Kai effortlessly scooped me up into his arms.
My heart nearly burst out of my chest.
In that moment… my brain completely froze.
This… felt way too real.
I had seen him thousands of times on my screen while playing.
But now, for the first time, we were this close.
His warmth, his breath, his body—so close I could feel it.
"What am I even doing?!"
Where should I put my hands?!
His shoulder? His chest? His neck?
Leaving them awkwardly hanging was not helping!
Kai smiled softly.
Without hesitation, he gently took my hand and placed it on his shoulder.
"Much better like this," he said in that smooth voice of his.
My face instantly turned bright red.
I tried my best not to move my hand, as if it didn't belong to me anymore.
Kai was clearly enjoying himself.
"You're breaking records today, Elysia," he teased. "You can't even avoid a rock."
His warmth… the way his breath tickled my ear…
There was a massive gap between the Kai I used to watch on my screen and this one.
"Watching it on a screen was one thing… but now… this is something else."
"You're… just like always," I stammered.
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Just like always? What do you mean?"
And there it was again:
I had lived countless scenes with him — in-game.
But for him, they felt like real memories.
"Never mind," I said with a smile.
Kai chuckled.
"You're always finding ways to get yourself into trouble anyway."
⸻
Kai carried me to his house.
The fireplace was glowing, and the orange rays of the setting sun filled the room.
He gently placed me on the couch and looked at my ankle, frowning.
"You twisted it pretty badly."
"Guess… the rock won," I joked.
Kai shook his head.
"You should sue the rocks."
He brought some ice and carefully wrapped my ankle.
The cold made me shiver.
"I'm not used to being taken care of like this," I said with a teasing tone.
Kai looked into my eyes.
"Spend more time with me, and you'll get used to it."
That warm feeling spread inside me again.
This kind of closeness… was nothing like seeing him through a screen.
⸻
After a brief pause, he changed the subject:
"Do you remember our mission in the Northern Forest? You fell into a goblin trap. I saved you just in time."
Of course I remembered.
The quest was called 'Northern Patrol with Kai' in my quest log.
I had even watched walkthrough videos to get through it.
And of course… the comments were filled with fangirl wars:
"I fell into the goblin trap 17 times just so Kai would save me. (heart)(crown)"
"The goblins can live, but KAI I WOULD KISS THOSE SWORD-HOLDING HANDS (crying)(fire)"
"#TeamLucien forever (laughs)"
"Honestly, I only cleared it for the sword reward. #LucienForever (black heart)(sparkles)"
"I farmed goblins for 3 hours just to unlock Cassian's secret scene (laughs)(crying)(dedication)"
Yeah… I might've thrown myself into that trap a few times too.
But now… for him, it was a real memory.
"I remember…" I smiled. "It was tough, but you saved me."
Kai laughed.
"Your clumsiness back then is still unforgettable."
⸻
Kai walked into the kitchen and started preparing food.
Is there anything this man can't do?
While I had maxed out romance stats, I never learned how to cook.
And now I couldn't even afford ready-made meals anymore.
Soon, a steaming bowl of chicken soup and freshly baked bread were on the table.
As we sat down, I mumbled:
"You're good at cooking too?"
Kai glanced at me:
"I wouldn't go through this much effort for myself. But eating with you is always nice."
My chest warmed up again.
The smell of the food made my stomach grumble.
I took the first spoonful.
Delicious.
"I should learn too… cooking, earning money, all of it," I mumbled.
Kai raised an eyebrow:
"Spend more time with me; I'll teach you."
⸻
After dinner, I brought it up.
"Kai… I want to ask you something."
"Of course, Elysia."
"Can you teach me how to fight?"
Kai paused and looked at me.
"Fight? Why? I offered before, and you refused."
Images of me skipping through dialogue like 'skip skip skip' flashed through my mind.
Ah… ultimate regret.
"I've changed my mind."
Kai pressed his lips together.
"You don't need to. I'll protect you."
"You won't always be there…" I said softly but firmly.
He stayed silent for a moment.
Then his expression softened.
"If you're only asking so we can spend more time together… then I accept," he smiled.
"Yes… exactly," I replied.
We both knew I was lying.
⸻
Kai glanced at my ankle, speaking casually:
"You can't walk like this. Stay here tonight. Don't worry, I'll sleep in the living room."
A wave of panic rushed through me.
"No no no… am I really staying at Kai's place right now?!"
I was about to refuse, but my brain kicked in:
"If I say no, he'll just carry me again… those arms… that shoulder…"
My cheeks burned.
"U-uh… okay. That sounds reasonable."
Kai narrowed his eyes, grinning:
"I wouldn't have accepted a no anyway."
⸻
Kai gently lifted me again and carried me to the bed.
Almost automatically, my hand landed right where it had before—his shoulder.
"Guess my body's learning already…"
Kai glanced at me and whispered:
"See? You're learning, Elysia."
⸻
As we reached the bed, he slowed his steps.
When I looked up, his face was… extremely close.
I could feel his breath on my skin.
Our eyes locked.
"No no no… is he going to kiss me now?!"
Kai leaned in even closer.
The distance almost disappeared.
His lips… so close.
I froze.
I wasn't ready!
I shut my eyes tightly.
And then…
The weight of the blanket settled over me.
I opened my eyes.
Kai was adjusting the covers, wearing that annoyingly innocent smile:
"Something wrong, Elysia?" he asked.
"Jerk. He totally did that just to see my reaction."
Kai leaned in and whispered:
"Goodnight, Elysia. If you need anything, I'm right outside."
All I could say was:
"Goodnight, Kai…"
⸻
No combat skills. Zero mana. No gold.
But… my investment in Kai was paying off.
And right now… being this close, this warm, this safe…
It felt like I'd made the right choice.
Things are a little messy, yeah.
But for now… I have no regrets.
Tonight, I'll sleep well.