Chapter 34: The Clueless Mr. Rovel
It wasn't until they arrived at the entrance of a quaint clothing store that Raiden Mei became acutely aware of the warmth enveloping her hand. She glanced down, a soft blush creeping up her neck as she realized they had been walking hand-in-hand for quite some time.
This was not a luxurious boutique; it was a simple, ordinary little shop, the kind with a gentle chime that announced customers and racks of neatly folded, everyday wear. In her past life, the proud heiress of ME Corp would have never even considered stepping through its doors. But today was different. It was clear Mei had done her own research for their date, deliberately avoiding the high-end luxury brands she once frequented.
"Ah... um, let me help you pick something out, Mr. Rovel. You can... you can go try them on."
With a subtle, almost imperceptible movement, Mei gently withdrew her hand from his and slipped into the store, her focus immediately shifting to the task at hand.
And so, Rovel found himself transformed into a living mannequin. One after another, different outfits were presented to him, each one creating a new reflection in the full-length mirror. Fortunately, he had a good foundation to work with, a natural charm amplified by the subtle effect of the 'Elysia's Crystal Flower'. The +10 Charm value it granted wasn't a blatant alteration of his features, but rather a subtle enhancement to his entire bearing—a certain magnetic quality that was difficult to define but impossible to ignore.
"Hmm, this set isn't bad," Rovel remarked, studying his reflection. The casual yet stylish combination of a fitted shirt and dark jeans was a look he could see himself adopting in the real world.
"...No, change into another one," Mei said, shaking her head thoughtfully. "This one makes you look a bit too mature, Mr. Rovel."
After several more changes, they finally landed on an ensemble that earned Mei's enthusiastic approval. It was fashionable, comfortable, and thankfully, the price was quite reasonable.
[Game Currency -200]
"As expected of you, Mr. Rovel," Mei said, a look of satisfaction on her face as she admired her handiwork. "I feel like you look handsome no matter what you wear. You should learn to take better care of yourself in the future."
Rovel, however, shook his head with a completely serious expression.
"Mei, you have to understand," he began, his tone grave. "Doing this occasionally is fine, but I can't do it all the time."
A look of confusion crossed Mei's face. "?" she typed into the air. "Why not?"
"I'll dress up once in a while, let you see me in high-res mode, so you know what I look like when I'm running on max settings. That's enough," he explained. "But if you expect me to run like this constantly, it's just too tiring. It's incredibly taxing on the graphics card."
His perfectly delivered, decadent "lazy gamer" explanation made Mei's composure crack. A delicate hand flew to her lips to stifle a giggle.
"Then when, exactly, does Mr. Rovel's 'high-res mode' get turned on?" After a moment's pause, she added, "Um... I mean, in your world."
"In my world?" Rovel considered the question for a moment. "I haven't run on max settings for a long time. Sometimes, when I go out to eat with my sister, I might put in a little effort," he finally answered.
"Your sister, Mr. Rovel? I do hope I can meet her someday... Ah! That's not what I meant!" Mei's words tumbled out before she could stop them, and she immediately began waving her hands in a flustered panic, trying to explain herself. Anyone overhearing them would think their relationship had already progressed to the stage of meeting the family.
"My sister..." Rovel's expression softened, a shadow passing through his eyes. He gently tapped his temple. "She has... a bit of a problem up here."
"Eh?" A look of genuine shock appeared on Mei's face, her mind jumping to the worst possible conclusions.
Seeing her alarm, Rovel quickly clarified. "She's a genius, truly. But the pressure from our family since she was a child... it forced her to skip entire stages of her life. It led to a serious fragmentation in her perception of 'desire'."
He let out a soft sigh. "She might tease me sometimes, her older brother, but in reality... she just doesn't have that kind of emotional framework. The concept of 'wanting' something for herself is foreign to her."
His gaze became distant, but his voice was filled with an unshakeable resolve. "So... I want to become strong in this world. Strong enough to bring my sister out of that place."
"So... that's the reason," Mei murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "That's why you've always been so determined to become stronger?"
"That's right," Rovel confirmed with a simple nod.
Mei looked up, her violet eyes locking onto his. "Then... did you approach me just to become stronger, Mr. Rovel?"
The lighthearted atmosphere of their date evaporated in an instant. The air grew thick with unspoken words, stretching into a long, heavy silence. Finally, it was Rovel who broke it.
"...Yes," he admitted, his voice quiet but firm. He nodded again, confirming the hard truth.
As soon as the word left his lips, a sudden chill descended between them, colder than any winter wind.
Then, just as the tension became unbearable, a soft smile bloomed on Mei's face. She stepped closer, standing directly in front of him.
"Honestly... can't you even tell a simple white lie to make a girl happy, Mr. Rovel?" There was a hint of gentle reproach in her tone, a touch of exasperation mixed with something else... something warmer.
"I... I didn't want to lie to you, Mei," Rovel confessed, finding it difficult to meet her gaze.
In the next second, her hands came up to gently cup his face, tilting his head so he had no choice but to look at her.
"And I don't want to be lied to," she said, her expression earnest and sincere. "So... I don't dislike your honesty, Mr. Rovel."
She had heard more than enough hypocritical flattery and empty promises in her life. His blunt truth, as painful as it was, felt refreshingly real.
"Then... has Mei forgiven me?" Rovel asked, a flicker of surprise and hope in his eyes.
"How could it be that simple?" Mei withdrew her hands and turned her body halfway, a classic tsundere pout gracing her lips.
"Uh..." Rovel blinked, then instantly caught on. "Then I wonder what kind of compensation Mei would like."
"I want to eat that!" Mei's pout vanished, replaced by a determined glint in her eye as she pointed toward a crowded dessert stall not far away.
"I'll go buy it right now!" Rovel understood immediately, silently marveling at what an angel Mei truly was.
"Wait," she called out, stopping him in his tracks. "You have to guess which one I want to eat. Only then will I forgive you."
"This..." Rovel hesitated, a look of difficulty crossing his face.
"You can't do it? Then I'm not forgiving you," Mei said, making a playful show of turning to leave.
"Leave it to me!" Rovel declared, his confidence suddenly restored.
He turned and sprinted toward the dessert stall.
A few minutes later, he returned, his arms laden with a precarious mountain of boxes and bags. He had bought one of every single dessert the stall offered.
"Mr. Rovel... why did you buy so many...?" Mei stared, utterly shocked, at the tower of sweets he was somehow managing to balance.
"Because I didn't know which one Mei likes, so..." Rovel's eyes shifted away slightly, a bit embarrassed. It was the clumsiest, most brute-force solution he could think of.
A blush crept onto Mei's cheeks. "You idiot," she mumbled, her voice soft. "As long as you bought it for me, I would have loved any of them!"
That was the line she had prepared. No matter which one he chose, she was going to say it was delicious and then gracefully forgive him. It was supposed to have been a sweet, romantic moment, a perfect little test of their connection. And Rovel, in his own clueless way, had completely bulldozed it.
But... why did her heart feel like it was beating even faster now?
She took another look at the slightly flustered boy juggling a mountain of desserts just for her, and a soft sigh escaped her lips. 'He may be an idiot,'she thought,'but he's an idiot who sincerely wants me to forgive him, isn't he?'
"So that's how it is..." Rovel's hands, still holding the desserts, drooped slightly as the realization dawned on him. The scene became a little awkward.
"Forget it," Mei said, shaking her head with a resigned smile. "Looks like I'll just have to do extra training today. If I eat this many desserts, I'll definitely get fat..." She eyed the pile of sweets, a genuine flicker of concern for her figure crossing her mind.
"Mei," Rovel said, stepping forward and carefully extracting one of the boxes. "Try this one. It's the shop's signature dessert. White peach pudding."
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