How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

As the night stretched on, so did my small yet meaningful date with Senior Alice.

We took a leisurely round trip through a few notable spots, making impromptu stops whenever something caught our interest.

Along the way, we indulged in small snacks—nothing extravagant, just simple bites shared between us.

Despite the usual quietness, the atmosphere felt… different.

Better.

More genuine.

Neither of us spoke much, but that was perfectly fine.

Sometimes, words weren't needed to convey emotions.

We simply enjoyed the moment—walking side by side, taking in the night air, unwilling to let it end just yet.

But eventually, our little escape had to come to a close.

When we finally reached the dorms, we—rather than using the entrance—took a small detour.

Flying up to the balcony.

It was a necessary precaution, considering that getting caught sneaking back past curfew would be more trouble than it was worth.

The dorm master was sharp-eyed and relentless when it came to rule enforcement.

Of course, sneaking Alice into my room was even more problematic.

After all, the boys' and girls' dorms were separate for a reason.

Yet, as I turned to remind her of that fact—

"Haah~ I'm tired~ Hehehe~"

Alice plopped onto my bed with an exaggerated sigh, stretching out as if she owned the place.

Without even lifting a finger, she telekinetically slipped off her shoes and socks, sending them neatly to the side before she dove straight into my pillows.

Red sparks of mana flickered around her like tiny fireworks, momentarily illuminating her golden hair as she buried her face into one of my pillows.

She let out a soft, contented hum.

"Mmm~ this smells nice~"

I blinked; she's seriously gotten used to this lifestyle huh…

"…Senior, you do realize this is still my bed, right?"

Alice peeked up, grinning.

"Yeah~ that's why it's comfy~"

At this point, my room had practically become her second home, so there was no point in questioning it anymore.

I knew—once everything with the White Queen was settled—Alice would probably return to her own dorm room.

But honestly?

A part of me didn't want her to leave.

Hugging her every night was the best, after all.

As I watched her eyelids grow heavy, her breathing soft and steady, I couldn't help but smile.

Still, there was one thing left to remind her before she completely drifted off—

"You should change first, Senior…"

A slow, drowsy hum came from the bed.

"Hm~? What's this~? Are you asking me to change right in front of you, Junior~?"

"Maybe?" I replied, tilting my head slightly.

She cracked open one eye, smirking.

"At least try to deny it, you perv!"

"But I've already seen most of it, right? And we're already lovers, so what's the proble—"

Thwack!

A mana-infused pillow came flying straight at my face, hitting me dead-on.

It didn't really hurt, but the force behind it made it clear—Alice was not amused.

"I-Idiot! Lecherous pervert, die!" she huffed, her face burning red as she reached for another pillow.

"I told you to forget that time!"

"There's no way I could do that, Senior."

"Y-You perv! Forget about it right now!"

I chuckled, effortlessly dodging another pillow as she launched it with dangerous accuracy.

One after another, she kept throwing them—her frustration only growing as I weaved between each one, grinning.

Finally, after a solid minute of her relentless barrage, she collapsed onto the bed, breathing heavily.

"Hah… hah… damn it… just let me sleep already…"

I smirked.

"As long as you change first."

A muffled groan came from beneath the pillow she had pulled over her face.

"Shut up, Perverted Junior…"

Slowly, Alice exhaled, then inhaled, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

She refused to acknowledge the grin on my face, her golden eyes flickering red for a brief moment.

That sudden shift—her emotions subtly reflected in her gaze—made me tense up for a second.

But… the annoyance and hostility from before had already faded slightly.

"Calm now?" I asked, still grinning.

"I'm not! If you talk about it again, you're sleeping on the sofa!"

…Technically, this was my room, right?

But pointing that out would be pointless at this stage.

Chuckling to myself, I took a step closer, reaching out to gently pat her head.

Her entire face turned a deep shade of red.

"Sorry…" I said with a small smile. "But telling me to forget something like that? That's just too much, Senior. Asking me to erase the sight of such a beautiful goddess from my memory—that's blasphemy."

I made sure to exaggerate my tone, just to tease her a little.

She shot me an annoyed glare, clearly unimpressed, but she didn't bother arguing back.

Instead, she let out a small hmph before plopping back down on the bed, her arms crossed.

With a flick of her fingers, the pillows she had thrown at me floated back into her grasp, neatly returning to their place.

Seeing her completely ignoring me, I let out a quiet sigh and shook my head.

…Honestly, it wasn't even a big deal if she didn't change.

She wasn't dirty in the first place—if anything, she still smelled just as fresh and nice as ever.

The only downside was that the beautiful clothes she had probably spent time carefully choosing were now completely crumpled.

A bit of a shame, really.

Approaching my wardrobe, I pulled it open and began unbuttoning my shirt, letting the fabric slide off my shoulders.

"What are you doing, Junior?"

"Changing?" I replied casually, grabbing my pajamas.

"O-Oh…"

Alice quickly turned her head, pretending to look elsewhere, but I caught her sneaking glances from time to time.

Cute.

It was amusing how she tried to act indifferent, only to betray herself with those quick, stolen looks.

I wasn't particularly modest about my body—if anything, I was quite proud of it.

"You don't have to hide it, you know, Senior," I teased, smirking. "You can ogle as much as you want."

"S-Shut up and die!"

A small chuckle escaped me at her reaction.

For someone who was two years older than me, she was surprisingly innocent about these things.

After slipping into my pajamas, I turned back to the bed, where Alice was watching me—her golden-red eyes filled with something unreadable.

She looked almost… lost in thought.

I raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong…?"

She blinked at my question, as if snapping out of a daze, then quickly shook her head.

"It's nothing… Let's get to bed, shall we?"

I tilted my head slightly, still wondering what that look was about.

But in the end, I simply nodded and made my way over, sinking into the soft mattress.

The moment I lay down, Alice moved—instantly.

Like a predator pouncing on its prey, she wrapped herself around me, hugging my chest tightly.

"S-Senior?"

"You like it, right?"

I hesitated for a second before nodding.

"Well… yes."

"T-Then just shut up and let's indulge in this moment."

Her voice was soft, but her hold on me was firm, as if she didn't want to let go.

I blinked in slight surprise.

It was a bit… different, seeing her act so assertive.

Last time, I was the one who had made the first move.

But now?

Now she was the one taking the lead.

And honestly… I liked it way more than expected…

As our breaths grew calmer, the stillness of the night settled around us. The cold air seeped through the room, wrapping us in its quiet embrace. Time continued to pass, but neither of us closed our eyes.

Alice lay beside me, her head tilted slightly as she gazed up at me. Since I was taller, she had to angle her face a little to meet my eyes.

Noticing her stare, I glanced down at her.

Sleep weighed on both of us—we were on the verge of slipping into unconsciousness—yet neither of us drifted off just yet.

Her golden eyes held something unspoken, something she couldn't quite put into words.

I felt it.

An emotion buried beneath the surface, lingering between us in the silence.

I wanted to ask her what was on her mind, but before I could open my mouth—

"Junior…."

Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

"Yes?"

She hesitated for a moment before finally saying it.

"I love you."

I blinked.

"...What's this all of a sudden?" I asked, slightly surprised.

"Nothing," she murmured. "I just wanted to say it."

A small chuckle escaped me, and I leaned down, pressing a light kiss to her forehead.

"I love you too, Senior."

She smiled at my words, her expression softening as she nuzzled closer, resting her head against my chest.

I held her gently, feeling the slow, steady rhythm of her breathing against me. It was more relaxed now, more at peace.

I knew something was bothering her.

A few theories crossed my mind, but…

For now, I just wanted to cherish this moment.

To hold her.

To be with her.

To let the silence speak for us both.

But then—

The first beams of sunlight peeked through my window, casting a golden glow across the room. The warmth of morning began to replace the chill of night.

And when I finally woke up—

Alice wasn't by my side.