The fine rain, a misty veil, draped itself gently over the city.
At night, the city's neon signs blazed to life, a vibrant tapestry woven between skyscrapers, low-rise buildings, and winding streets – a god's own watercolor.
The murmur of crowds, the staccato bursts of car horns, the pulsing glow of neon, and the hazy drizzle—this was the world that swam into Misha's focus.
"This... is...?"
Her dark blue eyes, for a moment, seemed to transform into a canvas, drinking in the sharp, vivid contours of the real world.
The riot of colors, intensified by the rain-slicked streets, seemed to have their saturation cranked to the maximum. The girl could only murmur, entranced.
"So... beautiful."
The heartfelt exclamation escaped her slightly parted lips.
It struck her then: each neon sign blazing across the cityscape truly did resemble a thriving, brilliantly colored flower – a bloom of civilization.
"What I wanted you to see is merely the backdrop," the young man beside her said, his gaze following hers. A moment later, his eyes dropped to the scene below the department store. "The true 'result' of the plan isn't found high up on a building, but directly beneath your eyes."
"..."
Misha nodded obediently, her gaze following Alain's.
"!"
A scene she hadn't anticipated unfolded before her.
It was Crystal Flower Park, the very park that, just ten minutes ago, had been drenched and seemingly ruined by the downpour.
But now, the scattered petals had rearranged themselves into a perfect circle. Their vibrant, varied colors formed a gorgeous, swirling tapestry around the central flower, like...the train of a bride's gown.
And the "bride" herself? The crystal flower at the very heart of the petal arrangement.
Neon light danced on each crystal-clear facet, reflecting a dazzling rainbow. Droplets of rain clung to the tips of the crystal petals, seeming to flow, lending the already beautiful artificial bloom a dreamlike quality that surpassed even real flowers.
Only from their rooftop vantage point could one truly appreciate how the colorful garland framed the central "bride"...
The heart of the flower faced directly towards Misha, mirroring the smile Alain offered her.
"What do you think? Beautiful, isn't it?"
Crystal Flower Park, as its name suggested, featured a large, crystal-like artificial flower at its center.
"It is... the rain disrupted all our plans."
Alain wiped the rainwater from the railing, offering it to Misha to lean on.
"But it's because of the rain that we can witness such a beautiful sight. Don't you agree?"
He looked at her, and she at him, catching the smile in his dark eyes.
"Reality... it can be intimidating. Unexpected things happen all the time. But isn't that true of games as well? Bugs, glitches, viruses, and... Crazy Misha... all sorts of things."
"For example, if you hadn't come to the real world with me, you might have fallen victim to Crazy Misha's chainsaw."
Alain shook his head. He couldn't bear the thought of his darling becoming "dar/ling."
"And I, in a way, am also an unexpected variable."
"You're not. Meeting you was my greatest fortune."
Alain turned to see a pair of eyes filled with unwavering certainty.
"Idiot. That's not what I was getting at."
Their hands were still intertwined. He squeezed Misha's palm lightly, a playful punishment for interrupting him.
"Unexpected events aren't inherently negative."
Alain gazed towards Crystal Flower Park.
"Right?" He smiled faintly. "They can sometimes become a 'turning point,' sometimes a 'setback,' or even a 'cascade of misfortunes.'"
"The outcome depends on how you navigate the unexpected. For example..."
He gestured towards the crystal flower. "This flower display, practically tailor-made for you, is beautiful, wouldn't you say?"
"It is beautiful." She looked at Alain's face, speaking from the depths of her heart. Without a trace of artifice, a genuine feeling, not a polite white lie.
The young man hadn't yet caught on. "So? Do you feel a bit better now?"
Alain glanced at the security guard panel before him, a slight smile playing on his lips.
[18% → 33%]
[You have unlocked 720 Cloud Storage]
"Much better! Thank you, darling!"
The girl's joyful smile seemed to radiate even more vibrancy than the crystal flower beneath the neon glow.
It truly was a simple matter, yet she had overcomplicated it.
Plans are often overtaken by change – that's a given. But are all changes inherently bad?
Even if the rain prevented them from entering the garden, they could have simply sought refuge in a coffee shop, listening to the rain... watching the rain.
Sitting there, just the two of them, in an empty cafe. The owner, who knew where they were.
With the rain as their witness, she and Alain...
Lost in thought, the girl's cheeks flushed with a shy warmth. "But..."
"What is it? Is there something else troubling you?"
"No." Misha shook her head, idly stroking her hair, twirling the dark blue strands around her fingers, forming loop after loop.
"Don't you think... the atmosphere right now is just perfect?"
Alain surveyed their surroundings. Indeed... thinking about it, the night sky, the rooftop, the neon lights, the crystal flower, and the fact that he had just eased one of the girl's anxieties.
And the moment the girl voiced it, his heart gave a little jump.
The girl beside him, seemingly emboldened by the atmosphere, slowly leaned closer.
Finally, she stood directly in front of him, tilting her chin up slightly, closing her eyes, and waiting for Alain.
Her fair face possessed a perfect symmetry rarely seen in reality, and raindrops traced paths down her cheeks. Her damp hair clung to her face, giving her a vulnerable, endearing appearance.
Her delicate lips, moistened by the drizzle, appeared even more crystalline than the crystal flower.
Seeing this, Alain couldn't help but swallow. He glanced at their clasped hands, and the girl's gentle pressure seemed to transform into a kind of subtle command.
Telling him: You must kiss her.
"..."
"Thump, thump, thump..." His heart began to pound wildly, and the steady rain seemed to solidify into a wall, holding him back.
"...I'll just say this upfront. Don't forget, we're living together now. If we do this, living under the same roof afterward..."
Alain shifted the topic.
"It'll definitely be awkward. The kind of awkwardness where we might not even be able to say 'good morning' to each other."
"..."
Hearing this, Misha slowly opened her eyes. A clear unease flickered within them.
"I'm... I'm sorry... I hadn't thought of that. I suppose... it's probably best not to... mmmph!"
But seeing Misha's shy and adorable expression, the last thread of Alain's reason was washed away by the rain.
What happens in the future... that's a problem for later. It's his future self who will have to deal with the awkwardness, not his present self.
Afterward, he could rely on the capable Misha to devise a plan to avoid any discomfort. For now, he would savor the moment. He wasn't one to dwell on consequences.
So. He kissed her.
"Mmm...!"
Gazing at the young man's tightly closed eyes, a small, indignant whimper escaped Misha's lips, muffled against his.
How could he suddenly kiss her like that! Just moments ago, when she was mentally prepared, he hadn't, and now...
But it didn't matter.
Misha thought, her already minuscule indignation quenched by the curtain of rain.
Who told him to be her darling?
Closing her eyes, surrendering to the moment of warmth, Misha's peripheral vision caught sight of the lonely, starless night sky.
Blanketed in dark clouds.
But as she saw it now:
It's beautiful, even without stars.
____
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