After leaving the cinema, the two realized how late it had become, so Wise suggested taking Anby home first.
"Home? Shouldn't we go to a hotel?" Anby asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"A hotel?" Wise genuinely did not understand what she meant.
"Yes, a hotel."
With an entirely serious tone, Anby continued, "In movies, when a date reaches this point, the couple normally goes to a hotel or to one of their places."
"Well, you're not wrong, but we're a special case," Wise explained patiently as they walked toward Anby's place.
There was a reason they had followed every typical step of a date except the last one. Wise had a sister with a serious brother-complex.
If Belle discovered he planned to take Anby home for the night, or that he would not return home at all, she would one hundred percent do something terrifying.
After taking Anby home, Wise headed toward the video store. It was getting late, and Belle's messages kept popping up on his phone one after another.
Even though she stopped after he replied, it was obvious she was anxious.
| Alright, Belle, I'll be back soon. Also, is there anything you want to eat? I can pick it up for you on the way home. |
Right after sending the message, Wise spotted a Shark Thiren girl in a JK school uniform being cornered by two drunk men on the street not far away.
He stepped forward without thinking and placed himself in front of her.
"Ellen, are you alright?"
One of the drunk men, already annoyed, shot him an angry glare.
"Hey, what's your problem? You just walk up out of nowhere without even saying hello. Where are your manners?"
"I'd like to know what you two think you're doing, cornering a girl out here in the middle of the night."
Wise turned his head with a serious look, keeping Ellen safely behind him.
She appeared genuinely surprised. Moments where someone stepped in to protect her were rare for Ellen, almost something she had never experienced.
[Ding! Target: Ellen has increased her favorability toward the host by 5. Her current favorability is now 65. Additionally, 200 Emotional Value has been obtained.]
[Current Emotional Value: 6200]
"What do you mean, kid?!"
The drunk man scowled at Wise's words and swung a hand straight onto his shoulder.
Ellen, peeking from behind Wise, frowned and tightened her fists, ready to act at any moment.
"No meaning, I just think this isn't appropriate. If you two aren't satisfied, you can wait for a Officer to handle it, or..."
Wise reached up and grabbed the hand on his shoulder, lifting it effortlessly and adding a little force, making the man clench his fist involuntarily.
"Let me deal with this for you."
"Ah, it hurts!"
The drunk man groaned in pain, but Wise didn't overdo it. He gave a subtle, almost invisible warning and released him.
Ellen, standing behind him, looked a little surprised. She had expected Wise to be weak, but he was far more capable than she had imagined.
[Ding! Target: Ellen has increased her favorability toward the host by 5. Her current favorability is now 70. Additionally, 200 Emotional Value has been obtained.]
[Current Emotional Value: 6400]
"What do you two think?"
Wise spoke again, and realizing they were outmatched, the two drunk men didn't linger and quietly slipped away.
Once they were gone, Wise turned to Ellen behind him. Her expression remained neutral, leaving him no choice but to give her a serious lecture.
"Ellen, it's dangerous for a girl like you to be out on empty streets this late. What if something like that happens again?"
Ellen lowered her head, blinking nervously, then glanced up with a hint of embarrassment.
"Uh… I actually called them over."
"Huh?"
"There's a karaoke nearby that gives out discount coupons at night, but each person can only get one. A few of my friends have been really into karaoke lately, so I wanted to ask them to help me grab some."
Seeing Wise's puzzled expression, Ellen went on to explain. After hearing the full story, he felt a little awkward.
"So… I ended up making Ellen lose two coupons? That's my bad."
"That's fine, but I didn't expect Wise to have such a serious side. Saying 'Let me deal with this for you' was actually pretty impressive."
"Can I ask you not to say it again? I feel really embarrassed..."
Although it hadn't seemed like a big deal at first, hearing Ellen repeat his words made Wise genuinely feel a little flustered.
"Hmm? I think it's kind of cool. Not many boys show this side around me." (In truth, it had never happened before.)
"Thanks, by the way, do you need my help with the discount coupons?"
"Hmm? If you don't mind, that would be great."
Together they went to the karaoke place, and Wise helped Ellen get an extra discount coupon.
"Thank you."
After putting the coupons away, Ellen thanked him again and got ready to head home.
However, just then, Ellen's stomach rumbled. It wasn't loud, but in that quiet moment, it sounded surprisingly clear. She stopped and quickly covered her stomach.
"Uh, Ellen, are you hungry? How about we go to General Chop's for some ramen? I also need to pick up some late-night snacks for my sister."
"This…" Ellen hesitated for a moment.
"You can't sleep well if you go to bed hungry."
"Okay, then."
At Wise's invitation, Ellen finally agreed to go with him to General Chop's.
They each ordered a bowl of noodles and sat down to eat. Just then, a small cat appeared and jumped onto Wise's lap.
"Meow~"
"Oh? Coffee, huh? Sorry, I didn't bring you any food today."
Wise recognized the cat's identity at a glance, and though he said this, Coffee still clung to him.
Beside him, Ellen's gaze was fixed, not on Wise, but on Coffee nestled in his arms.
He set his ramen aside, picked up Coffee, and carefully handed her to Ellen.
"Ellen, want to hold her? Coffee belongs to General Chop, and she's really well-behaved."