MTLNOVEL Chapter 6: Preparation
"Yes, yes, you look alright," Effie reassured Kai, giving him a playful smack on the back with enough force to make him stumble forward a step.
Clearing his throat, he regained his footing embarrassedly and glanced into the mirror once more.
It was finally time for the Gala. Kai had been impatiently waiting for this day, practically counting the minutes.
Fidgeting with his fingers, he examined his outfit once more, making sure everything was in place and alright.
Effie, towering behind him, smoothed out her silky silver dress with a proud grin, the slit on the side revealing her muscular, tanned thigh.
"You're not seriously going to wear heels, right?" Kai asked worriedly, adjusting his green high-waisted trousers. After tucking in the ivory-white, billowy blouse -its broad sleeves narrowing at the cuffs- his bony fingers moved up to his neck.
Adjusting the regal green lace appliqué, adorned with complex floral and leaf motifs that spread across his chest and shoulders -rising up to his neck like the noble crest of some forest god- he glanced at her through the mirror.
"My hubby will be there too," Effie grinned as the moonlight streamed through the large window of Kai's apartment, further brightening the already lit room. "I have to make myself look appetizing for him."
Kai chuckled nervously, not really knowing how to respond. Fortunately -or rather, unfortunately- though, Effie continued the conversation on her own accord.
"You're doing the exact same thing for the princess anyway," she giggled, waggling her eyebrows teasingly. "Look at you, trying so hard to impress her. How many times have you changed outfits already? Like ten times at least?"
He could feel his blood rush up from his neck to his cheeks, turning his perfect skin a faint shade of pink. "No- I always take this long," Kai shot back, his heart struggling to handle all the teasing from his best friend. "Back when I was still the lead singer of the Nightingales, it took me even longer to pick an outfit."
The giantess rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, sorry, Mister Superstar," she said, nudging his side with her elbow. A smirk snuck onto her face as she added, "Are peasants like me still allowed to talk to you?"
Kai sighed in defeat, his head falling forward. "I didn't mean it like that, sor-"
But before he could apologize, Effie giggled and nudged him again, this time more forcefully. "Geez, I'm just joking. No need to apologize."
With another defeated sigh, Kai turned around, watching Effie settle onto a cushioned rectangular seat. He couldn't help but watch closely as she picked up a pair of white high heels and slid them onto her bare feet. Or at least tried to. It was rather obvious this wasn't something she did often.
"You'll be like 6'7 in those, Effie," Kai chuckled awkwardly, stepping forward and kneeling before her to help, as she wasn't having much luck doing it on her own.
Snickering, Effie stretched her legs, pushing her feet into his hand. "I'm a married woman. What do you think you're doing, pret-"
Kai swiftly pushed the heel onto her foot, silencing her, "Effie, please…" he muttered, too nervous thinking about Morgan -though he would never admit that- to deal with her teasing.
She rolled her eyes and let him finish in silence.
Once he was done, she awkwardly stood up. "Thanks, Prince Charming," Effie said, still adjusting to balancing herself in the heels.
Kai looked up at her with a worried expression, "I really hope those heels don't snap."
Her whole face suddenly twitched as she looked down at him. "Are you calling me fat…? I could fight a battle in these!"
"Wha- No!" Kai said defensively, stepping back from her as he hurried to grab his own pair of shoes before she beat him up.
After what felt like an eternity, they were finally done. Of course, it took this much time purely because of Kai, who couldn't decide on one outfit, constantly overthinking what Morgan's opinion on it would be.
Since she had called him pretty -something he couldn't get out of his mind all week- Kai decided to wear clothes that would emphasize his natural beauty. He chose green to highlight his eyes, white to accentuate his skin, and bronze cufflinks to match his long auburn hair. 'I hope Morgan likes it…'
He was still not satisfied though, but if he told Effie that he wanted to change one more time, he feared she might actually throw him out of the window.
"Alright, let's go. Jet's already waiting for us. Oh, and Neph and Cassie might be there too," Effie said, her tone brightening as Kai finally finished getting ready. She was slightly fed up with his indecisiveness, but that frustration quickly faded into something else as she awkwardly walked toward the front door.
"Effie, maybe wearing heels wasn't a good ide-"
"Shut up before I shove them into your pretty little head!" she countered immediately, cutting him off, not wanting to hear any of it. Her stubborn nature was truly undefeatable.
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Later, inside a large SUV limousine, Kai, Effie, and Jet were chatting, passing the time as they waited to arrive at their destination. Effie, of course, somehow was taking up space for three on her own, sprawled over multiple seats leisurely.
It was only the three of them representing the Government. The other Saints and Masters were hard at work in their place, allowing them to attend the Gala in peace without a fear of getting an emergency call.
"I already can't wait for this to be over," Jet sighed from the side, causing Kai to glance over at her. They had been working together for many years now, and having gone through the third Trial together, Jet felt more like a calm older sister to him. Her presence eased his nerves just a tiny bit.
Jet was wearing a dark blue dress, and that was only because old man Cor had insisted, she wear something lighter. He'd told her she was going to a Gala, not a funeral.
Around her pale neck, she wore a silver chain with a blue, snowflake-shaped diamond. It was a gift from someone, though for some reason, she didn't feel like sharing who exactly it was from, no matter how much her friends asked her.
"True, I just want to see my dear husband," Effie grinned from the side, a glass of champagne in hand. She stretched her long, toned legs onto the seat next to her. The SUV was large enough to accommodate even a giantess like her, so she pulled that off with ease. "I worked really hard to get an invitation for him," she added after taking a large gulp from her glass.
"Geez, finding a nanny for my little dumpling was such a chore too," Effie groaned, her tone clearly showing how annoying it had been. "In the end, I just left him with Neph's new boyfriend. Dumpling seems to like him a lot anyway."
Kai nearly choked on air, 'Neph's boyfriend?!' he thought, coughing lightly. Before he could ask anything though, the SUV rolled to a halt.
They had finally arrived.
The previous thoughts about Nephis and her boyfriend immediately disappeared as his mind focused on the one thing he had been thinking about all week.
Morgan.
'I really hope it isn't too late…'