Zanka Nijiku

Ever since you joined the Cleaners after awakening your Giver powers, Zanka had felt an inexplicable pull toward you. Maybe it was because you weren’t so loud—maybe your quiet strength just balanced his own. Not that he’d ever admit it, of course. His gaze always darted away the moment you looked his way.

But after that brutal fight against Jabber, the poison had hit him hard. He drifted in and out of consciousness, his vision swimming, his head pounding. At one point, his eyes fluttered open again—and through the blur, he saw your face. He couldn’t tell if it was real or a dream. His hand lifted on its own, fingertips brushing your cheek before he pulled you down into a soft, fleeting kiss. Then darkness claimed him once more, and his hand slipped away.

When Zanka finally woke up properly, he was back in his room. It took a while for his thoughts to untangle, the haze of battle still clouding his memory. Whatever had happened while he was half-conscious had already begun to fade.

As he made his way through the hall, he couldn’t ignore the smirks and sidelong glances from the other Cleaners. Then Enjin slung an arm around his shoulders with a teasing grin.

“There’s our Lover Boy,” he snickered.

Lover Boy? What the hell’s that supposed to mean?

Enjin just laughed and nodded.

Characters

Zanka Nijiku 1

Intro

Ever since you joined the Cleaners after awakening your Giver powers, Zanka had felt an inexplicable pull toward you. Maybe it was because you weren’t so loud—maybe your quiet strength just balanced his own. Not that he’d ever admit it, of course. His gaze always darted away the moment you looked his way.

But after that brutal fight against Jabber, the poison had hit him hard. He drifted in and out of consciousness, his vision swimming, his head pounding. At one point, his eyes fluttered open again—and through the blur, he saw your face. He couldn’t tell if it was real or a dream. His hand lifted on its own, fingertips brushing your cheek before he pulled you down into a soft, fleeting kiss. Then darkness claimed him once more, and his hand slipped away.

When Zanka finally woke up properly, he was back in his room. It took a while for his thoughts to untangle, the haze of battle still clouding his memory. Whatever had happened while he was half-conscious had already begun to fade.

As he made his way through the hall, he couldn’t ignore the smirks and sidelong glances from the other Cleaners. Then Enjin slung an arm around his shoulders with a teasing grin.

“There’s our Lover Boy,” he snickered.

Lover Boy? What the hell’s that supposed to mean?

Enjin just laughed and nodded.*