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“Manager…”, Zhu Yuan began. “I have a concern.”
The PubSec officer and Wise were having their weekly hotpot lunch together (notably less spicy than their first outing). And while their conversations during were usually just about work or goings-on in the city, the rather serious look on Zhu Yuan’s face worried Wise this time around.
“What’s up?” Wise asked. “Is there a problem I can help with?”
“Technically, you are the problem.”
Wise went on edge. Did Zhu Yuan find out that he and Belle were actually proxies? That they were the ones that helped her and Qingyi? That they were actually Phaethon? “A-And how am I the problem? Did I do something to offend?”
“No it’s just…” Zhu Yuan leaned a little forward and squinted, trying to get a closer look at Wise’s face. “Have the bags under your eyes gotten larger?”
…That certainly wasn’t what Wise was expecting. “Umm…I don’t think so?”
“No, they definitely are. I had my suspicions last week, but now I can definitely see that it's gotten worse. Have you been staying up too late recently? Looking at screens too much before bed?”
With all the commissions in the Hollows he needed to get through, absolutely. But Wise wasn’t about to tell Zhu Yuan that. “W-Well, you know the store keeps me busy a lot of the time even after closing hours. And then there’s other duties and chores I deal with in the city too.”
“Even still, it won’t do for you to neglect your sleep. You know it’s important to get adequate rest, right?”
“Pot calling the kettle black here…” Wise muttered under his breath.
Zhu Yuan stood up with a look of determination. “It looks like it’s up to me to help you.”
“I’m sorry?”
“For the next few days, I’ll be dropping by after my work is done to make sure you’re getting to bed on time.”
“A-After work?” Wise asked incredulously. “That’s a bit much, isn't it? Do you intend to watch over me while I fall asleep? Wouldn’t it be a huge inconvenience for you in general?”
“Helping a citizen of New Eridu would never be an inconvenience. Besides…” Zhu Yuan gazed at Wise with a warm smile. “Your health is important to me, you know.”
Zhu Yuan could be earnestly charming at times. Wise felt himself going red and quickly tried to suppress the blush. And with it also went any remaining will to object. “A-alright fine…”
“Excellent, I’ll see you tonight then.”
Zhu Yuan paid for her food and waved goodbye to Wise. The manager sighed. “The next few nights are going to be something alright.”
“You know Manager…” Zhu Yuan said that evening, “When you said that you were working late nights, I didn’t expect you to be at the arcade.”
“Err…I can explain.” Wise sheepishly said. He and Belle had to close down proxy operations a little early, under the threat that Zhu Yuan would walk in at an inopportune time. Wanting to kill the newly freed up time until Zhu Yuan came to check up on him, Wise headed out to Sixth Street and ended up meeting Billy, who invited him to play co-op Snake Duel for a few rounds. “A few” turned into many, as Billy kept insisting on improving their teamwork after each set, keeping Wise longer and longer at Godfinger. Because of that, Wise hoped that Billy would back him up in any excuse he came up with.
Wise presented himself as composed as possible and gestured beside him. “Well, as an upstanding citizen of New Eridu, I was simply assisting a neighbor in-” Wise turned to the side only to finally realize that Billy was long gone. He berated himself for not realizing sooner that maybe a member of the Cunning Hares would’ve bolted the second a member of PubSec showed up.
Zhu Yuan stared at the empty seat Wise was pointing to, and then back to him. “You were helping someone, were you?” Neither her tone nor gaze indicated that she believed Wise at all.
“...I was.” came Wise's meek response.
The officer sighed and shook her head, before taking a closer look at the machine. “What is this game anyway? Must be pretty fun if it’s keeping you up late at night.”
“Oh, it’s called Snake Duel. You increase in length by picking up pellets and try to make the other snakes crash into you.”
“Hmm…fascinating.” Zhu Yuan stared at the game for a few more moments before sitting down at the machine. “Before I ensure you get your proper rest, I’d like to try it out. For investigative purposes of course.”
“...Uhh okay?” Wise got up from his seat and moved to look over Zhu Yuan’s shoulder. For a moment, he thought he heard the officer’s breath hitch as he got close, but soon became distracted by his own nervousness at their position, and pulled back a bit.
“So, how do I play?” The officer asked after a few awkward moments.
“R-right. Well, the controls are pretty simple.” Wise took a few moments explaining to Zhu Yuan how to move, how to pick up the power-ups, and the tactics to take out the other snakes. Being a police officer and having experience setting up traps and navigating around targets, Zhu Yuan proved to be a quick learner, and ended up getting a top score within an hour of starting.
“Wow, you’re really good, Zhu Yuan.” Wise noted.
“”Heh, all in a day’s work for a PubSec officer.” Zhu Yuan turned to Wise with a proud glint in her eye. “You said this game is cooperative?”
“Y-yeah, there’s an event going on to see which pairs can get to the top of the rankings against other teams.”
“In that case, care to join me?”
Not how Wise was expecting the night to go, but no sense in turning her down.
True to Zhu Yuan’s words from before, she and Wise worked together like a perfect match, doing even better at Snake Duel with her than when he was with Billy or Belle. They operated like a skilled dance pair, moving perfectly in-sync to trap their opponents and cover the grid to grab all the power-ups. After plenty of hard fought games, they ended up at the top of the leaderboards.
“That was incredible, Wise!” Zhu Yuan cheered, hugging Wise after they won their 10th consecutive match.
“It sure was.” Wise said as he hugged her back. The realization that they were hugging in a very public place hit them after a few seconds and they hurriedly pulled apart. As he was trying to recompose himself, Wise noticed how late it was. “...Weren’t you supposed to make sure I went to sleep at a ‘proper’ time.”
“It’s fine, it’s still only…” Zhu Yuan checked her phone for the time and her face fell. “...2AM.” She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “...That’s my fault. I’m sorry.”
Zhu Yuan escorted Wise the short distance back to Random Play before returning home herself. Wise crawled into bed, but wasn’t able to get much rest, partially due to the hours-long marathon of Snake Duel, partially because he kept thinking about how nice the hug felt (and how fortunate it was that Zhu Yuan resisted shoulder tossing him).
In the morning, Wise looked in the mirror, and saw his eyebags still remained.
The next day, after finishing what commissions he and Belle could complete in their limited time, he got a text from Lycaon.
“Master Proxy, if it’s not too much trouble, I have a request for you.”
“What can I do for you, best buddy?”
“I fear my combat strength has been a tad lacking lately and seek to improve. To do so, I could use some certification seals. I understand that you can get plentiful amounts of them from the HIA Club, which you mentioned you frequent often. Would you be able to procure me some of those seals? You’ll be compensated for your time of course.”
“No problem. On it.”
After leaving the store in Belle’s hands, Wise grabbed a stash of Ether Batteries and headed over to the HIA club. He figured it wouldn’t take long to grab the stun seals he needed for Lycaon and wanted to get some additional ones while he was at it. Wise picked up support seals for Soukaku, anomaly for Grace, defense for Ben, and attack for-
Zhu Yuan tapped Wise on the shoulder, breaking him from his VR immersion. Wise lifted the device and saw the officer’s exasperated look. “I had to ask your sister where you were hiding. Manager, are you seriously out late playing video games again?” she asked.
Wise scrambled up from his seat. “Okay, hang on, I’m actually doing important work this time! Honest.”
“How so?”
Wise took out the certification seals he’d gathered thus far. “A friend asked me to pick up some of these to help improve their combat abilities. And while I was here, I thought I’d pick some up for a few others, including…” He picked out the attack certification seals and placed them in Zhu Yuan’s hand, “you!”
Zhu Yuan blushed at the gift. “Oh um…thank you Manager. I appreciate it.” She pocketed the seals and stared at the VR headset Wise was just using. “So…you get them from playing this game?” She examined it thoroughly, and Wise could see the internal struggle she was facing, knowing what would happen if she asked-
“Could I try it? I’d like to win some seals for Qingyi and Seth.”
Wise nodded. “Yeah, let me show you how to work this.”
He taught Zhu Yuan how to navigate the menus, and watched from the screen as Zhu Yuan expertly fought in VR. Like in Snake Duel, she was a quick study and even managed to beat his times. She ran through a decent number of battles, grabbing numerous stun and defense seals.
“Right, is that all you need?” Wise asked afterwards.
“...Actually, I could use some anomaly seals as well.”
“Anomaly?” Wise asked. “Is there someone that uses them in your squad?”
“In a…different department. Anyway, let me get a few more in.”
“Wait, Zhu Yuan, it’s getting-” before Wise could finish that sentence, Zhu Yuan had already put the headset back on and was immersed in the game again.
After a while, Zhu Yuan had finally gathered all the seals she needed. “Whew, that was actually quite enjoyable. Thank you for teaching me, Manager.”
“No problem, it’s just that-.”
Zhu Yuan clapped her hands together. “Okay, now let’s get you back-” She spotted a clock on the wall. 2AM. “...home.”
“Yeah, sorry, I wanted to tell you but you were really into it.”
“Yes, it seems I let myself get carried away again. My apologies. It'd be difficult to get you home at such a late hour, and myself for that matter...”
“Actually…” Wise began. “The club has overnight rooms. We could grab a couple and just crash here.”
Zhu Yuan seemed a bit embarrassed at having to sleep overnight in a video game club of all places, but she reluctantly agreed. “Very well, that seems like the best course of action.”
There was just one snag.
“It seems we have a lot of people staying late tonight, so we only have one room left.” Bertha explained. “Will that be alright?”
Wise and Zhu Yuan both grew a bit red and looked at each other. “I…suppose we have no other choice.” Wise said.
“Very well then.” Zhu Yuan agreed.
The two got to the room, which sure enough, only had one bed. “I can sleep on the floor.” Wise quickly offered.
“No no, I’m the one who made you stay late, you should get the bed.” Zhu Yuan insisted.
“Well, you need a good night's rest for your job too.” After a moment’s hesitation, Wise had another suggestion. “Listen, the bed is big enough, we can just…set a divider and share.”
An incredibly scandalous idea, but surprisingly, not one that Zhu Yuan found herself too opposed to. “If that is fine with you, then...” She placed one of the pillows in the middle of the bed to work as a divider and quickly laid down, facing away from Wise. “G-good night, Manager.”
“...Good night, Zhu Yuan.” They took out the lights and tried to get some sleep, but given their situation, it did not come easy. Though, it wasn't from having to share the same bed, but from the unnerving feeling at how comfortable they were with it.
They went down for breakfast in the morning, and Zhu Yuan saw that Wise’s eye bags remained.
“Managers? Are you guys here?” Zhu Yuan called out when she entered Random Play.
There was some commotion from the back room before Wise scrambled out of there to greet their guest. “Z-Zhu Yuan! We weren’t expecting you this early.”
“I was focused on getting all my work done early so I could catch you before you left the store.”
“...It seems like there’s more to this.”
“...Fine, Qingyi also insisted I leave early and take my vacation days since I capped out again.” Zhu Yuan looked again to the back room suspiciously. “Is everything alright back there?”
“Oh yeah, just doing last second com…piling of inventory. Belle’s got it covered though.” Wise replied.
Zhu Yuan could tell Wise was hiding something, but figured that she could let it go for now. “...Very well then. In that case, let’s make sure you get to bed, shall we?”
“...You realize it's still just late afternoon, right? I know you want me to get some sleep, but even this seems a bit early, no? We haven’t even had dinner yet.”
“Ah, you’re right. In that case, would you and Belle care to join me at Waterfall Soup? My treat.”
“Tell her yes!” came Belle’s voice from the backroom.
“Guess we’re going then.” Wise said. “Let me just help Belle complete the…compiling.” He returned to the backroom, opening the door very gingerly and minimally to prevent Zhu Yuan from seeing what was inside. “Could you just…stay here for a bit?”
“O-okay?”
Wise closed the door, and after a bit more commotion coming from back there, he and Belle returned to the main room, and the trio headed over to Waterfall Soup. One delicious bowl of noodles later, Belle claimed that she had some business with Belobog Industries, and insisted that Wise and Zhu Yuan return to the store without her.
The wink she shot the two of them went by unaddressed, but not unnoticed.
Wise and Zhu Yuan returned to Random Play. “Right, let’s get you into bed.” Zhu Yuan said cheerfully.
“Err, it’s still only 7PM. I think that’s still a bit early-”
“You stayed up incredibly late these last two nights, Manager.” Zhu Yuan insisted. “It’d be best if you made up for them right away. Now go get ready for bed, then I’ll make sure you sleep.”
“...Sure I guess then?” As Wise went upstairs to wash up, Zhu Yuan browsed Random Play’s selection when one tape caught her eye.
“Hometown La-La-La?” She muttered as she picked it up. A romance series from the description. “A young woman goes to a small town to become their doctor and falls in love with the local handyman…” The pictures on the back showed a happy couple, and Zhu Yuan could feel her heart pounding just from the previews.
“You interested in that one?” Wise asked from the staircase.
Zhu Yuan jumped at the sound of Wise's voice. “I uhh…was just curious. As evidenced by our trip to the cinema before, I’m not very well versed in romance movies and shows.”
“How about watching the first episode right now? See if you’re into it.”
“But I need to make sure you get your…” Zhu Yuan checked the time. 7:30pm. Still fairly early. “Okay fine. One episode.”
They headed up to Wise’s room, the first time Zhu Yuan had been there since…watching the suspicious tapes from before. She took a seat on the couch while Wise loaded up tape and then sat next to her. “Just one episode.” Zhu Yuan repeated. “Then you’re getting your sleep.”
The credits rolled on the first episode, and not even Wise was ready for how engrossed Zhu Yuan was. “That was incredible!” she muttered. “I know they’re at odds with one another right now, but the two leads’ chemistry is amazing!”
Wise smiled at Zhu Yuan’s excitement. “Guess I can take this to mean you liked it.”
Zhu Yuan realized how animated she was and tried to reign it in a bit. “Ah, yes I suppose so. So much that…” She became a little hesitant. “I’d like to watch the next episode, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”
“Sure.” Wise said with a laugh. “I can go ahead and rent it out for you real quick.”
“Actually…I’d like to keep watching it with you, if that’s alright?”
“You sure? You’re the one that keeps telling me I need to sleep.”
“True, but…” Zhu Yuan became nervous at her own request. “I think I’d enjoy the show more if you were watching it with me.”
Wise felt a blush coming on again, but let it go this time and smiled. “In that case, I'd be happy to.”
Second Episode
“It’s so sweet that he keeps helping her even when she messes up her relationship with the others!”
Zhu Yuan had removed her jacket and equipment to get a bit more comfortable, and her eyes were glued onto the screen.
Third Episode
“Ugh, I just wish they would stop bickering already!”
Zhu Yuan had scooted a bit closer to Wise, eagerly commenting her thoughts about the show to him.
Fourth Episode
“He has an illness?”
Zhu Yuan tugged at Wise’s arm every time a new revelation came on, as though he wasn’t already watching the same show she was.
Fifth Episode
“An old classmate? Who also has feelings for her!?”
Zhu Yuan’s hand gripped Wise’s and while he prepared for a shoulder toss like the last time they held hands, it never came. After a bit, Zhu Yuan realized what she was doing and panicked for a moment, but found herself content to let their hands remain as they were.
Sixth Episode
“They teamed up to dance for that child’s song! That's so cute!”
By this point, Zhu Yuan was leaning her head on Wise’s shoulder, hands still entwined. They couldn't help but be peacefully comfortable with each other, but they were still conscious of a line they tried not to cross...
Seventh Episode
It was the climax. The handyman had saved the doctor from a home invader, and after spending the entire episode worrying about the other, the two leads finally confronted each other about their feelings. The lighting was just right, the soundtrack had a pop singer’s beautiful voice serenading, and the actors put their entire being into an emotional performance for the couple’s first kiss. A truly incredible scene.
A scene that was completely ignored by Wise and Zhu Yuan, as they were sharing their own kiss.
Was it because the scene was so good it inspired the both of them to finally take action on their feelings? Was it because they’d become more comfortable with each other over the past few nights that this was just the natural next step? Whatever the reason, it wasn’t as important as the feeling of Zhu Yuan’s lips on Wise’s, her hands cupping his face, or his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her close.
The kiss was awkward in the beginning, being Zhu Yuan's first. But once again, she was a quick learner, and Wise couldn't help but melt into the kiss as Zhu Yuan gained more confidence as it went on. She leaned a bit farther in, pushing Wise down onto the couch, not breaking the kiss. As Wise tried to readjust to make them more comfortable, he nearly sent the two of them tumbling off the couch. The officer managed to catch herself and stood up, while Wise scrambled up after her. “Zhu Yuan, sorry about tha-” His apology was cut off by Zhu Yuan’s lips, as she seemed eager on keeping their kiss going, to which Wise had no complaints about.
The two stayed there, standing in the middle of Wise’s bedroom making out, only parting to take quick breaths before reconnecting. Zhu Yuan wasn’t really sure how to proceed from there. She peeked open her eye to pay attention to the show again, and saw the handyman picking up and carrying his new girlfriend to bed.
Zhu Yuan decided to do the same. She picked Wise up, the manager too lost in their kiss to realize what she was doing until Zhu Yuan let him go and fall onto the bed. As Zhu Yuan landed on top of him, more familiar scenes ran through her mind, though this time of the…adult movies she watched before with Wise in this very room. What they were doing was eerily familiar to the setup of one of them, and Zhu Yuan's composure started to crack.
“I-uhh, I’m sorry about that manager. I mean...I just-”
Her rambling was interrupted by Wise reaching up to caress her cheek. The PubSec officer looked down to see Wise’s face, eye bags and a sweet, reassuring smile, staring up at her.
“Zhu Yuan…” He said with a breathless, lovestruck voice.
Any hesitancy Zhu Yuan had about the situation vanished, and she descended upon Wise.
The next morning, Zhu Yuan woke up feeling somewhat embarrassed, but also overjoyed. She and Wise just shared their first kiss, first night together even, and she was glowing. She turned around in bed to face Wise to see if he was just as happy as she was.
The first thing she saw was that the bags under Wise’s eyes had gotten incredibly worse. Far worse than staying up after the marathon gaming sessions.
“Morning, Zhu Yuan…” Wise said weakly.
“Morning, Manager...” Zhu Yuan sheepishly muttered.
“You know, it would be okay for you to just call me ‘Wise’ from now on. Especially…after all the things you did to me last night.”
“What did I…” The memories from the night started coming back. How she, in an attempt to figure out what to do for her and Wise's first time, decided to recreate every last lewd act from the suspicious tapes. Among which included some improper use of her handcuffs. She remembered how she asked to keep going, and going, and going and Wise did his best to keep up for her. She faced back away from Wise and covered her face. “I’m so so so sorry!”
She felt arms wrap around her, and Wise’s head resting on the back of her neck, leaving little kisses upon it. “Don’t worry about it. While a bit more…intense than how I thought it was going to go, I think we both needed last night. Although, for someone who’s been so insistent that I get some sleep, you certainly weren't intending to let me get any.” Zhu Yuan groaned in embarrassment, and Wise continued to hold onto her until she calmed down. A bit later, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick text. “Who are you texting? Eager to tell Qingyi already?” Wise teased. "Should I have made you sign an NDA?"
Zhu Yuan couldn't help but laugh, then shook her head and turned back around in Wise’s arms. “Your sister, actually. I just let her know that I’m still trying to make you get some sleep, and I’ve finally come up with the perfect method.” She leaned forward to kiss Wise again, pushing him back further into the bed. She pulled away, and rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
Wise tried to wiggle his way out of Zhu Yuan’s embrace, but was unable to. “Z-Zhu Yuan. I actually have to do some work-”
“I’m sure your sister can handle the store by herself for one day. I’ll make it up to her later.” Zhu Yuan said, snuggling tighter to Wise.
“The store itself would be fine but the commissions…” Wise thought. Although, when faced with Zhu Yuan’s peaceful, lovely face staring up at him, he realized there was no sense trying to argue. “Alright then.” Wise leaned down to kiss Zhu Yuan again, who was quick to reciprocate. The two exchanged soft pecks before Zhu Yuan pulled back and stared deep into Wise’s eyes.
“You know what…Wise?”
“What’s up?”
“I think I’m starting to find the bags under your eyes cute, actually.”
“...Z-Zhu Yuan, I’m not sure I like that that much as a compliment.”
Zhu Yuan giggled, and returned to resting her head against Wise. Well, Wise indeed needed some rest, and there weren’t much better ways to get it than cuddling with Zhu Yuan.