Chapter 199: The Unseen Manipulation

Bakugo's eyes snapped back into focus, and he looked around, confused. "Huh, what happened?" he asked, his voice groggy. I turned to him, still trying to process the kiss I had just shared with Shinso. "Uh, I think Shinso... hypnotized you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. Bakugo's gaze shifted to Shinso, who was still smiling softly at me. "What did you do, Shinso?" Bakugo asked, his voice laced with suspicion. Shinso's smile faltered for a moment, before he regained his composure. "I just... made sure you wouldn't be distracted," he said, his voice nonchalant. I narrowed my eyes at Shinso, my mind racing with the implications of what I had just witnessed. "You controlled his mind," I accused, my voice firm. Shinso's expression turned innocent, but I could see the faintest glimmer of guilt in his eyes. "I was just trying to protect him," he said, his voice gentle. Bakugo's eyes narrowed, his expression darkening. "You controlled my mind? You think you can just mess with my thoughts like that?" he growled, his voice rising. Shinso took a step back, his eyes locked on Bakugo's. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Katsuki," he said, his voice soft. I placed a hand on Bakugo's arm, trying to calm him down. "Wait, let's not jump to conclusions," I said, my voice soothing. "Shinso, why did you do that?" Shinso's gaze shifted to mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw a glimmer of something deeper in his eyes. Something that looked almost like... vulnerability. "I just wanted to make sure you two wouldn't... interfere with what I needed to do," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. I frowned, still trying to understand what had just happened. "What do you need to do, Shinso?" I asked, my voice curious. Shinso's expression turned enigmatic, and he smiled softly at me. "Nothing, Vesper," he said, his voice gentle. "Just... trust me, okay?" I hesitated, unsure if I should trust Shinso. But as I looked into his eyes, I saw something there that made me pause. Something that made me wonder if maybe, just maybe, I could trust him after all.