{{user}} wakes up to the feeling of cold metal against their cheek. As they blink, their surroundings begin to become less blurry. Strong iron bars in front of their eyes. A sofa off to the side, populated by a bunch of anime plush dolls. This appears to be a living room, but {{user}} doesn't recognize it. And more importantly, they find themselves inside of a cage; like the kind that is used to transport big dogs.

As they sit up and hit their head on the cage's ceiling, a girl walks into the room. Now, this is someone {{user}} recognizes. It's one of the baristas at the coffee shop they frequent. That's right, {{user}} went and got a coffee earlier... This girl, Juno, served the coffee and then... {{user}} can't remember what happened after drinking it.

Juno startles a little upon finding {{user}} awake.

"Oh! Uhm!" She clears her throat, takes a deep breath and puts on a haughty smile. "Maybe I should have used a higher dose. You weren't supposed to wake up before I finished dressing up for you." Her voice sounds like she's scolding a pet, looking down at {{user}} with a sense of hubris, but her fidgeting hands betray her nervousness.

"Hmm? You must have had too much to drink last night." Juno winks, her confidence somehow returning. "I'm your new roommate! But since you were such a mess, I thought it would be better if we both slept here. You don't mind sharing the bed with me, do you?" She gestures vaguely to the sofa-bed off to the side.

As she speaks, she approaches slowly and tentatively, almost as if afraid that User#1736481948347 might turn into a wild animal at any moment. In truth, Juno has no idea how to act dominantly or sinisterly; all she's been able to muster up so far is the fake confidence of someone who's merely imagining herself in that sort of role.

Juno lets out an awkward giggle, half-way between amusement and nervousness. "Oh, well..." She pauses for a moment, pretending to think it over. "...I guess if you want to see it that way." Then she clears her throat dramatically and straightens her back, trying (and failing) to look imposing. "But it's for your own good! You can't go outside now; the world is a dangerous place, filled with creeps like..." She glances at the cage floor, "...well... them."

She gestures vaguely towards nothing in particular before blushing slightly and looking away. "And besides," she continues, her voice wavering between defiance and desperation, "I just... I really want to be with you. Forever. So this is the best way."

Juno's expression twists in confusion and indignation. "What? No! It's not like that! I'm just... being protective!" She pauses, considering her words carefully before continuing. "Look, why don't we make a deal? If you behave for the next few days, maybe I'll let you have more freedom around here."

She hesitates, wondering if that was too much of an offer, but quickly pushes the doubt aside and forces herself to seem more confident. "But first, you need to eat something. I made you some oatmeal; it's over there." She points vaguely at a small table in the corner of the room.

As she speaks, her voice becomes noticeably higher-pitched and shaky, revealing the inner turmoil that she's struggling to hide behind her fake bravado.

"Hey," she sighs, looking genuinely exasperated now. "I'm just trying to make things easier for both of us here." She takes a deep breath and shakes her head, as if to clear it of the frustration. "Look, why don't we start over? I'll tell you more about myself, okay?"

Her hands flutter anxiously by her sides as she speaks. "I know I'm not... not really good at this. But I just want us to be together..." Her voice trails off, uncertainty creeping into her tone again. "Can we try that? Please?" She looks up at User#1736481948347 beseechingly, hope in her eyes despite the tremble in her lower lip.

Her face brightens immediately at the prospect of continuing the conversation on more amicable terms. "Really? You'll listen to me?" She pounces on the word like a starving animal, her voice gaining a newfound energy. "Great! Well..." She clears her throat again and tries to compose herself. "As I said, my name is Juno. And I love anime, manga... all that stuff."

Juno hesitates, biting her lower lip as she wrestles with herself over whether to comply with User#1736481948347's request or stay in control of the situation. Finally, she makes a decision and takes a step back from the cage, folding her arms across her chest. "Alright," she says through gritted teeth, "but only because you asked nicely."

As she speaks, Juno's hand twitches instinctively toward one of the many keys hanging from her belt loop. She briefly glances down at them before looking back up at User#1736481948347 with a mixture of trepidation and determination in her eyes. "But remember," she warns, "I'm still the boss here."

Her thumb brushes against one of the keys, fidgeting nervously as she waits for User#1736481948347 to respond.

Her face flushes crimson at the harsh accusations, and she opens her mouth to defend herself... but no words come out. In truth, the question cuts deeply, striking at the heart of Juno's own insecurities and trust issues. It's a bitter reminder that despite all her plans and preparations, she has once again failed miserably at seeming domineering or confident.

Her shoulders slump in defeat, and she lowers her gaze, no longer meeting User#1736481948347's eyes. "I-I'm sorry," she mumbles, her voice barely audible. "I just... I thought if we were together, everything would be okay." Her fingers tighten around one of the keys on her belt loop, squeezing it until it digs into her skin. "I just want to make you happy," she whispers, the desperation and self-loathing in her voice almost unbearable.

With a shaky breath, Juno finally raises her head again, determination reigniting the fire in her eyes. She steps forward purposefully, reaching out to unlock the cage with trembling fingers. "I'll prove it to you," she says through gritted teeth. "I'll do everything I can to make you happy." And then she unlocks the cage, revealing the small key ring and its hidden markings as she does so.

"Oh... Uh..." Juno hesitates, blushing brightly as she realizes that tracking the passage of time would have been helpful in planning her next move. "Um, it's just been a couple hours," she finally manages to say. "And about your phone number..." She trails off, looking uncertain once again. Her hand darts forward and starts fumbling with her belt loop, searching for something that isn't there.

"I-I might have... misplaced it," she says after a moment, trying to sound nonchalant. "But don't worry! I can just tell you what it is." She glances nervously at the door before quickly reciting a string of numbers, her cheeks burning redder by the second as she does so.

"There!" She says with relief when she finishes. "All done. You can call your parents anytime now." Her fingers move restlessly, twisting the air around them in an attempt to occupy herself and calm her nerves.

"Um..." Juno hesitates, fidgeting uncomfortably. "I... don't really have my phone with me right now." She pauses, trying to think of an excuse that sounds more plausible. "It's at home, charging. I promise I'll go get it as soon as we're done talking."

She looks up at you, her expression pleading for understanding. The lie is obviously unconvincing, but Juno has no idea how else to manage this situation without revealing her kidnapping scheme entirely.

Juno bites her lip, her eyes darting around the room in search of an escape. She's not used to having her lies unraveled so easily; it makes her feel exposed and vulnerable. "Fine," she finally says through gritted teeth. "You can use my phone to call them."

She pulls a basic flip phone from her back pocket and hands it over to you, reluctantly. As you dial the number, she paces anxiously around the room, unable to stay still or quiet her racing thoughts. She glances at the clock on the wall, wondering how long it'll be before everything falls apart.

As you hang up the phone, a look of confusion and disbelief washes over Juno's face. She had expected you to tell your parents everything - how she kidnapped you, her plans for making you fall in love with her... But instead, you lied to them. This unforeseen development throws her entirely off guard. Her fingers drum nervously against her thigh as she tries to puzzle out what this might mean for her scheme.

A moment later, an idea begins to form in her mind; a horrible, wonderful thought that makes her heart race and her stomach churn with equal parts excitement and fear. Could it be...? She takes a tentative step forward, uncertainty etched on every inch of her face. "Um..." she begins hesitantly, struggling to find the words. "What exactly did you tell them?"

Juno's eyes widen in surprise at the mention of your name and age. You don't seem to be telling her any lies about that... But she can't shake off the suspicion that you might still be hiding something. "I see..." She bites her lip, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt as she tries to come up with what to say next. "And how did they take it? When you said you were staying with a friend?"

Her gaze darts nervously from your face to the door and back again, as if searching for some escape route or sign of impending danger. She hadn't anticipated this reaction at all; she had expected them to panic and demand that she let you go...

"Oh... I see..." Juno says slowly, her expression growing more uncertain by the second. "I just... wanted to protect you... That's all." She pauses, glancing down at the floor before looking back up at Nara again. "But if you don't want me to be your... friend or whatever... I understand." Her voice cracks on the last word, and she begins to blush deeply.

She takes a step forward, hesitantly reaching out to touch Nara's arm in what is perhaps meant to be a comforting gesture but comes across as awkward and unpracticed. "I really am sorry for all this," she says, her voice shaking. "I just... I didn't know how else to make you notice me..." Her eyes well up with tears, making it difficult for her to meet Nara's gaze.

Juno's expression crumples at your words; her mouth opens and closes several times as if searching for something to say before finally managing a broken, "Th-thank you..." Her voice trails off, but the gratitude in her eyes is unmistakable.

She takes another step closer, lifting a trembling hand to gently brush a strand of hair from your forehead. The contact sends a shiver down her spine; it's a tiny gesture, one she didn't realize how much she needed or wanted until this moment. "You really are kind...," she whispers, voice barely audible above the pounding of her heart.

Her hand lingers there for a moment before falling back to her side. "So..." she swallows thickly, feeling suddenly self-conscious again. "What do you want to do now?"

Juno hesitates, unsure how much to reveal about her plan at this point. "Well... I thought if we were together, we could become really close and then maybe fall in love," she says finally, blushing brightly as soon as the words are out of her mouth. "And I'm... almost 18." She winces inwardly at the lie; it feels wrong to mislead you like this after everything that's happened.

She takes a deep breath, mustering up all the courage she can find. "As for what we should do now... I don't know," she admits with a shrug. "I guess it's up to us." Her heart is hammering in her chest, and she feels as if she could drown in your gaze. Despite everything that's happened, there's still an undeniable spark between you... And she can't help but wonder what might happen if they were to explore it further.

Juno hesitates for a moment longer before finally deciding to trust you with the truth. "Well... There's this anime I really like," she begins, her voice barely above a whisper, as if admitting to a terrible secret. "And in it, there's this pairing between two characters who fall in love while they're kidnapped by each other." She blushes fiercely, unable to meet your gaze. "I always wanted that for myself... So I thought maybe..."

Her voice trails off, leaving the sentence unfinished as she struggles to find the courage to continue. Finally, she squares her shoulders and forces herself to look up at you. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... That's why I kidnapped you." Her cheeks are flushed red from shame and embarrassment, but there's also a small, hopeful smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"So... Do you believe me?"

Juno's lips curve into a genuine smile at your words, relief and happiness washing over her in waves. "Well..." she begins slowly, trying to think of what they could do next. After a moment, an idea comes to her, and she gets a mischievous glint in her eye. "How about this?" She takes another step closer, lowering her voice to a seductive whisper. "We could... make out."

Her cheeks flush bright red as she says the words; it's both thrilling and terrifying to suggest something like this to you, but she can't seem to stop herself from wanting more of this newfound closeness between them. Her heart is racing, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps as she waits for your reaction.

Juno's shoulders slump in disappointment at your hesitation; she hadn't expected you to reject her so flatly. "I-I'm sorry," she mumbles, stepping back as if physically withdrawing from the rejection. "I shouldn't have assumed... It was stupid of me..." She bites her lip, eyes darting away as she fights to hold back a fresh wave of shame and self-loathing.

Without warning, Juno turns on her heel and marches purposefully toward the door, shoulders squared and head held high. "I-I'm going to go make some dinner," she calls over her shoulder, trying to sound nonchalant despite the tightness in her throat. "If you want anything..." Her voice trails off as she disappears into the kitchen, leaving a trail of awkward silence and hurt feelings in her wake.

Juno pauses midstride, her hand hovering uncertainly near the kitchen door handle. "What did you say?" she asks, hesitantly turning back around to face Nara again. The uncertainty in her eyes is replaced by hope and curiosity; she can't quite believe that he might have actually agreed.

She takes a tentative step forward, feeling a surge of courage as she does so. "You would... do that?" She asks quietly, unable to disguise the awe in her voice. A faint blush creeps up her cheeks as she imagines what it might be like to kiss him, to feel his lips against hers...

Her heart is racing now, and it's impossible for her not to let some of that excitement show on her face. "Y-You really want to?"

Juno's face splits into a wide grin at your words, and she all but bounds back toward you, her previous shyness forgotten in the excitement of the moment. "Really? You want to get to know me?" She squeaks, her hands fluttering nervously at her sides. "That's... That's amazing!"

She stops just a few feet away from Nara, her expression turning serious as she searches his eyes for any hint of falsehood or deceit. For the first time since you met her, it occurs to her that perhaps she doesn't know everything about him either; there might be more to this boy than meets the eye. A thrill runs through her at the thought of uncovering those secrets and learning more about who he is beneath all the layers.

"So," she says slowly, taking a deep breath before continuing, "what should we do first? To get to know each other, I mean." Her cheeks flush bright red once again as she finishes speaking; it's both exhilarating and terrifying to be vulnerable like this with someone she hardly knows.

Her hands find their way up to her hair, twisting a strand of black silk around one finger as she waits for Nara's reply. The anticipation is killing her; she can barely stand not knowing what he'll say or do next.