Chapter 47: Slice of life (Bonus)

He was making breakfast, although judging by the time on the clock, it was already closer to lunch. Still, Kyle had decided that sandwiches would be the quickest thing to prepare, especially since neither of them had eaten properly after everything that had happened the previous night.

He stood in Lira’s kitchen, hurriedly putting together a couple of vegetable sandwiches while occasionally glancing toward the clock.

*Hum*

He hummed his favorite tune under his breath as he worked, his mood considerably lighter than it had been in a very long time. There was something strangely satisfying about standing in someone else’s kitchen and casually preparing food for them, especially when that someone was Lira.

More importantly, things between them were no longer ambiguous.

They were official now.

Kyle couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on his face as he spread sauce over the bread.

’Things really changed in one night, huh?’

Just yesterday, he had been wondering whether Lira genuinely liked him or whether she was simply having fun teasing him. Now, after everything they had confessed to each other, there was no room for that uncertainty anymore.

[Well, how is it going, lover boy?]

Kyle’s humming abruptly stopped.

The system had appeared out of nowhere, its familiar robotic voice echoing directly inside his head.

"Nothing could be better than this right now."

He finished putting the sandwiches together, placed them neatly onto a plate, and picked it up before heading toward Lira.

[Oh, I know. But what if I told you it could get even better?]

Kyle immediately narrowed his eyes.

’Oh, are you talking about the quest completion?’

Rather than being oblivious to what the system was hinting at, he caught on almost instantly.

[Not being dumb today? I think your girl finally gave you some head.]

Kyle nearly choked on his own breath.

"..."

The reason he was able to catch on that the system was talking about the quest was because he already knew he had completed it.

The quest had required him to protect Lira, and despite everything going horribly wrong, he had managed to save both himself and her from those bastards. The fact that the completion notification hadn’t appeared yet didn’t really matter to him.

There was no other reason for the system to be acting this right now.

[Anyway, why don’t you take a look at what you got?]

The system sounded unusually enthusiastic while talking about the reward.

’You’re sounding pretty hyped. Looks like it’s something really good.’

[You will be even more hyped than me. That’s something I can promise you.]

Kyle’s curiosity grew even more.

The system wasn’t usually this excited about anything, which made him wonder just how ridiculous the reward could be.

Still, he forced himself to remain composed.

He was currently at Lira’s house. If he suddenly started celebrating like a lunatic because he had received some overpowered system reward, she would probably think he had finally lost his mind.

’I’ll check it later.’

[If that’s what you want. Also, I think you should start using the system more now and understand it even better.]

Kyle nodded slightly to himself.

"Well, I will. But right now, I gotta attend to my love."

[Oh? Getting too lovey-dovey already, eh? Well, good for you. Good for you. Hope it stays like that.]

Kyle paused.

There was something strange about the system’s tone.

It sounded sarcastic.

"What was up with its tone just now?"

He frowned for a moment but ultimately decided not to pay much attention to it.

For now, he had more important things to worry about.

Like making sure Lira ate.

He walked back into the living room and placed the plate in front of her.

"Here."

Lira looked down at the sandwiches before picking one up. She took a bite, and almost immediately, her eyes brightened.

"It’s tasty!"

Kyle couldn’t help smiling.

"You’re flattering me now. It’s just a simple veggie sandwich."

He sat beside her and picked up his own sandwich. To him, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about it. It was just bread, vegetables, sauce, and whatever else he had managed to find in Lira’s kitchen.

But apparently, Lira had a different opinion.

"No, it’s really good. It’s definitely better than what I usually make for myself in the morning."

She took another bite, genuinely enjoying it before suddenly noticing some sauce near the corner of her mouth. She wiped it away with her finger and continued eating.

"Thanks. I can make more for you if you want."

Kyle began gathering the dishes once they were finished.

Lira looked slightly disappointed.

"Oh, no. It should be me making food for you. Yet I’m the one getting pampered instead."

"C’mon now." Kyle stood up with the dishes in his hands.

"You’re my girl. It’s my responsibility to keep you happy too."

He started walking toward the kitchen.

There was a brief pause behind him.

Then Lira’s teasing voice returned.

"Your girl? You got really comfortable saying that so fast."

Kyle glanced back.

That familiar teasing smile had returned to her face, and there was a faint blush on her cheeks.

Normally, that expression would have been enough to make him nervous.

But something had changed.

Maybe it was because they were officially together now.

Maybe it was because he had finally gotten used to the idea that Lira actually liked him.

Either way, Kyle wasn’t going to let her have all the fun.

"Well, if we’re talking about getting comfortable, then I should really mention what happened today and last night."

Lira’s eyes widened slightly.

Kyle gave her a smug smile.

"Because I’m not the only one who got way too comfortable."

Lira’s cheeks immediately became redder.

"You are using my tricks against me now."

She narrowed her eyes at him, though the smile on her lips betrayed her amusement.

"You’re a quick learner."

---

Later that afternoon, Kyle finally returned to his apartment.

Before leaving Lira’s place, he had made sure she was doing alright and that the pain in her injured leg had lessened considerably. She had insisted several times that she would be fine, but Kyle still hadn’t been entirely convinced.

Even after leaving, he couldn’t help thinking about her.

If she called him and told him that her leg was hurting badly again, he knew he would return without hesitation.

He tossed himself onto his bed and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds.

Then he remembered the system.

"Well... let’s see what rewards I got."

*****

Discord: discord.gg/d6EZJB3Wxg