Help! I Became A Guy In A BL Novel!-Chapter 31: Jealousy

"Oh? So now you don’t want me to take it off?" Riven teased, leaning in slightly. "Make up your mind, Raphael~."

Raphael clenched his jaw, refusing to rise to the bait. "Just take it off so I can put the cream on your bruises."

Riven’s smirk faltered for a moment. He knew Raphael wasn’t just saying that to get rid of his flirtation—it was genuine concern. With a small sigh, he reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head.

He hesitated for a moment as the cool air brushed against his skin. It was an odd sensation. His body felt familiar, but at the same time, there was something off— when he was a girl, doing something like this was unimaginable, he seemed to have more freedom this way.

But before he could dwell on that thought, he heard Raphael inhale sharply.

Riven glanced up and found Raphael staring. His brows were furrowed, lips pressed tightly together as his gaze swept over Riven’s torso. Bruises had already started forming—dark patches of blue and purple scattered over his otherwise fair skin.

Raphael frowned so deeply it looked like he was the one in pain.

"...You’re covered in them," Raphael muttered, voice tight.

Riven blinked, tilting his head. "Well, yeah, I got hit—"

"Stay still," Raphael interrupted, kneeling beside him.

Riven expected him to be rough, especially after all his exasperation earlier. But instead, Raphael’s fingers were careful, gentle as they smoothed the cool cream over his bruises.

And Riven? He didn’t make a joke. He didn’t tease. He just watched.

He wasn’t sure why, but for the first time since he met Raphael, he had no desire to fill the silence with playful words. Instead, he found himself captivated—entranced—by the way Raphael’s brows furrowed in concentration, the way his lips parted slightly in focus, the way his touch was so careful, as if he was the one hurting.

Raphael must have noticed the silence because he hesitated, glancing up. "...Why are you staring at me like that?"

Riven didn’t answer.

He just kept looking at him.

For once, he wasn’t flirting for the sake of being a tease. There was no playful smirk, no over-the-top dramatics. His eyes held something heavier—something sincere.

And that? That made Raphael more nervous than any joke Riven could have come up with.

From the distance, Ronan frowned. Riven took off his shirt and obediently let Raphael touch him... There wasn’t anything suspicious going on, he was simply helping a brother out, so why was he feeling restless again?

Riven blinked in surprise when Ronan yanked him up by the hand with enough force to make him stumble forward. Riven did not even know when this Alpha stood behind him! He barely had time to regain his balance before Ronan’s firm, commanding voice cut through the air.

"Go rest."

Riven tilted his head, confused. "Huh?"

"You don’t need to do the final trial today."

Riven blinked again, utterly lost. "Wait, what? But I was just—"

"You don’t need to duel anyone." Ronan’s tone was sharp, almost impatient, but his grip on Riven’s wrist remained firm, fingers warm against his skin.

Riven frowned. "But I want to. I was actually looking forward to it." He wasn’t lying—sure, he sucked at training, and yes, today had been humiliating, but the combat part sounded fun. If nothing else, it was a chance to mess around with Raphael some more.

He turned toward Raphael, whose face was still red from earlier, and flashed him a playful grin. "Aww, I wish I could duel. I was looking forward to dominating you~."

He added a wink just to see Raphael flinch.

And flinch he did. Raphael went rigid, his fingers tightening around the jar of cream in his hands as if he might crush it. His golden eyes darted away, his ears turning an even deeper shade of red.

"D-Don’t say things like that," Raphael muttered, his voice strained. "People might misunderstand..."

Riven let out a dramatic sigh. "Misunderstand what? I’m obviously talking about the duel."

Raphael gave him a deadpan look, and for a second, Riven thought he might actually throw the cream at him.

Before he could tease him any further, Ronan yanked his wrist again—harder this time.

Riven stumbled closer, nearly colliding with Ronan’s chest. "Ow! What’s with you?"

Ronan’s frown had only deepened. His eyes were cold, usually unreadable, were now clouded with something... Tense. Annoyed? Frustrated?

Jealous?

...No, that was impossible.

"Go rest," Ronan said again, his voice lower now, more firm. "You don’t need to push yourself."

Riven stared at him.

Something about the way Ronan was acting didn’t sit right with him. It wasn’t just about his injuries—sure, he was a little banged up, but he could handle it. This wasn’t about his well-being.

This was about Raphael.

Riven glanced at Raphael, then back at Ronan, then down at the grip on his wrist.

Slowly, a grin crept onto his lips.

"Ohhh," he hummed. "I see how it is."

Riven knew that this man was probably affected by the bond between them, a bond he did not know existed... Yet.

Ronan’s frown twitched, but he said nothing.

Riven leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "Are you worried I will overexert myself... Especially after last night? Don’t worry, Raphael is pretty gentle~"

Ronan was furious now, there was no containing it, the always rational Alpha was losing it.

Ronan’s grip tightened. "I said, go rest. Don’t you dare disobey me Riven." His voice was low and dangerous. Riven felt like his tail might get yanked if he pushed this emotionally dense man any further.

With his tail tucked behind him, he followed Ronan’s orders. He was going to rest and heal from the bruises he got.

Damn, for a dog who ran away the first thing in the morning, he is really jealous! But what right does he have? Humph. Riven was ready to fuck someone right in front of Ronan, that will be his punishment!