Chapter 139. Husband?
Sirin immediately turned her head and saw… a pair of legs.
Only when she looked up did she see the slightly surprised face.
Squatting there, she hurriedly stood up.
The hand that had been holding up her hair to keep it from touching the floor tossed the tresses quickly back behind her head.
Her face flushed red in an instant, and the embarrassed girl couldn't get a single word out.
How did he see me squatting there with no image at all?
This is really mortifying!
"Boss, is she your friend?"
Beside him, Izumi-san, who had come out with him, asked in surprise.
Such a cute little girl.
Her panties must be really cute, right?
Kind of makes me want to draw a lewd sketch…
"Mm. She's my friend."
Without minding Sirin for now, Xander looked at Eromanga Sensei.
"Sorry, I probably won't be able to walk you home."
Hearing that, and glancing at the flushed-faced Sirin, Izumi-san thought she'd realized something.
A knowing smile appeared on her face.
She took a few quick steps to open up some distance from them, then turned around, waved, and said with a laugh, "Don't worry about me, Boss.
I live nearby.
It's more important for you to stay with your girlfriend~"
When she said "girlfriend," Izumi-san even playfully waggled her eyebrows twice.
"W-what girlfriend?
I'm not in that kind of relationship with him!!"
Before Xander could speak, Sirin couldn't help but refute with a red face.
"Mm-hmm, I get it, I get it.
Boss and the lady boss, have fun.
This third wheel's heading home now!!"
Watching Izumi-san leave with a mischievous grin, Xander could only shake his head helplessly.
Then he looked at Sirin, who—after that refutation—was standing beside him with her head lowered, fingers nervously rubbing the hem of her clothes.
Somewhat puzzled, he asked, "Weren't you girls getting together today…?
Well, right, you not going is normal enough."
Hearing that, Sirin lowered her head even further.
"So, you specially came to find me?
How did you know I was here?"
"..."
Sirin said nothing and kept silent, which gave Xander a bit of a headache.
"Ah, seriously…"
That troubled tone made Sirin bite her lip as tears began to brim in her eyes.
"I-I'll go back…"
"That's why—there's still a long time today.
Do you have time to hang out with me?"
Holding back her sobs, her stubborn voice hadn't even finished when a smile-filled voice made her look up in surprise.
"Ah-ah, looks like my invitation has been rejected by a beautiful girl~"
Seeing Sirin dazed for a moment, Xander pretended to be "heartbroken."
"I-I didn't!"
Sirin quickly lifted her arm and rubbed her reddening eyes.
After a tiny sniff, she forced herself to speak calmly.
"S-since you've made the invitation, th-then I'll a-accompany you for a while.
That's not impossible."
Because of the sudden swing in emotions, Sirin's voice paused a few times.
Her already rosy face looked even redder.
"Then let's go."
"Mm!!"
…
After leaving the aquarium, they headed toward the cinema.
No longer quite so shy, Sirin walked at Xander's side.
While absentmindedly responding to his words, she kept sneaking glances at his hand as it swung lightly.
They weren't that far apart.
Feeling his hand brush her knuckles now and then and the warmth lingering there, she clenched her own hand, lifted it, then let it fall.
Just when she was hesitating whether to be a bit bolder—and whether that would make Xander dislike her—Sirin suddenly felt her hand being held.
She didn't look at their joined hands.
First she lifted her head in surprise, and then her eyes met a warm smile that made her blush and her heart race.
Th-this this this…
Not daring to look into Xander's eyes anymore, Sirin felt her heart pounding wildly.
Her face flushed for the umpteenth time today.
Was this his response to her?
S-so Xander also…
Sirin thought in secret.
She wanted to ask, but didn't dare to speak.
"What's wrong?"
His calm voice reached her, and Sirin, head down, answered quickly and in a whisper, "N-nothing!"
Why is this guy Xander so calm?
Isn't he making a shy girl like me look like an idiot?!!
Or is it that, to him, holding hands is just something ordinary?
For a moment, Sirin's heart fell into anxious wavering again.
"I-I'll go buy the tickets!!"
As soon as they reached the cinema, Sirin grabbed Xander and volunteered herself, trotting off to the counter.
Xander didn't mind.
He shrugged, went to the snack stand, and bought popcorn and cola.
When the tickets were checked and they walked into the theater, he noticed the rows of two-seater sofas for couples.
Holding the cola, he turned his gaze—and saw Sirin's eyes darting all over the place.
If I teased her now, it'd probably be pretty funny, right?
Holding down the idea that would likely make Sirin's shame meter explode, Xander only smiled.
Under Sirin's visible sigh of relief, he headed toward their seats.
Sirin followed quickly and, after Xander sat down, immediately sat right beside him.
S-so close…
Only a very narrow gap separated them.
Sitting there, Sirin seemed to feel the warmth coming from his side.
And Xander's hand was also resting casually beside hers, their fingertips lightly touching.
The lights in the theater dimmed on cue.
The movie's sound rose, filling the audience's ears and drowning out the faint rustles.
Mustering her courage, Sirin opened her hand and, bit by bit, edged it sideways.
Then, with her heart pounding, she gently closed her fingers.
H-held it!
Feeling the big hand in her palm offer no resistance whatsoever, Sirin's heart cheered in victory.
Outwardly, though, she acted as if nothing had happened—sitting perfectly still, eyes fixed straight ahead at the big screen, as if the movie were utterly captivating.
The movie really was good.
Though Sirin was a little distracted at first, she was soon drawn in by the plot and fully immersed.
Not until the movie was well past halfway—almost to the end—did Sirin, having just watched the climactic scene, exhale hard in relief.
She turned her head, eager to share her feelings with Xander.
But just then, she suddenly felt that something was off.
Her posture had changed without her noticing.
What had been just holding hands had, by now, turned into clutching his entire arm tightly to her chest.
And her whole body was leaning against Xander.
Realizing the situation, she had no time to think about their bodies being so close.
The unmistakable pressure at her chest made Sirin freeze up on the spot.
Mmph!!!!
Suppressing the sound that almost slipped from her throat, Sirin's face turned blazing hot in an instant.
She squeezed her eyes shut, turned into an ostrich, and curled up without daring to move at all.
I-I did something like this, and Xander still hasn't said anything!!
Could it really be like she imagined—does Xander truly…?
Every cell in her body started to dance, and Sirin couldn't help but begin to fantasize.
If that's the case, then on our first date we'll hold hands.
After three dates, we'll hug.
As for a kiss, we'll put that after the tenth date.
Best if it's at the highest point of the Ferris wheel, after we confess our feelings to each other.
Then I'll take Xander to meet my dad and mom.
And then we can do that sh-shameful thing…
Ah!!!!!!
Her own fantasies breached her mental defenses, and Sirin almost cried out.
Even so, the daydream kept going.
A-after we do that, I'll probably move into Xander's place.
Bronya and Seele are on such good terms with me, so they shouldn't bully me, right?
By the way, what if we end up having a kid?
She and Xander would surely have the cutest daughter in the whole world.
A son wouldn't be bad either, but she felt Xander would probably prefer a daughter.
Oh no, should I think of names first?
As for family lineage, I'll leave that to Big Sis.
Our child can just take the Masato surname.
For the given name…
If it's a girl, we can make it a single character like Dad's and call her "Xue."
If it's a boy, that's harder.
Ling?
Xu?
Hong?
Aside from single characters, a two-character name sounds nice, too.
"Sirin?"
"Sirin?!"
"Ah?!"
Jolted awake by the calling, a trace of impatience flashed across Sirin's face.
She glared at the "husband" beside her and spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice, "Husband, don't rush me.
I already said if it's a girl, she'll be na—named…"
Halfway through the sentence, the scene before her made Sirin freeze with her mouth open.
The theater lights were fully bright.
The movie on the screen had long since ended.
Most of the audience had already left.
Only the two of them remained—plus a cleaning auntie working off to the side.
And when she realized what she had been thinking… and what she had just said…
Looking at Xander's puzzled expression, Sirin's mind collapsed on the spot.
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