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Chapter 26: The Drama That Makes Absolutely No Sense To The Plot

As Mike and Heidi stepped back into the spaceship, they were greeted by the faint hum of the engines and the sight of their fully repaired hybrid ship.

Naomi stood by the central control panel, her usual composed demeanor slightly shaken.

Across from her, Jim was seated, his arms crossed stubbornly, wincing as Naomi applied a soothing gel to his minor burns and bruises.

"Welcome back," Naomi said, her voice cold from the lingering frustration. "How did it go?"

Mike stretched dramatically. "Oh, you know. Just saved a world from total corruption. Typical Warrior stuff."

Heidi sighing. "And we had a little... understanding about sacrifice. Turns out, we're not too bad at learning this whole 'love' thing either."

Mike's smile widened as he threw a glance toward Jim and Naomi. "But it looks like we're not the only ones learning about love."

Jim tensed immediately. "What are you talking about?"

Naomi's eyes flickered with slight embarrassment, but she maintained her composure. "Nothing of that sort. I was just treating his injuries. Someone here thought it was a good idea to fight robots."

Heidi blinked in surprise. "Wait, what?"

Naomi sighed, placing the gel back into her med-kit. "While my robots were fixing the ship, Jim got... stubborn. He insisted on helping, even though the ship's systems were already handling it. Naturally, the robots detected him as an obstacle. And obstacles? Well, they get dealt with."

Mike raised a brow. "By firing at him?"

Jim rubbed the back of his neck, clearly trying to downplay the situation. "I'm a warrior. It doesn't matter. I was just trying to help. I can't sit around while someone else does all the work."

Naomi's expression hardened. "You shouldn't be so stubborn. You're not invincible. You have a long life waiting for you."

For a moment, Jim was caught off guard by the way she said it. There was genuine concern in her voice, though she quickly masked it behind her usual coldness.

He felt a strange warmth rise within him, something unfamiliar - and something he quickly shoved aside.

"I'll take care of myself," Jim said, his tone gruff. "It's fine."

But even as he said it, that lingering feeling wouldn't disappear. The way Naomi had cared for him, even if it was just a simple treatment, stirred something he didn't quite understand. He had faced countless battles, wounds, and hardships - but the tenderness in Naomi's gaze unsettled him.

Still, he knew he had to control himself. He was the son of Heatsun and Moonsalt, a hybrid created from the strongest Solar man and Lunar woman.

Romance, affection, these were not things for someone like him. Besides, Naomi was Edward's daughter - his mentor, who had become like a guardian to him,the one who raised him when he was just 5 years old. Falling for her? Absolutely not.

Unfortunately for Jim, Mike and Heidi weren't about to let it go.

"Well," Mike smirked, "you two sure looked cozy. Greenhead and Redhead? That's got a nice ring to it. The ultimate married couple dynamic."

Heidi nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! He's the broody warrior who thinks he can take on everything alone. She's the stern genius who keeps him in check. Classic romance."

Naomi looked at the control panels, trying to maintain her composure. "Stop saying nonsense."

Jim, on the other hand, was visibly flustered. "We are not a couple. And we're definitely not like you two."

Mike (acting cool) folded his arms dramatically. "Oh? So you're saying you'd rather be like us? The 'lovebirds who just saved a fairytale' duo?"

Jim growled in frustration, "That's not what I meant."

Heidi giggled. "Oh, come on! You're 22, Jim. Not much older than us. You can't act like we're a couple of kids just because we're 20 and 18."

Jim shook his head, visibly annoyed. "Can we stop discussing this nonsense that has absolutely got nothing to do with the plot, and check if the ship is actually functional?"

Naomi, taking the opportunity to regain her stoic demeanor, nodded. "Agreed. The repairs are complete. The core systems are stable, and the navigational chart is back online." She tapped on her tablet, pulling up the data.

With the ship's systems stabilized and everything confirmed to be in working order, the four launched back into space.

The hybrid spaceship smoothly ascended, leaving the Little Mermaid's planet behind. The starry expanse stretched endlessly ahead, their next destination unknown for now.

Inside the control room, Mike and Heidi lounged comfortably, the adrenaline of their last adventure giving way to a relaxed atmosphere.

Jim focused on the navigation system while Naomi adjusted the ship's energy stabilization. Everything was calm - until Mike's mischievous grin reappeared.

"Well, well," Mike said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Looks like we've got two new lovebirds aboard. Greenhead and Redhead, making the universe a little more romantic."

Heidi giggled, her eyes sparkling. "I mean, with how you two looked back there? You're practically giving off 'newlywed' vibes. Fixing injuries, gazing into each other's eyes - classic!"

Jim tensed. "We weren't-"

"-It was medical assistance," Naomi interjected coldly.

Mike raised a brow. "Oh, sure. And I suppose that accidental kiss during the crash was just 'ship malfunction,' huh?"

Jim's face reddened slightly. "That was an accident. And you're really one to talk, considering how Heidi punched you the last time you tried flirting."

Mike(shocked): "Wait! How did you know that?

Jim(calmly): "I had already prepared for the worst."

He then showed a spy-camera in his hand saying. "When you were gone we had been spying on you using Naomi's drone, fitted with my spy-camera.

Naomi smirked confidently. "We know what happened between you so better forget our incident.

Mike froze and his coolness faded.

Heidi huffed. "Hey! That was self-defense. Someone has to keep him in check."

"And someone has to protect her from idiotic fanboys," Mike added smugly.

Naomi, finally growing tired, crossed her arms. "Oh? Then tell us, Mike. How does it feel knowing that the mighty Blue Magician tried to sacrifice himself in such a romantically classy fashion for the Yellow Cook? Feels pretty much like enemies-to-lovers."

Mike blinked, momentarily stunned. "Wait, what you even know that?"

Jim (acting emotional), catching on, smirked. "Yeah, it was quite the emotional moment in the battle. You were practically shielding her like a hero who didn't want to lose his heroine. It did look quite romantic, showed how much you loved Heidi."

I-" Mike(blushing) stammered. "That's not- I was just-"

Naomi pressed further, her expression deadpan but victorious stared at Heidi. "And let's not forget how you kept whispering 'Please wake up' like something out of a romantic drama."

Jim nodded, fully enjoying the moment. "Sounded like a princess final words before the kiss of true love."

Heidi's face burned red. "Okay, okay! Point taken!"

Mike was blushing too, though his smile betrayed his amusement. "So, you were acting like a hopeless romantic all along, huh?"

"I was concerned! And it was the heat of the moment!" Heidi threw up her hands. "But fine! You win. No more teasing Greenhead and Redhead."

Jim chuckled. "Good choice."

Naomi gave a satisfied nod. "Smart decision."

Feeling thoroughly defeated, Mike and Heidi retreated to the side, awkwardly pretending to adjust the ship's controls as if nothing had happened.

Every time their gazes accidentally met Jim and Naomi's, they quickly looked away, pretending to focus on anything else.

"Well," Mike muttered, "this is awkward."

"Yep," Heidi replied, her cheeks still tinged pink. "Definitely didn't see anything."

"Not a thing," Mike agreed.

Jim and Naomi exchanged a subtle glance, and for a brief moment, the tension dissolved into a shared amusement.

The spaceship cruised on through the stars, the four of them returning to their usual dynamic - albeit with a little more understanding and perhaps a few lingering blushes.

A Day Passed...
Mike and Heidi now sat across from each other, both with their arms crossed, embarrassed to look at one another.

Jim and Naomi watched in amusement as the two started mocking each other again.

Then suddenly to get out of the embarrassement,

Mike (mockingly): "I still can't believe you actually cried for me when I sacrificed myself. You were practically missing me."

Heidi (twitching her eyes): "And you sacrificing yourself for me shows you practically didnt want to lose me."

Just then, Naomi received a new signal on the ship's radar.

Naomi: "Looks like our next stop is... Sleeping Beauty."

The group shared a glance.

Jim: "Time to observe another fairy tale romance."

Their next adventure awaited.