In the quiet stillness of morning, Mia woke up from her slumber yawning, stretching lazily as she slowly became aware of the day. She went to the bathroom, the cool tiles refreshing against her sleepy face. As she emerged from the bathroom, her thoughts meandered, echoing the surreal events from the day before. She couldn't shake the feeling that none of it had been a dream.
Entering the living room, she found Jin seated on the couch, his eyes closed in a meditation. "Ah, right," she murmured to herself. "I knew it. It couldn't have all been just a dream that would disappear when I wake up." At the sound of her voice, Jin's eyes opened, meeting her gaze with a quiet intensity that made Mia squirm.
"Huh? What is it? Do you… want something?" she asked, trying to shake off the odd tension that lingered between them. Jin remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Growing impatient, as Jin's gaze started to make her uncomfortable, Mia broke the silence. "Whatever. Here's the kitchen. Cook something while I shower, okay? Now get to it!" she said annoyingly as gestured towards the fridge, the cooking utensils and the cooking stove before to the bathroom. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Jin alone in the living room, who then headed towards the kitchen.
"I might have gone a little overboard," she mused to herself as the warm water cascaded over her. "But still, what am I supposed to do here? All I did was trigger a hidden quest, and now a boy I just met yesterday is in my appartement. This is totally not how I imagined things to turn out. I even wonder. If he was once a player but became an NPC, and has been in Nexus ever since Genesis, does he even know how to cook?" She reasoned as she cooled off in the bath.
As she came out of the bath, she was greeted by the sight of a beautifully laid-out breakfast on the table. "Did you prepare all this?" she asked incredulously, surprised by Jin's culinary skills. He nodded silently.
"Well then, thank you for the food." She said gratefully as she took her seat. She noticed Jin hesitated before joining her at the table, his reaction to the food subtle but noticeable.
"Why are you just standing there? Come on, have a seat and eat. It would be a waste if you didn't even taste the food you made yourself, right?" she said as she smiled due to how delicious the food was. As Jin sat down and took a bite, he had a small reaction as his eyebrows twitched. And so, they ate in companionable silence, Mia savoring each bite while Jin seemed lost in thought.
"Notice. Level Up. Affinity level with subject has risen. Affinity level 3 attained." a system notice chimed as they finished breakfast. With that announcement, Mia sighed inwardly, resigning herself to their newfound situation, however unusual it seemed.
"Okay." She began, setting down her utensils decisively. "Since it looks like we're stuck living together, we need some ground rules. First, I get the shower first, then you. Second, we're not sharing the same bed. Do you have anything other than those rags to wear?" she asked, eyeing Jin's worn outfit.
Jin nodded in response to her question. "Good. Go take a shower, then we're going shopping." Mia instructed, feeling a strange sense of responsibility settling over her.
After bathing, Jin came out wearing a white shirt, shoes and jean pants while Mia emerged dressed casually, ready to tackle the day ahead. "Okay. Let's go." She said briskly, leading the way out of the apartment.
After leaving the appartement building and going to the bus station, they navigated through the morning streets, finally arriving at the bustling shopping district. "Okay. First things first, we'll get you some more casual clothes. And don't worry, I know the best stores around here." She announced confidently, guiding Jin into a nearby store. The shop assistant that was guiding them, eyed them curiously, assuming them to be a couple as Mia picked out various outfits for Jin to try.
After a series of trials and selections of different outfits, they managed to purchase everything they needed. And so, they spent the day shopping wares, shoes, product and among other things. Their purchases growing with each passing hour, the sun finally set, and they returned home laden with bags and boxes of their newfound belongings.
As Jin busied himself dinner preparations, Mia observed their cramped living situation with a mix of resignation and nerves. "I know what I said about separate sleeping arrangements, but…" she hesitated, glancing at the futon they purchased earlier where Jin would sleep. "We only have one room."
Nightfall brought with it a shared meal and the awkwardness of preparing for bed in such close quarters. "I'll be turning the lights off," Mia declared firmly, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness due to the fact of sleeping in the same room with a boy. "YOU BETTER SLEEP, GOT IT?"
As the room fell into darkness, Mia found herself unable to shake off her apprehension. Beside her, Jin's breathing grew steady with sleep, but Mia remained wide awake, acutely aware of the boy sharing her room.
Thus ended their hectic day, the beginning of an unexpected journey together in a world that seemed to blur the lines between reality and a game.