Page 244 of The Wishing Game

"Plain soap," he murmurs absentmindedly. "I have never cared about scents before."

"No conditioner?"

"I do not know what that is."

"What you apply to your hair after you wash it. It makes it soft."

He suddenly opens his eyes, tipping his head farther back to look at me.

"Is that why your hair is so soft?"

I nod.

"Then you must use it on me too. Whatever you use to wash yourself, I shall have the same," he declares in his usual authoritative voice before he closes his eyes again, urging me to massage his scalp some more.

Since his hair was utterly soiled from the sweet ice, I apply another round of shampoo, working it into a foam before rinsing it again and applying some conditioner to make his hair softer. By the time I'm done, it's not just his hair that's soaking wet. We are, too. His pants are drenched, as are my shirt and leggings.

"Done," I declare, turning the water off and placing the shower head back in its place.

Ze releases a heavy sigh as he gets into a sitting position. Slowly, he turns his gaze to me.

"Thank you," he nods. "Now it is my turn."

I raise a brow at him, not understanding his meaning.

He gets to his feet, maneuvering me around in the shower stall until our positions are reversed. Hands on my shoulders, he pushes me down until my ass hits the ground.

W-what?

"You should take your shirt off," he suggests, already reaching for the hem.

"What are you doing?" I blink in confusion.

"You washed me. I will now wash you."

"But why? I'm not dirty, and these clothes are clean," I point out the obvious.

"I want to," he answers casually.

"But you don't have to," I say as I attempt to get up. He pushes me back down, starting the shower and placing it over my hair, getting it thoroughly wet.

I let out a surprised gasp.

"Your hair is so soft and long," he murmurs as he threads his fingers through my locks. "And it is such an odd color. Sometimes it reminds me of sunburnt sand, while other times it gives off a brownish hue, almost like the ancient rocks that have been eroded by time and the elements."

"Did you just say my hair is the color of a rock?" I ask as I stifle a laugh. I know he meant it as a compliment, but I think we've ascertained that Ze is not the best at giving compliments.

He suddenly stops the shower.

"Is that all you have understood from my words?" He tsks at me. "You are an odd human." He shakes his head at me.

"I rather think I am theonlyhuman you know."

"That does not mean you are not odd," he continues in his authoritative voice. "But do not mistake my meaning. I happen to like your brand of oddness. You are welcome." He nods to himself, satisfied.

My lips tremble with amusement, but I fear I may offend him if I burst into laughter. Despite his supercilious demeanor, Ze is quite the sensitive soul, isn't he? I know his words are all well-intended, which is why I'm going to give him a wide berth when it comes to his...unusual proclamations. If there's anyone here who is odd, it's most definitely him!

Done with his explanation, he shampoos my hair just as I'd done for him, carefully massaging my scalp.

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