"Lazy pig, wake up!"
Victor groaned as someone shook his shoulder insistently. When he cracked open one eye, he found Belle leaning over him, hands planted firmly on her hips. Her face was close enough that he could catch the faint scent of her shampoo, something sweet, like vanilla and strawberries.
Her lips, glossy and pink, were pursed in mock annoyance. They looked soft, inviting even. Like ripe cherries just waiting to be,
Well, why resist temptation when it was right in front of him?
Victor reached up and kissed her before she could protest.
Belle's eyes went wide with shock. For a moment, she just stood there frozen, staring at him like she couldn't quite process what had just happened. By the time her brain caught up, Victor had already pulled back, looking entirely too pleased with himself as he licked his lips.
"Soft and sweet," he said with a satisfied grin. "Very nice."
Belle's face turned crimson. "You, you jerk! You absolute pervert!"
She grabbed the nearest pillow and started beating him with it, punctuating each word with a whack. "You slept in my bed! You used me as a body pillow all afternoon! And now you steal my first kiss?! I'm going to kill you!"
It was true, Victor had completely taken over Belle's bed after lunch. He'd pulled her into his arms, using her as a very comfortable pillow for his nap, and she'd been stuck there for hours. She'd tried to maintain her guard, terrified he'd try something, but apparently even her vigilance hadn't been enough.
Even though she'd been careful, he'd still managed to steal her first kiss!
Not that she hated it, exactly. But this wasn't how she'd imagined her first kiss would go! She'd pictured something romantic, maybe under the stars, or during a beautiful sunset, not waking someone up from a nap!
"Belle! Victor! If you're done fooling around up there, dinner's ready!" Wise called from downstairs.
"Hmph! Consider yourself lucky this time!" Belle threw the pillow at Victor's face one last time, then bolted out the door, her face still burning.
Victor lay there for a moment, grinning like an idiot. After a minute, he finally got up, straightened his clothes, and headed downstairs.
When he reached the dining room, Wise had already set out an impressive spread. The food looked restaurant-quality, no surprise there, since it came from Lumine's cooking. She'd been using the chat group to send meals to members who couldn't or wouldn't cook for themselves.
Honestly, Lumine had spoiled everyone. Even the Silver Dragon King had become addicted to waiting for her daily food deliveries.
Victor sat down next to Belle and casually draped his arm around her waist.
Belle shot him an indignant look, but there wasn't any real anger in it. More like she was pretending to pout.
What do you do when your girlfriend's mad at you? Simple, you coax her out of it.
Victor leaned in close, his fingers gently tracing her jawline. "Want to go out after dinner? Just the two of us? We could walk around, maybe catch a movie..."
Belle's eyes lit up immediately. "Really? Yes! Let's go!"
See? Easy.
Girls like Belle were straightforward. No complex mind games, no holding grudges. Just honest feelings.
If this were someone else, someone with a more complicated personality, it probably wouldn't be this simple.
"Will you be joining us, Wise?" Victor asked, though he already knew the answer.
"I actually have some things I need to, " Wise started to say, but stopped when Belle gave him an exaggerated wink and a pleading look.
He smiled helplessly. "Actually, I just remembered I already ordered those things online. You two go ahead and have fun."
Belle gave him an approving nod that screamed 'good job, brother!' while her face arranged itself into an expression of theatrical disappointment.
"Oh no, that's too bad! Guess it'll just be the two of us then!"
Victor had to fight back a laugh. Her acting was hilariously transparent. Still, he appreciated the effort.
After dinner, Wise stood at the doorway of Random Play, watching as Victor and Belle disappeared down the street hand in hand.
Only when they'd completely vanished from sight did he let out a long sigh.
"They say a daughter is like water thrown out when she marries," he muttered to himself. "But I think that's underselling it. Belle isn't even married yet and she's already treating me like I'm in the way."
Beside him, Eous made a series of affirming beeps.
From the video store, Victor and Belle took the subway to Lumina Square. The plaza was even bigger and more bustling than in the game, packed with people enjoying the evening, neon signs blazing, music drifting from various shops and cafes.
"So where to first?" Belle asked, practically bouncing with excitement as she clung to his arm.
"Well, if we're doing this properly, we need to hit all the classic date spots," Victor said. "Movie, coffee, shopping, dinner... though we already ate, so maybe we skip that last one and just grab some snacks while we walk around?"
"Perfect! The cinema's over there!"
Belle grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the theater, practically skipping.
They'd barely crossed the street when two familiar figures appeared in front of them.
"Belle? Out shopping?" The speaker was a tall woman in a Public Security uniform, her long dark hair tied back neatly. "And who's this?"
It was Zhu Yuan, with her partner Qingyi standing beside her, the petite officer with an old soul.
"Oh! Hi, Zhu Yuan! Hi, Qingyi!" Belle waved. "Actually, we're on a date. This is my boyfriend, Victor."
Wait. Boyfriend?
Victor raised an eyebrow, but Belle just squeezed his hand tighter, as if daring him to contradict her. After that kiss earlier, she'd apparently decided his fate was sealed. He was her boyfriend now, whether he'd officially agreed to it or not.
Not that he was complaining.
"Nice to meet you both," Victor said smoothly, offering a polite nod. "Victor Stone."
He kept his demeanor courteous and gentlemanly, probably a bit too formal, judging by the way Belle glanced at him with slight confusion. Why was he being so stiff all of a sudden?
"A pleasure," Qingyi said, studying him with those sharp, calculating eyes of hers. There was something intriguing about this man. He carried himself with confidence, had an air of mystery about him, and her instincts were telling her he was far from ordinary.
Definitely worth keeping an eye on.
"So, out on patrol?" Belle asked.
Zhu Yuan's expression turned serious. "Actually, yes. There's been a string of disappearances lately, people vanishing at night. We suspect kidnapping, possibly organized. You two should be careful out there. If anything seems suspicious, contact us immediately."
"Thanks for the warning," Belle said. "We'll keep our guard up."
"Well, we won't keep you from your date," Qingyi said with a knowing smile. "Have fun, you two."
The officers continued on their patrol, and Victor watched them go, his mind turning over what Zhu Yuan had said.
"Disappearances? Kidnappings?" he murmured.
"What's wrong?" Belle asked. "Is this some plot event?"
Victor shook his head slowly. "Not that I know of. There's no kidnapping case in the original storyline, at least, not before I transmigrated here."
Which meant this was something new. An event that didn't exist in the game.
That made sense, really. This wasn't a game world anymore, it was real. Things happened beyond just the main plot. People lived their lives, crimes occurred, problems arose that had nothing to do with the protagonist's journey.
"Well, whatever," Belle said, pulling him toward the cinema again. "We're not Public Security. Let them handle it. Tonight's about us!"
Victor let himself be dragged along, pushing the thought aside for now. She was right. Tonight was about them.
They reached the cinema and scanned through the available movies, finally settling on something that looked entertaining. Victor bought two tickets for the next showing.
Now they just had to wait for it to start.