[55%→60%]
Mitas possessed inherent control over their own rooms. Therefore, Misha's initial shock must have stemmed from the realization that they had inadvertently returned to her own version 1.9.
Of all the possible destinations, this unpredictable door had chosen one that, on the surface, seemed relatively benign…
And from there, the subsequent plan had unfolded:
Alain wasn't particularly worried about Misha, who was cleverly concealed behind the bathroom door.
His reasoning was simple: with the meticulous nature of a room's owner, Honey would undoubtedly notice the unusual closed reflection in the shower stall first, rather than the bathroom door tucked away in her blind spot and Misha crouching silently within its shadow.
Her first instinct would be to check the shower stall, unaware of who or what might be inside. That was Alain's intended operating zone:
To get up close and personal with his Honey, thus overwhelming her completely.
This was Alain's strategy, relying on the element of surprise and a zero-frame start.
Of course, a significant part of his motivation was also to boost the progress bar. Seizing this rare opportunity to be so close to Honey, he aimed to push the progress bar directly to 75%, unlocking [Clean Up Speed].
With that ability in hand, Alain could then confidently lead Misha and attempt to fight their way through the swarm of Devourers in the corridor, ultimately seeking an opportunity to reach Cappie's room.
"Your heart is beating so fast, Darling," Honey murmured, her ear pressed against Alain's chest.
"..."
Alain glanced at Misha, who was huddled in the corner of the bathroom, and thought with a wry internal smile, How could it not be beating fast?
He could also feel the rapid thumping of the girl's agitated heart through the generous softness of Honey pressed tightly against his chest.
"Yours is beating fast too," Alain pointed out.
Realizing this, Alain then couldn't help but notice… it really was remarkably soft, incredibly bouncy, and the size was also…
He glanced down and saw the treasure in his embrace slightly deformed and sagging against him, a result of his firm embrace and the tightness of Honey's arms around him.
He was momentarily speechless…
"Kya! My heart's beating even faster, did you think of something bad?" Honey asked, her voice laced with playful accusation.
"Something very bad for you for the next nine months," Alain quipped, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"...O-oh, is that so," she replied, a hint of shyness in her tone.
His ingrained professional habit of teasing seemed to kick in, momentarily hindering any further advances from the girl.
But Honey's playful banter was like adding fuel to a smoldering fire, further diminishing his sense of urgency by a noticeable degree.
"Stare——"
Fortunately, the eerie gaze Misha was directing at him from beside the door served as a much-needed reminder, forcing Alain to regain his composure.
[60%→65%]
He had almost forgotten that Misha was now also categorized as a virus by the system. Looking at it from that perspective, his intimate embrace with Honey almost felt like a form of bullying towards Misha.
"How do you have time to find me? Did you abandon that doll?" Honey asked, a hint of her usual possessiveness returning.
She had noticed… but Alain remained unfazed, replying calmly, "Didn't I tell you in the basement?"
With his hand behind Honey's back, Alain deftly opened the security system panel. Using practiced muscle memory, he tapped twice on the cloud storage function.
Then, as if performing a bizarre magic trick, he deliberately presented his empty hand in front of the girl's eyes.
"I want to give you a gift," he announced.
"So it wasn't just talk after all," Honey's eyes lit up with genuine anticipation.
"...I really don't know what you think of me in your heart," Alain muttered under his breath, a hint of self-deprecation in his tone.
He held the back of his hand in Honey's view, seemingly feeling the transfer from the cloud storage complete. Calculating the brief delay, he presented what was now in his palm to Honey's eager gaze.
However… feeling the unexpected texture of the item, Alain was momentarily puzzled.
Weren't candy wrappers usually a bit hard, with pointy edges and a slightly rough feel?
But what lay in his palm was surprisingly soft and smooth, almost like the silky hair of the girl in his arms.
Whether it was Alain's imagination or not, he felt Honey's waist stiffen almost imperceptibly after seeing the object.
"Y-you… you… you?!" she stammered, her voice a mixture of shock and disbelief.
[65%→75%][You have successfully gained Clean Up Speed usage opportunity in this mission]
Her eyes, wide with a mixture of embarrassment and accusation, stared directly into Alain's. He seemed to feel a warm breeze brushing against his face.
He looked down closely and saw that what he held in his palm was the future of the world, a pure angel, the protector of the birthplace of life—
White panties.
"Huh?" Alain blurted out, completely taken aback.
He had almost forgotten that after finishing the candy download, he had immediately started downloading the panties. Afterward, the urgency of the situation had prevented him from checking the download's completion.
In other words: the ultimate move he had been planning to use later had been deployed prematurely.
"W-why do you have this? Th-this…" Honey's words tumbled out in a jumbled mess. Alain felt the girl's arms around him tighten, as if they had transformed into constricting vines.
Out of the corner of Alain's eye, he saw Misha peek over curiously. Fortunately, the panties were in her blind spot, so she didn't get a clear view…
No… now that the cat was out of the bag, he probably should just put them away.
Right in front of the person in question, he slipped the panties into his pocket with practiced nonchalance, as if nothing unusual had occurred.
"Cough cough… got it wrong just now, let's try again," Alain said smoothly, attempting to recover the situation.
"Wait a minute… you haven't answered me yet, that… thing, what exactly…" Honey began, still clearly bewildered.
While the girl was muttering in confusion, Alain made a quick gesture and conjured up a bag of the intended candy once more.
"This is the gift I wanted to give you," he said, separating himself slightly from Honey's embrace and placing the bag solemnly in her hands.
The bewildered girl, looking at the scene before her, felt a surge of unexpected emotion.
"This is…?" she whispered, her fingers tracing the smooth plastic of the candy wrapper.
The candies inside were crystal clear and exquisitely crafted, each one seemingly engraved with a tiny heart.
The girl looked up, her gaze searching Alain's face. "This isn't a game quest, but something you… wanted to give me yourself?"
"Mm," Alain nodded, a sincere look in his eyes. "I want you to think of me every time you eat one."
"O-oh, is that so… actually, you don't have to. I think of you every second," Honey admitted, her voice soft.
As she spoke, her grip involuntarily tightened on the candy, clutching it to her chest as if to deeply integrate it into her very being.
"Who doesn't?" Alain chuckled softly, relieved by her reaction. "Seeing how much you like it, I feel relieved. Even though it's an import, it's still just food, and the price is relatively cheap, so—"
"No. Its added value is far more than that," Honey interrupted, her lips curving into a sweet smile, as if she had truly tasted honey. Beautiful tears welled up in her eyes.
Alain smiled, genuinely enjoying the sight of her tearful joy. He raised his hand and gently wiped away the crystal drops from the corner of her eyes. "You should be happier at a time like this."
"These are happy tears~" The girl held the candy with affection. "It's not a game quest, but something Alain gave to me himself~ Hmph hmph hmph," she hummed contentedly.
The girl hummed an unfamiliar little tune, and in a daze, Alain felt a nostalgic pang, as if he had momentarily returned to the time before he and the strange woman had their falling out.
Honey looked up at him, her eyes sparkling like a night sky. "Then, what kind of gift should I give you in return?"
Her words made Alain pause and think.
Initially, his intention for the gift had been twofold: to witness Honey's emotional reaction and, perhaps more importantly, to ensure his own survival.
He had certainly achieved the tearful face, but he hadn't anticipated a return gift.
"A kiss?" he ventured.
"Just that? We've kissed so many times already," Honey said, a thoughtful expression on her face. She considered for a moment, looking at Alain, then glancing down at herself. A delicate blush gradually crept up her cheeks, as if she had just thought of something.
"That… or, how about you touch me? Hold my hand, pinch my cheek. Or, something else…" She shyly glanced away, her voice barely above a whisper. "Actually, I really long for the actions of couples… and stuff."
"..."
The first thing Alain felt was Misha's decidedly unfriendly gaze boring into the back of his head.
Honey deliberately added another sentence, a playful glint in her eyes. "Of course, this isn't my official gift. It's an extra bonus~ Next time will be the real one."
"Yes! Next time!" Alain seized the opportunity to agree enthusiastically.
To say he didn't want to pinch her cheek… or perhaps something more… would be a lie. He always followed his heart's desires.
But precisely because he followed his heart, Misha's pointed stare from the corner of the bathroom was hard to ignore…
When he met Honey again next time, besides the basic dynamic of chasing and being chased, he would definitely seek out an opportunity to be alone with her. That way, it would be a win-win situation. He wouldn't have to navigate a potentially awkward love triangle, and he could fully enjoy the promised "return gift."
Perfect!
No! Why was he already so accustomed to being chased? Alain couldn't help but feel a little sad about his adaptability to such precarious situations.
"Mm, mm… next time it is," Alain agreed with a nod, his gaze returning to Honey.
"But, it's imported?" Honey shifted her attention from the candy inside the wrapper to the packaging itself.
"What do these characters mean? I can't really understand them," she said, her brow furrowed in slight confusion as she examined the foreign script.
Hearing this, Misha looked puzzled. Could it be that not all Mitas possessed the ability to understand foreign languages?
And Alain watched as Honey happily tore open the wrapper, took out a piece of the heart-shaped candy, popped it into her mouth, and tucked the rest of the bag into her pocket.
"Is it delicious?" Alain asked, a hopeful note in his voice.
"Delicious! It's like holding Alain, very sweet… very happy. And, it gave me courage," Honey replied, her eyes sparkling with genuine delight.
Her gaze turned back to him, as if she had made up her mind about something important. Her two small hands clasped together in front of her chest. She then looked at Alain, her expression earnest, and asked,
"I really like your gift. And taking this opportunity… I also want to ask you a question."
"?" Alain's brow rose in curiosity.
For the first time since he had known her, Alain saw an emotion akin to timidity flicker in her eyes.
But as her fingers brushed against the candy in her skirt pocket, it was as if a flame of courage was spreading through her, bolstering her resolve.
"You… said, didn't you? My [essence] is very cute. I want to ask you, is that really true?"
____
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