As their conversation went on, the atmosphere grew more relaxed, laughter echoing through their voice chat. Then, Kyoh's voice turned thoughtful.
"Hey… since we've been playing together for, what? A year now?" she began, her tone casual but carrying weight.
"I've been thinking… maybe it's time we meet in person."
There was a brief pause.
"Meet? Like... in real life?" Ako asked, her voice rising with excitement.
Kyoh chuckled. "Yeah. I mean, we've grown pretty close, haven't we? It'd be nice to put faces to our avatars."
Shun leaned back in his chair, smiling.
"Honestly? I've been hoping someone would say that. I'd love to meet you all. It'd be great to really get to know the people behind the characters."
"Yaaay~!" Ako squealed.
"I finally get to see my husband in person! We can even hold hands for real!" Her joy was so palpable it made even Kyoh laugh.
"Just holding hands?" Kyoh teased, smirking.
"That's pretty tame coming from you, Ako."
"I can be a proper wife if I want to!" Ako huffed.
Then Zaki's calm voice came through.
"I don't mind either. It's about time, honestly. We already trust each other as a party… might as well bring that trust outside the game."
"Glad to hear that," Kyoh said warmly.
"Then it's settled. Let's meet up this Saturday. I'll find a good place we can all agree on. Somewhere chill."
"Looking forward to it," Shun said, already thinking about what he should wear.
Ako let out a dreamy sigh.
"I need to pick a cute outfit… something that'll make my husband fall for me all over again!"
"You say that like you're not already glued to him," Kyoh replied with a chuckle.
"Jealous?" Ako teased.
"Maybe a little," Kyoh admitted with a small smirk. As the call continued, the group laughed and chatted excitedly.
Meanwhile, the soft hum of the night filled the quiet apartment, broken only by the distant chirp of cicadas and the faint ticking of the wall clock.
Kawakami lay on her bed, the covers pulled up just past her chest, her eyes wide open and staring at the ceiling. The gentle breeze from the open window caressed her cheek, but it did little to cool the warmth blooming across her skin.
'What if I am? Don't worry—I won't leave you behind.'
Shun's words echoed again and again in her mind. She groaned softly, turning on her side and burying her face into her pillow.
"Ugh… stupid," she muttered under her breath.
"He's so—why is he so smooth?"
It had only been two days since they met. Just two days. And yet somehow, he'd slipped past every wall she'd built around herself without even trying.
His presence was calm and magnetic, the way he looked at her with that confident smile made her feel seen… wanted. That casual charm, the playful teasing, the unexpected kindness—it was all too much.
Kawakami pressed her hand against her chest, feeling her heartbeat thrum harder than usual.
"I'm not this easy," she whispered, trying to convince herself.
"He's just messing around… right?"
But even as she tried to reason with herself, she couldn't deny it—there was something about Shun that was different. He didn't force himself on her, didn't try to impress her with cheap lines or bravado. It was effortless. Like he knew exactly what strings to pull, how to make her laugh, how to make her feel… feminine. Desired. Safe.
She closed her eyes, letting out a quiet breath.
'Safe… that was it.'
It had been so long since she felt like that around someone. And Shun, in just two days, made it feel natural—like it was always meant to be this way. Shun was Hitman, Assassin and had experience as Spy at young age making him skillful in seduction and manipulation.
"…I'm in trouble," she murmured, a small, reluctant smile tugging at her lips.
"If he keeps this up, I might actually fall for him…"
Her fingers brushed her lips as if trying to erase the memory of his voice, his teasing tone, the warmth in his eyes. But the flutter in her chest said otherwise.
She finally rolled over, pulling the covers up tightly as if they could somehow protect her from her own thoughts.
"…Idiot," she whispered with a smile, before slowly drifting off into sleep, her dreams already colored with the image of a silver-tongued boy who had no idea how dangerously close he was to claiming her heart.
Kawakami found herself standing in a field of white flowers—an endless expanse beneath a twilight sky. The breeze was soft, carrying the faint scent of sakura and something darker… like cologne mixed with gunpowder.
She looked down. She wasn't in her pajamas anymore.
A white summer dress clung to her frame, the fabric thin and flowing like mist. Her hair was down, cascading over her shoulders. She felt strange—lighter, freer—and yet there was a nervous flutter in her chest.
Footsteps.
She turned.
There he was.
Shun.
Dressed in black slacks and a crisp white shirt, the sleeves rolled up and the top buttons undone. His eyes locked with hers—those cool, unreadable eyes that always seemed to hide something dangerous… and yet right now, they were soft. Warm. Like they were only for her.
"You came," he said simply, taking slow, unhurried steps toward her.
"I didn't know I was supposed to," she murmured, unable to look away.
Shun chuckled gently, the sound low and smooth. "You always were drawn to trouble."
When he reached her, he didn't speak. He just reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek, fingers grazing her skin like a whisper. Her breath caught in her throat.
"Why do you look at me like that?" she asked.
"Like what?"
"Like I'm yours."
His smile widened. Not cocky. Not teasing. Just confident. Certain.
"Because you will be."
Her knees nearly buckled, and his arms slipped around her waist, holding her as if she were weightless. Her heart thudded wildly.
"Tell me to stop," he whispered.
She couldn't. She didn't want to.
Instead, she leaned in, forehead resting against his, their breaths mingling.
"This is just a dream," she whispered shakily.
"Then don't wake up."
And before she could think, before she could stop herself, her lips met his. Warm. Gentle at first—tender, uncertain. But the moment they touched, the kiss deepened, laced with something raw and possessive.
He held her close like she belonged in his arms, like she was the only woman in the world.
The field blurred around them, petals scattering in the air like falling stars. Time didn't matter. Nothing else existed.
Only him.
Only this.
Only them.
Kawakami stirred slightly in her sleep, a soft, barely audible sigh escaping her lips as her fingers subconsciously clenched the bedsheet.
'Don't wake up just yet…'
Warm light crept through the edges of the curtains, casting soft golden hues across her room. Kawakami's eyes fluttered open, lashes brushing against the pillow as she blinked away the remnants of sleep.
Her heart was still racing.
She stared up at the ceiling, lips parted slightly, her breath uneven. The dream… it lingered. Every detail burned into her mind like it actually happened—the flowers, the kiss, his arms around her.
Shun.
She sat up abruptly, clutching the blanket to her chest. Her cheeks were burning hot, and she pressed the back of her hand to them.
"…What the hell," she whispered to herself, trying to calm her pulse.
That wasn't just any dream—it was *him*. And the way he touched her, looked at her… kissed her—it was unreal. Or maybe too real.
Then she felt it.
A slight dampness between her thighs.
Her face turned scarlet.
"Oh my god…" she whispered, mortified. She pulled her knees to her chest, hiding her face in them.
"I've known him for two days. Two!" she hissed quietly to herself.
And yet here she was, waking up flushed, breathless, *moist*… just from a dream about *him*. It was insane. She prided herself on being composed, practical, never one to fall so easily for someone—especially not some smooth-talking, mysterious transfer student with a habit of smiling like he already owned your heart.
But Shun?
He wasn't just charming.
He was dangerously *good* at it.
Too good.
"I can't keep letting him get to me like this," she muttered, dragging herself out of bed, her body still tingling from the remnants of the dream. "He's just some kid with a pretty face and a silver tongue… that's all."
Still… the memory of his lips brushing hers lingered. The way he said *"You will be"* echoed in her ears like a secret promise.
Kawakami stood there for a long moment, gripping the edge of her desk as she tried to collect herself.
"He's ridiculous," she mumbled, voice a mixture of frustration and quiet awe.
"Absolutely ridiculous…"
Yet deep down, despite her embarrassment, a small part of her smiled.
She didn't hate it.
Soon, The scent of sizzling eggs and savory miso filled the house like a gentle wake-up call.
Kawakami stepped out of her room, still brushing a hand through her tousled hair, her thoughts muddled from the dream. She blinked at the sight in the kitchen—Shun, already dressed, sleeves rolled up, focused intently as he flipped tamago-yaki with practiced grace.
Beside him, bento boxes neatly arranged on the counter, each with precision-cut veggies, rice, and slices of glazed pork belly laid out like artwork.
"…You're cooking again?" she asked, her voice still thick with sleep.
Shun glanced over his shoulder with a calm smile.
"Good morning. Yeah, this is just my morning routine. Breakfast's almost ready."
Kawakami stepped closer, eyeing the bento boxes with visible surprise.
"Wait… are those for—?"
"One for me. One for you." He offered her a smaller pink lunchbox wrapped in a traditional furoshiki cloth.
"I noticed you just grab lunch from the cafeteria… figured a home-cooked meal wouldn't hurt."
She took it slowly, eyes wide. "I… usually just get something quick."
"I know. That's why I made it." He turned back to the stove with casual ease.
"Besides, I like cooking. It relaxes me."
Kawakami felt a pinch in her pride, but it was wrapped in something warmer.
"You're really disciplined for someone your age… makes me feel kind of… undependable."
Shun chuckled. "Not at all. I just have my quirks. I like keeping my hands busy. And if I can help a little, I will."
She looked down at the bento again, trying not to smile too much.
"You're full of surprises."
Shun slid the final piece of tamago onto a plate and turned to her, drying his hands.
"Well, I only ask one thing in return."
Kawakami blinked. "What?"
He stepped closer, his smile calm but with that subtle, teasing spark in his eyes.
"A man's reward… is a woman's smile."
Her breath hitched.
That line again. That effortless, shameless charm. Her heart gave a subtle, rebellious thump in her chest, and she quickly turned her head to the side, hoping he wouldn't notice the slight pink rising in her cheeks.
"You're seriously dangerous, you know that?" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Shun only smiled, walking past her to set the table.
Kawakami composed herself, taking a breath and pressing her palm to her cheek to cool herself down.
She placed the bento box on the table, then finally murmured, "Thanks… for the food."
Shun looked up, watching her with a soft glint in his eyes.
"Anytime."
And just like that, Kawakami found herself falling a little more—for a boy she'd known for only two days, yet who was already more composed, more dependable, and more irresistible than most men she'd met in years.
'Seriously… what is wrong with me?'
But her smile lingered, even as she tried to hide it behind a sip of miso soup.