"You know, I think I might be starting to prefer retro entertainment over the stuff that's made these days, there's just something about it that hooks me more than the modern stuff.

Plus, it's pretty fascinating to get a look of what things were like back then," Remarked Aria thoughtfully, as she tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it in her mouth.

"Careful, you'll get crumbs on your bed. And yeah, I prefer the entertainment from my previous era. At least with movies, shows and anime. Some of the games in this era are great, especially VR ones, they're so hyper-realistic that it's almost scary," I replied with a wry smile.

"VR was around in your old era too, wasn't it? Was it not as realistic?" She asked me.

"I mean, I never experienced it myself, but I really doubt it. I'd seen videos of people using it, and it was clear that, while they did seem amazed, they were also able to tell that it was a simulation.

But with the VR games I've played in this era, it's hard to distinguish the games from reality, especially at first. It was a bit unsettling, honestly...like, what if all of this is a simulation? What if everything we're experiencing is nothing but a VR world that someone's controlling?" I suggested jokingly.

"Yeah, that's a scary thought. If this was a story, that'd be a really crappy plot twist," She responded with a laugh.

"No disagreements there," I nodded, before glancing down as she laced her fingers between mine, giving my hand a light squeeze.

I definitely don't mind this, but I wonder what brought it on?

I didn't notice right away since this has been a gradual change, but she's definitely getting a lot physically closer to me than she used to.

We were currently in her new bedroom, seated on the bed and watching a comedy movie from my era, where the two main characters swap bodies and try to live each other's lives.

I watched it back in my previous life, and I enjoyed it, so I figured I'd give it a rewatch. There's a bit more nudity than I remember, which made things a bit awkward.

The movie's just been playing in the background for the most part though, we've mostly just been chatting and snacking, only really paying half-attention to the movie.

"Huh, I wonder what it'd feel like to swap bodies with someone? Hey, if we swapped bodies for a day, what's the first thing you'd do, Kai?" She inquired curiously.

Hm...probably shouldn't say the first thing that came to mind. It's the thing most straight guys would probably do if they found themselves in a woman's body.

"Well, I'd probably freak out at first."

Yeah, I think that's a nice, safe answer, and it isn't really a lie either.

"Heh, yeah, same here. After I stop freaking out, I think I'd try to use your powers and see what it feels like," She grinned excitedly, before I reached over and patted her head.

What an innocent answer, she's so cute.

"Uh, yeah, same here. Your Magic always looks so flashy and dynamic, I think it'd be pretty cool to see what it feels like," I nodded in response.

That isn't a lie either, I am genuinely curious about how using different forms of Magic feels. Using Negative Energy feels a lot different to using my Skills, and using each of my Skills also feels different to each other.

"What else would you do?" She asked me.

"Huh? Uh, let me think...maybe-...," I began, before trailing off as she suddenly scooted closer towards me and snuggled up, her head resting on my shoulder as her body pressed into my left arm warmly.

"Yeah?" She prompted me, her cheeks slightly red before her gaze shifted as I glanced at her, caught off-guard.

Okay, wasn't expecting this.

"I, uh...not that I mind, but, it might not be the best idea to get this close," I muttered, resisting the urge to put my arm around her shoulders.

She tensed slightly as she averted her gaze, her face getting redder...was she hoping that I wouldn't address it or something?

"U-Um...," She began, trailing off as her voice cracked, before clearing her throat and continuing, "D-Don't worry about it, I-I just felt like doing this, that's all...but, um, if you don't like it, feel free to push me away."

"No, I...I'm not going to do that," I replied quietly, before lifting my arm and putting it around her shoulders.

She was silent for a moment, before reaching out and wrapping her arm around my torso, embracing me.

Neither of us said a word, the movie continuing to play in the background as my heart began to race.

I could feel and hear the beat of her heart too, but I couldn't bring myself to meet her gaze, and I'm pretty sure she's in the same boat.

Her gaze was shifted slightly down, her head on my shoulder. I slumped down slightly as she shifted a bit and embraced me a little more firmly, snuggling up to me as we half-laid down on her bed.

With each passing second, the desire to say something and break the silence mounted, I felt a tension in the air...until eventually, I just relaxed.

The tension slowly began to fade, the silence starting to feel pleasant and comfortable.

I shifted and made myself more comfortable, Aria following my lead, the two of us finally making eye contact as we laid down, her eyes gleaming and trembling slightly.

She then placed her forehead against my chest, her body easing up as she took a deep breath and let out a slow exhale...

"Hey, um...l-listen, Kai. I...I have something to ask you...it's sort of a request...," She mumbled, a nervous tremble in her voice.

"Yeah? What is it?" I asked her softly, stroking the back of her head.

"W-Well, I...I just-...," She trailed off, pausing for a moment before suddenly blurting out, "Could we go out on a date?!"

Huh?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.