous agreement that they would not go out of their way to make the other’s life difficult for the time being. Which meant that targets were no longer easy pickings for Noah.

Add to the fact that the two tall men had longer legs than Noah, and probably visited the gym too, unlike Aris… in short, hitting the target before it was claimed by others became difficult.

Since Aris couldn’t keep up with their running pace, he had to come up with another way to keep up with their speed at racking up points.

In a flash of brilliance, with a big smirk plastered on his face, Noah pulled out a second gun which he had stashed just in case the first malfunctioned.

When 30 minutes came to a close, and the scoreboard updated, the two tall men’s faces turned black again.

Unanimously they turned to gaze at the cute little fox. The cheeks of the mentioned vixen were flushed a beautiful shade of pink, and his smooth white forehead was sprinkled with fine beads of sweat that glittered like diamonds under the light. His long eyelashes fluttered, revealing his dazzling eyes that sparkled like gems as he twirled his two guns provocatively.

As if he heard their unspoken question, Noah coyly added, “This bro is ambidextrous.” ಠ‿ಠ

Blackie couldn’t help but ruin his beautiful moment of satisfaction with his nagging, “Idiot!! Aris isn’t ambidextrous!!” ‎

(ﾉಥ益ಥ）ﾉ ┻━┻

“He is now,” Noah gave a mental shrug. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Levi’s mouth twitched with a mix of amusement and exasperation. Suddenly, he got an urge to shoot a cartridge at that coy little ass. After imagining how the little guy would clutch his cute behind and jump about with his pink lips pursed and tears glistening in his eyes, it took every ounce of Levi’s self-control to restrain himself. Though, no amount of restraint could prevent his heart from speeding up and body from heating up.

The two men took a long moment to silently appreciate Noah’s abilities. After this long moment that included a suitable dosage of admiration, wonder, and respect, the two realized that this little kitten hid sharp claws under that cute and fluffy fur.

…and they might not be able to best it in a fair fight.

The two shared a dismayed look.

Where could you find another bodyguard and a law enforcement officer getting beat in paintball by a Soother civilian? This was simply a stain on their reputation! A dark history they wouldn’t want anyone else to know!

Joined together by their shared sentiment, when the third round started, the two, in perfect, unspoken agreement teamed up to suppress Noah. Trey even removed the shield he had placed on Noah previously.

Dodging the rain of bullets with much effort, Noah couldn’t help but laugh in a mix of amusement and outrage, “You guys are really something! A bodyguard and a peacekeeper teaming up to bully a poor little Soother like me! Have you no shame?”

But his outrage only looked like a little kitten brandishing his teeth and claws in front of a big lion. So adorably silly, you just wanted to bully it more.

“Ah! Have mercy! My legs aren’t as long as yours!”

“Hey! Which one of you aimed at my ass?! That’s a low blow!!”

The two men had no idea how their faces had started to don a perpetual smile, half-doting, and half-amused, as they gazed at the third one who was torn between outrage and amusement.

Noah had no idea that he possessed a soul-sucking charm that made one want to laugh with him, to be with him. He radiated an almost tangible warmth and optimism that stirred even the coldest of hearts, awakening long-forgotten feelings. Making one remember how it felt to enjoy life, be optimistic about the future, have fun.

They were like moths rushing towards the light, fully aware that it might burn them into a crisp, but unable to stay away.

This time, the two men, afraid of another surprise at the end, counted every shot. And a good thing they did, for just as the time was about to expire Noah took aim at the last target. A target that if he successfully shot would bring him into the lead.

Even their combined effort wasn’t enough to entirely suppress this little daredevil. As a Soother, he could sense the mental power of others, let alone sneaking up on him, the little one practically had eyes on the back of his head! The only reason why they managed to suppress him this far was due to their superior numbers.

Levi took aim towards Noah and pulled the trigger, but nothing came out but an empty click.

He had run out of bullets!! At the worst possible time!

Luckily, Noah didn’t initially know that, so he stopped his shot and dodged to the side. However, now he was once again taking aim, and Levi had no way to stop him!

In a moment of desperation, Levi’s inner shamelessness was unleashed at max potential, and he instinctively employed the simplest method he could think of – straight out tackling Noah to the ground!

Noah was taken by surprise and didn’t react in time to dodge. The bigger man wrapped his arms around Noah’s thin waist and pulled him down with him.

Afraid of actually hurting Noah, Levi used his own body to soften Noah’s fall. Their limbs entangled, and the two dropped like sacks of potatoes.

Noah tried to untangle himself from Levi so he could fire a clear shot, but Levi was not letting him have it his way, he kept pressing Noah back down. Seeking for leverage to get himself out of Levi’s hold, or at least keep the other from reaching his hands, Noah wrapped his legs around Levi’s waist and lifted his torso to push the other back.

Having the little guy’s slender legs wrapped around him was the last spark needed to set off an explosion of heat inside Levi’s heart. With his lapse in concentration, Noah managed to flip them over, securely sitting on top of Levi.

Levi’s struggle abruptly ceased. His mind was buzzing, his body overwhelmed by roaring flames speeding through his limbs like lava, awakening every nerve ending with an unfamiliar craving. Like a wild beast, he wanted nothing more than to pounce on this fat white rabbit and take a big bite out of him.

For a moment, his mind wandered off as he pondered which place would be the best to take a bite out of. Perhaps the smooth cheeks that were rosy from the exertion, or maybe the little knot on his slender white neck that vibrated as he laughed. His gaze wandered down his face and rested on his smiling pink lips that looked as if they would taste sweeter than the cake they had for dessert.

Levi suddenly felt parched, and it became hard to swallow.