Arriving at the last delivery point, Alex stayed by the bike while Lucy went to the drop-off machine to leave the final package of the day. He got off the bike, leaned against it, and watched Lucy cross the road. Taking out a cigarette, he lit it and, out of habit, pulled out his phone to check the news that had piled up during their work. But one thought kept spinning in his head:
"Yeah, right, we'll be done quickly," Alex thought, glancing at the sky, which was already turning yellow from the setting sun.
If he had known that all the remaining packages had to be delivered across the entire city, he wouldn't have wasted any time. In the end, the task took almost the whole day.
"If you don't count the encounter with Sawada and his crew, the day was pretty dull," Alex thought as he looked toward Lucy, who was now crossing the road back to him.
During their deliveries, Lucy hadn't asked any questions about Alex's past, and Alex hadn't been curious about hers either. He could guess that she had been through something tough that made her so distrustful. When they first met, Lucy had been suspicious of him, assuming Alex had only gotten close to Gloria for his own gain.
"Maybe she was involved with some mega-corporation? Or even worked for one, considering how little she trusts anyone," Alex mused, exhaling smoke while watching Lucy, who was now standing by the drop-off machine.
Distracted by trivial thoughts, Alex continued scrolling through a website selling cyber-implants and materials for their creation. He already had plans to make a few modifications, but first, he needed a workshop—or at least something resembling one.
"Gloria definitely won't let me set up a workshop on her table next to the couch," Alex thought with a crooked smile.
As Alex got lost in his thoughts, Lucy approached him almost silently. She glanced at his phone screen and saw that he was browsing a site for civilian chrome. Raising her eyebrow in mild surprise, she stared at Alex, confused as to why this interested him.
"Found anything interesting?" Lucy asked, grabbing his attention.
Alex slowly turned his gaze from the phone to Lucy, who was now standing next to him. He quickly glanced at the drop-off machine to make sure the package was indeed delivered and he hadn't imagined it. Satisfied that everything was in order, he turned back to Lucy.
"You're already back? That was fast," Alex said in surprise, watching as she leaned against the bike next to him.
Lucy looked at him as if he were clueless.
"I've been here for a few minutes, watching you scroll through that site," she admitted, and her hand reached for Alex's pocket.
Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise, unsure why she was reaching there, but the answer came quickly. Lucy pulled out his pack of cigarettes, expertly opened it, and placed a cigarette between her lips.
"It's not very polite to go through other people's pockets," Alex remarked with a smirk, pulling out a lighter and lighting her cigarette.
She leaned toward the flame, took a drag, and exhaled smoke while looking at Alex.
"Well, I am your wife, so I'm allowed," Lucy said with a smile.
Alex grinned at her statement and shook his head.
"If you're my wife, then where's my ring? Where's that romantic moment where you get down on one knee and ask me to be your husband?" he teased, raising an eyebrow.
Lucy, in the middle of taking a drag, suddenly choked on the smoke and began coughing. Alex patted her back, helping her recover. She gave him a surprised look that clearly said, "Are you serious right now?"
"Isn't that something men are supposed to do?" Lucy asked with a weak smile once she finally stopped coughing.
Alex gently stroked Lucy's back, helping her calm down, and thoughtfully ran his hand over his chin, pondering her question.
"Aren't we living in a free society where a woman can propose to a man, and vice versa? " he asked after a brief pause, looking at Lucy.
Lucy was surprised by his words but couldn't help but agree. She had already seen women propose to men or even other women.
"I don't care; it's your job," she smirked. "And since that's the case, where's my ring and romantic proposal?"
Understanding her hint, Alex smiled. He knew that even if a girl said she didn't care, it was rarely the case. Everyone wants a bit of romance, even if they don't admit it.
"I can't make a proper proposal right now. First, I need to get a ring that suits you, and then..." he began, listing the details needed for the perfect proposal.
Alex paused for a moment, recalling his proposals to girls in Danmachi. To be honest, they were far from romantic, but the girls were still happy. So, in his opinion, it was successful. Lucy watched in surprise as Alex ticked off the steps of the ideal proposal on his fingers. She hadn't suspected he took such matters seriously.
"Can't you just invite me to dinner and propose there?" Lucy interrupted his thoughts.
Alex thought about it and concluded that it was a suitable option, as long as it wasn't a public place with a crowd. Such a moment should be exclusively for two.
"That's possible, but only if it's without spectators. Under pressure from a crowd, a girl or guy might make an impulsive choice, swayed by the mood," he replied after a pause.
Lucy nodded in agreement. She also didn't want their romantic moment to be spoiled by strangers. And considering the city's reputation, anything could happen, including the sudden appearance of a cyber-psycho.
"You're right. You never know what might happen during a proposal," Lucy agreed with a smile.
Alex smiled back, flicked the finished cigarette away, and placed his phone on the bike's dashboard.
"Well, that's it for today. Time to relax," he said with a satisfied grin.
"You barely did anything. You just drove me around and followed along," Lucy replied with a teasing eyebrow raise.
"Actually, it's exhausting too. I enjoy a stroll, but riding around the city all day delivering packages to idiots is not my thing," Alex said, pouting in mock offense.
Seeing his "offended" face, Lucy couldn't help but laugh. Alex, noticing her laughter, joined in.
"Alright, my tired knight, let's go," Lucy said, getting on the bike and patting the seat in front of her, inviting Alex.
Alex shook his head with a smile and got on the bike, starting it up. Turning his head to Lucy, he asked with a playful grin:
"So, my moon princess, where should I take you on my steed?"
Lucy's smile widened at his words. She hugged him tightly around the waist, resting her head against his back. Her heart raced because Alex had called her something she had always dreamed of. Her long-held dream of leaving the city and heading to the Moon, where she could live freely, suddenly seemed achievable.
"Take me home," Lucy answered quietly, avoiding his gaze.
Alex couldn't help but smile, watching the shy Lucy. In one day, he had seen her cold exterior from their first meeting in the subway transform into a sweet and embarrassed girl. It made him happier and happier.
"As you command, my princess," Alex said with a touch of mockery but in a chivalrous tone, turning his head towards the road.
He smoothly left the parking lot, heading towards the highway that led to the mega-tower where Lucy lived. The ride was surprisingly calm: no accidents, no cyber-psychos causing chaos, no gang shootouts.
" What luck, " Alex thought, feeling Lucy's arms around his waist as she pressed her head against his back.
He enjoyed the evening view of the city, feeling the cool breeze on his face. Everything was going smoothly until a troubling thought made his expression twist.
"I hope I don't jinx it and a shootout doesn't start," flashed through his mind, a reminder of the city's unpredictability.
Lucy, wrapped around Alex, paid no attention to the noise of the roads or the scenery. All she heard was his heartbeat — steady and soothing, like a melody. This rhythm calmed her, and she wanted to hear it even more clearly. She pressed closer to him, eager to feel every beat of his heart.
" It's so calming, " she thought, her face lighting up with a gentle, contented smile.
Alex felt her embrace tighten and smiled. He didn't want this ride to end. But, like all good things, the end was inevitable — the outlines of the mega-building where Lucy lived were already visible ahead. The ride had passed unnoticed, yet it felt remarkably long, filled with silence and tranquility.
Pulling up at the entrance to the tower, Alex glanced at the doors. He didn't want Lucy to leave, but he knew that separation was just a temporary part of their story.
" We're here, " Alex said softly, stroking Lucy's arm where she held him.
Lucy, having settled so comfortably, drowsy from the peaceful ride, slowly opened her eyes. Seeing the entrance, she sighed — she didn't want to say goodbye either. However, the thought of them meeting again and sharing similar moments made her calm.
" So soon... " she murmured, feeling his touch.
She slowly released her embrace, rubbed her eyes sleepily, and got off the bike. Meeting Alex's gaze, Lucy stepped closer and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. Alex looked at her in surprise, but remembering his own kiss earlier, he smiled.
" That's it for now, my knight, " Lucy said tenderly, pulling away.
Alex responded with a light laugh. He had called her a princess without much intention, but now a vision of the Demon King kidnapping the princess to marry him had crept into his mind. He was already looking forward to the moment when he would confess his true self to her.
" As you wish, my princess, " he replied with a playful grin.
Lucy looked at him affectionately, wondering how they had managed to get so close so quickly. Though it was unexpected, she did not resist these feelings. She was only curious about where their relationship would lead and what awaited them in the future.
" Take care of yourself, " she said in farewell, turning and heading toward the entrance to the mega-building.
Alex was slightly surprised to notice the change in Lucy's behavior but was glad she had softened so quickly after their first meeting. Even though it had only been one day since they met, it felt as if they had known each other much longer.
" And you be careful. If you need help, call me, " Alex shouted after Lucy, who was already approaching the entrance.
Lucy turned, nodded with a smile, and continued on her way. Alex watched her silhouette until she disappeared into the building. He was just about to start thinking about what to do next when his phone rang. Gloria's name appeared on the screen.
" Yaho! This is the "Sunshine" travel agency. We'll send you to the Sun itself! " Alex joked as he answered the call.
On the other end, Gloria, who had called to tell Alex that her shift was almost over, paused in confusion. Hearing his unusual phrase, she even wondered if she had dialed the wrong number. But seeing Alex's name on the screen, she realized he was just joking.
" Very funny, " Gloria replied sarcastically.
Alex only smirked and turned off the engine to focus fully on the conversation.
" Sorry, silly habit. You're calling because your shift is ending soon, right? " he asked, pulling a candy from his pocket and popping it into his mouth.
Gloria sighed heavily, realizing that Alex was always looking for an opportunity to joke. He just needed a bit more time to start trusting people, and then he would be himself.
" Well, at least he trusts me enough to joke around, " she thought, continuing to fill out work papers.
" You told me to call when my shift was over. So I'm calling to let you know that I can leave in about half an hour, " Gloria said, shifting her focus to filling out reports.
Alex glanced at the clock, realizing he would make it to the hospital on time and even have a little time to wait.
" I'm currently near the H8 mega-building, so if there's no traffic like this morning, I'll be there soon, " he replied, lightly stroking his chin.
Gloria was surprised to hear he was so close. However, she was even more astonished by his mention of the morning traffic jam, which was caused by an accident she had responded to. How Alex had ended up on the road at that time, she decided to find out when they met.
" Alright, see you soon, " she said, ending the call.
Alex put his phone back on the dashboard and started the engine again. Since his city navigation skills were lacking, he decided to use the GPS. But, as he mentally chuckled, it was much better than if a certain green-haired swordsman had been behind the wheel.
" Even if Zoro had a GPS, he'd still get lost. He'd probably just cut it up and go his own way, " Alex laughed, recalling how Zoro had gotten lost on a straight road.
He merged onto the highway, praying that nothing would disrupt his trip — no shootouts or accidents would mar his path.
" Though, thinking about it, it wouldn't hurt to get that kind of experience. These people are probably far from innocent", a thought flashed through his mind as he accelerated.
As he was deep in thought, he noticed someone watching him from the window of a nearby car. Turning his head, he saw a little girl smiling at him as if he were some kind of hero.
She pointed at his motorcycle and gave a thumbs up, expressing her admiration. Alex smiled back and nodded at the girl, accepting her compliment.
" What a cute hobbit", he thought with a slight smile, speeding up to overtake the slowly moving car.
Arriving at the hospital without incident, Alex parked and glanced at the clock. Gloria's shift had about five minutes left. To pass the time, he decided to browse news or check out websites about the technologies he was interested in.
" I should ask Lucy if she can get the blueprints for some cyber implants, " he thought, pulling out his notebook and jotting down the names of the models he was interested in.
While Alex was busy writing various plans and details in his notebook, Gloria's shift came to an end. Stepping out of the hospital, she looked around, trying to find him. Seeing Alex, whom she hadn't seen all day, she sighed in relief, noticing he was okay and had no injuries.
Hearing his jokes on the phone was one thing, but seeing him unharmed was far more important. He had been driving around the city all day, and anything could have happened.
"Well, thank goodness everything is alright," Gloria thought, heading toward him.
Alex felt her gaze and stopped writing, looking up. Seeing her approach with a smile, he slipped the notebook into his inner pocket.
" Yahoo! " he greeted, raising his hand in a friendly gesture.
Gloria, hearing him, didn't immediately understand the word but, shaking her head, decided to overlook Alex's latest oddity.
" Yahoo, " she replied, mirroring his gesture.
Alex smiled in response, pleased that she decided to play along.
" How was your day? " he asked, stretching to loosen his arms.
Gloria hesitated, unsure how to answer. There had been many calls today, and she had seen bodies in terrible states. Each time she encountered such scenes, she thought of her deceased son. Even the first call today had made her shiver from the sight of an accident caused by a cyberpsycho who hijacked a car and drove it head-on into oncoming traffic.
" Not great, " she answered with a crooked smile. —" And yours? "
Alex immediately realized that Gloria was still struggling with her loss and that it would take a lot of time for her to let go of her grief. He thought that someday he might bring up the topic of souls and reincarnation to support her, but he knew it wasn't the right time.
" I'm doing well. I met a few people, ran into some old friends, one of whom even gave me something, " Alex replied with a light smile.
Gloria raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What old friends could he have in this world?" — she wondered. His answer intrigued her, as Alex couldn't have had old acquaintances here.
" And who are these friends of yours? " she asked, leaning on his motorcycle.
Alex dismounted, approached the other side of his bike, and lit a cigarette. Exhaling smoke, he smirked.
" Three idiots from the "Tiger Claw" gang. They gave me a gift." he said with a slight ironic smile.
Gloria couldn't believe her ears. He had run into this gang for the second day in a row! She suspected it wasn't just a coincidence.
" Let me guess: you beat them up and took their stuff? " she scrutinized him.
Alex pouted and sighed in mock indignation. Her words made it sound like he was some sort of villain who beat people up and robbed them.
" You make it sound like I'm a bad person! " he said with feigned outrage.
" Isn't that what you are? " Gloria asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.
Alex's eye twitched. Everything he had done that day was indeed related to fighting — from beating up Rizz for not wanting to pay for delivery to running into that trio from the gang for the second time.
" It's a different matter. I just resolved a conflict and got a gift for it, " he replied with a righteous tone.
Gloria only shook her head with a smile. How could it be considered a coincidence that he kept getting into fights? However, she decided to continue the conversation.
" Well, of course. So, what's the gift you got this time? " she asked, looking at him with a slight smile.
Alex remained silent, taking a deeper drag from his cigarette, and approached his motorcycle. Opening one of the compartments, he pulled out a katana that Sawada had given him as compensation.
" This, " he showed her the weapon.
Gloria noticed the "Tiger Claw" gang symbol on the sheath and sighed heavily, placing her hand on her forehead.
" Are you sure there won't be any problems after this? " she asked, worried about his safety. Twice in a row, and each time he comes out victorious from conflicts with the gang.
Alex felt a warm wave from her concern. Her anxiety reminded him of the care his family showed him when he was in the Danmachi world and often got into trouble. He carefully put the katana back into the compartment and approached Gloria to reassure her.
" Don't worry, if anything happens, I'll handle it. It's not a dragon, " Alex said, giving her a thumbs-up.
Gloria looked at Alex, who spoke about fighting a dragon as if it were trivial, and dealing with the gang was just a formality.
" Are you sure you can handle it if the entire "Tiger Claw" gang comes after you? " she asked, worriedly.
Alex just smiled confidently and nodded:
" As one purple potato once said, «Kill half, and the problem will be solved,». " he replied, shrugging.
Gloria frowned, not understanding who this "purple potato" was and how killing half could solve a problem.
" Who is this purple potato? " she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Alex struggled to suppress a laugh, trying to explain:
" He's a villain obsessed with balance. He thought the universe was overpopulated, " Alex avoided the full truth, leaving out how this "potato" wiped out half of all living things and was obsessed with death and wanted to marry her.
Gloria couldn't grasp why a villain would be so obsessed with balance but decided not to delve deeper. These talks about other universes, villains, and wizards were starting to weigh on her, and her fatigue was setting in.
" Alright, let's leave it at that. Now, let's head home; I'm too tired for this, " Gloria sighed, reluctantly returning to reality.
Alex realized that now wasn't the best time for further conversation. He remembered how he used to think everything he saw in books or on screen was just fiction — until he died and met the old man who sent him to another world. In this new world, he thought he could lead a peaceful life and do what he wanted.
But instead of a peaceful life, he had to fight idiot gods manipulated by an entity that was the avatar of the god of chaos who had existed since the creation of everything.
" Should we go straight home, or stop somewhere on the way? " Alex asked, looking at Gloria, who was already settled on the bike.
Gloria considered whether to stop for groceries but, remembering her state, decided it was easier to order food delivery.
" I'm too tired today; let's go home. We'll order something, " she said wearily.
Alex nodded, flicked the cigarette butt away, and started the motorcycle. He slowly pulled out of the parking space but, before he could accelerate, felt Gloria tighten her grip around his waist, getting his attention. He turned his head:
" Don't even think about speeding! I don't have the strength to hold on through turns after your high-speed driving, " she chided him.
Alex nodded understandingly and drove at a normal speed. Arriving at the megatower and parking the motorcycle, Gloria dismounted and looked him over. Alex tilted his head, not understanding why she was looking at him like that.
" Aren't you worried someone might steal it? " she asked, pointing at the bike.
Alex smirked, glancing at the bike:
" Let them try. If they're not afraid of turning to ashes, " he replied with a smile.
Gloria merely nodded, preferring not to ask how a thief could turn into ashes. She was content with the idea that the less she knew, the better she slept. Seeing her silence, Alex was surprised that she hadn't asked the obvious question.
" Aren't you curious? " he asked, catching up with her.
" No, " Gloria replied tersely, not turning around, trying to keep her remaining sanity intact.
Alex gave a crooked smile and walked silently beside Gloria. Once they entered the apartment, he immediately surveyed the surroundings, checking for any deviations — just in case his plump friend had broken his promise.
Satisfied that everything was in order, Alex quickly changed into his casual clothes—shorts and a T-shirt—and settled on the couch. Gloria once again envied how easily Alex could change clothes using magic. She wished she could do that too.
She headed to the bathroom to take a shower and change. When she came out, she decided it was time to order dinner.
" What do you want to eat? " Gloria asked, glancing at Alex, who was already scrolling through his phone.
" Your choice. I don't know which food here is edible and which isn't, " Alex replied, giving her a thumbs-up without looking away from the screen.
Gloria nodded and placed the order. When the food arrived, they had a quiet dinner together. Gloria considered turning on the TV to relax after a long day, but within half an hour, she had already dozed off on the couch.
Alex heard her steady breathing and smiled, shaking his head. He carefully helped her lie down and covered her with a blanket.
" How can someone fall asleep sitting? " Alex muttered, adjusting the blanket.
After browsing through the news and checking material websites, he started searching for chrome for his work. This continued until he himself fell asleep.
In the morning, he was jolted awake by a phone call, causing him to slip off the pillow and fall to the floor. Lying on the floor, Alex wearily looked up at the pillow hovering just above him and sighed. Rising, he answered the call.
" «Quiet Solution» Company. If you have problems, we'll solve them loudly, " Alex said into the phone with a smile.
There was confusion on the other end, followed by loud laughter. Gloria, who had seen Alex fall off the pillow, wanted to check if he was okay.
But upon hearing his unusual greeting, she merely sighed and shook her head. Realizing that Alex was up to his usual antics, she returned to preparing breakfast.
To be continued…