After a few minutes, Alya came out of the fitting room wearing her normal clothes again, carrying the outfits she had tried on.
Her face still had a faint reddish tint, but she looked far more relaxed than before.
Isagi paid for everything (four items in total) without giving her any room to protest.
When they left the store, he was carrying several shopping bags in his hands while Alya walked beside him….
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the shopping mall skylights, illuminating the busy corridor.
Isagi looked at her with a small smile.
“So… did you have fun?” Alya stayed silent for a second, as if fighting an internal battle.
In the end, she answered in a quiet but sincere voice: “…I did.
I had more fun than I expected.” Right afterward, as though she regretted being too honest, she quickly turned her face away and added in her usual tsundere tone: “But only because you kept insisting so much!
It’s not like I enjoy trying on clothes all the time… idiot.” Isagi chuckled softly, amused by her predictable reaction.
“Got it, got it.
It was all my fault.” He shifted all the shopping bags to his left hand and extended his right arm toward her.
“Want to keep the date going?
There’s a good movie theater here.
Want to watch a movie with me?” Alya stared at his outstretched arm for a moment.
Her face flushed lightly once again, but she eventually accepted, slipping her arm through his with a certain shyness.
“…Alright.
There was a movie I wanted to watch anyway….” “No problem….” Isagi replied, satisfied.
They walked like that, close together, all the way to the cinema at Aeon LakeTown.
Isagi bought the tickets while Alya chose the movie, a romantic drama with touches of mystery, based on a modern Russian novel that had been adapted quite well.
She was clearly excited when she saw it was showing.
At the counter, Isagi also bought a large combo: sweet and salty popcorn mixed together, two large sodas, and some chocolates.
“You really eat a lot…” Alya commented while looking at his full hands.
“I need to keep my energy up.
Dating you burns a lot of calories.” “Idiot.” They entered the theater.
Since it was between peak hours, it was not very crowded.
Isagi had bought premium seats in the back, the more spacious reclining ones with extra privacy.
The two settled down side by side.
“…Don’t get any weird ideas….” “I won’t promise anything….” The lights went completely dark, and the movie began.
During the first few minutes, Alya maintained a relatively composed posture, her hands resting on her lap and her body leaning slightly forward.
However, as the story progressed and more intimate moments appeared on the screen, she gradually relaxed.
Isagi noticed the exact moment.
With a discreet movement, he lifted the armrest separating the two premium seats, removing the barrier between them.
Without saying a word, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her closer.
Alya stiffened immediately.
Her face exploded into a deep red, almost glowing in the dim theater lighting.
“…W-what do you think you’re doing?” she whispered, irritated and embarrassed as she turned toward him.
“We’re in a movie theater… There are people here.” “There are, but nobody’s looking at us….” Isagi replied quietly with a calm smile.
“And couples do this too.” Alya opened her mouth to complain more, but the words died when he lightly squeezed her shoulder.
After a few seconds of internal struggle, she let out a soft huff and muttered in Russian: “…Идиот бесстыжий…” (Shameless idiot…) Even so, she did not pull away.
On the contrary, after a brief hesitation, she snuggled closer against his chest, resting her head on his shoulder.
Her body was still tense from embarrassment, but the warmth radiating from her showed how much she was enjoying it.
Isagi smiled in satisfaction and started grabbing popcorn from the bucket with his free hand, offering some to her every now and then.
Alya accepted, sometimes taking it directly from his hand, which only deepened her blush.
The movie had several scenes filled with emotional tension, disguised jealousy, and moments where the heroine denied her feelings despite clearly being in love.
Alya frequently glanced at Isagi during those parts.
Her eyes reflected the light from the screen, filled with complex emotions: recognition, embarrassment, affection, and a slight discomfort from seeing her own situation mirrored on the screen.
At one point, the heroine muttered something in Russian very similar to what Alya herself had already told him several times.
She discreetly gripped his shirt.
Isagi noticed, but said nothing.
He simply squeezed her shoulder more affectionately.
When the movie reached its emotional climax, Alya was completely immersed.
Her eyes became moist during the final scene, and she blinked rapidly, trying to hide it.
In the end, a single tear escaped.
Isagi turned toward her just as the lights slowly began turning back on.
“…Are you crying?” he asked with a teasing little smile.
Alya quickly wiped the corner of her eye and turned away, annoyed.
“I’m not crying!
It’s… it’s allergies.” Isagi laughed softly, leaning closer.
“Really…?
I’m pretty sure I heard you sniffling…
You don’t have to be embarrassed, Alya…
It was cute seeing you so invested.” Alya huffed, clearly irritated at being caught red-handed.
“Hmph.
I’m not embarrassed!
You’re the one with no heart….
How can you watch such a beautiful movie and just sit there laughing?” She quickly bent down, picking up the nearly empty popcorn bucket and the two soda cups.
Isagi stood up as well, still smiling, and helped gather the rest of the trash.
“I do have a heart.
Mine’s just already too busy thinking about you to cry over a movie….” he teased while taking the bucket from her hands.
Alya turned red once again and looked away.
“…Idiot.
Stop saying things like that out of nowhere…..” They left the theater together, threw the trash into the bin near the entrance, and walked toward the courtesy locker where Isagi had left the shopping bags earlier.
He picked up all the bags with ease and adjusted the weight in his hands.
“There.
Now… want to grab something to eat?
I’m starving after all that sweet popcorn,” he said calmly….
Alya nodded, still wearing a slight pout.
“…Alright.
I’m a little hungry too.
But nothing too heavy.” The two of them headed down to the restaurant floor at Aeon LakeTown.
The place was lively, with the smell of various foods filling the air.
After spending a few minutes looking at the options, they chose a casual Japanese restaurant that served bowls and light meals.
They sat at a more secluded table near the window overlooking the artificial lake.
Alya ordered a grilled salmon bowl with rice and vegetables, while Isagi chose a large ramen.
While waiting for the food, Alya played with the straw of the new soda Isagi had bought.
She looked thoughtful.
“…That movie was pretty similar to us, huh?” she suddenly murmured, almost against her own will.
Isagi raised an eyebrow, surprised.
“You thought so too?” Alya looked away, embarrassed.
“The heroine… was way too prideful.
And the guy was way too pushy and straightforward.
It was almost like…” She did not finish the sentence, but Isagi smiled softly and completed it for her: “Like us?” Alya huffed and crossed her arms, but did not deny it.
“…Maybe.
Just a little.” The food arrived, and they ate in comfortable silence, exchanging glances and small comments about the day.
Alya stole a bite of his ramen “just to taste it,” and Isagi pretended to complain while laughing.
By the time they finished, it was already late afternoon.
The sky was beginning to take on orange hues.
Isagi paid the bill, and the two left the restaurant.
He extended his hand toward her again.
“Want to take one more walk before heading home?” Alya hesitated for half a second, but intertwined her fingers with his, squeezing lightly.
“…Just a little longer.
I don’t want to get home too late.” They took a peaceful walk around the outdoor area of Aeon LakeTown, strolling around the artificial lake while the sky shifted from orange into a deep shade of purple.
The air was fresh and pleasant.
Alya kept her arm linked with his, occasionally stealing discreet glances at Isagi’s profile.
When the sun had completely set, Isagi accompanied her close to her house.
Instead of heading straight to the door, he guided her to a small quiet park a few blocks away from her residence, a place with trees, benches, and soft lighting, practically empty at that hour.
They stopped at a more secluded corner of the small park beneath the yellowish glow of a streetlamp.
Isagi placed the shopping bags on the ground beside a bench and sat down, gently pulling Alya to sit next to him.
Alya looked around, slightly confused but with her heart racing.
“…Why did you bring me here?” she asked in a low, slightly suspicious voice.
“It’s late… If you were just taking me home, we could’ve gone straight there.” Isagi remained silent for a few seconds, as if organizing his thoughts.
Then he turned toward her, holding one of her hands between his own.
“Because I wanted to give you this…..” He slipped a hand into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small black velvet box.
Alya’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of it.
Isagi opened the box.
Inside was a delicate promise ring made of white gold with a small silver stone in the center that shimmered softly beneath the streetlamp, simple, elegant, and exactly the kind of style that suited her.
Alya froze completely, her face flushing violently.
“Isagi… this is…” “I know we’re already dating….” he said in a calm and sincere voice.
“But there was never an official confession, so I’m doing it now…..” He picked up the ring and held her left hand.
“Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou… will you officially be my girlfriend?” Alya was red as a tomato.
Her blue eyes trembled as they shifted between the ring and his face.
Her mouth opened and closed several times, unable to form words immediately.
“…You idiot…” she finally murmured, her voice faltering.
“Doing something like this out of nowhere… Here… in this park…” She took a deep breath, trying to control the emotions and embarrassment overwhelming her.
“…But… yes.
I accept.” Isagi smiled, clearly relieved and happy.
Then, carefully, he slid the ring onto her ring finger.
It fit perfectly.
As soon as the ring settled into place, he gently held Alya’s face and kissed her, one hand resting on the back of her neck while the other wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.
Alya let out a small muffled moan against his lips, but almost immediately kissed him back, tilting her head slightly while slowly parting her lips.
The kiss quickly became deeper and more intense.
Their tongues met in a warm and eager rhythm while Alya clutched the front of his shirt with both hands as if she needed something to hold onto.
Isagi deepened the kiss even more, exploring her mouth without hiding his growing desire.
His hand slid along the side of her body, squeezing her waist before slowly moving down to her thigh.
Alya shivered lightly, but she did not stop him.
Quite the opposite.
She pressed her body even closer against his, breathing unevenly between kisses.
“Mmm… Isagi…” she murmured against his lips, her voice husky, quiet, and completely embarrassed.
Isagi then trailed his kisses down to her neck, leaving light bites and hickeys across her soft skin while his hand squeezed her thigh more firmly.
Alya involuntarily arched her body, letting out a trembling sigh.
“…You… what are you doing all of a sudden?!…” she whispered in Russian, completely flushed, even though her hands were already buried in his hair, pulling him even closer.
The two continued kissing for long minutes, becoming increasingly absorbed in each other.
Isagi was clearly growing bolder; the hand on her thigh moved even higher until he firmly grabbed her butt, while his other hand continued holding her waist and pulling her closer onto his lap.
Alya was completely breathless.
Her body was hot and trembling, and she kissed him back intensely, though her desire was still mixed with that natural embarrassment that never completely disappeared.
Eventually, she managed to pull her face back slightly, breathing heavily.
Her lips were swollen and reddened from the kisses.
“…Wait… not here…” she murmured quietly.
“I’m still not ready either….” Isagi rested his forehead against hers, breathing just as heavily, but immediately respecting the boundary she set.
“I know… and I can wait…” he replied in a husky voice.
“It’s just… hard to control myself when it’s you.” Alya hid her face in his neck, completely mortified, though clearly happy.
The new ring softly gleamed on her finger while she hugged him tightly.
They stayed like that for a few more minutes, exchanging lighter kisses and silently embracing, until Alya finally stood up, still completely red.
“…Come on.
Walk me home.” Isagi smiled, picked up the shopping bags from the ground, and intertwined his fingers with hers once again.
_____________________ (A/N: First of all, thank you for reading this story.
Your support there also helps a lot in keeping the story updated consistently.
I hope you continue enjoying Isagi’s completely cursed new life in this crossover world.)