King of Games C21 Date and level up

Shinro and Momiji made their way to the train station, the bustling crowd around them a blur of colors and sounds. The trip to the Tropical Land was filled with the rhythmic clacking of the train on the tracks, punctuated by the occasional sigh from Momiji. Upon arrival, they handed over their tickets and entered the vibrant amusement park. Momiji's expression was a mix of boredom and reluctance.

"So... What do we do first in this... first date?" Momiji asked, the words tasting like sour grapes on their tongue.

Shinro's eyes twinkled with mischief as he pointed ahead. "How about we start with the Ferris Wheel?"

Momji's shoulders slumped in resignation. "Sigh, alright." She begrudgingly followed Shinro, both dreading and anticipating the forced time together.

As they waited in line, the carnival music swirled around them, mixing with the screams of delight and terror from the other rides.

The operator buckled them into the gondola, and they began their ascent, slowly leaving the ground behind.

Shinro noticed Momji's sour expression and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Come on, let's have fun while we're at it. Don't have such a face, you're affecting my mood. You think you're the only one who didn't like this? I'm in this too, you know. So, let's make the best of it." He flashed a warm smile and offered his hand to help Momji into the gondola.

Momji furrowed her brows but reluctantly took Shinro's hand, her fingers brushing briefly as they boarded the Ferris Wheel. The gondola began to rise, lifting them higher and higher above the bustling park below.

As they ascended, the world below grew smaller, replaced by a sea of colorful lights and the distant sounds of laughter. Momji's grip on the railing tightened, both from the height and the uncomfortable closeness to Shinro.

"You alright?" Shinro asked, noticing Momji's knuckles turning white.

"I'm fine," Momji muttered through gritted teeth, not wanting to admit to any fear.

The gondola reached its zenith, and for a moment, they were suspended in time, the entire park laid out before them like a twinkling carpet.

The breeze ruffled her hair, and for once, Momji forgot about the forced nature of their date.

"It's… kind of pretty up here," Momji admitted, the words escaping before she could stop them.

"Oh? Did I hear that right?" Shinro chuckled as he looked at Momiji, having heard what she said just now.

Momiji blushed in embarrassment and quickly denied it. "No, you heard that wrong."

Shinro didn't really care as he just teased, "Well, if you say so."

Their time together continued with Momiji exuding an awkwardness that Shinro seemed to find amusing. The Ferris Wheel reached its zenith again, and this time, Momiji closed her eyes, trying to ignore the dizzying height. Shinro, on the other hand, leaned against the railing, enjoying the view.

"You know, it's supposed to be romantic up here," he said, nudging Momiji playfully.

Momiji scoffed, her cheeks still flushed. "Yeah, well, this isn't exactly a real date, is it?"

Shinro sighed, his playful demeanor fading for a moment. "I know, but we might as well try to make the best of it."

Momji opened her eyes, meeting Shinro's gaze for the first time since they boarded the ride. There was a vulnerability in his eyes that she hadn't expected, and for a brief moment, she felt a pang of guilt.

As the gondola began its descent, Momji cleared her throat, breaking the awkward silence. "So, what do you want to do next? More rides or…?" She gestured vaguely at the park below them.

Shinro shrugged. "I don't know, what do you want to do?" He seemed genuinely interested in her opinion, and for a moment, Momji almost forgot about the forced nature of their date.

"Um, how about the carousel?" Momji suggested, remembering how much she'd always loved the graceful horses as a child.

Shinro grinned. "Sure, why not?"

They exited the Ferris Wheel and made their way through the throngs of people to the carousel. The music enveloped them as they chose their steeds, Momji selecting a white horse with a flowing mane and Shinro opting for a black stallion. The ride started, and they circled around to the tune of a cheery waltz.

Momji couldn't help but smile as her horse went up and down, the wind in her hair.

As the ride came to an end, they disembarked, slightly dizzy but laughing.

"That was… not so bad," Momji admitted, cheeks flushed.

Shinro smiled, "I told you so. We just needed to find the right ride."

The rest of the day passed by in a blur of games, snacks, and more rides. Momji found herself surprisingly enjoying herself, the forced nature of their date fading into the background. Shinro was actually quite charming when he wanted to be, and Momji caught herself laughing more than she had in a long time.

They shared cotton candy, sticky strands clinging to their fingers as they tried to one-up each other in a game of ring toss. They even won a stuffed bear, which Shinro gallantly presented to Momji with a bow.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the park, they found themselves on a bench overlooking the lake. The air was heavy with the scent of popcorn and the lingering screams of joy from the roller coaster.

"So, what do you think?" Shinro asked, nudging her with his shoulder. "Still hate every second of this?"

Momji huffed, but couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face. "I guess it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

Shinro feigned shock. " 'Not as bad'? You seemed to be enjoying yourself just now…"

Momji rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the blush creeping onto her cheeks.

As they made their way to the train station to go back home, Momji turned to Shinro. "Although I say this date wasn't that bad, it doesn't mean I'm developing feelings for you, so don't misunderstand."

Shinro chuckled, "Don't worry. And you also don't misunderstand my feelings just now. Maybe I'm just starting to see you as a friend, but not more than that."

Hearing this, Momji felt a mix of relief and disappointment, which she quickly shoved aside. "Good, as a friend then. Because there's already a man in my heart."

Shinro's expression clouded for a moment, but he quickly recovered. "I see. Well, I'm glad we had a good time today, Momiji. Who knows, maybe we can do this again sometime… as friends, of course."

Momji nodded, a little wistful. "Yeah, maybe. As friends."

Hearing this, Shinro couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity. "So, who is the lucky guy you love?"

Momji chuckled, "Since I accepted you as my friend, I'll tell you. Have you heard of the Osaka's famous detective, the Shinichi Kudo of Osaka?"

Shinro nodded, "You mean Hattori Heiji?"

Momji blushed. "Yeah, well, that's the man I love."

After that, their conversation took a more casual turn, but Momji couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed between them. The easy camaraderie they'd built during the day now felt strained, as if the mention of her crush had erected an invisible barrier between them.

Momji tried to push the feeling aside as they boarded the train home. They chatted about mundane topics, but the lightheartedness from before was gone.

As they neared the Suzuki Family mansion, Momji couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. She'd genuinely enjoyed her time with Shinro, and now, it seemed that their newfound friendship was already fraying.

Momiji followed Shinro out of the train, her heart heavy. They had arrived back at the Suzuki Family mansion.

As she entered the mansion, the cavernous halls seemed colder than usual. Momji trudged up the stairs to her room, her heart heavier with each step. Collapsing onto the bed, she stared at the ceiling, replaying the day's events in her mind.

Their date had been… fun. More than fun, actually. And now that it was over, Momji realized just how much she'd come to enjoy Shinro's company.

---

Meanwhile, Shinro returned to his room in a good mood. His system points had finally reached 100,000, thanks to the downloads of the video game "Undertale" and the points rewarded by the system. Eagerly, he opened the interface and upgraded the "Tiny World" to its maximum level. As soon as the upgrade was complete, the system congratulated him for maximizing his first miniature world and informed him that his status had leveled up to Level 7.

Shinro's attributes, such as charm, strength, luck, stamina, and agility, had all increased, but he didn't pay much attention to the details. Instead, he was more interested in observing the homo erectus in his "Tiny World" and how they had evolved.

Maximizing the time acceleration, Shinro watched as the homo erectus in his miniature world progressed at an accelerated pace. They developed crude tools, and even started to form simple societies. It was fascinating to watch, but a part of him couldn't help but feel a tinge of loneliness.