Soren Arden POV
"What on earth is going on in there…?"
Soren muttered to himself as he leaned against the wall opposite the fitting rooms, arms crossed.
Louise and Olivia had disappeared behind the curtain a long time ago.
Too long.
At first, he hadn't thought much of it.
Trying on clothes took time, especially when there were multiple outfits involved, but as the minutes ticked by, ten, then fifteen, then well over twenty, boredom began to set in.
He glanced at the curtain again, half-expecting it to move.
Nothing.
With a quiet sigh, Soren lifted his hand.
Flicker
A small flame bloomed to life in his palm, no bigger than a candle's flame.
It danced lazily, swaying back and forth as he subtly adjusted the mana flowing into it.
The heat was mild, controlled, more of a distraction than a spell meant to impress.
He rolled the flame from one finger to another, practising fine control, letting the boredom melt away.
Then…
Swoosh!
The fitting room curtain was suddenly yanked aside.
Soren extinguished the flame instantly, straightening as Louise stepped out.
"Is she done?" he asked, peering past her.
Louise nodded, her expression unreadable.
"She's finished changing."
A few seconds passed.
The curtain moved again, this time slowly.
Soren held his breath without realising it.
Olivia stepped out.
"H-How is it?" she asked hesitantly, fingers gripping the edge of her skirt.
She had chosen the pink skirt and white blouse.
The outfit framed her figure perfectly, soft and elegant without being flashy.
The colour complemented her complexion, and the blouse fell just right, neither too loose nor too tight.
Soren's brain stalled.
"Wow…" he blurted out before he could stop himself.
Louise smirked beside him, clearly pleased.
"I know, right? Our Livia is beautiful, isn't she?"
Soren nodded without hesitation.
Olivia's face immediately turned bright red, her eyes darting away as she fidgeted.
"Alex will love it," Soren added casually.
The effect was instant.
A smile bloomed across Olivia's face, warm and radiant in a way that made something tighten briefly in Soren's chest.
"You think so?!" she asked, her voice suddenly full of hope.
"Yeah, no doubt about it."
That seemed to settle it.
Olivia nodded to herself, clutching the skirt lightly before retreating back into the fitting room to change into her uniform again.
Once she returned and paid for her clothes, the three of them regrouped near the entrance.
"So what should we do now?" Olivia asked, glancing between them.
Soren tilted his head.
"Wanna get dinner?"
"Okay!" she replied instantly.
They ended up eating together, conversation light and easy, before wandering through a few more stores at a relaxed pace.
Eventually, the time came for them to part ways.
Both cousins wished Olivia well on her date, each in their own way: Louise with a firm nod and a sharp grin, Soren with a softer, encouraging smile.
As Olivia waved goodbye and disappeared into the crowd, Soren felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
At the very least, today had been worth it.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Olivia POV
It was Sunday morning.
Olivia stood in front of a gently flowing water fountain, her hands clasped tightly together as she stared at her reflection in the rippling surface.
The sunlight caught on the water, scattering across the stone tiles beneath her feet, but she barely noticed.
Today was the day.
The day she was going on her totally-not-a-date with Alex.
She shifted her weight slightly, the unfamiliar feel of her clothes making her acutely aware of her own body.
'Do these even suit me…?'
The outfit she was wearing was one of the ones she had bought with Soren and Louise, a far cry from her usual wardrobe.
Typically, Olivia preferred loose, inexpensive clothing.
Things that didn't cling, didn't draw attention, didn't make her think too much about how she looked.
Comfort had always come first.
But today's clothes were different.
They were fitted, restrictive in places she wasn't used to, and undeniably… girlish.
Even her hair, which she normally just brushed and left alone, had been carefully braided this morning.
Every time she caught sight of herself in a window or polished surface, she felt like she was looking at someone else.
'I look strange…'
She swallowed, fingers tightening.
"I hope Alex likes it…" she murmured under her breath.
"What did you say, Liv?"
"Ah!" Olivia jumped. "Alex?! When did you get here?"
Alex was standing right behind her, leaning slightly forward with a faint smile on his face.
"Just now, I saw you standing here and thought I'd surprise you."
Only then did Olivia realise how close he was.
Their faces were barely a hand's width apart.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
Her heart slammed against her chest, her face heating up instantly as she took in his familiar features up close.
'He…'
Her thoughts stalled.
'He dressed up?'
It was subtle, but unmistakable.
Alex's hair had been styled, neatly, intentionally, and instead of his usual training uniform, he was wearing casual clothes.
Clean, well-fitted, chosen with care.
For as long as she had known him, Alex rarely wore anything other than comfortable practice attire, even on rest days.
Styling his hair was something he did maybe once in a blue moon.
Her brain finally caught up.
'Does that mean…?'
A goofy grin crept onto her face before she could stop it.
'Does that mean it really was a date?'
The thought sent her imagination spiralling.
Scenes of holding hands, laughing together, maybe even…
"Liv?"
"Huh?!" Olivia snapped back to reality. "Yep! I'm great!"
Alex blinked, clearly confused but relieved.
"So… what's the plan?"
Olivia took a steadying breath.
She thought back to the advice she had received, the schedule she had carefully planned and re-planned.
"Uhm, well," she began, her nerves melting into excitement, "since it's almost noon, we should get some lunch. Then we can walk around the shopping district while we wait for our food to digest, and after that I found out there's going to be a musical performance in the workshop district this afternoon…"
She laid out the entire plan in one smooth stream, not stuttering even once.
Alex listened attentively, nodding along.
She had barely slept the night before, too excited to rest.
Instead, she had double-checked every detail, every route, every timing, anything to make sure today would be perfect.
"That sounds good to me," Alex said once she finished. "Shall we go then?"
"Mhm! Let's go!"
Before she even realised what she was doing, Olivia reached out and grabbed his hand, tugging him forward toward the restaurant she had in mind.
Only a few steps in did she notice.
Her fingers tightened instinctively.
And she didn't let go.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Soren Arden POV
"Sis… did you just see that?"
Soren's voice came out flat, almost numb, as he stared in the direction Olivia and Alex had gone.
Louise, standing beside him, slowly nodded.
"Didn't Olivia say it wasn't a date?" he continued, rubbing the back of his neck.
The two cousins exchanged a look, one filled with mutual disbelief.
Soren had followed at a distance purely to make sure Alex actually showed up.
Part of him had worried Olivia might be waiting alone, standing by that fountain longer than she should.
Louise, on the other hand, had tagged along simply because she was curious and because she enjoyed meddling far more than she admitted.
And because of that, they had just witnessed something neither of them had expected.
"Are they really not dating?" Louise asked, her tone sharp with doubt.
Soren shook his head slowly.
"No. At least… that's what she said."
Truthfully, his mind was still catching up.
Back when this world had been a game, there hadn't been real romance.
Relationships were shallow, events were scripted, and emotional nuance barely existed.
Olivia's affection for Alex had always seemed one-sided, sweet, sincere, but unreciprocated.
That was why Soren had been anxious about today.
But what he had just seen screamed the opposite.
'As she said… they look exactly like a couple.'
Olivia had reached for Alex's hand naturally, without hesitation.
And Alex had accepted it just as easily, his grip firm and comfortable, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
And then there was his appearance.
Alex had dressed up.
That alone was enough to send Soren's thoughts spiralling.
'Doesn't this basically confirm the winner already?'
There was still over half a year before the third main heroine, Crusch, was supposed to appear.
And yet, it already felt like the outcome had been decided.
Soren exhaled slowly.
All he could hope for now was that Alex would treat Olivia well.
He deserved her trust.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
As the date continued, the look on Soren's face became more and more bitter.
Not angry.
Not jealous.
Just… tired.
"What's with that face, Little Brother?" Louise asked, glancing sideways at him as they trailed behind at a distance.
"…"
Soren didn't answer right away.
His eyes were fixed on the two figures ahead of them.
"Doesn't looking at it give you a toothache?" he finally muttered.
Louise followed his gaze and immediately understood.
The date was going well.
Too well.
Everywhere Olivia and Alex went, they stayed close.
Their hands remained intertwined as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
When they reached a building, Alex stepped ahead without thinking, holding the door open for her and waiting patiently until she passed through.
When they stopped for lunch, Alex pulled out her chair before she even realised what he was doing.
And then he paid for the entire bill.
Soren winced.
"That's already bad enough," he muttered, watching from afar.
But it didn't end there.
While they were eating, a small smudge of cream had ended up on Olivia's cheek.
Instead of pointing it out or handing her a handkerchief, Alex had simply reached over, wiped it away with his finger…
…and eaten it.
Soren physically recoiled.
"Okay, that one should be illegal," he said flatly.
Louise didn't even argue.
And then there was the incident near the shopping district plaza.
Alex had stepped away briefly to use the bathroom, leaving Olivia waiting alone.
Two men had approached her, speaking in low voices that made Soren's instincts flare immediately.
He had been seconds away from intervening.
But before he could take a step…
Alex appeared.
He slipped an arm around Olivia's waist without hesitation, pulling her gently but firmly against his side.
"She's with me," Alex said calmly.
That was all it took.
The two men backed off instantly.
Soren watched Olivia's reaction, the way she relaxed, the way she leaned into Alex as if she felt safe there.
'Are dates really meant to be like this…?'
The entire thing felt unreal.
As someone who had only been on a handful of dates himself, Soren couldn't say with absolute certainty what was normal, but he could say this with confidence:
Alex and Olivia's date was far too perfect.
"True…" Louise muttered beside him.
Her earlier excitement was gone.
The sparkle in her eyes had faded, replaced by something duller, almost hollow.
If even Louise, who thrived on enthusiasm, felt overwhelmed, then that said enough.
Soren let out a slow breath.
"Want to go get something to eat?" he suggested, finally tearing his gaze away.
Louise glanced at him, then smirked faintly.
"If my Little Brother is asking, I won't say no."
With that, the two of them turned and walked away, leaving the two lovebirds behind to enjoy their fairytale-like date.
Soren didn't realise it then, but as they disappeared into the crowd, something inside him had eased.
His worries about his cousin, about whether she would be hurt, whether she would be alone, had quietly faded during their time together.
And for now, that was enough.
————「❤︎」————