A Date, A Confession, and a Sudden Awakening

Stepping out of the shop, Chu Xin stood on the street, watching the two figures depart. Though their pace was somewhat sluggish, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

Glancing at the time, he saw it was already two o’clock. A sense of helplessness washed over him; too much time had been wasted.

His body, having dealt with the various characters encountered throughout the day, already felt a weariness settling in. If he were to go to the gym now, he wouldn’t have the energy to face *that person* tonight.

While they had been close friends before, the kind where he could meet her without washing his hair or face, he mused, ‘This kind of occasion certainly called for a more serious approach.’

There wasn’t much time left for preparations. A proper confession ceremony was out of the question, but at the very least, he needed to show *that person* his sincerity…

‘Why did it feel so much like he was about to propose?’

‘But if things progressed to that stage, it would definitely be more formal than this, right?’

‘Damn it… what was he even thinking? That was *that person*! She was usually so unrestrained, yet he would still blush at her crude jokes.’

Chu Xin, still standing at the shop entrance lost in thought, felt his face flush crimson. A strange sense of shame welled up within him.

‘If *that person* ever found out, he’d surely be ridiculed until graduation, wouldn’t he?’

He glanced at the two figures walking into the distance. Something seemed off; not only were they walking slowly, but they also appeared deep in thought.

He paid it no mind. After waving to Sister Bai through the glass door of the shop, he prepared to leave.

This time, however, he decided to take a detour. He would cut through the alley from the street on the left to head home, and on the way, he could also pick up a small, inexpensive gift at the mall ahead.

As for how Chu Xin knew all this, he was, after all, a man who had played countless gal games. He had simulated countless scenarios in the original gal game simulator, knowing everyone’s preferences inside and out—including *that person’s*.

Still, at the moment, Chu Xin couldn’t shake a certain sense of incongruity.

‘The blonde-haired, self-proclaimed queen from an eroge game actually confessed to him?’

‘Whatever…’

‘He liked her anyway, so what was the point of overthinking it?’

After letting out a sigh, he prepared to set off.

Just then, his phone rang. It was Ji Yue Xuan calling.

–Darling~– The sweet voice immediately greeted him.

No matter how many times he’d heard it today, it still made him flustered and sent a chill down his spine.

The next second, he remembered that the two people might not have gone far, and he quickly tried to cover the phone’s speaker.

He glanced left and right. Finding no trace of the two figures, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The reason, of course, was simple. Just as he had thought earlier, he inexplicably and subconsciously felt something big would happen, and besides, they hadn’t even officially confirmed their relationship yet.

On the other end, Ji Yue Xuan frowned slightly upon hearing Chu Xin’s muffled voice. Yet, she maintained her sweet tone as she asked, –Have you finished eating? Darling~–

Chu Xin was somewhat shocked by the message from the other end of the phone. ‘Did this girl have psychic powers? She called right after he finished eating?’

It had been like this before, though. Every time she called out of the blue, it was always right after he had just finished something.

He replied with a touch of helplessness, –Just finished. What’s up?–

–For our date tonight, you’ve prepared well, haven’t you?– Ji Yue Xuan asked sweetly.

Chu Xin felt a strange sensation in his heart upon hearing this. He cleared his throat lightly, –You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll come find you then.–

–Oh~ We’re still good friends, aren’t we? Can’t you tell me? Why don’t you come over now? Nobody’s home~–

Chu Xin let out a cough. –It’s nothing special, just a regular date.–

Ji Yue Xuan clicked her tongue. He had very cleverly avoided the topic of her being home alone.

The next second, however, she realized something was amiss, and her tone turned somewhat cold. –So, you’ve been on dates before, then?–

Chu Xin broke into a sweat. ‘Did every phone call have to take this turn?’

–Uh… Even if I haven’t eaten pork, can’t I at least have seen a pig run?–

Ji Yue Xuan’s tone visibly brightened. –Is that so? But really, you’re not coming to my place?–

A mischievous streak suddenly overcame Chu Xin. –Then tell me, if I went to your empty house right now, what exactly would we do?–

The voice on the other end abruptly cut off, followed by silence.

Chu Xin scoffed inwardly. ‘Still the same ‘King of Talk.’ Compared to the blonde-haired character in the original, this girl was far too weak.’

Meanwhile, on Ji Yue Xuan’s end, she immediately suppressed her breathing, which had grown heavy with excitement. ‘Just the two of us at home?’

But just as she was about to speak, the call had already ended.

‘Hmph.’

‘Honestly, why had she even brought up “formal confession”?’

‘Was it just to make those prowling cats understand that this man was already hers?’

‘If she hadn’t mentioned it, they could have been lovey-dovey all day.’

Now, Ji Yue Xuan felt like a bride-to-be. Her makeup was done, her clothes were on, and she was simply waiting for her groom.

‘How boring…’

‘Never mind. Once he confessed, she’d get everything back, with interest~’

****

After calling out a few times and receiving no response, Chu Xin had no choice but to hang up.

He didn’t mind. Previous calls often ended with her simply going silent.

His current life wasn’t much different from before. Only his status had changed, from close friends to a couple.

‘Thinking about it that way, it did feel a bit strange…’

Shaking off the idle thoughts in his mind, Chu Xin prepared to leave. His body truly felt a degree of fatigue.

He walked to the mall located at the intersection of four streets. It wasn’t overly crowded, nor was it empty. However, there were plenty of couples, and the ‘sour scent of love’ was palpable everywhere.

In the original story, this place had been a plaza. He wondered when it had been converted into a massive shopping mall.

He dodged through the crowd and found a jewelry shop. Ignoring the salesperson’s offers of gold and other items, he chose a silver pendant adorned with a sapphire.

It bore a striking resemblance to Ji Yue Xuan’s azure eyes.

Since the carat weight wasn’t significant, it wasn’t particularly expensive. With the money Chu Xin had saved, it wasn’t a major splurge either.

Though it might sound bad to say, his godmother was the type to ‘drop gold’ whenever she was happy. Thus, after everyday expenses, Chu Xin still had a decent amount of money left over, probably around three or four thousand. While this was meager compared to the rich young ladies around him,

Chu Xin was content nonetheless.

After the salesperson wrapped it up, Chu Xin took it and headed home. However, as he walked, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

Taking a detour from that side, and cutting through a small path, he finally arrived home. This route was a bit longer than usual, but at least it meant he wouldn’t run into Quan Zhu Meng, who could implant psychological suggestions and always felt somewhat off.

He opened the front door, finding no movement inside.

After heading upstairs, he noticed that Su Jin’s room door and window were both open.

He smiled wryly. Although Su Jin was good at her studies, she had a muddle-headed personality. She wasn’t an airhead like the class president, but she often forgot things.

If this weren’t an eroge world, she would be considered a cute younger sister. Even if it was, her cold yet muddle-headed persona would likely appeal to many people’s fetishes.

This situation was probably because she’d forgotten to close them after airing out the room. Fortunately, there wasn’t much wind.

He stepped inside. Thankfully, there were no scattered personal belongings, which would have felt a bit strange.

He scanned the room. This was his first time entering Su Jin’s room, and compared to his own messy room with its television and game console, Su Jin’s room was remarkably tidy and clean.

Only the corner of some photos peeking from her wardrobe caught Chu Xin’s attention slightly.

He chose not to look at them, simply closing the door and windows before leaving.

Returning to his own room, he checked his window, then glanced at the balcony opposite, finding no signs of anyone having climbed over. He let out a sigh of relief.

Immediately after, he continued to open his computer to check for first-date experiences and information. After some thought, he booked a table at a high-end restaurant near Ji Yue Xuan’s house and reserved two tickets for the latest movie.

As for what to do next, he wasn’t sure. He would just go with the flow when the time came.

After all, it was a wealthy district with all sorts of entertainment, considering it was also a provincial capital city.

He had been to Ji Yue Xuan’s house before; it was a luxurious villa with a swimming pool.

The setting was no different from that of a rich young lady in the original story. However, Chu Xin had no idea what her family’s business was.

In any case, he would have to deal with it sooner or later.

After finishing all these tasks, Chu Xin felt a wave of drowsiness. He estimated how much sleep he could still get, then lay down on the bed.

‘This bed still seems to retain her warmth…’

With that embarrassing thought, he drifted into a deep sleep.

****

He wasn’t sure how long he had slept, but Chu Xin felt a warm, soft weight pressing on his body.

He subconsciously frowned, and with sleepy eyes, he mumbled, –What time is it?–

–Four seventeen and fifty-eight seconds.–

A somewhat cold voice replied.

Chu Xin’s drowsiness vanished instantly, and he quickly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was Su Jin, standing by his bed, looking down at him.

He was startled, almost leaping out of bed.

–Su… Su Jin, what are you doing here?–

Su Jin was still dressed as she had been that morning, but now one leg was bare, while the other wore a black over-the-knee stocking. Her shorts completed the look, creating two distinct aesthetics.

Her upper body was clad in a cropped T-shirt that exposed her midriff, making her already prominent chest appear even fuller, though it seemed a bit disheveled. Her hairstyle had reverted to its previous look, and she was wearing her old black-framed glasses.

She, too, seemed to have just woken up.

Upon hearing Chu Xin’s words, she clearly paused for a moment, but in the next second, she reacted. She found a chair and sat opposite Chu Xin.

Chu Xin watched her actions, completely bewildered.

Then he heard her slowly begin, –Brother… Chu Xin, I have something to tell you.–