The moment they stepped out of the shop, Mize's heel slammed down onto Liam's foot with full force.
Liam barely flinched.
But Mize? Absolutely furious.
"Why would you do that?!" he hissed, face flushed red like a steaming hot potato, his tiny fists clenched at his sides.
Liam tilted his head, feigning pure innocence, arms spreading wide as if he had no idea what Mize was talking about.
"Do what?"
Mize's eyes twitched violently.
The evidence was right there, bite marks littered across Liam's neck and hands, faint red impressions of his own teeth.
"You—YOU BIT ME ON THE NECK IN FRONT OF PEOPLE!"
Mize stomped down again, but missed completely as Liam smoothly retracted his foot at the last second.
Instead of apologizing, Liam smirked.
"You fought back"
"And you moaned quite delicately too, Mimi."
"YOU—!"
Mize jabbed a furious finger at Liam's chest, completely red-faced.
There was no escape.
No argument, no excuse, nothing could erase what had already happened.
He could only endure it.
'God, give me strength!!!'
Mize let out an internal scream of suffering.
Liam, ever composed, crossed his arms.
"Then," he said smoothly, "where do you want to go next?"
Swoosh.
Mize lunged for an attack.
Liam effortlessly dodged.
Mize muttered darkly under his breath before huffing sharply. "I want to buy clothes."
"For tomorrow?" Liam asked, sidestepping another sneak attack as if it was routine.
"Yes," Mize nodded, bending forward with his hands on his knees, panting slightly. "It's a big day… so I want to look good."
Ugh. I should exercise more.
Liam hummed. "I know a shop, if you want."
Mize immediately perked up and nodded, falling into step beside him.
…Though not without launching the occasional sneak attack from behind.
But then.
A sudden cooling sensation glided across his neck.
A lick.
Mize's entire body locked up.
Stiff.
Frozen.
Brain short-circuiting.
What.
Before he could even react, Liam smoothly wrapped an arm around his waist, lifting him effortlessly.
Mize didn't struggle.
Didn't resist.
Didn't even breathe.
He simply buried his face into Liam's chest, completely shutting down from sheer embarrassment, as Liam carried him away peacefully.
The ceiling lights shimmered softly, casting a golden glow over the polished marble floor as Liam walked through the shopping district, Mize princess-hugged securely in his arms.
It wasn't an unusual place, but the scene they made? That was an entirely different matter.
People turned their heads, some with mild curiosity, others with outright disbelief.
Whispers floated through the air, barely concealed.
"that guy is quite bold, romantic I would say'
"Looks like a cold looking ceo and the soft rabbit, am I in a book?'
"Damn, couples! Get out of my sight and stop feeding me dog food!"
Mize pretended he didn't hear a single thing.
Instead, he kept his face hidden, his fingers lightly curled against Liam's chest, refusing to lift his gaze even as the cool night air brushed against his exposed skin.
The place were empty, yet the moment felt oddly slow, as if everything had faded into the background, except for the two of them.
A soft sigh finally left Mize's lips.
"Say," he murmured, voice barely above a whisper.
"Why do you like me so much? It feels like a dream to me. One moment you were shy... Can easily be teased, weak, and now... I am the one getting bullied back by you"
"Perhaps it's karma?"
Liam's pace didn't change, his footsteps measured as he adjusted his grip slightly, making Mize even more comfortable in his hold.
"Who knows," Liam mused, his lips curving faintly. "Love sure is blinding, illogical, and sometimes it doesn't even feel real"
Mize lifted his head slightly, finally looking at him.
"It's strange, you know," he said softly. "We barely even know each other. Not even two days. And yet you're already acting like this."
"We even went quite far at certain times"
His ruby-red eyes narrowed slightly.
"Did I do something to you?"
Liam chuckled.
"Perhaps when you teased me on the bus," he admitted smoothly. "I kinda fell for you."
"I fell hard, and it would be impossible for me to untangle myself... From you"
Mize's brows twitched.
This guy.
Smooth talker is in his genetic or something?
"Hm." He hummed softly, not confirming nor denying anything.
Liam smiled down at him, his expression gentle yet unwavering.
"Your charm works wonders," he murmured. "I'd love to have you around me all the time..."
"It's oddly peaceful... "
Mize huffed.
"I'm not sure," he grumbled, shifting slightly in Liam's arms. "It's abrupt. And yet… we've already broken so many stages. I-I have many secrets that I didn't tell you"
Liam's eyes darkened slightly, his grip tightening just a little.
"And I will take responsibility for it," he said suddenly.
His voice was deep.
Unshaken.
Mize froze.
His breath hitched slightly, his fingers unconsciously gripping onto Liam's sleeve.
His heart, for some reason, skipped a beat.
'If only this moment would last forever' He thought inwardly, lips curled, 'I hope he can be strong enough to protect me, I love the current situation just being myself and not having to chase another guy'
[Host, there are many other protagonist that is the same or even exceed the current one]
'And like I said, I choose him because he treats me right. Inform me if the other protagonist is close by'
[If that's your decision, then this humble one will comply]
The rest of the day passed in a blur of luxury and excess.
One shop after another, Liam spent freely, while Mize…
Well, Mize relished every second of it.
His original wallet? Tossed aside.
The money from that Derek guy? Still untouched.
He'd probably spend it later on a whim. After all, money was money.
And now, since he had a new
protector, cough King Yama freak who would do anything for him, life had never been easier.
"What do you mean, choosing clothes? I want them all!"
"What do you mean, I can look at the jewelry? I want them all!"
With an air of absolute arrogance, Mize emptied shop after shop, sweeping through entire collections like a true tyrant.
And why not?
The storage ring Liam had given him had been optimized, allowing him to store and retrieve items at will with nothing more than a flick of his fingers.
He didn't know how Liam had done it, normally, storage rings required awakener-level consciousness to operate.
But one thing was very, very clear.
Liam was an all-rounder expert.
Every question Mize asked, he had an answer to.
It was infuriatingly impressive.
To him, Mize. This was just another walk of the day, and it was closing in for the nighttime.
The final destination for the day?
For Liam, it was a date.
For Mize?
Just a casual walk to take a breather.
At least, that's what he told himself.
The place Liam had chosen wasn't just any restaurant, it was one of the most high-end dining establishments in the city, towering over the skyline.
The moment they arrived, Mize's eyes widened slightly, taking in the lavish details of the reserved suite.
A private dining area, enclosed with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, offering an uninterrupted view of the entire city.
The table was set perfectly, adorned with handcrafted silverware, a single flickering candle, and a pristine white tablecloth.
Soft golden lights hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow across the room, while faint instrumental music played in the background.
It was…
Elegant.
Opulent.
A place meant for the elite.
'I am now considered elite right?'
But Mize's attention wasn't on any of that.
His gaze had already turned toward the window.
"Woahhh!"
His entire face was practically squished against the glass, ruby-red eyes gleaming with childlike fascination.
From up here, the city stretched endlessly, a sprawling sea of neon and steel.
Distant skyscrapers flickered like stars, the humming veins of traffic below weaving through the streets like glowing arteries.
It was beautiful.
For the first time, he was seeing the true scale of the city.
And for the first time… he realized he had never actually left it.
His entire life had been spent here, in this one massive concrete jungle.
His voice softened, breath fogging slightly against the glass.
"Despite the dystopian vibe… it really is beautiful," he murmured.
Slowly, he pulled away, palm pressing lightly against the cold surface.
A thought slipped through his lips, barely above a whisper.
"I wonder… what lies beyond this sea of concrete?"
But before Mize could spiral any further, his feet suddenly lifted off the ground.
A soft whoosh of energy curled beneath him, gently carrying him away from the window.
"H-hey!" Mize shrieked, flailing slightly as his body floated mid-air.
Liam, still seated, smiled lazily, waving his fingers in a slow motion.
Effortless.
Graceful.
And infuriatingly smug.
Mize was gracefully seated in his chair before he even realized it, his protests completely ignored.
His mouth twitched.
"Can you not use magic on me?!"
Liam leaned against the table, resting his chin in his palm.
"It's formation."
Mize rolled his eyes.
"Again with the formation. So magic can't do the same thing?"
Liam hummed. "Every path can do the same," he admitted. "But to what extent it can be used… depends on the person."
His fingers tapped against the table, eyes glinting slightly.
"And, honestly? It's quite a surprise that you want to become a Dungeon Lord."
Mize blinked, then quickly corrected him.
"Business Lord."
He ran a hand through his hair, trying to fix the slight mess from all the shopping.
Liam's eyes curved in amusement.
"Yes, that."
Then, after a pause.
"But do you even know the full extent of what a Dungeon Lord is?"
"I… I know that I could have a piece of land inside my divine consciousness," Mize started, tapping his lips thoughtfully, his eyes drifting to the ceiling as if staring hard enough would jog his memory better.
"And then I can develop it to act as a dungeon… and project a gate into the real world so that other awakeners can enter and use it…"
He recalled every piece of information he had read online, listing them one by one.
Liam listened quietly, a small chuckle slipping past his lips before he finally moved.
With a simple twist of his fingers, a projection of deep purple energy flickered into existence on the table before them.
Mize's gaze snapped to it immediately, curiosity flashing in his ruby eyes.
"Take this picture as an example…" Liam began, gesturing toward the floating image.
The projection shifted, forming a detailed three-dimensional map, showing a sprawling world divided into territories, dungeons, and towering fortresses.
Liam continued, his voice smooth as he narrated.
"'Awakener' isn't just a name," he said. "It's a title, one that carries far more meaning than most people realize."
Mize tilted his head slightly, intrigued.