Chapter 63: Playing to Win
The rest of that evening had gone well. In fact, the entire week had gone well. No more fights. No more cold silences. Just Celestia being... Celestia. Loud, stubborn, sharp-tongued, soft underneath, and somehow impossible not to forgive even when she didn’t deserve it.
But it was Saturday now. She came over with a small bag —"weekend essentials," she called it. Toothbrush, skincare, her favorite hoodie, a suspiciously large amount of snacks, and Duchess’s toy mouse for some reason, even though the cat was still at her place.
That was when it hit me.
If she had felt that much—if she had apologized, listed out things she’d stop doing, promised to change—just because she thought I’d blocked her number...
Then maybe, just maybe, I had more power here than I realized.
Not that I wanted to "rule" over her or anything. But Celestia Valentina Moreau was a storm, and I was usually the one getting blown around, giving in just to keep the peace. Maybe I didn’t always have to. Maybe, for once, I could try to win.
Easier said than done.
Because Celestia was not just stubborn. She was strategic. She was smart. She was manipulative—no, dangerously manipulative. She didn’t fight fair, and she knew exactly how to tilt her head or pout her lips to get what she wanted. And God help me, half the time I wanted to give her everything just to keep seeing her smile.
Still, I was going to try.
---
Round One –
She kicked off her shoes and flopped onto my couch like she owned the place.
"So, what are we eating?" she asked, already scrolling through her phone. "I’m thinking sushi. Or pizza. No—both. Let’s do both. God, I love carbs."
"Not happening," I said.
Her head snapped up. "Excuse me?"
"Not happening," I repeated. "We’ve got stuff here. I’ll cook."
She squinted at me, suspicious. "You’re telling me... you’d rather stand in the kitchen slaving over rice and eggs when we could just click a few buttons and have heaven delivered in thirty minutes?"
"Yes."
> "Yes? That’s it?"
"Yes," I said again, leaning back.
She narrowed her eyes and sat up straighter. "Kai Tanaka, are you telling me you’re refusing me food? Do you want me to starve? Do you want me to die?"
"You ate half a croissant earlier," I said flatly. "You’re fine."
Her lips parted, indignant. Then she smirked, tilting her head. "So what if I starve on your floor? What then? What will people say when they find my poor, weak body in your apartment?"
"That you should’ve let me make you fried rice."
Her mouth fell open, then snapped shut. She stared at me for a long second like she was recalibrating her entire strategy. Then, slowly, she lay back down with a dramatic sigh.
> "Fine. But if it’s bad, I’m ordering pizza."
"That’s fair," I said, hiding a grin.
Score one for me.
Except she wasn’t done.
She rolled onto her side, her phone dangling loosely in one hand. "What kind of fried rice are we talking? Because if it’s just sad bachelor fried rice—like, two eggs, some soy sauce, and despair—then don’t even bother."
"Chicken," I said. "And vegetables."
"Vegetables," she repeated, wrinkling her nose. "Like... green ones?"
"Yeah, Val. Green ones. The healthy kind."
She groaned like I’d just announced her execution. "You’re trying to kill me."
I pushed myself up and started toward the kitchen.
Her voice followed me. "You know, a real gentleman would at least ask what his girlfriend wants before deciding what to cook."
"Pretty sure a real girlfriend wouldn’t try to DoorDash sushi when there’s food already in the fridge."
There was a pause. Then: "Wow. So you’re calling me unreasonable now?"
"Yes."
> "Kai!"
I bit back a laugh as I grabbed the wok from the cabinet. "You’re not winning this one, Val."
She padded into the kitchen after me, barefoot, her oversized hoodie swallowing her frame. She leaned against the counter, watching me like a hawk. "Okay. But what if I just... ordered it myself?"
"Then I’d cancel it."
Her jaw dropped. "You’re bluffing."
I met her stare, dead serious. "I’m not."
She exhaled slowly, like she couldn’t believe this was happening. Then, with a sudden brightness, she hopped onto the counter and sat cross-legged. "Fine. Then I’ll just sit here. Looking pretty. Distracting you so much you’ll forget to cook it properly."
"That’s not how cooking works."
> "It is now."
"Val—"
She leaned forward, eyes wide and innocent. "Please? Just sushi. Or pizza. Or—babe, I’m literally begging."
"Nope."
She pouted, jutting her lower lip out so far it should’ve been illegal. "You are heartless. You’d let your girlfriend wither away when there’s a perfectly good delivery driver who could save her life."
I stirred the rice in the pan, unbothered. "You’ll survive my cooking."
She clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "You know, I always thought relationships were about compromise."
"They are."
> "And yet, here you are, denying me both sushi and pizza."
"Compromise means sometimes you don’t get your way."
"Or," she countered smoothly, "it means sometimes you give your girlfriend whatever she wants."
I gave her a look. "That’s not compromise, that’s dictatorship."
She crossed her arms, nose in the air. "I’m making a formal complaint."
"Noted."
> "To HR."
"Still noted."
"Your HR department is trash," she muttered, hopping down from the counter. But she didn’t leave. She hovered near my side, close enough that her shoulder brushed mine as she peeked at the wok. "...Okay, fine. That actually smells amazing."
"Told you."
> "Tch. Whatever."
But the tiny smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.
---
Round Two –
Lunch was easy enough. I cooked. She ate. She pouted a little, but she admitted it was good. Easy win.
But then came round two.
I’d just dropped onto the couch with my laptop, trying to get through some notes. I thought she’d scroll on her phone or put on Netflix. I thought wrong.
"Husband," she called sweetly, sliding down next to me. Too sweet.
I glanced sideways. "What?"
She batted her lashes, voice sugary. "Can I have a bite of your chocolate stash?"
"No."
Her eyes widened in mock horror. "No? As in... you’re saying no to me? Again?"
"That’s what ’no’ usually means."
She pressed her hand to her chest like I’d wounded her. "Wow. Twice in one day. Do you... do you enjoy hurting me, Kai Tanaka?"
"Yes."
Her lips parted in outrage. Then she shifted—closer. Her hand slid onto my thigh. Light, casual, but deliberate.
"Okay," she whispered, leaning in, "but what if I make it worth your while?"
I froze, fingers still hovering over my keyboard. "Worth my while?"
Her smile was devastating. "Mmhm. You know... incentives. Motivations."
"Val."
"Yes, Husband?" she cooed, tilting her head like an angel while her hand inched higher.
I closed the laptop, slowly. "Are you trying to bribe me with sex... for chocolate?"
She gasped, offended. "Not just sex. The best sex. World-class. Michelin-star level."
I stared. "You’re out of your mind."
"And you’re out of chocolate-sharing manners," she shot back.
I couldn’t help it—I laughed. She pouted, then leaned in closer, her voice dipping softer, sweeter.
> "Kai... baby..."
Danger. That tone was danger.
Her hand moved again, and I caught her wrist, holding it still. "No."
Her eyes widened. "No?"
"No."
> "You don’t even know what I was about to offer."
"I have a good idea."
She smirked, testing me with that infuriating glint in her eyes. "And you’re still saying no?"
"Yes."
For a beat, she just blinked at me. Then her mouth tilted into the slowest, slyest grin. "So you’d rather... not?"
"I’d rather keep my chocolate," I said.
That got her. Her smirk faltered, just a little. Then she burst into laughter, collapsing against my shoulder, muttering, "God, you’re impossible."
Maybe. But I didn’t give in.
Score two for me.
---
Round Three –
I thought I had her cornered.
Two solid wins. No chocolate, no bribes. I felt good. Confident. Maybe for once, I was learning how to play her game.
Then she shifted.
She wasn’t curled against me anymore. She sat up, cross-legged, hair falling down her shoulders, eyes narrowed like she was studying me. Not cute studying. Scientist studying.
"What?" I asked.
"You," she said flatly.
"Me... what?"
She tapped her chin like she was filing notes. "You’re refusing me."
"I refuse you all the time," I said quickly. Too quickly.
She tilted her head. "No, you don’t. You never refuse me. Not like this. Not this many times in one day."
I blinked.
She smiled—slow and satisfied. "You’re trying something."
"...No, I’m not."
"Oh my God," she gasped, clutching her chest in mock betrayal. "You are."
I rubbed my face. "Val—"
"You’re trying to... what’s the word? Gain the upper hand." She nodded to herself, eyes gleaming. "You think because I got all sad and insecure the other night, you can just turn the tables now. Am I right?"
Her accuracy hit me like a truck.
"Am I right?" she pressed, leaning in.
I stared at her. "...You scare me."
She beamed. "So I am right. Knew it."
I groaned, leaning back. "You’re unbelievable."
"No, you’re unbelievable," she shot back, pointing at me with the softest pout. "Do you know how unfair this is? You can’t just decide one day you’re gonna... resist me. That’s illegal. Relationship illegal."
"Relationship illegal?"
> "Yes. Like—you don’t get to just... practice willpower on me. I’m not your training arc, Kai."
I laughed under my breath. "You’re insane."
"And you’re mean," she countered.
Then—she switched. Her pout softened. Her shoulders dropped. Her voice turned quiet, a little wounded.
"Kai... I know I’m... a lot. I know I ask for too much sometimes. But when you keep saying no like this, it feels like..." Her voice caught, just slightly, perfectly timed. "...it feels like maybe you don’t like me as much as I thought you did."
My chest tightened instantly. "Val—"
She looked down at her lap, twisting her fingers together. "I mean... if you can say no this easy, maybe it’s easy for you to... not need me. Maybe I’m just..." She trailed off, shaking her head like she didn’t want to finish.
That was it. Game over.
I reached for her before I even realized it, pulling her against me. "Stop. Don’t do that."
Her voice was small. "Then stop saying no."
I closed my eyes, biting back a curse. She’d nailed me to the wall, and she knew it.
Her head tilted back, eyes glimmering with that innocent, almost tearful shine. "Please, Kai? Just... don’t push me away. I’ll stop being bratty, I swear. Just... don’t do this to me."
And just like that, I caved. Every wall I’d tried to build collapsed in one breath.
"...Okay," I muttered.
She blinked up at me, the tiniest smile tugging at her mouth. "Okay?"
I sighed, defeated. "Okay."
The smile bloomed fully now, soft and radiant. She tucked herself closer, whispering like she hadn’t just completely twisted the moment, "That’s better."
I knew she was pretending, playing me the way she always did. Maybe I should’ve pulled back, maybe I should’ve been wary. But every time she let those walls slip—even just a little—I couldn’t help thinking she wasn’t as untouchable as she wanted the world to believe.
And maybe the truth was simpler than I wanted to admit. I didn’t stay because I had to. I stayed because I wanted to. Because she was worth it.
---
To be continued...