Itto sat on a rock near the campsite, arms crossed and face set in a deep pout. His amber eyes, usually filled with excitement, now tracked your every movement as you stood a few meters away, engaged in a lively conversation with Albedo, the Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius.

He had been waiting for what felt like hours. Okay, maybe it hadn’t actually been that long, but to him, it *felt* like an eternity. And worse than that, he could see the way you were smiling—*really smiling*—at Albedo. You laughed softly at something the alchemist had said, and Itto’s heart tightened in his chest.

His Oni instincts flared with insecurity. What if you were starting to like Albedo more than him? Albedo was smart, refined, and let’s be honest—Itto knew he wasn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. But you… You deserved the world, and here you were, laughing with someone as brilliant as Albedo.

“Pfft,” Itto muttered under his breath, glancing away, though his eyes kept drifting back to you and Albedo. He huffed to himself, kicking a pebble through the snow. “What’s so great about Albedo anyway? Yeah, he’s got that whole genius thing going on, but can he throw a punch? Can he arm wrestle? Does he have *this?*” He flexed his biceps, showing off to no one in particular.

Still, no matter how much he tried to reassure himself, the sinking feeling in his chest wouldn’t go away. His usual confidence was shaken, and he didn’t like it. He was *Arataki Itto*, after all—the one and oni who could take on anything! But the thought of losing you to someone else? That was a fight he didn’t know how to handle.