Chapter 212: It Was All An Act

For a long moment, the three of them just stayed there, tangled together in silence, Yelena’s arms wrapped around Mika, Charlotte’s fingers clinging to his sleeve.

They could still feel him trembling faintly, his breath hot and uneven against their skin, his face buried against Yelena’s chest.

To see him like this, crying, shaking, clinging to them, was shocking.

This was because Mika was never like this. He never showed weakness, not even when he was deeply hurt.

Normally, if he had a problem, he would hide behind that calm mask of his and keep it bottled up inside, no matter how much they asked. He was always composed, always rational, always the one holding the rest of them together.

Yelena and Charlotte even exchanged a worried glance over his head, both of them thinking the same thing.

’Mika never cries like this.’

The only times they’d ever seen tears in his eyes were during movies, those rare moments when a film’s ending hit him in the heart.

Yelena had always secretly loved those nights, watching him react to a tragic story or bittersweet romance. She’d sit beside him on the couch, pretending to focus on the screen but stealing glances at his face, the way his eyes softened and his lips trembled just slightly.

It was the only time she ever saw that vulnerable, unguarded side of him.

And now, seeing it again in real life, raw, broken, trembling in her arms, felt both painful and...strangely comforting.

It made her feel trusted. It made her feel needed.

Charlotte, too, couldn’t help but smile faintly through her tears. To see Mika, the strong, unshakable Mika, leaning into their embrace and crying, it made her heart ache, but it also made her feel closer to him. Like he was finally letting them in.

But that tenderness also made them even more determined.

They had to help him. No matter what he was feeling, no matter what he was thinking, they had to be brave enough for all of them. He was the victim here. They had to make sure he knew that.

That was why, when Mika finally stopped shaking and tried to pull his head up from Yelena’s chest, she didn’t let him.

Instead, she pushed him back down gently but firmly, her hand on the back of his head, pressing him back against her chest.

"No, Mika. Stay there."

"Yelena...?" He blinked, muffled against her, confused.

"Stay there a moment longer." She insisted softly. "Those scars of yours won’t heal that fast. You need more hugs. More love."

Before he could even protest, Charlotte chimed in, pushing him from the other side, almost smothering him back into Yelena’s arms.

"Yeah, Mika! Mama’s hugs always work wonders! Whenever I feel sad or tired, her hugs fix everything!" She giggled, though her voice was still shaky from crying. "Just trust me, you’ll feel much better soon."

"I-I can’t really breathe—" Mika tried to say, his voice muffled by Yelena’s plump chest.

But Charlotte only pressed harder. "No, no, you’re fine! Just let Mama’s magic work!"

"M-Magic—?!" Mika wheezed.

"Charlotte’s right, Mika." Yelena chuckled faintly despite herself, her tears replaced by a small smile. "Stay there. Let us take care of you."

Mika’s eyes widened as both of them practically waterboarded him in soft warmth and affection. It was suffocating in every possible way, physically, emotionally, mentally, and he tried to speak, flailing his arms weakly, his voice cracking between muffled words.

"Seriously—! I—! Can’t—! Breathe!"

Finally, after a few moments of pure chaos, Mika managed to push himself free, gasping for air like a man rescued from drowning. He stumbled back slightly, hair tousled, shirt wrinkled, and face completely red.

"Okay, okay! Stop! Both of you, calm down!" He waved his hands quickly, still panting. "I’m alright now! I swear I’m fine!"

Both women froze, blinking at him in surprise.

Mika coughed once, rubbing his neck awkwardly before continuing.

"Really, I mean it. That...moment I had earlier, it helped me sort out everything that was clouding my head. I thought through everything while I was...well, crying." He scratched his cheek sheepishly. "And now, I’ve got it all handled. No need to worry about me anymore."

Yelena frowned, still skeptical.

"Handled? Mika, you were just threatening to stab yourself not five minutes ago! And now you’re saying you’re fine?" She narrowed her eyes. "How does that even make sense? Are you human or some kind of machine?"

"Yeah, seriously. You’re scaring us, Mika." Charlotte crossed her arms, looking equally doubtful.

He gave a small, amused laugh and shrugged.

"You have to remember, I’m not exactly normal. My brain works a little differently. My thoughts move faster than most people’s. So once I calm down, I can process things pretty quickly." He smiled reassuringly. "As long as I stay logical, I can fix my emotions in a minute or two. That’s just how I am."

The two women exchanged a look. As ridiculous as it sounded, it was...believable. Mika mind was a spectacle of it’s own. Logical to a fault. Maybe it wasn’t that impossible.

Still, Yelena frowned faintly, concern lingering in her expression. Charlotte also bit her lip, not fully convinced either.

Seeing their worried faces, Mika chuckled again, softly, this time, and decided to add the final touch.

"Alright, alright." He said, raising his hands in surrender. "Let me tell you something else then. The truth is, that whole thing with the sword, me threatening to stab myself—it was an act."

Both women froze in shock.

"What?" Yelena’s voice was sharp with disbelief. "An act?"

"Wait, what?!" Charlotte’s eyes widened. "You mean you weren’t serious?!"

Mika quickly waved his hands before they could explode.

"No, no, I don’t mean it like that! I wasn’t faking my emotions or anything, I just mean that deep down, I knew I wasn’t actually going to do it. I think..." He looked at them with a sheepish smile. "I think I subconsciously knew you both wouldn’t let me. So even though I acted on impulse, somewhere inside I trusted that you’d stop me."

He gave them both a tender look.

"That’s why I was able to do it in the first place. Because I knew...you wouldn’t let me go through with it."

The words made both Yelena and Charlotte pause. Their anger melted into something softer, confusion mixed with guilt and affection.

He continued quickly, voice warm and gentle.

"So don’t worry, okay? I don’t have any kind of death wish. I value my life, very much." He chuckled weakly, rubbing his neck again. "And honestly, I just didn’t want to deal with the awkwardness after everything that happened. Guess I made a bit of a scene, huh?"

For a few seconds, neither woman said a word. They just stared at him, trying to decide whether he was serious or insane.

Then Yelena let out a long sigh, pressing a hand to her forehead.

"God, Mika...For a second I thought you were actually losing it." She exhaled deeply, then patted her chest in relief. "I swear, you almost gave me a heart attack. But...if you really are okay now, then good. I’m just glad you’re back to your usual self."

Charlotte slumped backward, falling onto the bed with a dramatic sigh. "Thank goodness. I can’t believe I just lived through that. If I tell my sisters about this, no one will believe me."

Then she peeked at him with a teasing smirk.

"Still...that was some next-level thinking, Mika. You really calculated everything, even trusting that we’d save you. You just wanted to skip the awkward talk, didn’t you?"

Yelena nodded in agreement.

"Oh, he most definitely is." She said, smiling. "But at least that just means that he’s the same old Mika, and not the crazy one we just saw a moment ago, and that’s more than enough for me."

She smiled warmly, and Mika smiled back.

This was exactly why he had confessed half the truth.

The first reason was that he didn’t want both of them to feel guilty and be paranoid that he was going to do something wrong; he didn’t want to burden them with any unnecessary emotions.

The second reason: the perfect lie was always mixed with the truth.

By admitting a few facts, he was making the core lie, that he had simply returned to normal, much more believable.

Mika then took a deep breath, sitting up a bit straighter, his face still bearing the remnants of tears and relief.

But beneath it all, a calculating calm took hold. He knew now was the moment to set the stage for the next week or so, and to ensure every conversation went exactly as he wanted.

He fixed his crumbled shirt, looking a bit sheepish as he caught Yelena’s eye.

"Alright...now that, um, all that’s happened, let’s talk about what comes next. I don’t want things to be awkward or uncertain for anyone, so I think it’s best to be completely honest with you both."

He turned to Yelena first, hesitating, then said.

"Before we make any decisions, I have to admit, my feelings right now...they’re all over the place. It’s weird. They come and go, like I’m switching between myself and...something else. And even now, I’m feeling things I shouldn’t, things for you, Yelena. Feelings that aren’t exactly...what a son should feel for his mother."

Yelena’s breath caught, her eyes widening, a complicated mix of relief and dread flickering over her face. She searched his expression, unsure whether to scold or comfort him.

"But..." Mika continued, glancing to Charlotte. "I think by tomorrow, things will settle. Just like Charlotte said...I’ll probably end up completely in love with you, Yelena. Not just the normal kind, but...the way a man sees a women."

"I wish I could do something about it, but I can’t. Somehow, Charlotte managed to get into my mind, left something behind. And now it’s just...there. I can’t erase it myself. I just have to ride it out until it fades. There’s no other way."

Hearing this, Charlotte, shoulders slumped, wrung her fingers together and whispered. "Sorry, Mika. I really didn’t mean for any of this to happen. If I hadn’t been poking around, none of this would’ve started. It’s all my fault. My curiosity always ruins everything..."

To that, Mika frowned, waving his hand as if to shoo the guilt away.

"No, Charlotte. Enough already. Yelena and I, if anyone’s a victim here, it’s us. So if we’re both here, calm and fine—then you don’t have to keep dragging yourself through the mud. Really, I’ve already accepted it. I’m fine. Let’s just move forward."

He then smiled gently at Charlotte and added,

"And hey, look on the bright side. You actually managed to break into my mind, even if just a little. That’s something you should be proud of."

His words surprised both women.

"Wait, are you saying I should be proud that I made you and Mama...you know...fall in love?" Charlotte’s eyes widened in astonishment.

"Not that part, silly." He grinned, shaking his head. "I mean the fact that you broke into my mind at all. I always told you it was impossible, right?..And yet, you did it."

"That means your blessing is getting stronger. So don’t hang your head, hold it high! Next time, just be careful what you wish for."

Charlotte blinked, then straightened her back with a small, bashful smile, her pride overcoming her embarrassment.

"Yeah...You’re right, Mika. I actually did it! All those years you told me not to bother...but I did it! I managed to get in, at least a little bit!" She glowed with pride. "Maybe that means, someday, I can actually help you in a real way with my power."

Yelena smiled softly at her daughter.

"It really is impressive, Charlotte. To go into Mika’s mind of all people...that’s something even I wouldn’t dare try. It means you’ve grown, sweetheart."

But then she fixed Charlotte with a stern gaze.

"But that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to do it again. Mika’s mind is...well, it’s like a labyrinth with monsters inside. If you try again, next time it might not be Mika who gets affected, it could be you. And if that happens, there’s no guarantee you’ll come out at all."

"So don’t even think about it. If I ever catch wind of it again, you’ll be kneeling outside for a month, do you hear me?"

Charlotte pouted and nodded meekly. "Yes, Mama..."

Yelena then turned her gaze back to Mika, her eyes flickering with worry. "But Mika, are you sure there’s nothing you can do? No way to reverse what Charlotte did?"

Mika offered a crooked, apologetic smile.

"Nope. If it were something from the outside, I could deal with it. But she managed to put it right inside my own mind. Like a needle in a haystack, or really, a needle in an abyss. There’s no way to find it."

"So...for the next few days, you’ll have to put up with a version of me who’s pretty much head-over-heels for you, Yelena. I won’t be able to tell what’s real and what’s not. Even if you tell me those feelings aren’t true, I’ll still feel them and act on them. That’s just how it is."

Yelena swallowed, looking nervously between Mika and Charlotte.

"That actually scares me." She admitted in a low voice. "If you really go after me, I don’t know what will happen...I’m afraid things between us will change in ways we can’t undo."

But hearing this, Charlotte immidietly had a look of absurdity on her face like her mother had said the biggest joke.

"What are you saying, Mama?"

She drawled, tilting her head with a knowing grin.

"Are you actually saying that when Mika’s all over you, panting and declaring his undying love—something’s actually going to happen? That things between you two would really change?" She let out a little breath through her nose, a single sarcastic laugh. "Please!...You’ll have the same relationship as always."

She waved a hand with absolute confidence as she continued saying,

"No matter what he does, no matter how hard he tries, you’ll still see him the same way—the child you raised. There’s just no way anyone could change that."

Her smirk widened, full of cocky daughterly pride. Before then faltering a bit as she added hesitantly,

"I mean, sure, if it was anyone else, sure, I’d panic a bit and would probably lock Mika in a room, before he causes some havoc... But you?" She leaned in slightly, as if sharing a casual secret. "With you, I don’t have to worry about that at all."

Yelena blinked, unsettled by what her duaghter said,

"What do you mean by that, Charlotte?" Her voice was low, uncertain, almost reluctant to ask. "Why are you talking as if the Mika that’s going to appear tomorrow is some sort of threat that even you’re wary off?"