It had been a week since Jin and Mia started sharing the same roof. Their days had fallen into a comfortable rhythm: Mia would head off to school each morning after a hurried goodbye "Okay I'm going to school now." leaving Jin to manage the household chores with a meticulous efficiency that bordered on mechanical. He scrubbed dishes, dusted and tidied up every corner of each room as though they were a martial art to be mastered.
After completing his chores, Jin would venture out to the local convenience store to procure ingredients for their meals. Meanwhile, Mia finally arrived at her school, navigating through her bustling school day, her mind occasionally wandering to thoughts of Jin and their unconventional living situation.
Hours later in the school, during one particularly lively lunch break, Mia found herself at the center of attention among her friends.
"Hey Mia, who is that guy you were with at the shopping district last Saturday? I noticed both of you since I was hanging out in a café with my boyfriend." asked Megan, one of her friends.
"Heeeh, so you finally got yourself a boyfriend. Congrats" said Selina, the other.
"He's not my boyfriend!" said Mia as she blushed.
"Hmmm, so he's not your boyfriend, but you do know him." Added Megan.
"Crude, I'm completely trapped." Thought Mia, as she flinched.
"Come on tell us more" said Selina as the conversation went on.
30 minutes later, "Well, that's boring. But still, it doesn't mean that his not your boyfriend." said Megan.
"I'm going back to class." said Mia still embarrassed from all the teasing, her cheeks bit red.
As the school day wound down, Mia's friends approached her with apologies, though their suspicions about her relationship status remained. On their way home from school, Jin crossed paths with them unexpectedly. Mia's heart skipped a beat as Megan recognized him from their previous encounter, curiosity brimming from their eyes.
"Hey, isn't that the guy?" said Megan as Jin suddenly looked in their direction while Mia's level of concern drastically increased.
"W-w-wait!" Mia said while Megan went to see him just as the group also followed.
"This is not good" she thought as they approached him.
"Hi there." Said Megan as Jin simply bowed his head.
"Stop right there." Said Mia as she hurriedly intervened, standing between Jin and her friends.
"What do I do now? It's already bad since they think he's my boyfriend. Even if I deny what I said earlier, if they find out were living together, it's gonna be hell." She monologued in thought, desperately trying to diffuse the situation before it escalated.
Seeing this, in a decisive move, Jin took Mia's hand and gently pulled her away from her friends. With a composed smile and a respectful bow, he addressed her friends, leaving them with a distinct impression of his charm and poise.
Mia's friends watched in awe as he walked away, simultaneously thinking, "Can't believe she found herself a boyfriend that handsome."
"Hey, let go of me," said Mia, her voice wavering slightly as Jin released her hand.
"With how things ended up, now there's no way not to say that he's my boyfriend." She thought while fretting over the implications of the encounter—now more than ever, she couldn't afford her friends discovering the truth about their living arrangement.
"Hmmm? What's this?" Her thoughts, interrupted by a notification from the System. "Subject reports that he was aborded by numerous girls during his grocery shopping." She read aloud the notice, "Well, with looks like his, I guess it's only natural."
"Let's log in when we get home, okay?" she suggested to Jin on their way. Jin nodded in agreement, as soon they arrived at the appartement, they logged into Nexus. As they arrived in Nexus, they went to a hunting ground and fought the monsters. Mia tested out the new skills and effects of her class upgrade as well as her title while Jin provided steady support.
"Wooow! The Chaos Partner title gives me enhanced physical attack skills and my Stellar Apostle class boosts magic attacks. Not only that, but I'm now able to eliminate many high-level monsters on my own with ease. Thanks to Jin, any monsters he kills, gives me experience points. In just a few hours I already reached Lv. 34. This is like a super cheat power." Mia exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling with newfound power.
"Let's head to the boss area—I think I can take it down too!" She declared, and Jin nodded in silent encouragement.
After a brisk walk, they arrived at the entrance a cave, the designated boss area. Lesser monsters swarmed them as they ventured deeper, but Mia effortlessly dispatched them with a dazzling display of her newfound spells.
"Heh let's test out this spell. <
Jin watched protectively, stepping in when necessary to ensure Mia's safety.
After the dust cleared, only a few remained and she used her daggers to beat all of them. As the last of them was defeated, roars echoed from deep within the cave. In that instant, Jin rushed towards Mia, carried her and then leaped at a distance just as a pillar of fire came descending from above.
"Thanks, you saved me." She said as Jin put her down.
What appeared before them at that moment was a Hell Gargoyle, a level 70 boss monster. Jin then took out his sword from its sheath with focused determination in his gaze that contrasted with his usual impassive demeanor. As he dashed towards it, the boss unleashed giant fire ball attacks heading towards Jin.
"Stellar Shield" stated Mia as she summoned a protective barrier around Jin.
"Jin you take care of the boss and I'll handle the rear." She said as Jin increased his speed with lightning-like agility, heading straight and closing the distance with him and the boss who then deployed his wings releasing waves of flames.
"Oh no you don't. Stellar Blizzard" said Mia as she unleashed a torrent of ice.
During that time, Jin who was protected by the barrier put his sword in his sheath and then proceeded to taking on stance. In an instant, he dashed towards the boss, his movements leaving only a trail similar to lightning. As he appeared in front of the boss, it released a powerful fire breath. As sound of cracks resonated in the air, Jin was now behind the boss. As he drew his sword, a single slash turned into several slashes which cut the boss to sheds.
"Notice. Hell Gargoyle has been defeated." Said the notice that appeared in front of Mia, whose heart raced from the victory.
"WE-WE DID IIIIIT!!!" exclaimed Mia breathlessly as the boss monster crumbled to defeat. She collapsed onto the ground, overcame with a mix exhaustion and exhilaration. "Notice. You have leveled up!" said several notifications that popped up around her.
With the battle having ended, they logged out and settled into a well-deserved rest, basking in the glow of their shared triumph. Mia couldn't help but reflect on how much had changed in just a week—their lives intertwined both in the real world and virtual one, forging bond that seemed to grow stronger with each passing day.