Establishing the Relationship, Phase Two

Nohara Rin's eyelashes fluttered lightly, as if she were struggling desperately to surface from a long, heavy dream.

She had fallen under Shinji's genjutsu, and everything afterward had become vague and fragmented. She only vaguely remembered the Ninja Crow with the Sharingan suddenly rushing before her eyes, then abruptly vanishing. The last image frozen in her vision had been Shinji's figure.

"Shinji!?"

She suddenly opened her eyes and instinctively jerked upright, sitting up in a fluster as she anxiously searched for him.

"You're awake?"

That familiar, gentle voice sounded beside her ear, and Rin's tense body instantly relaxed. She was still wearing his coat, its reassuring scent wrapping around her and quietly warming her heart.

Shinji walked over and sat beside her, gently patting her back with his right hand. "It's over now."

Rin silently hugged her knees and edged a little closer to him. "Shinji, can I ask... what exactly happened?"

Over the past few days, Shinji had kept pushing her to study medical ninjutsu. He had even gone to great lengths to obtain a Sharingan.

She raised her head and blinked up at him, quietly waiting for an answer.

Shinji frowned slightly, suddenly feeling a headache coming on. He truly did not know how to explain this.

He couldn't exactly tell her outright that she had already been drawn into a massive conspiracy, could he? Without any evidence, Rin might drag him off to have his mental state examined.

Shinji did not know whether to laugh or cry.

Rin lightly bit her lower lip and stared at him without blinking, her eyes filled only with pure anticipation and trust.

In the end, Shinji could not withstand that gaze. He gently took her hand.

"Rin, do you remember? When my Sharingan awakened, you were right beside me."

"Mm."

"When it awakened, I accidentally saw some images. Images of your future... filled with danger."

He held her hand, unconsciously tightening his grip.

"I can't be certain that it is a future destined to happen."

"But I don't dare take that gamble, and I can't figure out what exactly will put you in danger."

"The only thing I can do is find a way to give you something to protect yourself with."

Shinji gazed into her eyes, his tone incomparably solemn.

"That's all I can tell you."

After a long while.

"So that's how it was?"

Nohara Rin murmured softly. She did not know what her future would look like, but when she thought of Shinji doing everything he could to face that unknown danger for her sake, warmth filled her heart.

"Thank you, Shinji."

She gently tilted her head and rested it against his shoulder. "I'm not worth you doing so much for me."

"How could you not be worth it?"

Shinji reached out and firmly wrapped an arm around her waist, his gaze earnest. "Rin, do you still not understand how I feel?"

He took a deep breath and spoke each word distinctly.

"I really like you. I want you to be my girlfriend."

Rin's mind exploded with a buzz.

It was not that she did not understand. She had simply always been too shy to pierce that thin veil between them. But she had never expected Shinji to say it so directly, so solemnly.

"Shinji, you!"

She looked up at him, her eyes flustered, then instinctively lowered her head again, trying to avoid his burning gaze.

But Shinji gave her no chance to run away. With a flex of his arms, he lifted her straight into a bridal carry.

"Ah!"

Rin suddenly lost her balance and instinctively hooked her arms around his neck. Her entire face flushed bright red in an instant.

The base was so quiet that only their breathing remained.

Shinji lowered his head, looking at the blushing girl in his arms, and his heartbeat could no longer calm itself.

He leaned in slightly.

Rin did not pull away. Her eyelashes merely trembled softly, and even her breathing had become unsteady.

The next second, Shinji raised his hand and gently brushed away the stray hair from her forehead. His palm lightly rested against the side of her neck as he lowered his head and kissed her lips.

It was light and soft, carrying a cautious, tentative touch.

Rin's heartbeat suddenly skipped. Her hands clenched tightly around his sleeves, yet she did not retreat in the slightest. She gently closed her eyes and let that sense of security and tenderness envelop her.

After a long time, their lips parted.

Shinji unconsciously pressed his lips together, then looked down at the person in his arms, laughter in his eyes. "Rin, it seems you've agreed."

Rin buried herself in his arms, breathing heavily. She felt as though she had used up every bit of boldness she would ever have in this moment.

She raised her head and glared at him in embarrassed annoyance. "You bad guy, I've already let you do this, and you're still teasing me on purpose."

The base's gentle lights reflected off her flushed cheeks, making it impossible to look away.

"Rin."

Shinji's voice softened further as he suppressed the surging emotions in his heart. "One more time?"

Nohara Rin nodded.

She gently tilted her head up and closed her eyes.

Shinji could no longer hold himself back. He lowered his head and kissed her deeply.

He gently parted her lips, and their tongues entwined softly.

Rin let out a low whimper, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as she responded to him with all her heart.

After confirming their feelings for each other, Rin became especially soft and accepting, giving him all her shyness and trust without reservation.

At dusk.

Shinji walked Rin back to her doorstep. They stood quietly before the door, about to part.

"Wait for me to come back from my mission."

Shinji raised a hand and gently brushed her cheek.

Nohara Rin's eyes were full of reluctance. They had only just confirmed their feelings, yet her lover was already leaving on a mission. She carefully straightened the corner of his clothes, then rose lightly onto her toes and quickly planted a soft kiss on the corner of his lips.

"I'm going in now." With her hands behind her back, she looked at him with sparkling eyes. "I'll wait for you to come back."

With that, her face full of bashfulness, she trotted into her home.

Shinji raised his hand, lightly touching the spot she had kissed with his fingertips. His heart was filled with warmth.

"I have to complete this mission as soon as possible."

After returning to his residence, Shinji washed up and sat down on the sofa.

With a thought, he summoned the System Panel.

Several new notifications were quietly waiting for him in the message column.

Without hesitation, he opened them one by one.

[Nohara Rin has completed the second stage of being won over. A bond relationship has been established.]

[Bond relationship detected: Lovers]

[Player has received the second Points reward: 250,000 Points]

[The third sign-in reward has been unlocked. Maintaining the romantic relationship will accumulate sign-in days.]

[Nohara Rin: Current sign-in days: 1]

[Upon reaching one month of sign-in days, an additional Points reward will be obtained. Upon reaching six months, 1 A-Rank Gift Box will be obtained.]

[If either party declares the termination of the romantic relationship, or if either party's feelings change and disappear, the romantic relationship will be considered ended, interrupting the sign-in days.]

"So we've finally officially become lovers."

Shinji's gaze paused slightly as it fell on the last rule, and he grew thoughtful.

"So long as either person loses their feelings for the other, the relationship counts as over?"

This system was really guarding against him becoming a heartless scumbag.

He did not care about that. He simply sincerely wanted to give every girl he cared about a stable, warm home.

Shinji silently closed the system, leaned back to look at the ceiling, and muttered to himself, "I still need to keep working hard."