Alain had figured out the reason for the system's successful upload. It was a bit of a loophole, really.
Honey's triangle – the Angel – had been pulled from inside the game. The system considered that its own oversight, effectively giving Alain a backdoor. And the "Angel" took up one black square of cloud storage.
This meant Alain could not only bring candy to Honey, but also take his own life-saving trump card with him. A significant advantage.
He glanced at the closed bedroom door. The sizzling from the kitchen had quieted down; Misha was probably almost finished with breakfast. Alain steeled himself mentally. This was his final challenge in the real world, for now: Misha's cooking.
He changed out of his pajamas into clothes that allowed for easy movement and carefully cracked open the bedroom door.
"Ugh... this egg's a little burnt. I'll just eat this one myself. I think I'm getting the hang of it, though! I'll make him a perfect fried egg next!"
"..."
The girl's enthusiastic words drifted through the air, reaching his ears.
Alain thought that, hearing Misha's determination, he could stomach even the most incinerated egg.
He could see Misha's back, silhouetted against the noise of the range hood and the frying pan. A delicate apron was tied around her slender waist, the knot at her back accentuating the curve of her spine.
He quietly opened the door the rest of the way and walked into the living room. Watching her, he knew what he should do. The kind of thing you always saw in movies, right? The newlywed husband, seeing his wife cooking breakfast, would absolutely have to embrace her from behind.
He and Misha weren't newlyweds, of course. It was just that, last night, their relationship as comrades had shifted… subtly. So, maybe just walking up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder, and saying "Thank you for your hard work"... that would have the same kind of feeling, wouldn't it? Their relationship was just at the point where that level of contact felt acceptable.
He'd do it.
Alain moved silently behind Misha. But just as he reached out to touch her shoulder, she spun around.
"Ah..."
"..."
Damn it.
Misha's face flushed crimson the instant she saw him, and she quickly looked away. Her rosy lips moved slightly. Her hand gripped the spatula tightly, hastily scooping up two eggs, as if the action could somehow ease her discomfort.
Alain realized then that the awkwardness between them hadn't dissipated. It had all started with last night's "peck."
He hadn't stuck out his tongue, and neither had Misha. That felt far too presumptuous for her first kiss. But even so, Alain's fear of "maybe we won't even be able to say 'good morning'" was becoming a reality.
"I-I'm... cooking right now. You must be hungry, right? Go sit at the dining table, I'll be just a moment..."
"It's okay. I'm here to ask for another breakfast."
Alain mentally cursed himself. His usual professional composure had vanished at the worst possible moment.
Misha, hearing his words, was momentarily stunned, then a slow understanding dawned on her face.
"Mmm..."
Her already-flushed cheeks burned even brighter, whether from the heat of the stove or something else, he couldn't tell.
"I... I understand. Another breakfast."
The girl nodded softly, then gestured for Alain to lean down.
He didn't quite understand the situation, but he complied.
Misha pressed a moist trace against his forehead. A brief touch, even shorter than last night's peck, but with an even stronger effect.
"A-are you full?"
"I'm never full. But now I can actually feel my stomach rumbling."
"Mm!"
A shy smile finally bloomed on the girl's lips. She turned back to the stove and cracked another egg into the pan.
"Go wait at the dining table, darling. Today's breakfast will definitely be better than yesterday's!"
"Every day is the most delicious."
"You're so naughty! Go on, before the oil splatters on you."
After this playful exchange with Misha, Alain washed up and settled down at the table.
Taking advantage of that earlier moment, he felt the awkward air between them had thinned considerably.
Do we need to kiss more? Alain wondered. In his peripheral vision, Misha carried two plates of food to the table. The main course appeared to be simple bread.
He picked up a slice. One side was slightly charred, spread with a dark red sauce arranged in a heart shape.
"Toast? This is a new one."
"Hehe~ Try it?"
He knew that Misha was a foreign game, so in a sense, Misha was also a foreigner, the staple food of that country... seemed to indeed be bread, potatoes, flatbreads, and the like.
It looked appealing. Alain, as always, trusted Misha. He took a bite without hesitation.
A "crunch," followed by the taste of bland bread and sweet sauce. It wasn't particularly delicious, but it certainly wasn't bad.
He took a sip of the beet soup Misha had prepared. Sweet and sour, with a rich, creamy texture. It perfectly balanced the slight char on the bread.
The bread alone might be considered unremarkable, and the soup alone might be a bit too heavy. But together? They were a match that could rival any restaurant.
Alain was, frankly, astonished. And then, proud. Just yesterday, Misha had been making… well, different meals. Today, she'd improved this dramatically.
"Delicious." He meant it sincerely.
"I'm so glad you like it!"
Misha beamed, clearly thrilled. She barely touched her own food, instead watching quietly as Alain ate every bite of the meal she'd prepared.
By the time he was full, Misha had also finished her own meal. She began to clear the dishes.
Alain told her about his plan to re-enter the game world later, and she was surprised.
"Eh? You can go back?"
"Yes. But there's a time limit. Think of it as... a thrilling excursion." Alain took the dishes from Misha's hands and headed to the sink to wash them.
"You could also choose not to go. It is dangerous, after all."
"No, I want to go. Because it's dangerous, I need to be there with you."
The girl came closer and took a stack of dishes from the sink as well.
As the water rushed, she asked, "So... we're continuing with the plan to reset Crazy Mita?"
The stars in her eyes were clearly visible as she spoke.
Alain, from the corner of his eye, suspected she was still a little uncomfortable with reality, preferring the comfort zone of the game.
Then, he heard her continue, "This way, we can save the other Mishas!"
Alain was relieved.
He decided to postpone discussing the reset of Honey for later.
He could feel that when the "bad woman" loved him, she had eyes only for him. And when she'd stabbed him with the dagger in the basement, she'd genuinely intended to kill him.
But he always felt that she never quite went all out.
Alain couldn't understand it.
For now, he needed to hear Misha's original plan.
____
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!