*Crunch, crunch.*
I glanced around nervously as I sat at the kitchen table, stuffing cold chicken into my mouth while sneaking peeks at Chris.
We didn’t bother reheating it, but surprisingly, the chicken still tasted fine. It’s one of those foods that doesn’t lose much flavor after cooling down, as long as it hasn’t been in the fridge.
Chris, sitting across from me, didn’t look too happy. She was chewing her chicken mechanically, her face full of gloom.
*Crunch, crunch.*
"Huh."
I flinched.
What was that sound while she was eating chicken?
Looking more closely at her face, I noticed that Chris was chomping right through the bone of the drumstick.
Does Chris like eating bone-in chicken?
This meal felt like sitting on a bed of nails.
It was so uncomfortable.
Why had our usual peaceful mealtimes turned into this?
Why was Chris so downhearted?
I knew the reason. It was all my fault. Chris had come home early for once, and instead of spending time with her, I had left her alone to play by myself.
It might be petty of me to feel this way, but I was a bit annoyed too.
Honestly, I didn’t owe her anything. What I did with my time wasn’t her business.
Who does she think she is? My guardian?
"Well..."
Now that I think about it, she kind of is.
Even though I’m technically an adult, my body is the way it is. Without Chris’s help, daily life would be much more difficult for me.
*Chew, chew.*
She was still sitting there with that gloomy expression, chewing away at her chicken.
At least she wasn’t visibly angry, but I still felt the need to cheer her up.
"Hmm..."
I popped the last bit of chicken into my mouth and chewed thoughtfully, my cheeks puffed out.
How could I lift Chris’s spirits?
First, I should probably tell her what I’d been up to.
‘I spent all day playing with another girl, cuddling, holding hands, and even hugging.’
"Huh."
I began to sweat.
Somehow, I got the feeling that phrasing it like that would be a terrible idea.
Alright, Isulbi, calm down. Let’s analyze Chris’s personality first.
We’ve been together for almost a year now.
Chris really likes me.
She always wants me nearby, but she doesn’t try to control what I do.
So what exactly is our relationship?
Are we just close friends?
No, it’s something a bit different.
Chris wants to have me all to herself. She’s incredibly cautious when it comes to me interacting with others, regardless of gender.
Now that I think about it, this wasn’t too different from how things were back when I was a hero. Most of the women around me reacted the same way as Chris—Saintess Elena, Melissa... though Igrain was a bit of an exception.
So, we aren’t just close friends.
We must be something more like... very close sisters.
I nodded to myself, satisfied with this conclusion.
The way Chris looked at me must be similar to how I looked at Nagi.
Thinking about the time I spent with Nagi, I recalled the things she would do that made me feel good.
She would run up to me with a big smile, twist her body cutely, and act all sweet.
There was a word for that kind of behavior.
*‘Aegyo.’*
I sat there, my mouth agape.
Would doing aegyo cheer Chris up?
But... how does one even do aegyo?
Throughout both my past and current lives, I’ve never once acted cutesy. Or at least, I don’t think I have...
Back when I was *Rain*, I felt much younger. Maybe I could have done it then, but in my current state, with the mindset of a fully-grown woman?
Chris, who had been eating her chicken with her face almost buried in her plate, looked up at me with a puzzled expression.
"...Rain, what are you doing?"
"Ah!"
Her question snapped me back to reality.
I had spent way too long in my head.
I must have looked completely ridiculous—nodding to myself, sweating profusely, and staring off into space.
"A-hem. Nothing at all."
It seemed like I had finally regained my ability to talk.
I didn’t know for sure, but I figured if I did something Chris liked, it would probably work.
*Whirr.*
I set down my chicken, wiped my hands clean with a wet tissue, and maneuvered my wheelchair over to Chris’s side.
*Clunk.*
Then, I scooted as close as possible next to her.
"...?"
Her face filled with question marks, but even though her expression didn’t completely change, her body flinched slightly. That was a reaction, at least.
"Unnie."
I pressed myself as close as I could to her side and looked up at her, pouring all my apologies and affection into my gaze.
"Huh...!"
Chris gasped.
Oh, I got a reaction.
That was the sound Chris usually makes when she’s feeling happy.
Recalling Nagi’s behavior, I swayed my body a little, and with a voice full of apology, I spoke again.
"I'm sorry I couldn’t hang out with you after you came home early."
"It’s okay! Were you busy with some resource-gathering content or something? If you need gold, you should have told me. But, of course, you don’t have to report every little thing you do to me, heh!"
Chris’s mood seemed to improve all of a sudden. She smiled wide, her face flushing slightly.
I tilted my head in confusion.
Why did that work?
I glanced at Chris’s side, where our bodies were touching.
Does her mood improve whenever we have physical contact?
I pressed myself even closer to her.
*Clunk.*
"Huh...!"
Chris’s mouth fell open.
Now that I think about it, there was that time when I was sick, and we slept in the same bed. Chris’s mood had been much better the next morning.
Maybe if we slept together tonight, it would cheer her up completely.
I leaned in closer to her ear and whispered.
"Unnie, let’s sleep together in your room tonight."
"A... ahhh...."
Chris let out a soft groan.
---
"Pink?"
After getting cleaned up and entering Chris’s room, I saw a pink blanket spread over her bed. I couldn’t help but giggle.
Such a girlish color choice. Chris had a surprisingly cute side.
"Ahem."
Chris had also finished washing up. She stood in her pajamas, avoiding eye contact as she cleared her throat awkwardly.
*Plop.*
Chris lifted me out of my wheelchair and gently laid me on the bed. Then, she lay down beside me.
I stared at her face as she lay next to me.
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In the dim light of the nightstand, her face seemed a little flushed.
Chris stared at my face for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Heh, what am I even thinking?"
"...?"
She shook her head slightly, then pulled the blanket up to cover me near my neck and patted me gently.
"Sorry if I scared you earlier with my expression."
"Um, a little."
Honestly, she had scared me a lot. It was even more terrifying than facing a powerful demon.
"Sorry I’ve been neglecting you lately. I’ve been raising a newbie."
"A newbie?"
"Ah."
I clapped my hand over my mouth.
I had let it slip out without thinking.
I guess I’m just not cut out for keeping secrets. Then again, I never used to have long conversations with people, nor did I have much to hide.
It’s not like it was a big deal, anyway, so I decided to come clean.
"Yeah. Astria Online recently lowered the age rating to 12+, and there was a situation where I couldn’t hunt for a while..."
Lying beside Chris, I told her all about my adventures with the young swordswoman, Nagi.
*Pat pat.*
Chris laughed out loud at the story of the *Safety Guard* incident with the monster milk. She swallowed nervously when I told her about Nagi’s fight with the Black Wyvern. She listened to my story with various reactions, all while continuing to pat my back gently.
Spending this time chatting with Chris felt wonderful.
I hadn’t realized how rare it was for us to spend time together before bed like this. I’d been so preoccupied with Astria Online every day. I should make time for moments like this in the future, even if I hadn’t before.
"You should have told me sooner."
"Well... I didn’t know how to explain it."
‘If I had told you I was hanging out with another girl all day, I didn’t think you’d take it well,’ was what I thought but didn’t say.
For some reason, I felt like I had wronged Chris.
"It’s okay. You were just playing with a kid who’s smaller than you, right? It’s sweet that you wanted to help her clear a dungeon."
"Yes, that’s it. She reminded me of my younger self."
Nagi really is impressive. How many newbies out there would even think about soloing a four-person elite dungeon?
"...And you said her sync rate was pretty high, right? That must have been what you asked me about before."
"Yeah. Seeing Nagi made me curious."
"Hmm..."
Chris fell silent, deep in thought. I wondered what she was thinking. Given her expertise in virtual reality, maybe she was analyzing the situation.
I stared at her face.
Her cherry-red lips, sharp green eyes, and red hair that I adored spilled over the pink blanket like threads of silk. The way her face looked so thoughtful was
something I loved about her. She looked like a beautiful researcher, battling dark forces across time and space.
Just looking at Chris’s face calmed me. It made me feel happy.
She’s such a wonderful person. I really had been neglecting her lately.
Tomorrow, I should go on an adventure in Erin’s Canyon with Chris.
As I stared at Chris, I could feel my eyes growing heavy.
I was getting sleepy.
Feeling the comforting touch of Chris’s hand patting my back, I drifted off into a deep sleep.