Serena pulled away from our embrace, her face glowing with a warm smile. I couldn’t help but smile back at her.
"Thank you for today, Naoki. I’ll never forget it... and thank you for this beautiful necklace. I’ll protect it with my life," she said, her eyes burning with determination.
"Don’t say things like that. If sothing happened to you, I’d be devastated. Just promise you’ll co back safely, Serena," I replied, gently brushing my fingers against her cheek.
She placed her hand over mine, our eyes eting in silence. Then she closed her eyes.
I froze, unsure of what was happening. Her face leaned closer, and I could feel her breath against my skin.
My mind went blank, my cheeks burning as beads of sweat ford on my brow.
"What’s the big deal? Just kiss her already, you hopeless virgin!" Envi’s voice rang in my head, dripping with exasperation.
Kiss?! I’ve never done that before! The furthest I’d gone in a relationship was holding hands or the occasional hug. What do I do?
The panic overwheld , and I briefly blacked out. Before I knew it, my forehead collided with Serena’s in a clumsy mishap.
Thud!
"Ah! Ouch..." Serena winced, rubbing her reddened forehead.
"U-uh... Serena, I’m so sorry! I didn’t an to... I... uh..." My words stumbled out incoherently as I apologized, my face flushed with embarrassnt.
"Pfftt!"
Suddenly, she burst into laughter, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
"Ahaha, Naoki, you’re so funny! I didn’t know you could be this awkward!" she said between fits of laughter.
"You used to be so bold around girls, flirting and teasing them with that calm expression of yours. But now? You’re like an innocent little boy! This is too much—I can’t stop laughing!"
Her laughter was contagious, and soon enough, I found myself laughing along with her.
"Pfftt! Hahaha!"
We laughed together for what felt like an eternity.
Once the mont passed, Serena wiped her tears of laughter away and looked at with a soft expression. "Alright, Naoki. It’s ti for to go. I have to return to Winterfell Mansion."
"Serena... I’ll beco a hero and catch up to you! Until then, wait for !" I declared, clenching my fists with determination.
She nodded, smiling warmly. "I’ll rember that. Thank you again, Naoki."
Then, to my surprise, she stepped closer and kissed on the cheek.
"For now, I’ll leave you with that. When we et again, you can repay with a proper kiss, okay?" she teased, her smile turning mischievous.
"Uh... um..." Words failed as my heart pounded uncontrollably. My mind was a complete blank—all from one little kiss.
"Goodbye for now, Naoki. See you soon," Serena said, waving as she turned to leave.
"Y-yeah... see you soon, Serena..." I waved back, watching her retreating figure until she disappeared from sight.
An unfamiliar feeling welled up in my chest—a strange mix of warmth and emptiness. What was this? I felt like I knew it, but I couldn’t put it into words.
Being with Serena made my heart race, but being apart from her left feeling lonely. What was this feeling?
"This is why I can’t stand hopeless virgins. Even your so-called romance is like watching kids play house. You need to figure out your feelings, Naoki. Don’t worry—Envi the Ladykiller will teach you everything you need to know!"
"Haha, I’ll be counting on you," I replied, knowing he was trying to cheer up.
...
As I descended the stairs of the city wall, I heard faint voices nearby. Curious, I followed the sound and discovered three girls lying exhausted in the bushes.
"Hah... hah... hah... Finally! That cursed ice lted!" Milly groaned, her voice trembling.
"Why did Serena have to find us here?! I couldn’t even lt her ice magic! And she wasn’t even serious during the exam!" Freya panted, her fiery deanor noticeably subdued.
"She used [Winter’s Embrace] just to trap us here... I never imagined she’d use such advanced magic. And now... we have no idea what Serena-sama and Naoki-sama were doing up there..." Lyra murmured, sounding utterly defeated.
It dawned on —Serena had stalled them with her ice magic. No wonder their shoes and skirts were soaked.
"What are you three doing here?" I asked coldly, staring down at them.
"H-hik! Naoki-dono?!" Freya yelped, startled.
"Ugh! Big bro Naoki, what a coincidence eting you here! Ahaha, we were just, uh... having a picnic!" Milly lied, her voice unnaturally cheerful.
"Y-yes, that’s right! A picnic..." Lyra chid in, though her attempt at lying was painfully unconvincing.
"Stop it, Lyra. Lying doesn’t suit you. Sa goes for you, Freya. Milly’s the only one here good at coming up with excuses. I know you’ve been following and Serena all day," I said flatly.
"...!!" Freya froze, her eyes wide with shock.
"You... knew?!" Lyra stamred, visibly rattled.
"Ugh! you’re so sharp big bro!" Milly huffed, crossing her arms in frustration.
I stared at them silently, my expression unchanging.
Lyra looked up at , her expression genuinely remorseful. "Umm... I’m sorry, Naoki-sama, for spying on you. I truly regret it."
"I’m sorry too, Naoki-dono, for interfering with your date," Freya added, her voice tinged with guilt.
"Humph! Don’t expect an apology from , big bro! I was just worried you two might do sothing indecent!" Milly huffed, her tsundere attitude as transparent as ever.
"We didn’t do anything," I replied quickly, unwilling to admit we had hugged—or that Serena had kissed my cheek.
"Really, Naoki-sama?!" Lyra gasped, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Yes, really. We just watched the sunset, like usual. After that, she said her goodbyes and returned to Winterfell Mansion," I explained calmly.
"Phew, that’s a relief, hahaha," Freya sighed in visible relief.
"Well then, let’s head back," Milly said with feigned disinterest, her tone flat.
I stepped closer to help them up, offering each of them a hand.
"I’ll forgive you this ti. But next ti, please trust ... Lyra, Freya... and you too, Milly," I said with a gentle smile.
"Y-yes, Naoki-sama."
"Understood, Naoki-dono."
Lyra and Freya’s faces turned bright red as they nodded shyly.
"Humph! Like I’d trust soone as flirty as you, big bro!" Milly pouted, folding her arms.
Without hesitation, I ruffled her hair, causing her to scowl adorably. This tsundere little sister act of hers was always so endearing.
...
I escorted them back to the girls’ dormitory, and then Lyra whispered sothing to , she asked that one day I could accompany her to buy sothing, and I accepted, she seed very happy about it.
After they returned to the girls’ dormitory, I turned back to my own dormitory.
As I began walking, I noticed a shadowy figure lurking behind the wall, watching intently.
"Envi, could that be one of the Shadows? Are they making their move to abduct students again?!" I asked, my voice sharp with urgency.
"It’s not certain, Nao. According to Alia’s last report, there haven’t been any recent abductions. But we can’t take any chances—let’s investigate!"
Taking Envi’s advice, I sprinted toward the figure. The person bolted, weaving into a narrow alley.
I activated my skill, [Kasoseki], increasing my speed until I cornered them against a wall. Pinning their hands, I pulled back the hood concealing their face.
"...!!!" Envi and I gasped in unison.
"A-Alia?! What are you doing here at this hour? And why were you spying on ?!" I demanded, still catching my breath.
"Hehe, I’ve been found out, huh? I’ve been watching you since this morning, Naoki. Didn’t you notice? Haha, I’m pretty good, aren’t I?" Alia chuckled, her playful grin unrepentant.
"Why would you do that?! Are the Shadows moving again?!" I asked urgently, gripping her arms tighter.
"Ehh... no, it’s not that... I just..." Her cheeks turned pink, and she hesitated.
"Don’t tell you were spying on because of my date with Serena today?!"
"I-it’s true... I was jealous..." Alia admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You’ve got to be kidding . You’re just like Freya, Lyra, and Milly!"
"That’s right... but Naoki, you let another girl kiss your cheek and even hugged her. You’re so naughty," Alia said with a sharp glare that sent chills down my spine.
Her icy expression made my nerves falter. She looked like she was about to devour whole.
"Nao, let handle this!" Envi declared, swiftly taking control of my body.
Without hesitation, Envi wrapped Alia in a tight embrace, surprising her. Her face turned crimson as she froze.
Slowly, Alia returned the hug, clutching him tightly. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity.
Then, Envi leaned down and kissed her cheek softly.
"Now we’re even, right? No more jealousy, okay?" he said with a smirk.
Alia nodded mutely, her face beet red. She looked so flustered she couldn’t form any words.
"You’re such a troubleso woman. Co on, I’ll walk you ho," Envi said, still in control of my body.
He escorted Alia to her sister, Arsene’s house, where she quietly slipped inside, still visibly glowing with happiness as she closed the door.
"That’s how you handle a girl, Nao! You’ve got a long way to go, but don’t worry—Envi the Master will teach you everything! Hahaha!" Envi boasted with a laugh.
"Ugh, you’re such a cocky system! Just you wait—I’ll be better at this soday!"
"Haha, I’ll hold you to that," Envi said, relinquishing control back to .
As I regained control, fatigue finally hit . I dragged myself back to the boys’ dormitory, ready to collapse into bed.
I got a notification:
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[NOTIFICATION!!!]
Quest: Take Serena on a full-day date in town. Hug Serena tightly (Complete)
Congrats! You got 30 Goddess Points
---
Today had been exhausting—thanks to all the trouble stirred up by the girls in my life.
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