“So... what exactly are we doing right now?”

“A date.”

Zeming didn’t deny they were on a date, but something about it just felt off.

“Then what are we actually doing on this date, right this second?”

Zeming helplessly picked up an airsoft gun. It had weight to it, and when he shook it, it felt solid and steady. If he loaded a few rounds, the thing really would fire.

“Browsing discount guns at an airsoft shop. That’s pretty much it.”

On the other side, Eira grabbed a black, thick, oversized rifle even bigger than the one in Zeming’s hands. Her slender arms lifted it without any strain, but when that gun was standing on the floor, it was actually taller than she was.

Eira wasn’t particularly tall—about up to Zeming’s chin, hovering around one-sixty-seven or so. Not short, not towering. Paired with that slim figure, she was the perfect “just-right wife” type.

“...Going to a place like this for a date really rewrote my entire worldview.”

He looked around at the other customers. Mostly military geeks and hardcore survival-game fans. There were a few girls, but compared to Eira, they all looked way more professional.

When Eira wasn’t in her Hero outfit, she was a completely different person. Just like now—more like the quiet girl next door. Gentle, good at housework, loves books—the model homebody wife.

“What’s your idea of a date, then?”

Eira blinked, lifting her face while still holding the gun.

A serene maiden, huh. Yeah, that fit pretty well.

“Probably stuff like aquariums, theme parks, lakeside parks. That kind of place.”

“Where’d you learn that?” Eira put on an exaggeratedly surprised face.

“...I’ve never been on a date, okay? Please stop giving me that ‘what’s this clueless virgin pretending for’ look. I learned all this from dating sims and anime.”

Speaking of games, he himself was currently playing a very special one: the heroine wasn’t a high school girl, not some monster girl, not an underage loli—but a married woman who was already his wife. As far as dates go, that was pretty damn ironic.

“I wasn’t making fun of you, I just...”

Eira set the gun on the counter and turned her back to Zeming, looking up at a sniper rifle hanging high on the wall.

“We’re about the same. I don’t really know where you’re supposed to go on a date either. If this place made you unhappy, I’m sorry.”

That quiet, low voice—wasn’t that just a girl feeling guilty? And he’d actually made her apologize.

Zeming clenched his fists in frustration, and his mind flashed back to those damn memories. He’d once wanted to go on a date, a real one. But he’d given up pretty fast, after his so-called first love rejected him. Maybe his heart wasn’t tough enough—but still, it had been his first love.

Heave-ho, heave-ho, heave-ho—

Eira rose up on her toes, leaning over the counter to get higher, reaching for the sniper rifle at the very top.

Sadly, even stretched out, she barely cleared the level of her own nose. If she were in her usual Hero uniform, she would’ve just leapt a few meters up and grabbed it.

“You know what’s great about being small?”

“That’s definitely you making fun of me!” Eira glared, eyes sharp like a little tiger.

She was really sensitive about her height. You could train your jumping in the future, but your actual body? That was permanent.

“That doesn’t count. I’m not making fun of you.” Zeming easily took the sniper rifle down and turned to hand it to her. “Short girls’ number-one advantage is that they can act spoiled whenever they want.”

Eira took the rifle from him, blinking a few times, then just stared at Zeming, a little dazed.

“I don’t like asking people for help. Saying it like that makes me mad.”

Her face went cold, but the blush burning along her cheeks was very real.

“No problem. Just pick it up and let me take a look?”

Eira didn’t say anything. She rested the butt of the rifle on the ground, raised it up with both hands, hugging it as she leaned lightly to one side and posed.

“How is it?”

The enormous gun made Eira look even cuter. That flush on her face was a perfect little scene.

Zeming glanced around. If they didn’t leave soon, they’d get swarmed by the gun nerds. A whole swarm of dudes with cameras and phones were already charging over.

“Move!”

“Wait, I haven’t put the gun back yet...” Eira was yanked along, her slender body light enough to look like it could float.

“It’s fine... Boss, here, run my card. I’ll take it, whatever the price!”

First achievement of his life: buying a present for his girlfriend/wife (not counting the hand cream for his right hand).

The second stop on their date surprised him even more: a knife shop. A dreamland for chuuni kids, would-be explorers, and teenagers aspiring to be Heroes. The shop owner was even a minor celebrity in the scene.

He could understand Eira wanting to come here. But this particular “activity” was going too far.

“Eira, you sure you’ve got that ‘sound positioning’ skill?”

He was tied to a post, an apple quietly sitting on top of his head.

In front of him, Eira walked forward in a dignified, steady stride, blindfolded. Only now she looked like a beach girl with watermelon-sized curves, holding a katana as she approached.

“Eira, left... right... my right... slow down!!”

She finally got close. Now came the most crucial part.

Couple game: the winner got a 55% discount on any weapon in the shop. But this was a bit much.

“Ahh! My arm!”

“Wait, babe, that’s my leg!”

“I... think I’m disabled now...”

All around him, four or five people were already spraying blood. And he was the last one up...

“Is this distance okay now, Zeming?”

“It is, but you have to be super careful, got it?”

“No problem... Whirlwind Rending Void Slash!!”

“We don’t need a finisher move! We really don’t!!”

Swish swish swish————

The blade flashed like a gust of wind, cutting through the air around his face and above his head. When he realized what was happening, a few strands of his bangs drifted down to the floor, and he heard the crisp split of the apple on top of his head.

“Did I do it?”

“You nailed it... Did I just wet my pants?” Zeming couldn’t feel his legs anymore.

Eira yanked off the blindfold, and that usually icy face finally melted into a trace of a smile. She jumped up, excited.

“Congratulations to our winners, Miss Eira and her boyfriend, Mr. Zeming! Everyone, a round of applause~”

Could you maybe help the people bleeding out first? And that guy whose arm is hanging by a thread? You really don’t need to clap, man. Save your strength!

“We did it~~”

Eira hopped up and planted a kiss on Zeming’s cheek.

The sudden move stunned him, and he also realized something else—caught up in the excitement, this girl had no idea what she’d just done. Which was... very good.

His hearing was the sharpest of all his senses. After all, his eardrums had been modified. Thanks to that, he heard it crystal clear: when Eira’s chest pressed against his, the sound of her heart pounding in her excitement.

It was beautiful, like an opera. After the modifications, Zeming didn’t trust surface behavior anymore. Only the raw, instinctive reactions of a human body felt absolutely real to him.

“Eira, you’re being really normal right now.”

He tossed the line out casually. Eira didn’t react much at all.

She loved anything intense—bombs, archery, darts, fencing. All the stuff that totally didn’t fit the “cute girl” image. Not to mention things like actually shooting a gun herself.

That love of new things probably made her pretty good with kids. She was always serious, always gave clear guidance. Even when Zeming kept failing his first attempts at archery, she had endless patience.

This street didn’t have the youthful energy of an amusement park, but it made your blood run hot. It wasn’t as dreamy as an aquarium, but it still held plenty of fun. There wasn’t really anywhere quiet to be alone together, but because of that, Zeming finally understood what “Eira” really meant.

“Today was really fun.”

Zeming carried two big boxes, walking under the sunset, drawing in a deep breath of fresh air.

“...It was all good. Except that tomato.”

“It was just a salad. I didn’t think you’d be that picky.”

“It’s not the same!” Eira said, dead serious. “Those little pulpy bits are the grossest thing ever. Why does something that disgusting even exist in this world?”

“Because it exists, so it exists.”

No wonder she always picked at the tomato in tomato-and-egg stir fry. So she just didn’t like it.

“What? You’re weird.”

“No no no, being weird’s the whole reason you like me, right?”

“Who likes you! Today was just to make our cover life more believable!”

Eira still hammered away at their “relationship.”

So, to her, he wasn’t really a boyfriend?

Maybe this was what they called fate messing with you. Just as they finished loading the knives and the sniper rifle into Eira’s trunk, a blond man in a neat suit walked up from the side.

First thing he did was ignore Zeming completely. Then he opened his arms and silently pulled Eira into a hug.

“Little Eira~ It’s so good to see you again~”

Seriously? I don’t even exist to this guy?

“Yoderick? What are you doing here?”

Eira was just as shocked. But something else shocked Zeming even more.

Eira was clearly flustered. Not like she didn’t know him—but like she was familiar with him and still trying to push Yoderick away.

“I’m back. For the promise we made. I finally achieved something and came home.”

Yoderick spoke excitedly.

“You... you still remember? That promise.”

Eira looked awkward, at a loss for words.

“Of course. I said once I finished my studies abroad and made something of myself, I’d come back and propose to you. Now I’ve done it. So—will you marry me?”

Without even glancing at Zeming standing in front of the trunk, the guy dropped to one knee right there behind the car.

He pulled out a red box from his pocket, flipped it open in front of Eira. A diamond the size of a pigeon egg flashed in the sunset.

On this very day, he’d gone on a date. He’d had a great time. And on this same day, another man was proposing to his wife.

It was abrupt as hell. Zeming’s fists itched. He swore, if that guy dared touch Eira one more time, he’d transform on the spot and kick him—straight-up Rider Kick level.