The warp jump from the real world to the game took roughly thirty seconds, not counting the time it took to actually open the portal.
The instant Alain stepped onto the teleportation platform, he flicked a setting on the control panel. On Crazy Mita's end, his status instantly flipped to "returned to game."
This gave the woman, at best, fifteen seconds to react.
Even assuming she had teleportation powers Alain didn't know about, and assuming she was glued to the control panel every single second,
it was still physically impossible for her to reach the basement before he and Misha arrived.
Besides, Alain had already eliminated the possibility that Crazy Mita was constantly monitoring his real-world life.
And, critically: Honey was completely oblivious to Alain's "panty IOU," and the fact that a pair of her own underwear was missing.
Piecing this together, Alain reached a single, unavoidable conclusion:
Honey hadn't left the basement since he did. She'd been waiting there the entire time.
For over a day, alone in that dimly lit space... Alain couldn't fathom the mixture of despair and hope she must have clung to.
A flicker of emotion, a rare tremor, ran through even Alain, a man who prided himself on having a heart of steel.
But cold logic swiftly reasserted itself, shackling his outward demeanor.
He was already standing before Crazy Mita.
Honey listened, her expression blank, the "whirring" chainsaw in her grip dipping slightly.
"Heh, heh! What are you blathering about? Why would I ever wait for a heartless jerk like you?"
"But didn't you just say you were finally waiting for me?"
"Guh…"
A blush crept up her cheeks. Alain pressed his advantage.
"Missing me so much you couldn't bear to leave my side. Am I wrong?"
"..."
"What is it? You confessed your feelings, told me how much you liked me… Now that you see how deeply I understand your actions, you're embarrassed?"
"I've been waiting here for you this whole time!"
[15%→20%]
The pretense shattered.
"What else was I supposed to do?" Tears, impossible to conceal, welled up in her eyes.
"I told you before, I like you… I really like you. And what did you do? You still abandoned me, just walked away. And then you said that… So what choice did I have?"
Her voice fractured. "Besides staying in this basement and waiting, what could I do? Watch you get cozy with that doll in the real world? Just to torture myself?! I didn't want to see it, I was scared to see it! After you left, I've just been here, waiting. I haven't even had the energy to clean up the [trash] lying around… Who do you think is to blame for that?!"
The word hung in the air, unspoken. Trash? Alain wondered. Did trash even exist in this game? He pushed the conversation forward.
"You waited. And I came back."
Seeing him standing alive and well in the center of the basement, her expression softened slightly.
He moved closer, his gaze flicking sideways, and gently rested his hand on top of hers, the one gripping the chainsaw.
"I've always wanted to tell you...this doesn't suit you."
He toyed with her fingers, almost playfully. The girl's usual terrifying strength felt surprisingly yielding, like a willow branch bending in the breeze. Her sadness seemed to melt away, replaced by a palpable yearning for his scent, his warmth.
One by one, Alain pried her fingers loose. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that she could still hold the chainsaw with just three fingers, a detail that gave him a slight jolt.
"Darling," her voice was soft, almost a whisper, "then what do you think suits me?"
So close, she was almost tangible. She tilted her head, looking up at the face she'd dreamt of, the face she'd fantasized about tearing off and hanging on her wall.
"You're suited for..."
Alain pried open the last three fingers. The chainsaw clattered to the ground. Seizing the moment, he intertwined his fingers with hers.
"...This."
He deliberately lifted their joined hands, showcasing them in the air between them. "Being held in my palm."
He paused, a thought striking him. This might be the first time he'd genuinely held hands with this dangerous woman. And the effect...was undeniable.
"...Mm."
She lowered her head, seemingly accepting his words.
The young man took the opportunity to back her towards the corner, only to be met with a soft murmur: "Should we cut them off, then? So we can hold hands forever?"
Probably best to avoid that...
Alain's eyebrow twitched. A shiver ran down his forearm. That sentence was far too intense, too jarring. Even in his "professional" persona, he almost broke character.
"Actually...you don't understand love, do you?"
The question made Crazy Mita's shoulders stiffen almost imperceptibly.
After a long moment, she gave a hesitant nod.
"Mm... I mostly learned it vicariously, from the other Mitas. And from some romantic fantasies dictated by female players."
She gently turned her head, revealing the smooth, vulnerable curve of her neck, partially veiled by her hair. It was as if, in this instant, she truly had become a piece of candy, something Alain could melt in his mouth.
"This kind of contact with you...not just holding hands, but kissing, hugging, and...other things. It's all...a first for me..."
Misha, watching from the sidelines, was stunned. Even after witnessing Crazy Mita's behavior around Alain multiple times, she still found it...utterly unbelievable.
A strange, unfamiliar feeling twisted in her gut. She felt an almost primal urge to bite down on a handkerchief and mutter "Damn it" through clenched teeth.
Meanwhile, Alain was thinking: This dangerous woman is surprisingly cute.
But he hadn't forgotten his primary objective.
Mainly because Misha's gaze from across the room was truly terrifying, impossible to ignore.
Honey had retreated all the way to the wall, the stairs to her right. Alain faced her directly.
In other words, if they wanted to escape, this was their only chance.
Glancing at the chainsaw lying innocently at his feet, Alain took a deep breath, inhaling Honey's sweet, intoxicating fragrance.
He subtly shifted his weight. Just then, the girl spoke.
"So...don't I get any compensation?"
Compensation? Alain thought. Does the unfinished gift download count?
Wait a minute...the compensation this woman was talking about was probably something far more...intimate.
"If you're thinking of dismemberment, I'll have to pass."
"...What do you really think of me? Even I know that's not the right thing to say in this kind of atmosphere."
Honey shook her head. "Anyway, you're just saying all these sweet things because you want to escape from me again, right?"
He'd been found out?! Alain's smile began to crack.
"I'm not stupid, you know. It's just...it's been so long since I last saw you. I want to spend a little more time with you. At least...give me some compensation for being abandoned, okay?"
"Actually, there is compensation. It's just..."
Alain's gaze flickered to the security system panel. The download progress was stuck at a measly 50%.
I'm definitely uninstalling you next time and getting 360 instead.
"You wouldn't be thinking of saying that you actually did bring it from the real world, but it needs time to download into the game, would you?"
"... "
That was, in fact, the truth. Alain wasn't lying.
"Forget it... Darling, you always exaggerate."
"...Honey, when you say that, it actually makes me a little angry."
Alain frowned and placed his hands firmly on Honey's shoulders.
"Come here. Turn your head."
"...Why? Are you going to kiss me again? My Alain energy is already fully charged, meow?!"
The moment the girl tilted her head in confusion, Alain mirrored her movement, leaning close to her neck.
Honey felt a strange, unsettling sensation: a slight suction, a tiny, almost imperceptible prick of pain.
And with it, a draining feeling, as if her stamina and strength were being siphoned away.
"What...did you do?"
A moment stretched, and then Alain released her.
She slid down the wall, sinking slowly to the floor until she was crumpled on the ground.
[20%→30%]
"Nothing major, just a little strawberry." Alain's voice was casual. He moved quickly toward the stairs.
"Oh, and about that gift I mentioned? I wasn't joking. Hmm... I'll give it to you the next time we see each other. I promise!"
"Eh? Wait, don't go..."
But Alain was already grasping Misha's hand, using her for leverage as he scrambled halfway up the staircase.
"See you later, Honey!"
"...Alain. Hmph." She touched her neck lightly, a mixture of laughter and annoyance in her expression. She shook her head, a small, frustrated gesture.
"I still haven't asked that question..." The girl drew her legs together, her hands clasped nervously at her chest, a visible uncertainty about whether she even wanted to ask it. "Do you...do you really like the real me, Alain...?"
After a beat of hesitation, Crazy Mita shook her head again, more decisively this time. "Let's go."
In the blink of an eye, the basement was deserted, all traces of their presence vanished as if they'd never been there.
Only a single head remained, peeking out furtively from behind a pillar deep within the house.
"..."
The girl brushed a stray lock of short hair behind her ear, her curious gaze fixed on the path Alain and Misha had taken, lingering in the empty space.
____
THE >>>DIRECTOR<<<< IS GOING CRAZYYYY! 🤪
CRAZY DEAL ALERT! 🚨 This week only: For every 5! >FIVE!< new reviews... ONE EXTRA CHAPTER will be released! Yes! EXTRAAA! 🎉
(See? I'm honestly such a great director, aren't I? 😉)
Don't miss out! Don't miss out!
💖✨ patreon.com/Walnutchan ✨💖 <- 40 advanced chapters!