CHAPTER 104: THIS IS A DATING SIM, NOT AN RPG

What ended up happening was Marcus letting Victoria use the bath first after they finished with breakfast.

After all, it was still quite early—plenty of time before classes.

They wouldn’t be late.

By the time a few minutes passed and they returned to Marcus’ room, both of them had changed into their crisp academy uniforms. The polished fabric, the faintly magical embroidery on the cuffs—it all gave off the unmistakable air of prestige.

They looked ready for a new day.

At least on the outside.

But Marcus? Internally, he was a mess.

A female classmate. Taking a bath. At his house.

And changed in his room.

He was dying inside.

’I have to be going insane...’

’It wasn’t this bad yesterday, right?’

He forced a nervous laugh under his breath, cursing the body he now inhabited for its ever-growing treachery. The racing heart, the restless gaze, the warm flush that refused to fade from his cheeks—it wasn’t like this back when he first arrived.

It was getting worse by the day.

Victoria, of course, noticed.

She wasn’t dense. In fact, she was the opposite—dangerously observant. And with her abilities already active, her sensitivity to emotions was only amplified.

She tilted her head slightly, her voice low and teasing.

"Oh...?" she said, clearly enjoying herself. "Is someone flustered?"

Her light chuckle echoed in the quiet room, a melody of amusement laced with faint affection.

Prompting Marcus to nearly choke on his own air as he quickly cleared his throat. "That’s enough," he muttered, louder than he meant to, tugging at the collar of his uniform.

He turned toward his bed, where—surprisingly—his briefcase sat.

Despite everything that had happened, somehow, it hadn’t been lost or replaced.

"Well... that’s convenient," he muttered, grabbing it with a slight nod, as if the universe had decided to give him one small win today.

Beside him, Victoria raised an eyebrow at the phrase "new body." It wasn’t lost on her.

Not even close.

"Good to see I’m not the only one affected by it," she said with a smirk, brushing her now-dried hair back behind one ear.

Marcus blinked. "Really? Even you?" he asked, slinging the briefcase over his shoulder.

"Yeah. Even I can’t help getting flustered over more... normal things now." She gave a small shrug, lips curled upward. "But I have better tolerance, you know? Years of reading romance novels paid off."

With a wave of her hand, a soft golden rune sparked into existence. Her handbag appeared in a shimmer of light, summoned from storage space as smoothly as if she’d practiced it a hundred times.

She slung it over her shoulder and glanced toward the window. Sunlight was spilling in now, casting long beams across the floor. The city below was still waking up.

"We’re pretty much ready now," she said simply.

They were, in truth, overly ready.

At least two hours ahead of schedule.

Which also explained why Aveline was still fast asleep somewhere in the estate. Probably snoring, unaware of the romantic turmoil brewing in Marcus’ room.

Marcus straightened his jacket, clearly eager to change the subject. "We should head out."

But Victoria just smiled again—softly, knowingly.

She wasn’t done teasing him.

Because, truthfully? A part of her liked seeing him like this. Maybe more than she should.

The two stepped out of the estate, the marble steps echoing beneath their feet as the morning breeze met them.

And at the front gates, as expected, stood Lance.

Still smiling. Still smug.

"Have a good day, young master and mistress," he said, bowing gracefully.

Then he added, voice dipped in clear mischief, "And don’t be shy to invite her again."

Marcus pretended not to hear him and walked past, head slightly down, footsteps just a bit faster.

Lance chuckled quietly behind them as he watched the two disappear into the distance.

’Another day, another event-filled chaos’, he mused.

As the estate faded behind them, the city slowly opened up. Early vendors were setting up stalls, carriages rolled past lazily, and the sky was still tinged with soft pastels.

The streets were mostly empty—just the occasional student or noble passing by.

And then Victoria spoke, her voice lower than usual.

"Hey..."

Marcus glanced over. "What is it?"

They walked side-by-side now, their steps unconsciously in sync.

"You like me, right?" she asked.

The question landed like a firecracker.

Marcus let out an awkward laugh—his cheeks already starting to warm.

Another blush. Another spike of confusion. Another surge of unfamiliar emotion welling in his chest.

’What is this body doing to me?’

’Is it syncing too much? Is it syncing with my soul or just breaking me?’

He sighed and responded, still half-flustered. "Why... why would you ask that?"

She didn’t look at him. Just kept walking forward, her eyes focused on the slowly filling city square ahead.

"Well..." she began, fingers fidgeting slightly. "We’re the only two people from Earth here. As far as we know, anyway."

"And I wanted to... you know?"

Even her confident tone faltered for a moment as her face turned ever so slightly pink.

Marcus stopped walking for a second—then quickly caught up.

He had almost forgotten.

With all the action, the noise, the noble chaos, and strange powers flying around... he almost forgot the genre of this world.

Sure, he had a dating system.

But he kept treating this like an RPG.

Not a dating sim.

He didn’t respond right away. And that silence? It made Victoria hesitate, regret creeping into her voice.

"So you want to get together," he finally said, "despite only knowing each other for three days or less?"

He phrased it as a question. Not rejection. Just... seeking clarity.

Victoria smiled—just a little.

"It’s not really about how long we’ve known each other, right?" she replied. "We’re the only two here with a shared past. Even if we didn’t meet back on Earth."

She glanced at him then.

"And let’s be real... we’re both teenagers now. It’s a fresh start. New world. New rules. And romance is literally half the point of this place."

She gave a dry laugh.

"Other than the weird secret societies, it’s still supposed to be about dating, right?"

Marcus exhaled, his expression shifting.

She had a point.

No matter how powerful they became, no matter what secrets or conflicts awaited...

This world was designed for relationships. Bonds. Emotions.

Maybe... just maybe, they should lean into it.

Even if their souls were older, their bodies were young.

And the world?

The world was ready.