In the bedroom, Scarlet pressed her ear against the door crack, vaguely hearing Arden gaming outside.
He sounded pretty excited—exactly how she imagined guys acted while gaming.
It seemed her boyfriend also had aspects similar to his peers, which made Scarlet find him cute. After all, most of the time, Arden seemed overly mature and experienced, so it was nice to occasionally glimpse his youthful side.
When it came to gaming, Scarlet admitted she couldn't compete with Imogen. She'd known since the start of the semester that her roommate was seriously skilled.
Since that was the case, she'd let Arden game with her. You couldn't be too greedy. At least when it came to fashion, shopping, and... other activities... Scarlet was confident she had the upper hand!
"Holy shit, Imi, your plays tonight are insane! You've definitely leveled up since before."
After securing two more kills with Imogen, Arden couldn't help but praise her.
"Uh, really?" Imogen sounded uncertain. She didn't really feel it herself.
"Yeah, seriously. Feels like you're touching pro-player territory."
"Maybe it's because I upgraded my setup. This computer's incredible—no frame drops at all, and my eyes don't get tired even after staring at the screen forever."
"See? I told you I had to get you a solid rig. Your eyes are too pretty to ruin with eyestrain."
"..."
Right now, Imogen was gaming in the study room of Female Dorm Building 2.
Every building at Pennbrook had a study room, and they'd be packed during finals week at the end of each semester.
But it was just the start of the semester—way before exams—so there were very few people around.
Perfect for Imogen to game at night.
Hearing Arden compliment her beautiful eyes sent a shy flutter through her.
She'd heard similar cheesy compliments from other guys before, but back then, she'd only found them disgusting—purely revolting.
This time was completely different. Not only did she not dislike it, but she actually felt delighted and proud.
Arden liked her appearance.
So... that means Arden also has those kinds of thoughts about me, right?
Thinking carefully, Arden spent money on her, claiming it was to "buy emotional value," but was it really just that?
There had to be an intention to flirt with her too.
"Dating Arden West? That's... interesting..."
A genuine smile appeared at the corner of Imogen's lips.
Although she always felt her circumstances weren't good enough for Arden, people were creatures of habit.
Recently, being Arden's paid gaming companion brought in solid income, great food, and an incredible computer to use.
She no longer had to stress about finances.
Even a cool, aloof scholar was human and developed inertia. As the saying went: It's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but nearly impossible to go back.
Plus, her personality and hobbies meshed so well with Arden's.
In Imogen's heart, thoughts of pursuing something more with Arden gradually sprouted.
Tonight's gaming session lasted three hours.
Just as she was about to log off, Imogen suddenly said in voice chat, "Arden, can I call you something besides just 'Arden'?"
"...Sure. What do you want to call me?" Arden sounded puzzled.
"I'll... I'll call you Eden!"
"Haha, no problem."
"What, you don't think it sounds good?"
"It sounds great. You know I've always liked that handle."
"Why?"
"Because I like the anime Eden of the East, and the handle works with my name ."
"Oh. Then I'll call you Eden from now on."
After a pause, Imogen said quite solemnly, "Goodnight, ."
Then she left the voice chat.
Arden sat stunned for a moment, then shook his head with a smile.
BlakeOutCurtains, you...
As his "other self in this world," Arden naturally guessed Imogen's thoughts easily.
A unique nickname meant increased intimacy.
Since Arden called her Imi, she couldn't just keep calling him by his regular name.
For Imogen, this was her way of actively hinting.
Damn, for a socially anxious introvert, this is practically a grand gesture!
Arden was in a great mood. He headed to the bathroom for a shower, then walked into the bedroom wrapped in a towel and found Scarlet leaning against the headboard, scrolling through her phone.
She'd already changed into her pajamas.
A purple-toned camisole nightgown—full of allure.
The semi-transparent design revealed tantalizing glimpses, and paired with Scarlet's curvaceous figure, it was simply stunning.
What made Arden unable to tear his eyes away was that Scarlet seemed to have been lying in wait, posed seductively on the bed, her sultry green eyes blinking at him.
Arden froze in place for a few seconds, then spoke his mind directly.
"Babe, you're so fucking hot."
"Oh my God, what are you saying? You're making me blush..."
Scarlet couldn't hold it together and quickly burrowed under the covers.
Her previous act of seduction had already consumed tons of her courage. She couldn't maintain it long before feeling shy again.
Mainly, Arden had just showered—his upper body bare, only covered by a towel around his waist—exuding an incredibly intoxicating masculine scent.
This scene shocked Scarlet no less than the shock her nightgown gave Arden.
However, there was no way Arden would let her escape.
Arden skillfully slipped under the covers and launched his attack.
A new round began.