Suddenly…
"Sir! Ma'am! Here's your meal…"
The waiter's words interrupted Sunless before he could even speak.
He then proceeded to serve both their orders from the tray with practiced efficiency.
There were some pieces of uncooked steak in the mix…
"Please enjoy our specialty." The waiter politely offered, then turned on the mini stove embedded into the table.
He used an iron chopstick to pierce a couple of steaks and placed them atop the fire.
Within moments, its fragrance spread into Sunless and Sonia's noses. He then dipped the meat into a slightly reddish-looking sauce and picked up a knife to serve it.
Sunless was astounded by the display, and because of its fragrance, a sense of eagerness to taste it bloomed in his heart.
He glanced at Sonia and noticed her staring at him.
Chuckling softly, he picked up a fork and brought a piece of meat into his mouth.
The moment the meat entered, it melted, and his eyes widened.
'It's… so good!!!' Sunless' heart jumped at the thought.
The piece of meat was so good that he could hardly control himself from tearing up.
Even with all the delicacies he had eaten in his previous life, none could compare to this masterpiece!
Sunless took a moment to close his eyes and savor the taste before opening them again.
"It's perfect." He commented, causing the expectant waiter to break into a sweet smile.
He glanced at Sonia and waited for her to take a piece of the meat.
Sonia didn't delay for long and picked up a fork as well, taking a bite.
Just like Sunless, her eyes widened in shock, and she couldn't help savoring the bite a moment longer.
She gave the waiter a thumbs up and spoke in between bites.
"It's really too good!"
"Thank you, ma'am." The waiter replied, then turned to Sunless and bowed slightly. "Sir."
Not willing to disrupt their date any longer, he departed, leaving the two alone…
Since the topic had been abruptly cut off, Sonia felt it would be awkward to bring it back up. Instead, she asked something different, trying to keep the conversation warm as they continued eating.
She realized that she and Sunless had never truly gotten to know each other, despite staying together for so many years, and felt that this was the perfect chance for them…
…
Time drifted by unrestricted, and before long, it was already dark…
From casual snacks, they ordered more drinks, played a game or two, and gradually lost themselves in each other's conversations.
Feeling a little tipsy, Sonia decided to call it a night.
As for Sunless, since his strength had increased and he had a lot of stats boosting him, he didn't feel affected by the alcohol.
He helped her up as she staggered out of the luxury restaurant.
Thankfully, he had already paid for their meals, so all that was left was to put her in a taxi and send her home before she could get any worse.
Sunless hailed a taxi the moment they stepped outside.
The female driver asked, "Where to?"
He gently nudged Sonia to reply.
"5th Betamoon Street. House 4."
"Betamoon Street? That'll be five dollars." The driver said after a moment of thought.
"Okay." Sunless nodded and took out the required amount.
"Get in." He opened the door for Sonia and urged her gently.
"Come with me…" Sonia suddenly said, pulling on Sunless' clothes and dragging him closer.
"Huh?" Sunless asked in confusion.
As she was about to enter the car, she shut the door and held onto Sunless' clothes, her head slightly lowered. "Come with me or I won't go."
Sunless was dumbfounded and left speechless.
Still, after thinking about it for a moment, he felt there was nothing wrong with the option.
"Okay." He nodded, causing Sonia to immediately brighten with excitement.
"Ten dollars." The driver said coldly, clearly uninterested in their little romance.
"Okay." Sunless replied, not minding her tone as they entered the taxi.
He paid the driver the required amount, and the car began its smooth ride.
In the meantime, the alcohol was starting to get to Sonia as she leaned toward Sunless…
"Cute…" she pinched his chin and giggled like an excited child.
Sunless felt incredulous at this side of Sonia that he had never seen before.
He couldn't deny that she was particularly enticing.
All the professional demeanor she carried had crumpled away, revealing the simple truth that…
…she was just a girl.
Sunless exhaled softly and turned to face the window, admiring the sight of youths chatting idly along the street.
Meanwhile, Sonia continued playing with his cheeks, then his clothes, trying to unbutton them, only to fix them back into place moments later.
Amused, Sunless let her do whatever she wanted.
…
In no time, the car had driven for over ten minutes and gradually pulled to a stop.
Since the houses were numbered, it wasn't difficult to locate House 4.
"We're here." The driver said without much emotion, glancing at the couple through her rearview mirror.
"Okay." Sunless replied calmly, opening the door and stepping out while simultaneously helping Sonia down.
The driver gave them a brief look, shook her head, and muttered as she drove off, "Teenagers…"
Sunless led Sonia to her door. When they reached it, he finally spoke.
"Alright, I'll be heading off now."
"I see… uh…" A trace of hesitation crossed Sonia's eyes as she stared at him.
"Don't you want to come in? Spend the night?" she offered quietly.
Sunless shook his head.
"There's no need for that. Your company today was nice. Let's go out some other time." He offered a friendly smile, waved at her, and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Sonia shouted.
Sunless paused mid-step and turned to look at her.
She took a deep breath before finally letting out what had been weighing on her chest.
"I like you. No, I love you. Do you really not realize that? Or…" her voice lowered… "you don't feel the same way?"
Her words caused Sunless to freeze completely.
'Love?' He had been too busy taking care of his sister and ensuring their survival to notice the subtle signs.
He had suspected it once, but believing that Sonia was far above his level at the time, he never dared pursue that line of thought.
Instead, he treated what they had as a casual, close friendship.
…but now…
Sunless didn't know how to respond.
"I…"
"You don't love me, right?" Sonia finished his sentence for him.
"It's not that." Sunless shook his head and stepped closer.
"Then what is it?" she asked softly.
"It's…" Before he could finish, a pair of soft lips pressed against his.
Subconsciously, Sunless closed his eyes, feeling Sonia's eagerness as she kissed him.
She wrapped her arms around his body and increased the intensity, deepening the kiss until they were already exchanging saliva.
Sunless returned it, but due to his inexperience, he could barely keep up with her pace.
"Hah…" Sonia finally pulled back slightly, breathing lightly as she stared straight into his eyes.
"Tell me you don't feel anything for me, Sunless."